Baraxina rutai, 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 : 204-205

Baraxina rutai sp. n.

( Fig. 23 )

Material studied: Holotype: ♁: NEW CALEDONIA, with one label: “ NEW CALEDONIA (N) / 21.4074 / 165.5250 / Col des Roussettes / rainforest nr. Refuge 530 m / 2.12.2010 sifting litter / leg. R. Ruta, M. Wanat “ [white, printed] ( MNHN) . Paratype: 1♀: same data as for holotype ( MNHW) .

Diagnosis. Profemora in males lacking spine, and protibiae curved and expanded apically; aedeagus with two lateral groups of only 2–4 long sclerites, situated in submedian region, each paramere with one apical seta.

Description. Body bicoloured, head and pronotum dark brown, elytra and abdomen brown, but distinctly ligther than anterior parts of body, maxillary palpi, antennae and legs brown, maxillary palpi darker than remaining appendages. Body length 1.86 mm, maximum width 0.69 mm.

Head about as long as wide. External apical margin of maxillary palpomere 2 evenly rounded, not projecting; palpomere 3 subrectangular, external margin rounded; palpomere 4 stout and short, 0.18 mm long, 2.55 times as long as wide.

Antennae 0.92 mm long, scape 1.75 times as long as pedicel; pedicel 1.33 times longer than antennomere 3; antennomeres 3, 4 and 7 subequal in length; antennomere 5 short, about 1.3 times as long as 6; antennomere 7 slightly shorter than 6, about as long as 8; antennomere 9 transverse, about 1.2 times as long as wide; antennomere 10 transverse, 1.25 times as wide as long and 1.6 times as long as 9; antennomere 11 0.21 mm long, nearly symmetrical, lacking basal notch.

Pronotum about 1.1 times as wide as long, about 1.1 times as long and 1.17 times as wide as head.

Elytra 1.52 times as long as pronotum, 1.13 times as wide as long.

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

Profemora lacking spine; protibiae curved and expanded behind small apical spine.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 23 ) in dorsal view symmetrical, 0.43 mm long, apex of median lobe undivided; endophallic sclerites forming two lateral groups composed of 2 and 4 components and situated in submedian region; parameres with rounded apices, each with one apical seta.

Etymology. Named after Rafał Ruta (Wrocław, Poland), one of the collectors of the holotype.

Distribution. New Caledonia, Southern Province.

Remarks. Both studied specimens were collected by sifting forest leaf litter.

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).