Scaphisoma philippinense OBERTHÜR, 1883

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 : 1442

5.2.21.12. Scaphisoma philippinense OBERTHÜR, 1883

Scaphosoma philippinense OBERTHÜR, 1883 : 14. Lectotype ♀, MNHN, by present designation; type locality: Philippines Kingua.

Redescription: Length 2.05 mm, width 1.53 mm. Head and most of body uniformly, fairly light reddish-brown, apical third of elytra, legs and apical abdominal segments lighter, almost yellowish. Pronotum almost evenly and very finely punctate. Hypomera smooth. Elytra with apical margins oblique, slightly sinuate, weakly crenulate at and near angles; inner apical angles acute, not prominent, situated posterior level of outer angles; sutural striae starting about 0.25 mm posterior tip of scutellum, weakly converging apically, near bases indicated by puncture rows; lateral margin carinae throughout exposed, well visible; lateral striae distinctly punctate; discal punctation fairly coarse, most puncture intervals about 1.5 to 2.5 times as large as puncture diameters. Anterior area of mesanepisterna with strigulate microsculpture. Mesepimera about four times as long as wide, about as long as intervals to mesocoxae. Metaventrite weakly convex in middle, with punctation very fine and sparse, except for two shallow, coarsely punctate apicomedian impressions, fairly coarse and very dense antecoxal puncture rows and coarse punctures margining submesocoxal lines; microsculpture strigulate and distinct, absent from anterior surface of lateral areas. Submesocoxal areas about 0.04 mm, as fourth of intervals to metacoxae, submesocoxal lines convex. Metanepisterna narrowed anteriad, rounded near angles. Mesotibiae weakly curved. Abdomen with strigulate microsculpture, very finely punctate, except for dense, distinct punctures along basal margin of intercoxal process of sternite 1. Submetacoxal areas 0.05 mm, as fifth of intervals to apical margin of sternite 1, submetacoxal lines convex. Comments: The sole specimens housed in MNHN is labelled "Philippines (printed) Kingua Semper" (handwritten) / TYPE (printed, red) / Scaphosoma philippinense (handwritten) R. Oberthür TYPE Col. novit. I (printed) p. 14 (handwritten). It is designated as lectotype because the number of specimens on which this species was based is unknown [the type locality "Kingua" was not located]. This specimen has only two basal antennomeres, the left elytron was broken off and subsequently glued to the body, the left protibia and metatibia and their tarsi are missing. The specimen is quite similar to females of other members of the S. tricolor group but cannot be associated with any of the identified species.