Eupines (Byraxis) paganus ( Broun, 1881 )

Shen, Jia-Wei & Leschen, Richard A. B., 2020, Revision of Eupines King of New Zealand (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae: Goniaceritae), Zootaxa 4777 (1), pp. 1-84 : 62-63

Eupines (Byraxis) paganus ( Broun, 1881)

Fig. 40 ; map Fig. 53

Bryaxis paganus Broun, 1881: 660 .

Eupines (Byraxis) pagana : combination and subgeneric assignment by Raffray 1904: 208. Raffray 1911: 83, 1924: 157; Hudson 1923: 364, 1934: 182; Nomura and Leschen 2006: 255; Maddison 2010: 417; Shen and Leschen 2019: 271.

Bryaxis allocera Broun, 1893b: 172 . Eupines (Byraxis) allocera : combination and subgeneric assignment by Raffray 1904: 208. Raffray 1911: 83, 1924: 157; Hudson 1923: 364, 1934: 183; Nomura and Leschen 2006: 254; Maddison 2010: 417; Shen and Leschen 2019: 259. Type locality: [WO] Mount Pirongia. Type depository: BMNH HT ♂. NEW SYNONYMY.

Bryaxis sylvicola Broun, 1884: 238 . Bryaxis sylvicola : redescription by Broun 1886: 919. Schaufuss 1888: 33. Eupines (Byraxis) sylvicola : combination and subgeneric assignment by Raffray 1904: 208. Raffray 1911: 83, 1924: 157; Hudson 1923: 364, 1934: 183; Nomura and Leschen 2006: 255; Maddison 2010: 417; Shen and Leschen 2019: 275. Type locality: [AK] near Howick. Type depository: BMNH LT ♂, 1 PLT. NEW SYNONYMY.

Byraxis rhyssarthra Broun, 1912: 413 . Raffray 1924: 157; Hudson 1923: 367, 1934: 185. Eupines (Byraxis) rhyssarthra : combination and subgeneric assignment by Nomura and Leschen 2006: 255. Maddison 2010: 417; Shen and Leschen 2019: 273. Type locality: [WO] Mount Pirongia. Type depository: BMNH LT ♂, 4 PLT. NEW SYNONYMY.

Type locality: [ND] near Whangarei Harbour.

Type depository: BMNH HT ♂ .

Diagnosis: Head with vertexal foveae punctiform; antennae 10-segmented with 2-segmented antennal club; A4, A5, A7 and A8 unmodified, A6 wide and asymmetrical, much wider than A7, A9 asymmetrical, gradually narrow towards apex at outer side, broadly impressed from middle to apex in ventral view, A10 conical, broadly impressed at base in ventral view and slightly longer than A9. Abdominal ventrite 2 with pair of large and asymmetrical discal protuberances, inserted with strongly curved medium-sized apical setae; ventrite 6 large and stout, with lower median margin convex, with pair of long and stout median struts, about one-third of ventral length. Protrochanters with medium-sized ventral spine, slightly less than two-thirds of protrochanteral width; protibiae and mesotibiae unmodified.

Redescription: Body length 1.52–1.59 mm; body colour reddish brown to dark brown with lighter coloured elytra, tibiae and tarsi. Head wider than long; frons slightly narrowed at end, slightly longer than half width of head at eye level; eyes slightly prominent, with about 30 facets; vertexal foveae punctiform; antennal tubercles barely visible; postantennal notches barely visible; postantennal cavities medium-sized, about two-thirds length of antennal tubercles in dorsal view; antennae 10-segmented with 2-segmented antennal club; A4, A5, A7 and A8 unmodified, A6 wide and asymmetrical, much wider than A7, A9 asymmetrical, gradually narrow towards apex at outer side, broadly impressed from middle to apex in ventral view, A10 conical, broadly impressed at base in ventral view and slightly longer than A9. Pronotum slightly wider than long, about as long as head at eye level; lacking lateral antebasal foveae. Elytra about as long as wide, widest at apical two-thirds; humeral calli barely visible, sutural stria shallowly extending from base to apex. Abdomen with tergite 1 about as long as tergite 2; ventrite 2 with pair of large and asymmetrical discal protuberances, inserted with strongly curved medium-sized apical setae; ventrite 6 large and stout, with lower median margin convex, with pair of long and stout median struts, about one-third of ventral length. Legs with protrochanters modified with medium-sized ventral spine, slightly less than two-thirds of protrochanteral width; protibiae and mesotibiae unmodified. Aedeagus about 0.44 mm long, with long and stout parameres, slightly curved towards each other at apex, strongly bent downwards in lateral view, with four pairs of short subapical setae; median lobe with two long sclerites, narrower than parameres in dorsal view, strongly curved inwards at apex, left one sinuate near middle.

Comments: We examined types of E. (B.) allocera , E. (B.) sylvicola , E. (B.) rhyssarthra and E. (B.) paganus , and determined that these species are conspecific based on their identical antennal modifications and form of ventrite 2. These names are here synonymized, with the former three names treated as junior synonyms. This species can be distinguished from all other Eupines by A6 transverse and asymmetrical ( Figs. 40 B–D).

Distribution: North Island. ND, AK, CL, BP, RI.

Additional material examined: 13 ♂♂, ND: 1, Omahuta SF., 04/Feb/1975, G. Kuschel; AK: 3, Ex. Broun Collection, near Howick, Auckland, 1645, T. Broun Collection, A.E. Brookes Collection; 1, Ex. Broun Collection, Hunua Rg., Maketu, Auckland, 1645; CL: 3, AMNZ, Great Barrier I., Mt. Hobson, 500 m, pitfall trap, 09/Nov/– 17/ Dec/2003, J.W. Early; BP: 3, Rurima Rocks, 21/May/1986, I. Mcfadden, litter; RI: 2, Taihape Hautapu River, 17/ Sep/1982, J.C. Watt, litter. Associated females (12 ♀♀): AK: 9, Ex. Broun Collection, Hunua Rg., Maketu, Auckland, 1645. Unknown locality: 3, 1645, Broun.

Figures

FIGURE 40. Diagnostic characters of E. (B.) paganus (Broun, 1881). A) Habitus. B) Antenna, in dorsal view. C) Same, in lateral view. D) Same, in ventral view. E) Protrochanter. F) Ventrite 2. G) Ventrite 6. H) Aedeagus, in dorsal view. I) Same, in lateral view. J) Same, in ventral view. Scale bars: A = 1 mm, B–E, G = 0.2 mm, F, H–J = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 53. Geographic distributions of E. (B.) minuta sp. n., E. (B.) monstrosa (Reitter, 1880), E. (B.) mundula (Schaufuss, 1888), E. (B.) nemoralis (Broun, 1886), E. (B.) novem sp. n., E. (B.) obtusa sp. n., E. (B.) ovalis sp. n. and E. (B.) paganus (Broun, 1881) in New Zealand.