Loeblites anaiensis sp. n., 2024

Jałoszyński, Paweł, 2024, Three new species, one subspecies, and new records of the Oriental genus Loeblites Franz (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae), Zootaxa 5471 (4), pp. 422-432 : 423-425

Loeblites anaiensis sp. n.

( Figs 1, 5 , 9–13 , 29 , 32 )

Material studied. Holotype: INDONESIA (West Sumatra Province): ♂, two labels: “ Sum-06/03: SUMATRA / West Sumatra Province / Anai Vallei, 6 km S of / Padangpanjang, 0°28'38''S, / 100°21'14''E, 500 m / primary forest, 1.VI.2006 / leg. P. Schwendinger ” [white], “ LOEBLITES / anaiensis m. / det. P. Jałoszyński, 2024 / HOLOTYPUS” [red, printed] ( MHNG) . Paratypes (4 exx.): 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, same data as for holotype, each with yellow “PARATYPUS” label ( MHNG, cPJ) .

Diagnosis. Pronotum with fine, inconspicuous punctures; aedeagus ( Fig. 9 ) slender, with conspicuously long parameres, endophallus ( Fig. 13 ) symmetrical, with strongly oblique lateral sclerites and with sclerotized median structure distal to lateral sclerites about as long as broad, with concave anterior margin; spermatheca in lateral view ( Fig. 29 ) subtrapezoidal, about as long as broad.

Description. Body of male ( Fig. 1 ) slender and strongly convex, moderately dark brown, covered with light brown vestiture. BL 2.48–2.50 mm.

Head in dorsal view transverse, broadest at eyes, HL 0.40–0.43 mm, HW 0.55–0.58 mm; vertex strongly transverse and evenly convex, anteriorly confluent with frons; frons flattened between prominent supraantennal tubercles; tempora in dorsal view distinctly longer than eyes; eyes small, oval, with slightly concave posteroventral margin, finely faceted. Vertex and frons covered with fine, inconspicuous punctures and sparse, moderately long, suberect setae. Antennae long and slender, slightly shorter than BL, AnL 2.03–2.13 mm, all antennomeres elongate, as in Fig. 5 .

Pronotum elongate, about as broad as head, broadest slightly in front of anterior third; PL 0.70 mm, PW 0.55 mm. Anterior margin broadly rounded, sides strongly rounded in anterior third, posteriorly broadly and weakly constricted; posterior margin nearly straight. Four dorsal antebasal pits large and deep, two lateral pits at each side distinct. Pronotum with fine, inconspicuous punctures, those behind antebasal pits not differing from those on disc; setae long, sparse and suberect.

Elytra more convex than pronotum, oval, broadest distinctly in front of middle; EL 1.35–1.40 mm, EW 0.85–0.88 mm, EI 1.54–1.65. Humeral calli weakly elevated, elongate; apex of each elytron subtriangular, sharply-angled but with blunt tip. Punctures more distinct than those on head and pronotum, but superficial, diffuse and inconspicuous; setae similar to those on pronotum.

Legs long and slender; femora abruptly clavate, dorsal longitudinal grooves on femoral clava complete and with distinct glandular opening at highest site of each femur; all tibiae nearly straight.

Aedeagus ( Figs 9–13 ) strongly elongate and slender; AeL 0.48–0.50 mm; median lobe in ventral view broadest near base and narrowing to subtriangular apex, with its distal margin evenly rounded; endophallus ( Fig. 13 ) with pair of strongly elongate and oblique lateral sclerites ( Fig. 13 ; lsc) distally connected with large median sclerotized structure, the latter about as long as broad and with distal margin concave, proximally lateral sclerites connected with sclerotized median proximal complex, with its proximal margin rounded and strongly convex; parameres conspicuously long, longer than median lobe and their apices far exceeding apex of median lobe, lacking setae.

Female. Externally similar to male, with antennae indistinctly shorter in relation to body; BL 2.48–2.50 mm; HL 0.40–0.45 mm, HW 0.55–0.58 mm, AnL 1.95–2.00 mm; PL 0.70 mm, PW 0.55–0.58 mm; EL 1.35–1.38 mm, EW 0.85–0.88 mm, EI 1.57–1.59. Spermatheca ( Fig. 29 ) in lateral view 0.075 mm wide, subtrapezoidal, with conspicuously broad distal ‘pocket’.

Distribution. Central western Sumatra ( Fig. 32 ).

Etymology. After Anai Valley, the type locality.

Remarks. Loeblites anaiensis is externally unremarkable and the aedeagus must be examined to identify the species. The conspicuously long parameres and the uniquely shaped and subquadrate distal median sclerotized endophallic structure allow for unambiguous identification. The spermatheca is most similar to that of L. minor , except that the distal margin (i.e., the one opposite the ‘base’, where the ductus spermathecae and accessory gland are inserted) is broadly rounded, and in L. minor concave.

Figures

FIGURE 32. Distribution of nominal species of Loeblites.

FIGURES 1–8. Males of Loeblites anaiensis sp. n. (1, 5); L. umphangensis sp. n. (2, 6); L. pseudominor pseudominor sp. n. (3, 7); and L. pseudominor sumatrensis subsp. n. (4, 8). Dorsal habitus (1–4) and antenna (5–8).

FIGURES 9–18. Loeblites anaiensis sp. n. (9–13); L. umphangensis sp. n. (14–18). Aedeagus in ventral (9, 11, 14, 16) and lateral (10, 12, 15, 17) views, and close-up of endophallic sclerites in ventral view (13, 18).

FIGURES 29–31. Spermatheca of Loeblites anaiensis sp. n. (29); L. umphangensis sp. n. (30); and L. pseudominor pseudominor sp. n. (31).