Scopaeus kokodanus Cameron, 1938

Frisch, Johannes & Mainda, Tobias, 2022, The Scopaeus kokodanus species group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae) from New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, with description of three new species, Soil Organisms 94 (3), pp. 139-147 : 142

Scopaeus kokodanus Cameron, 1938

( Figs 1 , 23 )

Scopaeus kokodanus Cameron, 1938: 144 , 155

Specimens examined ( Papua New Guinea): Holotype ♀, Oro Prov., Kokoda, labelled as follows: ‘Type’ (round label edged in red), ‘PAPUA, Kokoda. 1,200ft. vi-vii.1933. L. E. Cheesman. B. M. 1933-427.’, ‘ Scopaeus kokodanus Cam TYPE’ (handwritten), ‘NHMUK014663049’ (with QR-code), ‘ HOLOTYPE / by monotypy / Scopaeus Erichson, 1839 / kokodanus CAM., 1938 / label by J. FRISCH 2022’ (NHML) [Cameron (1938: 144, 145) described S. kokodanus after a ‘unique’ specimen. Thus, the type specimen is a holotype by monotypy (ICZN 1999: Article 73.1.1.)]; 1 ♀, Ehi Prov., Onerunka: Namu River, 01.12.1979, leg. Ullrich (MHNG); 1♀, same locality and collector, but 30.05.1979 (MFNB); 1♀, Morobe Prov., Morobe Mts: Waritaian (correct spelling?), 06.1979, leg. Ullrich (MHNG).

Diagnosis: Body shape and coloring as in Fig. 1 . Total body length 4.6 – 4.7 mm; forebody length 2.8 – 2.9 mm. Head pyriform, 1.13 – 1.15 (Ø 1.14) times as long as wide, across eyes 1.31 – 1.35 (Ø 1.34) times as wide as across tempora at half of their length from eyes to neck constriction. Eyes 0.5 – 0.53 (Ø 0.52) times as long as tempora. Elytra about 1.1 times as long as pronotum. Penultimate segment of antenna about 1.1 times as long as wide. Tibia of mesothoracic leg 7.7 – 8.8 (Ø 8.5) times as long as wide. Body black-brown except for yellow margin in posterior seventh of elytra, dark brown maxillary palpi with light brown apical third of last segment, dark brown legs with medium brown tarsi, and antennae becoming evenly lighter from dark brown proximal segments towards light brown apical segments.

Male unknown.

Distribution: Scopaeus kokodanus is hitherto known from the Oro and Ehi provinces in southeastern Papua New Guinea only.

Comparative notes: Within the Scopaeus kokodanus species group, S. kokodanus ( Fig. 1 ) agrees with Scopaeus arfakmonium ( Fig. 2 ) in the large body size and the pyriform head, but differs by the absence of a yellow posterior margin of the elytra. Scopaeus balkei ( Fig. 3 ) and S. potamides ( Fig. 4 ) are easily distinguished by smaller size and the non-pyriform head. Scopaeus kokodanus moreover has shorter distal antennomeres than the related species with the penultimate segment almost square.

Comment: According to Evenhuis (2003: 48), the ‘Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Volume III, Eleventh Series, 1939’ with the article in which Malcolm Cameron described Scopaeus kokodanus was published December 31, 1938, which is why the year of description of the species is 1938.

Figures

Figures 1–4. Habitus of Scopaeus kokodanus, Papua New Guinea, Morobe, Waritaian (1), S. arfakmontium, paratype, Indonesia, West Papua,Arfak Mts (2), S. balkei, paratype, Indonesia, Papua, Cyclops Mts (3), S. potamides, paratype, Solomon Islands, Kolombangara (4).

Figures 17–24. Abdominal sternite VII (17, 19, 21) and abdominal sternite VIII (18, 20, 22) of Scopaeus arfakmontium, holotype, Indonesia, West Papua,Arfak Mts (17, 18), S. balkei, holotype, Indonesia, Papua, Cyclops Mts (19, 20), S. potamides, paratype, Solomon Islands, Kolombangara (21, 22), S. kokodanus (23). Figs 23, 24: sperm pumps of (23) S. kokodanus, Papua New Guinea, Morobe, (24) S. balkei, paratype, Indonesia, Papua, Cyclops Mts.