Eupines (Byraxis) fraudulenta ( Broun, 1886 )

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 : 29-30

Eupines (Byraxis) fraudulenta ( Broun, 1886)

Fig. 17 ; map Fig. 50

Bryaxis fraudulenta Broun, 1886: 944 .

Eupines (Byraxis) fraudulenta : combination and subgeneric assignment by Raffray 1904: 208. Raffray 1911: 83, 1924: 157; Hudson 1923: 364, 1934: 183; Nomura and Leschen 2006: 254; Maddison 2010: 417; Shen and Leschen 2019: 265 .

Type locality: [AK] Near Howick. Type depository: BMNH LT ♂ .

Diagnosis: Head with vertexal foveae punctiform; antennae 10-segmented with 2-segmented antennal club;

A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8 unmodified, A9 largest, narrowed at base, widened gradually towards apex, with long and acute spine at lateral side, A10 long and conical, slightly shorter than A9. Abdominal ventrite 2 with pair of slightly prominent discal protuberance, inserted with strongly curved small apical setae; ventrite 6 with pair of mediumsized acute median struts, slightly shorter than one-third of ventral length. Protrochanters with long and acute ventral spine, slightly longer than protrochanteral width; protibiae and mesotibiae unmodified.

Redescription: Body length 1.52–1.54 mm; body colour reddish brown with lighter coloured tarsi. Head slightly wider than long; frons narrowed at end, about one-third width of head at eye level; eyes moderately developed, with about 22 facets; vertexal foveae punctiform; lacking antennal tubercles; postantennal notches barely visible; postantennal cavities large, slightly shorter than antennal tubercles in dorsal view; antennae 10-segmented with 2-segmented antennal club; A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8 unmodified, A9 largest, narrowed at base, widened gradually towards apex, with long and acute spine at lateral side, A10 long and conical, slightly shorter than A9. Pronotum as long as wide, about as long as head at eye level; lacking lateral antebasal foveae. Elytra about as long as wide, widest at apical two-thirds; humeral calli barely visible; sutural stria weakly extending from base to apical half. Abdomen with tergite 1 about 1.5 × longer than tergite 2; ventrite 2 with pair of slightly prominent discal protuberance, inserted with strongly curved small apical setae; ventrite 6 with pair of medium-sized acute median struts, slightly shorter than one-third of ventral length. Legs with protrochanters modified with long and acute ventral spine, slightly longer than protrochanteral width; protibiae and mesotibiae unmodified. Aedeagus about 0.30 mm long, with slender parameres, widest at middle, strongly curved inwards, with four pairs of long apical setae and pair of short subapical setae; median lobe small and fusiform, with two long sclerites curved towards each other at apex in dorsal view, widest at basal one-third, right one slightly longer than left one.

Comments: This species is recognized by its A9 modified with long and acute spine at the lateral side ( Figs. 17 B–D).

Distribution: North Island. AK, CL.

Additional material examined: 3 ♂♂, AK: 1, Ahuroa, 240 m, nr. Woodcocks, 5/Jan/1983, J. C. Watt, leaves and moss, 83/5; CL: 1, AMNZ, Great Barrier Island, Rasalie Bay, Benthorn Farm, 150 m, 2/xi. –11/xii/2001, P. Sutton, Boggy forest edge, Malaise trap; 1, AMNZ, Great Barrier Island, Little Windy Hill, 220 m, 26/viii–28/ix/2002, P. Sutton, forest edge, Malaise trap; GB: 1, LSAM, Urewera N.P., Ngomoko Tr., pitfall, fish & banana, 22/Mar/2000 C. Carlton, A. Weir, #076.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Diagnostic characters of E. (B.) fraudulenta (Broun, 1886). 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.