Baraxina poroana, 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 : 213-214

Baraxina poroana sp. n.

(Figs 40–41)

Material studied: Holotype: ♁: NEW CALEDONIA, with one label:“ NEW CALEDONIA (N) / 21.3483 / 165.6932 / Poro Plateau 620 m / 28.11.2010 forest / leg. R. Ruta, M. Wanat “ [white, printed] ( MNHN) . Paratypes: 2 ♁♁: same data as for holotype ( MNHW, PCPH) .

Diagnosis. Profemora in males with bent basal spine; antennomere 9 as long as wide or slightly elongate; antennomere 10 as long as wide; transverse basal impression of first visible abdominal tergite poorly defined, with discal carinae barely discernible or lacking; aedeagus slightly asymmetrical, with undivided apex of median lobe, only 5 endophallic sclerites present in subapical region, of which distal median pair is conspicuously long; and each paramere with rounded apex bearing 2–3 tiny apical and subapical setae.

Description. Body bicoloured, head and pronotum pitchy black, elytra and abdomen reddish-brown, in some specimens elytra lighter than abdomen; maxillary palpi, antennae and legs same colour as abdomen. Body length 2.03–2.08 mm, maximum width 0.74–0.77 mm.

Head 1.00–1.05 times as wide as long. External apical margin of palpomere II evenly rounded, not projecting; palpomere 3 subrectangular, external margin rounded; palpomere 4 slender, 0.34 mm long, 4.80–4.90 times as long as wide.

Antennae 0.96–0.97 mm long, scape 1.85 times as long as pedicel; pedicel 1.17 times as long as antennomere 3; antennomeres 3, 4 and 7 subequal in length; antennomere 5 elongate, 1.31 times as long as 6; antennomere 7 1.17 times as long as 6, 1.20 times as long as 8; antennomere 9 1.00–1.17 times as long as wide; antennomere 10 as long as wide and 1.43 times as long as 9; antennomere 11 0.22 mm long, asymmetrical, with basal notch.

Pronotum 1.15 times as wide as long, 1.08 times as long and 1.20–1.25 times as wide as head.

Elytra 1.30–1.40 times as long as pronotum, 1.26–1.31 times as wide as long.

First visible abdominal tergite (IV) with poorly defined basal impression, discal carinae barely discernible or lacking.

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

Aedeagus (Figs 40–41) in dorsal view slightly asymmetrical, 0.54 mm long, apex of median lobe undivided; internal sac with only 5 endophallic sclerites situated in subapical region, of which distal median pair is conspicuously long; each paramere with rounded apex bearing 2–3 tiny apical and subapical setae.

Etymology. Named after the type locality, Poro Plateau, located in the central part of La Grand Terre.

Distribution. New Caledonia, Northern Province.

Remarks. Studied specimens were collected by sifting leaf litter in a tropical forest.

FIGURES 31–43. Aedeagus in dorsal (31, 32, 34, 35, 37, 39, 40, 42, 43) and lateral (33, 36, 38, 41) views. Baraxina koghisiana sp. n. (31–33); B. lescheni sp. n. (34); B. monteithi sp. n. (35–36); B. parakoghisiana sp. n. (37–38); B. pecki sp. n. (39); B. poroana sp. n. (40–41); B. wanati sp. n. (42–43).