Batricavus cornutus, Yin & Löbl & Li, 2014

Yin, Zi-Wei, Löbl, Ivan & Li, Lizhen, 2014, A new Batricavus species from East Malaysia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 121 (1), pp. 11-13 : 12

Batricavus cornutus sp. nov.

Fig. 1

TYPE MATERIAL: Holotype, Malaysia, ♂, labeled ‘ Sabah, Mt. Kinabalu, 7500 ft. [≈ 2315 m], 22. 26.vi.68, R.W. Taylor / HOLOTYPE [red], ♂, Batricavus cornutus sp. n., det. Yin & Löbl, 2013, MHNG’.

DESCRIPTION: Male ( Fig. 1A ). Length 1.82 mm; body and appendages reddish brown, maxillary palpi and tarsi lighter. Head slightly wider than long, HL 0.36 mm, HW 0.41 mm. Eyes each composed of about 25 facets. Antennomeres VI ( Fig. 1B ) greatly enlarged, anterior half of mesal surface with large cavity; clubs three-segmented, with enlarged antennomeres IX-XI. Pronotum rounded laterally, slightly wider than long, PL 0.40 mm, PW 0.42 mm. Elytra wider than long, EL 0.61 mm, EW 0.71 mm; discal striae reaching almost apical margins of elytra. Mesotibiae ( Fig. 1C ) with distinct apical spur. Abdomen smaller than elytra, AL 0.45 mm, AW 0.62 mm. Aedeagus ( Figs 1 D-1E), length 0.33 mm, weakly sclerotized, with elongate, twisted median and dorsal lobes.

FEMALE: Unknown.

COMPARATIVE NOTES: Batricavus cornutus is a very distinctive species. It may be readily separated from congeners by the conspicuously protruding anterior margin of the frons, and by the enlarged antennomeres VI with a large mesal cavity.

DISTRIBUTION: East Malaysia: Sabah.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet ‘ cornutus ’ means ‘having horns, horned’, referring to the strongly protruding anterior margin of the frons.

Figures

FIG. 1 Batricavus cornutus. (A) Male habitus. (B) Left antenna. (C) Apical portion of mesotibia. (D) Aedeagus, in dorsal view. (E) Same, in lateral view. Scales (mm): A = 0.5, B = 0.2, C, D, E = 0.1 mm.