A new genus and new species of Telephanini (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) from Gabon

in their diagnosis of telephanini (Coleoptera, Silvanidae), thomas & nearns (2008) list nine genera within the tribe. Aplatamus Grouvelle, 1912, Euplatamus Sharp, 1899 and Australophanus thomas & nearns, 2008 are restricted to the new World, Indophanus Pal, 1981 was only found in india, and species of Megapsammoecus Karner, 1995 were recorded from india and China, respectively. For africa, Madagascar and the reunion islands, members of three genera were recorded: Psammoecus latreille, 1829, Telephanus erichson, 1846 (Madagascar, reunion) and Psammaechidius Fairmaire, 1882 (Madagascar). Cryptamorpha desjardinsi (Guérin-Méneville, 1844) is a cosmopolitan species (thomas & nearns 2008); no other members, however, of Cryptamorpha Wollaston, 1854 have been recorded from africa; therefore, we don’t consider Cryptamorpha to be native to africa.


Introduction
in their diagnosis of telephanini (Coleoptera, Silvanidae), thomas & nearns (2008) list nine genera within the tribe.Aplatamus Grouvelle, 1912, Euplatamus Sharp, 1899and Australophanus thomas & nearns, 2008 are restricted to the new World, Indophanus Pal, 1981 was only found in india, and species of Megapsammoecus Karner, 1995 were recorded from india and China, respectively.For africa, Madagascar and the reunion islands, members of three genera were recorded: Psammoecus latreille, 1829, Telephanus erichson, 1846 (Madagascar, reunion) and Psammaechidius Fairmaire, 1882 (Madagascar).Cryptamorpha desjardinsi (Guérin-Méneville, 1844) is a cosmopolitan species (thomas & nearns 2008); no other members, however, of Cryptamorpha Wollaston, 1854 have been recorded from africa; therefore, we don't consider Cryptamorpha to be native to africa.a sample of beetles recently collected in Gabon by Silvano Biondi and Maurizio Pavesi contained a remarkable new species of telephanini, representing a new genus that is described here.

R e s e a r c h a r t i c l e
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5212C89A-6BD1-4433-A841-9639830F6E36 part of Gabon at an altitude of about 500 m. the material was collected at light, close to the ipassa research Station, in a somewhat degraded forest location (but surrounded by well-preserved primary forest) in the northern part of the park.Durante (2012) provides more detailed information on the locality and ecological circumstances.
For dissection of genitalia, the method described by Karner (2012) was used.one male paratype was dissected for examination of mouthparts and coxal cavities.For photography, the dissected body parts were temporarily embedded in glycerol gelatin to enable precise orientation.after study, structures were embedded in dimethylhydantoin formaldehyde resin (Steedman 1958) on cellulose acetate labels and attached to the pins of the respective specimens.
observations and measurements were made with an olympus SZX16 stereo microscope.Macro photographs were taken with a Canon eoS 650D digital camera and an MP-e 65 mm macro objective.Higher magnifications were obtained with Mitutoyo M Plan 10× and 20× apochromatic microscope objectives mounted on asahi takumar 200 mm and Carl Zeiss MC Sonnar 135 mm telephoto lenses in varying combinations.Photographs of genitalia were taken with a Canon eoS 650D digital camera attached to an olympus CH microscope.images and image layers were processed with Zerene Stacker (version 1.04 Build t201311272225), adobe lightroom 5.7 and GiMP (version 2.8.0) software.

Differential diagnosis
Within the telephanini, Bolianus gen.nov. is closely related to Psammaechidius Fairmaire, 1882, but differs by the distinct median frontal groove, large eyes, short and moderately curved temples, maximum width of pronotum near middle, and the tuberculate lateral margins of the pronotum.

Etymology
the peculiar median groove along the head prompted us to derive the generic name from the 'Bolians', a fictitious species from the universe of the science fiction series 'Star Trek', characterized by a vertical suture running along the midline of head and face.
Head (Figs 2-3).eyes prominent, rounded, eye length from anterior to posterior margin 0.30 mm, eye distance across vertex 0.64 mm.Temples well defined and moderately curved, angle between temple and longitudinal axis of head 64°; head width across eyes 0.97 mm, length from apical margin of clypeus to imaginary line between hind margins of eyes 0.68 mm.Punctures on vertex 0.5 times as large as an eye facet diameter, spaces between punctures irregular, between 0.5 and about 1.5 times their diameter, somewhat irregular.Pubescence composed of semierect setae about 0.25 times as long as eye length, directed anteriorly.Microsculpture shallow, reticulate.lateral frontal lines deep, straight, slightly converging anteriorly, almost attaining posterior margins of eyes.Central frontal line deep, anterior end not attaining frontoclypeal suture, posterior end attaining basal ridge of head.additional impressions running close to dorsal margins of eyes from anterior fifth of eyes to basis of head.Antennae long, slender, attaining almost middle of elytra, length 2.75 mm; antennomere proportions, starting from scape, as follows: 3.1 : 1.0 : 1.3 : 1.6 : 1.7 : 1.6 : 1.5 : 1.4 : 1.4 : 1.4 : 2.6 (Fig. 3).
Pronotum (Fig. 2).Widest near middle, about 1.1 times as wide as head; moderately wider than long; maximum width 1.10 mm, length 1.00 mm.area near posterior margin slightly depressed.lateral margins with minute tubercles, which are slightly larger near anterior and posterior angles.anterior part of lateral margin almost straight, slightly diverging towards middle, slightly sinuate from middle to base.Punctures on pronotal disk larger than on vertex, slightly smaller than an eye facet, somewhat irregular with distances between punctures ranging from 0.5 times to 2 times their diameter.Pubescence composed of semierect setae about 0.3 times as long as eye length, directed anteromedial.Microsculpture shallow, reticulate.
Legs.Simple, slender; 2 nd and 3 rd tarsomeres lobed and with dense pubescence on soles.eLytra.oval, 1.68 times as long as pronotum, widest just in front of middle, length along suture including scutellum 2.84 mm, combined maximum width 1.68 mm.rows of punctures on elytral disk about 2/3 as wide as interstices; pubescence composed of long, semierect setae; strial setae as long as interstrial setae; interstrial setae predominantly in single rows, in several, irregularly distributed places also in double rows; 10 th stria with 7 distinctly enlarged, deep punctures.Microsculpture absent.
aedeagus .Parameres of holotype wide, parallel-sided, almost three times as long as wide; median lobe slender, lancet-shaped.Fig. 14C shows the parameres of a male paratype that were temporarily flattened under a cover slip to exhibit their shape in perpendicular view.
KARNER M. et al., New genus Telephanini from Gabon (Africa)Variation the paratypes vary in body length from 4.65 to 5.10 mm.elytra of females slightly more rounded than those of males, widest behind middle.