Scymbalopsis persica, Shavrin & Anichtchenko, 2019

Shavrin, Alexey V. & Anichtchenko, Alexander, 2019, A new species and a new record of the genus Scymbalopsis (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Paederini), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 59 (1), pp. 185-188 : 186

Scymbalopsis persica sp. nov.

( Figs 1, 3–12 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♁ (specimen dissected; antennomeres 6–11 of right antenna are missing), ‘SW IRAN: Lorestan Province, | 55 km N Andimeshk,| Shartakht vill.[32°49’12.0”N 48°02’24.0”E; h= 173 m a.s.l.] 4.05.2007 | A.Anichtchenko leg.’ ( ZIN) . PARATYPES: 1 ♁ 1♀ (specimens dissected): same data as the holotype ( ASCD).

Description. Measurements (n = 3, in mm): maximum width of head including eyes: 2.2–2.5; length of head (from base of labrum to neck constriction): 2.13 – 2.3; length of eye (longitudinal): 0.4; length of temples (from posterior margin of eye to neck constriction): 1.2–1.3; length of antenna: 6.0; length of pronotum: 2.2–2.5; maximum width of pronotum: 2.0–2.5; sutural length of elytra (length of elytra from apex of scutellum to posterior margin of sutural angle): 1.6–1.7; maximum width of elytra: 2.2; length of metatarsus (without tarsal claws): 2.2; length of aedeagus: 1.1; body length: 12.2–14.1. Habitus as in Fig. 1 .

Body yellowish-brown; head, antennomeres, pronotum, protibiae and tarsi brown to reddish-brown; inner margins of mandibles, base of antennae and tentorial spots reddish- brown; maxillary palpi, apical parts of antennomeres, femora and tibiae yellow.

Head large, about as long as wide; temples convex, about three times as long as eyes. Mandibles with markedly broad basal part; cutting edge of each mandible with row of variable teeth, with largest preapical tooth divided into two pointed apical parts. Clypeus and frons with irregular and distinctly sparse, moderately small and deep punctation; middle and basal portions densely punctate, punctures moderately large and deep, interspaces between these punctures two to three times as wide as diameter of nearest puncture; temples somewhat denser punctate than that in middle. Dorsal surface without microsculpture, temples (in lateral view) with indistinct transverse microsculpture. Pubescence composed of short non-erect and very long erect setae in anterior and lateral portions. Antennae long, reaching apical third of elytra when spread backwards; antennomeres markedly oblong, each antennomere with yellow moderately dense pubescence; length × width of antennomeres (holotype): I: 0.50 × 0.25, II: 0.42 × 0.22, III: 0.71 × 0.22, IV–V: 0.61 × 0.22, VI–X: 0.52 × 0.22, XI: 0.56 × 0.22.

Pronotum slightly longer than wide, widest in apical third, markedly narrowed posteriad, slightly narrower than head, bordered at base and sides (lateral border visible from above); basal margin widely sinuate. Punctation irregular, slightly smaller and sparser than that in middle of head. Surface between punctures without microsculpture. Lateral sides with 12–15 pairs of long dark setae (in one paratype missing).

Scutellum relatively large, with small punctation, setation and transverse microsculpture.

Elytra visibly shorter than pronotum, parallel-sided, about as long as wide; humeral projections well developed; longitudinal epipleural furrow reaching very narrowly bordered apical margin; apical angle of each elytron distinctly protruded, with apical margin markedly truncated at suture. Surface without microsculpture, with dense, large and deep punctuation. Humeri with two distinct, crenulate tubercles, each with two very long setae. Wings reduced.

Legs very long, with tibiae covered by dense pubescence (very dense in protibiae); metatarsus about as long as metatibia, with basal metatarsomere distinctly longer than apical segment.

Abdomen slightly widened towards segment VI, with distinctly widened latero-apical parts of paratergites III–V. Abdominal tergites with dense and moderately small punctation, hardly getting sparser towards apex; surface between punctures with indistinct transverse microsculpture. Pubescence very dense, non-erect, middle and lateral portions of tergites usually with long, black, erect setae.

Male. Protarsomeres 1–3 significantly widened, with basal protarsomeres about as wide as apical part of protibia. Apical margin of abdominal tergite VIII rounded ( Fig. 6 ). Apical margin of abdominal sternite VIII slightly sinuate ( Fig. 7 ). Abdominal tergite IX and tergite X as in Fig. 8 . Aedeagus relatively wide in middle, gradually tapered towards somewhat acute apex; parameres narrow, slightly exceeding apex of aedeagus, with three pairs of short setae along apical part of inner margin ( Figs. 3, 5 ); internal sac short and convolute, with numerous small thorns and sclerotized semicircular lamella in apical portion. Aedeagus laterally as in Fig. 4 .

Female. Protarsomeres 1–3 distinctly narrower. Apical margins of abdominal tergite VIII ( Fig. 9 ) and sternite VIII ( Fig. 10 ) rounded to straight. Genital segment as in Fig. 11 . Differential diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished from all known species of Scymbalopsis by the paler coloration, wider forebody with denser and longer setation, smaller punctation, shorter temples in relation to eye length, shapes of basal margin of the pronotum, and lateral margins of paratergites III–V. The aedeagus is similar to that of S. reitteri , but differs by the wider apical part and completely different structure of the internal sac.

Habitat. All specimens were collected from a steep slope of karst terrain with sparse Quercus persicus ( Fig. 12 ), under large stones during the morning, when the stones were cold and covered with drops of dew. In the evening, the stones were very warm and did not have beetles underneath. Specimens of S. persicus sp. nov. were collected together with depigmented species of Platyderus Stephens, 1827 and the endemic Laemostenus luristanus Casale, 1988 (Carabidae) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is the Latinized adjective derived from the old name of the country where the specimens were collected.

Figures

Figs 1–12. Scymbalopsis persica sp. nov. and S. kirghizica Gusarov, 1994. 1–2 – dorsal habitus (1 – S. persica sp. nov., holotype; 2 – S. kirghizica). 3–11 – morphology of S.persica sp. nov.: 3–5 – aedeagus (3–4 – paratype, parameral and lateral view; 5 – holotype); 6–11 – abdominal segments, dorsal view (6–10) or ventral view (11): 6 – male tergite VIII, 7 – male sternite VIII, 8 – male tergite IX and X, 9 – female tergite VIII, 10 – female sternite VIII, 11 – female genital segment. 12 – type locality of S. persica sp. nov. in Lorestan, Iran. Scale bars: 1.0 mm (Figs 1–2), 0.25 mm (Figs 3–11).