Eupines (Byraxis) dispar ( Sharp, 1874 )

Shen, Jia-Wei & Leschen, Richard A. B., 2020, Revision of Eupines King of New Zealand (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae: Goniaceritae), Zootaxa 4777 (1), pp. 1-84 : 26-27

Eupines (Byraxis) dispar ( Sharp, 1874)

Fig. 15 ; map Fig. 50

Bryaxis dispar Sharp, 1874: 498 .

Bryaxis dispar : reprint from Sharp 1874 by Sharp 1876: 277.

Bryaxis dispar : reprinted excerpt from Sharp 1874 by Broun 1880: 127.

Bryaxis ovalipennis Schaufuss, 1880a: 25 . Type locality: New Zealand.

Bryaxis ovalipennis : reprint from Schaufuss 1880a by Schaufuss 1880b: 501. Synonymized by Raffray 1911: 82.

Eupines (Byraxis) dispar : combination and subgeneric assignment by Raffray 1904: 207. Hudson 1923: 364, 1934: 182; Nomura and Leschen 2006: 254; Maddison 2010: 417; Shen and Leschen 2019: 263 .

Bryaxis munroi Broun, 1890: 231 . Bryaxis munroi : reprint from Broun 1890 by Broun 1893a: 1046. Eupines (Byraxis) munroi : combination and subgeneric assignment by Raffray 1904: 208. Raffray 1911: 83, 1924: 157; Hudson 1923: 364, 1934: 183; Nomura and Leschen 2006: 255; Maddison 2010: 417; Shen and Leschen 2019: 270. Type locality: [AK] Clevedon. Type depository: BMNH LT ♂, 6 PLT. NEW SYNONYMY.

Type locality: [AK] Auckland .

Type depository: BMNH LT ♂, 3 PLT .

Diagnosis: Head with vertexal foveae punctiform; antennae 10-segmented with 2-segmented antennal club; A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8 unmodified, A9 narrowed at base, truncate at apex, with outside surface strongly polished and slightly concave, A10 bean-shaped, strongly concave at lateral side. Abdominal ventrite 2 with pair of slightly prominent discal protuberances, inserted with slightly curved apical setae; ventrite 6 with pair of long median struts, about two-thirds of ventral length, slightly curved inwards at apex. Protrochanters with long ventral spine, about as long as protrochanteral width; protibiae and mesotibiae unmodified.

Redescription: Body length 2.00– 2.14 mm; body colour reddish brown to dark brown with lighter coloured elytra and legs. Head about as long as wide; frons slightly narrowed at end, about three-fifths width of head at eye level; eyes well developed, with about 38 facets; vertexal foveae punctiform; antennal tubercles weak; postantennal notches punctiform; postantennal cavities long and narrow, slightly shorter than antennal tubercles in dorsal view; antennae 10-segmented with 2-segmented antennal club; A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8 unmodified, A9 narrowed at base, truncate at apex, with outside surface strongly polished and slightly concave, A10 bean-shaped, strongly concave at lateral side. Pronotum longer than wide, slightly narrower than head at eye level; lateral antebasal foveae punctiform. Elytra about as long as wide, widest at apical three-fourths; humeral calli barely visible; sutural stria distinctively extending from base to apex. Abdomen with tergite 1 about twice length of tergite 2; ventrite 2 with pair of slightly prominent discal protuberances, inserted with slightly curved apical setae; ventrite 6 with pair of long median struts, about two-thirds of ventral length, slightly curved inwards at apex. Legs with protrochanters modified with long ventral spine, about as long as protrochanteral width; protibiae and mesotibiae unmodified. Aedeagus about 0.36 mm long, with slender parameres, with four pairs of apical setae; median lobe with single stout and long sclerite, slightly bent and widest near middle in dorsal view.

Comments: The lectotype and two paralectotypes of E. (B.) munroi were compared with the lectotype and one paralectotype of E. (B.) dispar , and were found to represent a single species by having identical antennal modifica- tions; the former name is here treated as the junior synonym. This species is distinguished from other Eupines by its modified A10 and the median lobe containing a single sclerite ( Figs. 15 B–J).

Distribution: North Island. AK, WO, TK. South Island. NN, BR, WD.

Additional material examined: 28 ♂♂, AK: 1, AMNZ, Manukau Murphys Bush, litter under rimu, 29/v/2005, S.E. Thorpe; WO: 1, JNPC, Tirohanga Tk., Mt. Pirongia, 20/Nov/2005, J.T. Nunn collection; TK: 1, AMNZ, Mt. Taranaki, 520 m, N Egmont Rd., 20–23/iii/2005, J.W. Early, R.F. Gilbert; NN: 1, NW Nelson Mangarakau Sc. Res., 21/Dec/1992; 13, Fenian Track, carpark, Oparara, 03/Jan/2011, ground litter in flood zone in nikau grove; BR: 3, Greymouth, Grandjeans Tk., 10/Nov/2005, R. Leschen & S. Nomura, rotten logs, 42°28'S 171°12'E; WD: 2, Doughboy Creek , 6 KM SW Mahitahi, 05/Feb/1984, J.C. Watt, sifted wood mould, 84/21; 5, Haast River Walk, 27/III/2016, forest floor litter, J. Nunn; 1, NMPC, Three Mile Lagoon, 8/xii/2012, 3.5 km SW of Okarito, 43°14.5'S 170°7.5'E, M. Fikáček, J. Hájek & R. Leschen lgt. Associated females (14 ♀♀): WO: 1, Mt. Karioi near base, 11/Oct/1981, C.F. Butcher litter, 81/96; 1, JNPC, Tirohanga Tck., Mt. Pirongia , 20/Nov/2005, J.T. Nunn collection; TK: 1, JNPC, Potaema Walk , Mt. Egmont , 09/12/95, J.T. Nunn collection; NN: 5, Fenian Track , carpark, Oparara , 03/Jan/2011, ground litter flood zone in nikau grove; WD: 2, Doughboy Creek , 6 KM SW Mahitahi, 05/Feb/1984, J.C. Watt, sifted wood mould, 84/21; 4, Haast River Walk , 27/III/2016, forest floor litter, J. Nunn .

Figures

FIGURE 15. Diagnostic characters of E. (B.) dispar (Sharp, 1874). A) Habitus. B) Antenna, in dorsal view. C) Same, in lateral view. D) Same, in ventral view. E) Protrochanter. F) Ventrite 2. G) Ventrite 6. H) Aedeagus, in dorsal view. I) Same, in lateral view. J) Same, in ventral view. Scale bars: A = 1 mm, B–F = 0.2 mm, G–J = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 50. Geographic distributions of E. (B.) crassicornides Newton, 2017, E. (B.) decens (Broun, 1893), E. (B.) dispar (Sharp, 1874), E. (B.) dugdalei sp. n., E. (B.) fraudulenta (Broun, 1886) and E. (B.) gigas sp. n. in New Zealand.