Scaphisoma inflexum, 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 : 1409-1410

5.2.18.4. Scaphisoma inflexum nov.sp. ( Figs 164-166 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 6: Philippines: Leyte Visca N Baybay, 1991 prim. forest, 200-500m leg. Schawaller & al. / 22.2.-10.3. (SMNS).

Description: Length 1.25 mm, width 0.95 mm. Head and body ochreous, abdomen and appendages lighter than pronotum and elytra. Pronotum and elytra not microsculptured and not iridescent. Length/width ratio of antennomeres as: III 9/7: IV 15/6: V 22/7: VI 30/8: VII 35/12: VIII 30/10: IX 38/12: X 36/11: XI 50/12. Pronotum finely and fairly densely punctate, lateral contours evenly rounded, lateral margin carinae not exposed in dorsal view, lateral striae impunctate. Exposed tip of scutellum minute. Elytra with lateral margin carinae exposed in dorsal view, apical margins slightly rounded, inner apical angles not prominent, situated posterior level of outer angles; sutural margin not raised, sutural striae fairly deep, bent at base, not extending along basal margins, parallel from level of scutellar tip to apices; adsutural areas narrow, finely punctate. Lateral striae appearing impunctate. Elytral disc with punctation fine, moderately dense, coarser than pronotal punctation, puncture intervals mostly twice to four times as large as puncture diameters. Hind wings fully developed. Hypomera and mesanepisterna lacking obvious microsculpture. Mesepimera about twice as long as intervals to mesocoxae and about three times as long as wide. Metaventrite lacking obvious microsculpture, on narrow apicomedian area fairly coarsely punctate, very finely punctate on remaining surface. Median part of metaventrite convex, lacking striae, slightly impressed on apicomedian area; antecoxal puncture rows absent. Submesocoxal areas 0.02 mm, about as seventh of intervals to metacoxae, submesocoxal lines parallel, finely punctate. Metanepisternum flat, strongly narrowed anteriad, inner margin weakly curved, suture shallow. Tibiae straight. Abdomen with barely visible punctulate microsculpture, very finely punctate. Sternite 1 with submetacoxal areas about 0.05 mm, as third of intervals to apical margin, submetacoxal lines convex, with distinct marginal punctures.

M a l e: Protarsomeres 1 to 3 weakly widened. Aedeagus ( Figs 164-167 ) 0.40 mm long, symmetrical, moderately sclerotized. Apical process of median lobe short, minute compared to basal bulb, strongly inflexed, with tip acute in lateral view, blunt in dorsal view; articular processes robust, prominent. Parameres widened in middle, almost straight in lateral view, narrowed and bent in dorsal view, Internal sac without rods or flagellum, with complex, dense, spine-like structures.

E t y m o l o g y: The species epithet is a Latin adjective meaning inflexed.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: This species may be distinguished from its congeners with similar small-sized body and light coloration by the shape of the aedeagus, in particular by the very short apical process of the median lobe.

Figures

Figs 162 - 168: Aedeagi of Scaphisoma; (162, 163), S. inexspectatum nov. sp., in dorsal and lateral views, scale = 0.1 mm; (164, 165), S. inflexum nov. sp., in dorsal and lateral views, scale = 0.1 mm; (166), ditto, parameres in ventral view, scale = 0.1 mm; (167), S. luteopygidiale (PIC), in lateral view, scale = 0.1 mm; (168), S. ochropenne nov. sp., in dorsal view, scale = 0.2 mm.