Scaphobaeocera palawana, Lobl, 2011

Löbl, Ivan, 2011, On the Scaphisomatini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scaphidiinae) of the Philippines, II, Revue suisse de Zoologie 118 (4), pp. 695-721 : 711-713

Scaphobaeocera palawana sp. n. Figs 35, 36

HOLOTYPE: Ƌ, Palawan, Central, Olangoan, 18 km NE San Rafael , sea level, I. Löbl, 5-6.XII.1995 ( MHNG).

DESCRIPTION: Length 1.05 mm, width 0.60 mm, dorsoventral diameter 0.60 mm. Head and body very dark reddish-brown, apical abdominal segments and appendages lighter. Thorax and elytra lacking microsculpture, not iridescent. Pronotal and elytral punctation very fine, visible at magnification 100x. Length ratio of antennomeres as: III 5: IV 6: V 7: VI 6: VII 9: VIII 6: IX 9: X 10: XI 19. Segments III and IV equally narrow, segment IV 3 times as long as wide. Segments V and VI wider than segment IV, segment V about 3 times as long as wide. Segments VII and VIII each about twice as long as wide, segment VIII distinctly wider than segment VI. Segments FIGS 31-38

(31-34) Scaphobaeocera orousseti sp. n., aedeagus in dorsal and lateral views, internal sac (32, 33) enlarged. (35, 36) Scaphobaeocera palawana sp. n., aedeagus in dorsal and lateral views. (37, 38) Scaphobaeocera pseudotenella sp. n., aedeagus in dorsal and lateral views. Scale bars = 0.1 mm for figs 31, 34-38, scale bar = 0.05 mm for figs 32, 33.

IX and X wider than segment VII, each almost twice as long as wide. Segment XI somewhat wider and almost 2 times as long as segment X, about 3 times as long as wide. Tip of scutellum exposed. Elytra without parasutural striae, sutural striae starting at margin of pronotal lobe, slightly curved at base. Hypomeron lacking longitudinal stria. Middle part of metaventrite slightly convex, lacking stria or impression, center smooth, finely and densely punctate around center, and with short pubescence. Sides of metaventrite sparsely, extremely finely punctate. Mesocoxal lines with very fine marginal punctures not extending laterally along mesepimera; submesocoxal areas about 0.02 mm long. Metepisterna flat, exposed portion about 0.06 mm wide, parallelsided, with straight suture. Abdominal ventrite 1 lacking microsculpture, very finely punctate, with basal punctures hardly visible. Following ventrites with punctulate microsculpture. Tibiae straight.

Male characters. Protarsi with segments 1 to 3 distinctly widened, narrower than protibiae. Aedeagus (Figs 35, 36) 0.38 mm long.

HABITAT: Edge of cultivated area, fungi on log.

DISTRIBUTION: Philippines: Palawan.

COMMENTS: The aedeagal characters of this species suggest relationship with S. nuda Löbl, 1979, although the apical part of the median lobe and the flagellum are notably shorter in the new species than in S. nuda. As S. davaoana , the new species lacks thoracic and elytral microsculpture and the hypomeral and parasutural striae, and has the exposed part of the metepisterna comparatively large. Scaphobaeocera palawana and S. davaoana may be readily distinguished by the length of the apical antennomere and the presence or absence of obvious abdominal microsculpture.