Scaphisoma blefusca, Ivan Löbl & Ryo Ogawa, 2016

Ivan Löbl & Ryo Ogawa, 2016, On the Scaphisomatini (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scaphidiinae) of the Philippines, IV: the genera Sapitia ACHARD and Scaphisoma LEACH, Linzer biologische Beiträge 48 (2), pp. 1339-1492 : 1357-1358

5.2.4.1. Scaphisoma blefusca nov.sp. ( Figs 55, 56 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 6: Luzon: Lagunas Mt. Makiling (summit rd) 600m, 21- 22.XI.1995 I.Löbl, fungi on logs (MHNG). Paratypes: with the same data as the holotype, 1 6, 1♀ (MHNG); with the same data but 28.XI., 1 6 (MHNG); Luzon, Lagunas, Mt. Makiling 4 km SE Los Banos, 7.V.1977, leg. L.E. Watrous, 1 6, 4♀♀ (MHNG); with the same data but 9.IV., 2 66, 11.IV., 1♀ and 12.IV.1977, 2 66 (MHNG); Palawan central, Olango an 18 km NE San Rafael, sea level, 5.-6.XI.1995, leg. I. Löbl, fungi on large logs, 11 66, 6♀♀ (MHNG, BZLA); Palawan central, Conception, sea level, 6.-7.XII.1995, leg. I. Löbl, fungi on large logs, 1 6 (MHNG); Palawan central, Sabang, trail to Underground River, sea level, 30.XI.1995, leg. I. Löbl, fungi on logs, 1 6 (MHNG); Palawan central, Cabayugan nr. Lion’s Cave, sea level, 1.XII.1995, leg. I. Löbl, 1♀ (MHNG).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Length 0.86-0.98 mm, width 0.67-0.70 mm. Body reddish-brown to blackish-brown, femora and tibiae hardly lighter than body in light specimens, much lighter than body in dark specimens, tarsi, antennae and apical abdominal segments yellowish. Pronotum and elytra not microsculptured and not iridescent. Length/width ratio of antennomeres as: III 6/5: IV 7/4: V 14/5: VI 15/5: VII 26/10: VIII 14/7: IX 20/10: X 20/9: XI 30/11. Pronotum with lateral margins evenly rounded, lateral margin carinae not visible in dorsal view, lateral striae impunctate, punctation dense, very fine, hardly visible at 50 times magnification. Exposed tip of scutellum minute. Elytra convex, with lateral margin carinae not visible in dorsal view, apical margins rounded, inner apical angles not prominent, situated in level with outer angles; sutural margin not or slightly raised, sutural striae deep, parallel or slightly converging apically, very finely punctate, bent at base, basal striae absent; adsutural areas narrow, flat, each with single puncture row, lateral striae impunctate. Elytral disc with punctation sparse and very fine, almost as fine at that on pronotum, hardly visible at 50 times magnification. Hind wings fully developed. Hypomera, mesanepisterna, metaventrite and abdomen without obvious microsculpture. Mesepimera almost as long as intervals to mesocoxae and about twice as long as wide. Metaventrite extremely finely punctate. Median part of metaventrite flattened, lacking impressions or stria; antecoxal puncture rows absent. Submesocoxal areas 0.04 mm, about as half of intervals to metacoxae, submesocoxal lines convex, distinctly punctate. Metanepisternum flat, wide, slightly narrowed anteriad, inner margin almost straight, suture deep. Tibiae straight. Abdomen with punctation very fine and sparse, hardly visible; submetacoxal areas about 0.02 mm, as fourth of intervals to apical margin of sternite, submetacoxal lines slightly convex, with distinct marginal punctures.

M a l e: Protarsomeres 1 to 3 weakly widened. Aedeagus ( Figs 55, 56 ) 0.37-0.38 mm long, symmetrical, moderately sclerotized. Median lobe with apical process about as long as narrow basal bulb, narrowed toward blunt tip, obliquely inflexed in apical third; articular process prominent. Parameres narrowed posterior basal third and curved in apical halves in dorsal view, straight and almost evenly broad in lateral view, lacking lobes. Internal sac with flagellum and subapical vesicle bearing minute denticular structures.

E t y m o l o g y: The species epithet is a name of a fictional nation of minute people. Comparative notes: This species may be readily distinguished from its Philippine congeners, S. liliput and S. nanellum described below excepted, by its external characters. Diagnostic is the minute body-size in combination with the very fine elytral punctation, the sutural striae of the elytra not extended along the basal margins, the absence of abdominal microsculpture, the antennomeres III and IV combined about as long as the antennomere V and the antennomere VIII twice as long as wide, in combination. The species differs drastically from S. liliput and S. nanellum by the shape of the parameres.

Figures

Figs 52 - 57: Scaphisoma; (52), antenna of S. subpunctulum nov. sp.; (53, 54), S. diversum nov. sp., aedeagus in dorsal and lateral views; (55, 56), S. blefusca nov. sp., aedeagus in dorsal and lateral views; (57), S. ilonggo nov. sp., aedeagus in dorsal view. Scale = 0.1 mm.