Baraxina francoisi Raffray, 1896

Hlaváč, Peter & Jałoszyński, Paweł, 2021, The Pselaphinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) of New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands. IV. Revision of the genus Baraxina Raffray, 1896, Zootaxa 4941 (2), pp. 193-216 : 201-202

Baraxina francoisi Raffray

Baraxina francoisi Raffray, 1886: 301

( Fig. 17 )

Material studied. Syntype: ♁: NEW CALEDONIA, with six labels: “ Nouvelle Caledonie / Env. Nouméa, François ” [white, handwritten], “ TYPE ” [red, printed], “ B. francoisi / A. Raffray det.” [white, handwritten], “ MUSÉUM PARIS 1917 COLL A. RAFFRAY” [white, printed], “ Baraxina francoisi Raffray “ [white, handwritten] / “ Cl. Besuchet dét. 2007“ [white, printed] (current depository unknown) .

Diagnosis. Protibia in male with small, sharp spine in apical third; aedeagus with asymmetrical median lobe, endophallus with large number of elongate sclerites distributed in two lateral groups extending from sub-basal to subapical region, and with one subapical median group.

Redescription: Body length 2 mm (2.0– 2.2 mm according to the original description), maximum width 0.78 mm; head and pronotum black, elytra and abdomen reddish-brown, antennae, maxillary palpi and legs also reddishbrown, whole body glossy; head and pronotum with fine, sparse setation, elytra virtually lacking setation on disc, setation on sides present, setation on abdomen dense.

Head about as long as wide, maxillary palpomere 4 0.33 mm long, 4.25 times as long as wide.

Antennae when bent backwards exceeding pronotal base; scape about twice as long as pedicel, antennomeres 3, 4, 6 and 7 subequal in length, 5 about 1.43 times as long as 3, 7 slightly shorter than 6, antennomere 9 asymmetrical, slightly longer than 7, expanded apicaly on external side, 10 symetrical, 1.25 times as long as 9, slightly expanded apicaly, antennomere 11 about twice as long as 10, bluntly pointed at apex.

Pronotum slightly wider than long and slightly longer than head, broadest in anterior third, with very sparse punctulation on disc.

Elytra 1.43 times as long as pronotum and 1.25 times as long as wide, with very fine and sparse punctulation on disc.

Abdomen with tergites IV–V subequal in length, tergite IV with transverse basal impression bordered on sides by oblique discal carinae reaching one third of tergite length.

Profemora with basal spine, protibia with small, sharp spine in apical third.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 17 ) in dorsal view slightly asymmetrical, 0.62 mm long, apex shallowly emarginate; endophallic sclerites distinct, numerous, distributed in two elongate lateral groups extending from sub-basal to subapical regions, and with one subapical median group; parameres with truncate apices, lacking setae.

Distribution. New Caledonia, Southern Province.

Remarks. Claude Besuchet (Muséum d’Histoire naturelle de la Ville de Genève) was planning to revise this genus many years ago, and borrowed a syntype from MNHN (Hlaváč pers. obs.). This male syntype was then briefly examined by the first author of the present study, and also notes on some external characters and a sketch of the aedeagus were made at that occasion. The notes were not very detailed, as Besuchet announced his revision to be published soon. Unfortunately, his work has not been completed. When the Baraxina revision project was revived by us in 2012, the fate of this syntype was not possible to determine. This type specimen (or any other syntypes) was not found in MNHN (Jean Orousset, personal communication with PH), neither in Besuchet collection in Geneva (Giulio Cuccodoro, personal communication with PH). No male specimens matching the sketch of the syntype‘s aedeagus of B. francoisi was found among studied beetles.

Figures

FIGURES 17–30. Aedeagus in dorsal (17, 18, 20, 22–24, 26–29) and lateral (19, 21, 25, 30) views. Baraxina francoisi Raffray (17); B. amieuana sp. n. (18–19); B. grimbacheri sp. n. (20–21); B. kanakorum sp. n. (22); B. rutai sp. n. (23); B. aoupinica sp. n. (24–25); B. asymmetrica sp. n. (26); B. burwelli sp. n. (27); B. dzumacana sp. n. (28); B. jenisi sp. n. (29–30).