Batriscenellus simplex Jiang and Yin, 2017

Yin, Zi-Wei, 2017, Eight new species and two new records of Batriscenellus Jeannel (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) from China and India, Zootaxa 4318 (3), pp. 561-575 : 571

Batriscenellus simplex Jiang and Yin , new species

( Figs 8 A, 9A, 9D–E)

Type material (3 exs). Holotype: ♂: ‘ China: Guangxi, Xing’an County (ǛṘH), Maoer Shan ( ȒÃƜ), 25°52'27"N, 110°24'44"E, beech forest, mixed leaf litter, humus, sifted, 1940 m, 29.vii.2014, Peng, Song, Yu & Yan leg.’ ( SNUC) . Paratypes: 2 ♂♂, same collection data as the holotype (SNUC).

Diagnosis of male. Dorsal surface of head and pronotum coarsely punctate, tergite IV finely punctate; antennomeres short and subcylindrical; elytra with shallow sutural and discal striae; mesotibiae with acute apical spur; abdominal tergites unmodified; aedeagus with short ventral lobe, and much longer, apically curved and pointed dorsal lobe.

Description. Male ( Fig. 8 A). Body reddish-brown, length 2.05–2.13 mm. Head subrectangular, slightly wider than long, HL 0.38–0.39 mm, HW 0.46–0.47 mm, dorsal surface coarsely punctate ( Fig. 9 A); vertex with thin median ridge, U-shaped sulcus connecting foveae weakly developed; antennomeres short, subcylindrical, clubs formed by apical three antennomeres; each eye composed of about 30 facets. Pronotum about as long as wide, PL 0.47–0.48 mm, PW 0.48–0.49 mm, coarsely punctate ( Fig. 9 A). Elytra wider than long, EL 0.65–0.69 mm, EW 0.76–0.78 mm, narrowed at base, discal striae shallow and curved, extending to apical 3/5 of elytral length; sutural striae complete. Mesotibiae each with one small apical spur. Abdomen wider than long, AL 0.55–0.57 mm, AW 0.70–0.72 mm, finely punctate and with short setae; tergites lacking modifications. Aedeagus ( Fig. 9 D–E) strongly asymmetric, length 0.34 mm, ventral lobe short, broad at base and narrowed toward apex, dorsal lobe much longer than ventral lobe, strongly curved apically and pointed at apex.

Female. Unknown.

Comparative Notes. This new species is similar to members of the B. similis (Sharp) and B. uenoi Nomura species groups, but lacking setose patches between the metacoxae (present in B. similis group) and modified metafemora (modified in B. uenoi group) in the male. Batriscenellus simplex is similar to B. orientalis (Löbl) from Shanghai, Zhejiang and Taiwan, in sharing relatively short antennae and simple abdominal tergites. They can be separated by the coarsely punctate head and pronotum, and lack of setose patches between the metacoxae in B. simplex . The coarsely punctate head and pronotum is shared with B. abdominalis from Hong Kong, but the latter species has a small cavity on the posterior portion of male tergite IV.

Distribution. Southern China: Guangxi.

Etymology. The new species is named after the simple, unmodified body.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Male habitus of Batriscenellus simplex (A), and B. strictus (B). Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 9. Diagnostic features of male Batriscenellus (A, D – E. B. simplex; B – C, F – G. B. strictus). A – B. Head dorsum and pronotum. C. Right profemur. D – G. Aedeagus in lateral (D, F) and ventral (E, G) views. Scale bars: 0.2 mm in A – C; 0.1 mm in D – G.