Pseudobironium augur, Lobl & Liang Tang, 2013

Löbl, Ivan & Tang, Liang, 2013, A review of the genus Pseudobironium Pic (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scaphidiinae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 120 (4), pp. 665-734 : 689-690

Pseudobironium augur sp. nov. Figs 30-33

HOLOTYPE: Ƌ, JAPAN, labelled: Miyanoshita 20.XII-30.XII.80. / Japan G. Lewis 1920 - 320 / Syntype (round) / Pseudobironium lewisi Achard R.J.W.Aldridge det 1975 SYNTYPE ( NHML) .

PARATYPES: JAPAN, Kyushu, Miyazaki Pref., Mt. Shiraiwa , ca 1680m, 26.-28.VII.1996, 1 Ƌ leg. T. Uéno & H. Goto ( PCMS) . – 3 Ƌ, 3 ♀ Kumamoto Pref., Mt. Ichifusa , 3.VI.1966, leg. M.T. Chûjô ( MHNG) . – Oita Pref., Kuju Mt. Kurodake, 29.VI.1995, 1 Ƌ leg. T. Uéno ( MHNG) . – Shikoku, Ishizuchi Mtn. Nat. Park, Tsuchigoya 1400m, 11-18.VIII.1980, log & stump litter with fungi and moss, Fagus - Abies forest , 2 Ƌ, 1 ♀ leg. S. & J. Peck ( MHNG) .

DESCRIPTION: Length 2.95-3.10 mm, width 2. 0-2.10 mm. Head and body dark reddish-brown to black, apical abdominal segments, femora and tibiae lighter, usually dark brown, tarsi and antennae light reddish-brown, antennomeres VI to XI sometimes infuscate. Maxillary palpi with palpomere IV tapering, about 3 times as long as wide. Length ratio of antennomeres as II 13: III 12: IV 17: V 18: VI 16: VII 17: VIII 17: IX 17: X 16: XI 19; antennomere XI somewhat more than twice as long as wide. Head and pronotum with distinct and dense punctation. Punctation on pronotum notably coarser than on head, with puncture intervals mostly about as to three times as large as puncture diameters. Elytra lacking lateral impressions, without humps, in apical part slightly impressed, with punctation distinctly coarser that pronotal punctation, punctures well delimited, puncture intervals mostly about twice as large as puncture diameters, some intervals about as puncture diameters. Prohypomera with few distinct punctures. Mesoventrite rather finely punctate, without median ridge. Metaventrite in middle weakly convex, irregularly, rather finely punctate except on smooth and wide mesal area, lacking microsculpture. Lateral parts of metaventrite very finely punctate, without microsculpture. Submesocoxal area about as long as third of shortest interval to metacoxa. Metacoxal process very finely punctate, lacking mesal stria or tubercle, with margin concave and notched in middle. Mesotibiae and metatibiae distinctly curved, mesotibial ventral spur straight. Abdominal sternites with punctulate micro- sculpture becoming obsolete on basolateral areas of sternite 1, very finely punctate and with shallow, large lateral impressions. Following sternites lacking wrinkles.

Male: Protarsus shorter than protibia, with tarsomeres 1 to 3 fairly widened, narrower than apex of protibia, bearing fairly long tenent setae. Aedeagus (Figs 30-33) 1. 0-1.06 mm long. Median lobe with basal bulb longer than apical process, latter inflexed, with abruptly bent and comparatively long tip. Parameres almost evenly wide between bases and apices, almost regularly curved in dorsal view, almost straight in lateral view. Internal sac with flagellum, admesal complex of sclerites consisting each of short rods and joined to larger subtriangular plates, covered by striate structures expanded apically.

DISTRIBUTION: Japan: Shikoku, Kyushu.

ETYMOLOGY: The species epithet is a Latin noun, meaning prophecy.

COMMENTS: This species resembles P. lewisi . It may be distinguished from the latter by the more reduced prohypomeral punctation, the mesoventrite having distinct punctation restricted onto smaller, posterior area, the wide impunctate mesal area of the metaventrite, the notched margin of metacoxal process, and the abdominal microsculpture evanescent basolaterally. It differs drastically from P. lewisi by its aedeagal characters, in particular by the internal sac with a flagellum that is absent from the latter species.