Scaphisoma sagax, 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 : 1380

5.2.7. 19. Scaphisoma sagax nov.sp. ( Figs 105-107 )

Type material: Holotype 6: Palawan: Central Cabayugan nr. Lyons Cave, sea level, 1.XII.95 I.Löbl, fungi on logs (MHNG). Paratype: with the same data as the holotype, 1 6 (MHNG).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Length 1.05 mm, width 0.80 mm. Head and body light ochreous or yellowish-brown, appendages yellowish. Pronotum and elytra not microsculptured and not iridescent. Length/width ratio of antennomeres as: III 12/6: IV 29/5: V 35/6: VI 31/6: VII 47/8: VIII 38/6: IX 47/8: X 43/7: XI 50/8. Pronotum sparsely, very finely punctured, punctures hardly visible at 30 times magnification, lateral contours weakly rounded, lateral margin carinae visible in dorsal view, lateral striae finely punctate. Exposed tip of scutellum minute. Elytra with lateral margin carinae exposed in dorsal view, apical margins rounded, inner apical angles not prominent, situated posterior level of outer angles; sutural margin not raised, sutural striae shallow, parallel from level of scutellar tip to apices, slightly bent at bases, not extended along basal margins, very finely punctate; adsutural areas flat, appearing impunctate; lateral striae punctate. Hind wings fully developed. Hypomera and mesanepisterna smooth. Mesepimera almost twice as long as intervals to mesocoxae and about three times as long as wide. Metaventrite not microsculptured, very finely punctate; antecoxal puncture rows absent. Median part of metaventrite flattened, without impressions or stria. Submesocoxal areas 0.08 mm, about as intervals to metacoxae, submesocoxal strongly hardly convex, finely punctate. Metanepisternum flat, not narrowed anteriad, inner margin straight, suture shallow. Tibiae straight. Abdomen not microsculptured. Sternite 1 with submetacoxal areas about 0.08 mm, slightly longer than intervals to apical margin, submetacoxal lines strongly parallel, with very fine marginal punctures.

M a l e: Protarsomeres 1 to 3 moderately widened. Aedeagus ( Figs 105-107 ) 0.33 mm long, symmetrical, fairly weakly sclerotized. Apical process of median lobe strongly shorter than basal bulb, inflexed, with blunt tip; articular process robust, not prominent. Parameres evenly wide, near apices weakly bent in dorsal view, oblique and slightly widened posterior basal halves in lateral view. Internal sack lacking sclerotized pieces, without flagellum, membranous spine-like and denticular structures very dense.

E t y m o l o g y: The species epithet comes from Greek sagio and ax, meaning quick perception.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: This species may be distinguished from congener with similar aedeagus by the long and narrow antennomeres, in combination with the very fine punctation of the elytra and large, strongly convex submesocoxal and submetacoxal areas. Its aedeagal characters suggest relationships with S. apomontanum and S. compactum, though the articular processes of the median lobe are not prominent.

Figures

Figs 101 - 107: Aedeagi of Scaphisoma in dorsal and lateral views; (101, 102), S. nabiluanum nov. sp., scale = 0.1 mm; (103, 104), S. obscurum nov. sp., scale = 0.1 mm; (105, 106), S. sagax nov. sp., scale 0.1 mm; (107), ditto, internal sac, scale = 0.05 mm.