Smetanabatrus

Yin, Zi-Wei & Li, Li-Zhen, 2013, Smetanabatrus kinabalu (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae: Batrisitae), a new genus and new species from Sabah, Borneo, Zootaxa 3718 (5), pp. 477-482 : 478-480

Smetanabatrus Yin and Li, new genus

Type species: Smetanabatrus kinabalu , new species (here designated)

Diagnosis. Head trapezoidal; lacking frontal rostrum, antennal tubercles distinct, antennomeres elongate. Pronotal disc barely convex, with median longitudinal sulcus, antebasal spines present, lacking spines on lateral margins. Elytra with three basal foveae, discal striae present. Tergite IV (first visible tergite) lacking marginal carinae.

Description. Length 2.74–2.90 mm. Head trapezoidal; lacking frontal rostrum and frontal fovea, antennal tubercles distinct, area between them broadly depressed; vertexal foveae nude, located below level of posterior margins of eyes, lacking sulcus connecting foveae, median sulcus present; with 11 antennomeres, clubs indistinct; ocular-mandibular carinae present; eyes round, ocular canthi conspicuously spinose; maxillary palpi with palpomeres II elongate, basally pedunculate, III nearly quadrate, IV with mesal margins greatly lobed; single large gular fovea present, lacking gular carina or sulcus, gula greatly extended to form elongate projections at anterolateral margin.

Pronotum with distinct median longitudinal sulcus, followed by elongate median pit, with short median carina at base; lateral longitudinal impressions shallow; with lateral antebasal foveae, antebasal spines prominent, thin laterodorsal carinae extending anteriorly from antebasal spines; inner- and outer pair of basolateral foveae present; lateral margins lacking spines. Paranotal carinae extending from base to midlength; lateral procoxal foveae present.

Each elytron with three basal foveae, discal striae extending past elytral midlength; lacking subbasal foveae; sutural striae complete; subhumeral foveae absent, marginal striae extending through basal two-thirds of flank; apicolateral margins shallowly emarginate.

Mesoventrite with forked lateral foveae, anterior forks as wide as median ones, median foveae widely separated, opening in shared transverse cavity; lateral mesocoxal foveae present; lateral metaventral foveae moved medially, close; metacoxae moderately separated; posterior margin with narrow median slit.

Abdominal characters largely overlapped in male by sexual modifications. Tergite IV (first visible tergite) longest, mediobasal foveae at inner margins of basal sulcus, two pairs of basolateral foveae in lateral sulci; lacking dorsal and marginal carinae; tergites V–VI short, subequal in length, VII longer than VI, V–VII lacking mediobasal sulcus and foveae, with basolateral foveae. Sternite IV (second visible sternite) longest, about twice length of V in midlength, mediobasal foveae at inner margins of basolateral sulci, with basolateral foveae and marginal sockets; V–VII subequal in length, each with basolateral foveae. Second and third tarsomeres subequal in length.

Males with metatibiae, tergites IV–VI, and sternite V modified, profemora spinose. Aedeagal median lobe elongate; dorsal lobe slender; with large, semi-sclerotized ventral membrane.

Comparative notes. The prominent antennal tubercles, the presence of prominent antebasal spines and laterodorsal carinae of the pronotum, the lack of a pronotal antebasal sulcus, and the presence of three basal elytral foveae places Smetanabatrus near a group of genera centered on Coryphomodes Jeannel, 1960 . Smetanabatrus can be separated from Coryphomodes by the distinctly transverse head and pronotum, much stouter body form, and the lack of dorsal carinae on abdominal tergite IV. The pronotal lateral margins lacking spines in Smetanabatrus , and the base of tergite IV with mediobasal foveae at the lateral margins of a short basal sulcus readily separates the new genus from Ancistromus Jeannel, 1957 (pronotal marginal spines present) and Batristerus Jeannel, 1949 (lacking basal sulcus and foveae on abdominal tergite IV). Smetanabatrus also shares many external features with Coryphomobatrus Löbl & Kurbatov, 2001 from Sri Lanka, but can be separated by the lack of the discal and marginal carinae of abdominal tergite IV. Together with all of the above, Smetanabatrus has a distinctive form of the maxillary palpi, with palpomeres IV being greatly protruding at the posteromesal margins in both sexes, and has abdominal tergites IV–VI and sternite V exhibiting conspicuous modifications in the male.

Etymology. The genus is named after Aleš Smetana (Ottawa, Canada) who collected the type series, and combined with ‘ batrus ’, an arbitrary abbreviation of Batrisus Aubé. Gender is masculine. The species epithet refers to the type locality, Kinabalu National Park.

Smetanabatrus kinabalu Yin and Li, new species Figs 1–2

Type material (2 ♂♂, 1 ♀). Holotype: Malaysia: ♂, labeled ‘BORNEO, SABAH, Mt. Kinabalu Nat. Pk., HQ 1560–1660 m, 24.iv.87, A. Smetana / HOLOTYPE [red], Smetanabatrus kinabalu sp. n., Yin & Li det., 2013, MHNG’. Paratypes: Malaysia: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same label data as holotype, each bears a type label as ‘ PARATYPE [yellow], Smetanabatrus kinabalu sp. n., Yin & Li det., 2013, MHNG’.

Description. Male ( Fig. 1 A). BL 2.90–2.95 mm. Body reddish brown, tarsi lighter in color; most part of the dorsal surface densely hairy.

Head distinctly transverse, HL 0.57–0.58 mm, HW 0.72–0.73 mm; surface roughly punctate; vertex slightly convex, foveae below level of posterior margins of eyes, lacking sulcus connecting foveae, median sulcus present from base toward level of antennal tubercles; eyes relatively small, each composed of about 35 facets; maxillary palpi ( Fig. 2 A) nearly securiform; antennomeres each elongate, clubs indistinct. Pronotum nearly cordiform, wider than long, PL 0.60–0.62 mm, PW 0.71–0.72 mm; with rough punctation; lateral margins rounded, gradually narrowed from middle toward base. Elytra slightly wider than long, EL 0.95–0.96 mm, EW 1.08–1.11 mm; surface finely punctate; with three large, deep basal foveae. Metathoracic wings fully developed. Profemora ( Fig. 2 B) with large ventral spine at middle; metatibiae ( Fig. 2 C) angularly expanded laterally near apices. Abdomen wider than long, AL 0.78–0.79 mm, AW 0.95–0.97 mm; tergite IV ( Fig. 2 D) with large median cavity, apicolateral and posteromedial margins of cavity with tufts of setae, posterolateral margins greatly projecting posteriorly, apices of projection pointed, each densely setose; tergite V conspicuously convex medially, with setose patch at middle; tergite VI with posterior margin greatly and angularly protruding posteriorly, tergite VIII ( Fig. 2 F) about as long as wide; sternite V ( Fig. 2 E) with flat erect median projection, sternite VIII ( Fig. 2 G) transverse. Aedeagus (Figs H– K) asymmetric, length 0.47 mm; basal bulb with large, transverse foramen; median lobe elongate, flattened dorsoventrally, slightly curved leftwards; ventral membrane lamellate.

Female ( Fig. 1 B). Similar to male in general. Antennae and elytra shorter; each eye composed of about 25 facets; metathoracic wings greatly reduced; profemora and metatibiae simple; abdomen lacking modifications. Tergite ( Fig. 2 L) and sternite ( Fig. 2 M) VIII each transverse. Genital complex ( Fig. 2 N) 0.33 mm wide, transverse, with pair of lateral sclerites. Measurements: BL 2.74 mm, HL 0.59 mm, HW 0.76 mm, PL 0.63 mm, PW 0.74 mm, EL 0.86 mm, EW 1.02 mm, AL 0.66 mm, AW 0.97 mm.

Comparative notes. The large body size, combined with the spinose profemora, enlarged apical portions of the metatibiae, and the heavy abdominal modifications of the male readily separates S. kinabalu from all other batrisine species.

Distribution. East Malaysia: Sabah.

Key to Batrisini genera from Borneo

A number of Bornean species described by Raffray, Reitter and Schaufuss are listed under Batrisodes Reitter and Batrisus Aubé (Nomura 2008) . Since both genera are largely Holarctic or Palaearctic in distribution (Besuchet 1979, 1981), and are not likely to reach the tropical region of East Asia, these species were probably based on misidentifications. Correct placements of these species require further examination of the types. For this reason we exclude Batrisodes and Batrisus from the present key.

1 Each elytron with four basal foveae, or fovea lacking........................................................ 2

- Each elytron with two to three basal foveae................................................................. 3

2 Elytra each with four basal foveae; surface of body coarsely punctate............................. Sathytes Westwood

- Elytra lacking basal fovea; surface of body smooth or finely punctate....................... Mnia Newton & Chandler

3 Elytra each with two basal foveae........................................................................ 4

- Elytra each with three basal foveae........................................................................ 8

4 Postgenae at least three times as long as diameter of eyes.......................................... Siteromina Löbl

- Postgenae short, less than twice length of diameter of eyes..................................................... 5

5 Anterolateral margins of scapes more or less protruding laterally; maxillary palpi conspicuously elongate, geniculate................................................................................................ Cratna Raffray

- Anterolateral margins of scapes flat; maxillary palpi short, never geniculate....................................... 6

6 Head and pronotum roughly punctate; lacking median longitudinal sulcus on pronotum.............. Borneana Schaufuss

- Head and pronotum finely punctate; pronotum with distinct median longitudinal sulcus.............................. 7

7 Posterior border of pronotal transverse antebasal sulcus forming evenly curved ridge................ Batrisocenus Raffray

- Posterior border of pronotal transverse antebasal sulcus not raised................................ Eubatrisus Raffray

8 Pronotal lateral margins lacking spines; abdominal tergite IV lacking marginal carinae.............. Smetanabatrus gen. n.

- Pronotal marginal spines present; inner and outer pairs of marginal carinae on tergite IV complete.... Batrisoschema Reitter

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal habitus of Smetanabatrus kinabalu. A. Male. B. Female. Scales (mm): 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 2. Diagnostic features of Smetanabatrus kinabalu (A – K. Male. L – N. Female). A. Maxillary palpus. B. profemur. C. apical portion of metatibia. D. abdomen, in dorsal view. E. same, in lateral view. F., L. tergite VIII. G., M. Sternite VIII. H. Apical portion of aedeagus. I. Aedeagus, in dorsal view. J. Same, in lateral view. K. Same, in ventral view. N. Female genital complex. Scales (mm): A, H – K, N = 0.1; B – G, L, M = 0.2.