Scaphisoma simplexoides, Ivan Löbl & Ryo Ogawa, 2016

Ivan Löbl & Ryo Ogawa, 2016, On the Scaphisomatini (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scaphidiinae) of the Philippines, IV: the genera Sapitia ACHARD and Scaphisoma LEACH, Linzer biologische Beiträge 48 (2), pp. 1339-1492 : 1352-1353

5.2.2.2. Scaphisoma simplexoides nov.sp. ( Figs 46, 47 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 6: Luzon: Lagunas Mt. Makiling, summit rd (SE Los Banos), 600m I.Löbl, 21-22.XI.95 moss, epiph., bark on logs (MHNG).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Length 1.12 mm, width 0.74 mm. Head and body reddish-brown, elytra lighter along apices and darkened on subapical areas. Apical abdominal segments light brown. Femora and tibiae light reddish-brown, tarsi and antennae yellowish. Pronotum and elytra not microsculptured and not iridescent. Length/width ratio of antennomeres as: III 8/8: IV 25/5: V 25/5: VI 28/7: VII 35/9: VIII 29/7: IX 37/10: X 37/10: XI 45/12. Pronotum finely and densely punctate, with lateral margins evenly rounded, lateral margin carinae not visible in dorsal view, lateral striae appearing impunctate. Exposed tip of scutellum minute. Elytra not flattened, with lateral margin carinae entirely and visible in dorsal view, apical margins slightly rounded, inner apical angles not prominent, situated posterior level of outer angles; sutural margin somewhat raised, sutural striae fairly deep, bent at base, not extending along basal margin, parallel except near apices, distinctly punctate; adsutural areas narrow, flat, each with single puncture row, lateral striae distinctly punctate. Elytral disc with punctation very fine, similar to that on pronotum on large humeral area and along lateral margin. Remaining punctation on basal halves of elytra coarse and very dense, with punctures to part larger than puncture intervals and well delimited; punctation becoming much finer and sparser posterior elytral mid-length. Hind wings fully developed. Hypomera and mesanepisterna smooth. Mesepimera small, hardly twice as long as wide, shorter than intervals to mesocoxae. Metaventrite not microsculptured. Median part of metaventrite flattened, without impressions, finely and densely punctate, lateral parts of metaventrite with very fine and sparse punctation; antecoxal puncture rows absent. Submesocoxal areas 0.04 mm, almost as third of intervals to metacoxae, submesocoxal lines convex, coarsely punctate, punctures not extended by striae. Metanepisternum flat, narrowed anteriad, inner margin rounded, suture deep. Tibiae straight. Abdomen very finely and sparsely punctate, with strigulate microsculpture; submetacoxal areas 0.05 mm, about as two thirds of intervals to apical margin of sternite, submetacoxal lines strongly convex, distinctly punctate.

M a l e: Protarsomeres 1 to 3 weakly widened. Aedeagus ( Figs 46, 47 ) 0.29 mm long, moderately sclerotized, symmetrical. Basal bulb small. Articular processes large, prominent. Apical process of median lobe simple, long, much longer than basal bulb and strongly inflexed (lateral view), slightly narrowed in dorsal view, tapering and with acute tip in lateral view. Parameres strongly widened basally, with basal apophysis (lateral view), bent, without membranous inner margin lobe. Internal sac simple, tubular, with very short and fine spines-like structures.

E t y m o l o g y: The species epithet derives from simplex; the Greek suffix oides means descendent.

Comparative notes: This new species is placed tentatively in the group because it has small but distinct mesepimera. Its aedeagus is similar to that in S. simplex, the shape of the ventral side of the basal bulb excepted. Both, S. simplex and S. simplexoides, differ drastically from other members assigned to the group by the wide parameres and the strongly curved apical process of the median lobe.

Figures

Figs 46 - 51: Aedeagi of Scaphisoma in dorsal and lateral views; (46, 47), S. simplexoides nov. sp.; (48, 49), S. subgracile nov. sp.; (50, 51), S. subplanatum nov. sp. Scale = 0.1 mm.