Batraxis longithorax, Wang, Dan & Yin, Zi-Wei, 2016

Wang, Dan & Yin, Zi-Wei, 2016, New species and records of Batraxis Reitter (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) in continental China, Zootaxa 4147 (4), pp. 443-465 : 451-452

Batraxis longithorax , new species

( Figs 4 B, 11G–I, 14Q, 15)

Type material (1 Ƌ). Holotype: CHINA: Ƌ, labeled ‘ CHINA: Guangxi, Jinxiu Country (金秀县), Luohan Shan (罗汉山), 24°08'02"N, 110°07'38"E, beech forest, mixed leaf litter, grass, sifted, alt. 790 m, 12.vii.2014, Peng, Song, Yu & Yan leg.’ ( SNUC) .

Diagnosis of male. Body pubescent; frons with complete subantennal transverse sulcus; antennomeres IX strongly transverse, IX enlarged; pronotum with shallow median antebasal fovea and distinct basal impression; all tibiae slender; protrochanters strongly protuberant ventrally, profemora simple, protibiae lacking protuberance, mesotibiae lacking apical spur; tergite IV with narrow basal sulcus, discal carinae long, moderately close, with relatively long marginal carinae; aedeagus elongate.

Description. Male ( Fig. 4 B). Body reddish-brown, pubescent, length 1.76 mm. Head slightly trapezoidal, slightly longer than wide, HL 0.40 mm, HW 0.37 mm, vertex moderately convex, with pair of distinct vertexal foveae; antennal tubercles low; frons flattened and narrow, subantennal transverse sulcus complete, anterior margin of V-shaped vertexal sulcus merging with subantennal sulcus and connecting foveae; each eye composed of about 30 facets; antennae thick, antennomeres III slightly elongate, IV as long as wide, V‒X transverse, XI largest, widest at basal fourth; median gular carina narrow, with two separated nude foveae. Pronotum as long as wide, PL 0.35 mm, PW 0.34 mm, with shallow median antebasal fovea and complete basal impression. Elytra wider than long, EL 0.48 mm, EW 0.64 mm, each elytron with two shallow foveae at base. Protrochanters strongly protuberant at ventral margin ( Fig. 14 Q), mesotarsomeres II expanded at apex. Abdomen slightly wider than long, AL 0.53 mm, AW 0.60 mm, slightly narrowed at base; tergite IV (first visible tergite) with narrow basal sulcus; discal carinae long, moderately close, extending to half of tergal length, width between carinae 0.20 mm at apices; marginal carinae extending to half of tergal length. Aedeagus ( Fig. 11 G–I) 0.31 mm in length, elongate, parameres slightly exceeding apex of median lobe, rounded apically, each with two apical setae; endophallus with several weakly sclerotized and nearly symmetric sclerites.

Female. Unknown.

Comparative notes. Batraxis longithorax can be readily separated from all other congeners by several unique characters, i.e. the relatively elongate pronotum, thick antennae, and expanded mesotarsomeres II.

Distribution. China: Guangxi ( Fig. 15 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the elongate pronotum.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Dorsal habitus of Batraxis males. A. B. gesar. B. B. longithorax. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 11. Aedeagi of Batraxis species. (A, B, D, E, G, H. in ventral view. C, F, I. in lateral view). A – C. B. longicornis. D – F. B. gesar. G – I. B. longithorax. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 14. Legs of male Batraxis species. (A – F. Protibia. G. Mesotibia. H, I. Profemur. J – V. Protrochanter). A, K. B. gloriosa, population from Fujian. B, L. B. gloriosa, population from Zhejiang. C, H, P. B. gesar. D, T. B. ziyueae. E, U. B. bicolor, population from Yunnan. F, I, V. B. tibialis, population from Jiangxi. G, S. B. yifan. J. B. gloriosa, population from Hunan. M. B. gloriosa, population from Jiangxi. N. B. gloriosa, population from Guangxi. O. B. longicornis. Q. B. longithorax. R. B. nanlingensis. Scale bars: A ‒ I = 0.1 mm; J ‒ V = 0.05 mm.

FIGURE 15. Distribution of Batraxis species in China.