Baraxina asymmetrica, Hlaváč & Jałoszyński, 2021

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 : 206-207

Baraxina asymmetrica sp. n.

( Fig. 26 )

Material examined. Holotype: ♁: NEW CALEDONIA, with one label: “ NEW CALEDONIA / Prov. Sud, Col d’Amieu / 16.III.2007, R. Leschen / beating dead wood / NC042, 475 m / 21°33’25’’S / 165°45’11’’E “ [white, printed] ( MNHN).

Diagnosis. Profemora in males with basal spine bent outwards; antennomere 9 and 10 each clearly transverse; transverse basal impression on first visible abdominal tergite well-defined, with discal carinae short, not reaching basal third; aedeagus in dorsal view strongly asymmetrical, curved on one side, with two long lateral groups of endophallic sclerites touching distally at middle, two distalmost sclerites conspicuously long and thick, parameres with asymmetrical apices, one paramere truncate, the other one curved mesad

Description. Body bicoloured, head and pronotum pitchy black, elytra, abdomen, maxillary palpi, antennae and legs light yellowish-brown. Body length 2.08 mm, maximum width 0.86 mm.

Head 1.08 times as long as wide. External apical margin of maxillary palpomere 2 evenly rounded, not projecting; palpomere 3 subrectangular, external margin rounded; palpomere 4 thick and long, 0.31 mm long, 4.43 times as long as wide.

Antennae 1.00 mm long, scape 2.67 times as long as pedicel; pedicel as long as antennomere 3; antennomeres 3–5, 8 and 9 subequal in length; antennomere 5 long, 1.29 times as long as 6; antennomeres 6 and 7 subequal in length, each 1.17 times as long as 3; antennomere 9 transverse, 1.33 times as long as wide; antennomere 10 as long as wide and 1.83 times as long as 9; antennomere 11 0.21 mm long, asymmetrical, with basal notch.

Pronotum 1.15 times as wide as long, 1.04 times as long and 1.28 times as wide as head.

Elytra 1.43 times as long as pronotum, 1.35 times as wide as long.

First visible abdominal tergite (IV) with well-defined basal impression, with discal carinae short, not reaching basal third of tergite.

Profemora with basal spine bent outwards; protibiae in apical fourth with spine.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 26 ) in dorsal view strongly asymmetrical, 0.50 mm long, apex of median lobe undivided; endophallic sclerites forming two long lateral groups, distalmost pair of conspicuously long and thick sclerites touching at middle; parameres with asymmetrical apices, in dorsal view left paramere truncate, right paramere curved mesad, apical and subapical setae lacking.

Etymology. Named after the asymmetrical aedeagus.

Distribution. New Caledonia, Southern Province.

Remarks. Both studied specimens were collected by beating dead wood.

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).