Scaphobaeocera montivagans, Lobl, 2011

Löbl, Ivan, 2011, On the Scaphisomatini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scaphidiinae) of the Philippines, II, Revue suisse de Zoologie 118 (4), pp. 695-721 : 710

Scaphobaeocera montivagans sp. n.

HOLOTYPE: Ƌ, Luzon: Philippines Mt. Pangao (2350m) nr. Data Ifugao Pv. 14.VII.1985, M. Sakai leg. ( MHNG).

PARATYPE: Ƌ, Luzon: Mount Data 8.I.80, J. Orousset #165 ( MHNG) .

DESCRIPTION: Length 1.30-1.40 mm, width 0.76-0.82 mm, dorsoventral diameter 0.82-0.87 mm. Head and body dark reddish-brown, apical part of abdominal ventrite 1 and following ventrites lighter, reddish to ochraceous, appendages light reddish-brown to yellowish. Pronotum and hypomera lacking microsculpture, elytra, lateral parts of metaventrite, mesepimera, metepisterna and abdominal ventrites distinctly microsculptured. Elytra iridescent. Pronotal and elytral punctation very fine, hardly visible at magnification 100x. Length ratio of antennomeres as: III 5: IV 8: V 10: VI 7: VII 10: VIII 7: IX 11: X 10: XI 22. Segment III thickened apically, segments IV and V slightly narrower than segment III, IV about 4 times as long as wide, V about 5 times as long as wide. Segment VI distinctly wider than segment V, about twice as long as wide. Segment VII about twice as long as wide. Segment VIII slightly narrower than segment VII, almost twice as long as wide. Segments IX to XI about as wide as segment VII, IX and X each about twice as long as wide, XI about 4.5 times as long as wide. Tip of scutellum exposed. Hypomeron with stria. Elytra with very fine parasutural striae, sutural striae starting near base, slightly curved along pronotal lobe. Middle part of metaventrite somewhat convex, not impressed apically, without stria, with dense, fairly coarse punctation and rather long pubescence. Sides of metaventrite extremely finely punctate, with fairly long pubescence. Mesocoxal lines with very fine marginal punctures not extending laterally along mesepimera; submesocoxal areas about 0.02-0.03 mm long. Metepisterna flat, with exposed portion about 0.08-0.09 mm wide, parallel-sided, with straight, deep suture. Abdomen with distinct microsculpture consisting of transverse striae. Abdominal ventrite 1 extremely finely punctate, with basal punctures fine, not elongate. Tibiae straight.

Male characters. Protarsi with segments 1 to 3 distinctly widened, narrower than protibiae.

HABITAT: Mountain broad-leaf forest, leaf and wood litter.

DISTRIBUTION: Philippines: Luzon.

COMMENTS: This species resembles S. complicans from which it may be easily distinguished by the microsculpture pattern on the ventral side of body. The aedeagi of both males were lost. Nevertheless, the external characters of S. montivagans are unambiguously diagnostic.