Veraphis aomoriensis, Jałoszyński, 2019

Jałoszyński, Paweł, 2019, Four new species and new records of Veraphis Casey in Japan (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae), Zootaxa 4701 (1), pp. 54-64 : 54-64

Veraphis aomoriensis sp. n.

( Figs 3 , 9–10 , 17–18 , 23 , 25 )

Type material. Holotype: JAPAN ( Honshu , Aomori Pref.): ♂, two labels: „[Aomori: Japan] / Mt. Iwaki, alt 800m / 29. IX. 1992 / M. Sakai lgt. / (in leaf litter)“ [white, printed], „ VERAPHIS / aomoriensis m. / P. Jałoszyński, 2019 / HOLOTYPUS ” [red, printed] ( EUMJ).

Diagnosis. Male protrochanter unmodified; male protibia with subapical fin-like projection about as broad as 3/4 of tibial width; median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view weakly curved; in ventral view with shallowly concave walls in subapical region only; ventral diaphragm about as long as 1/3 of median lobe, close to basal margin of ae- deagus; apical margin rounded; parameres in lateral view weakly curved.

Description. BL 1.35 mm. Body of male ( Fig. 3 ) flattened, slender, moderately dark brown, covered with yel- lowish vestiture, tarsi slightly lighter.

Head broadest at large, moderately convex eyes, HL 0.15 mm, HW 0.25 mm; vertex with pair of small postero- median pits, each prolonged by shallow but distinct longitudinal groove extending anterad to posteromesal margin of weakly elevated supraantennal tubercle; area between grooves distinctly flattened and depressed in relation to convex sides of vertex and frons. Punctures on head dorsum fine and shallow, inconspicuous; setae short, sparse and suberect. Antennae slender, with distinctly demarcated trimerous club, AnL 0.53 mm; antennomeres I–II distinctly elongate; III distinctly transverse; IV about as long as broad; V indistinctly elongate, VI about as long as broad, VII–X each distinctly transverse (VIII narrower than VII), XI as broad as long and slightly narrower than X.

Pronotum nearly semielliptical, broadest at base; PL 0.33 mm, PW 0.38 mm; anterior margin broadly and evenly rounded; lateral margins strongly rounded in anterior third, in posterior half nearly straight and parallel, hind angles obtuse and blunt; posterior margin indistinctly bisinuate. Pronotal base with distinct median antebasal pit, lacking transverse groove, and with lateral pair of elongate and deep impressions, lateral pronotal margins narrowly carinate in posterior half. Punctures on pronotal disc fine and inconspicuous; setae short and sparse, suberect.

Elytra slightly more convex than pronotum, together oval, broadest slightly in front of middle; EL 0.70 mm, EW 0.53 mm, EI 1.33; humeral calli well-marked, elongate. Surface of elytra less glossy than pronotum, covered with fine, superficial, inconspicuous punctures and setae similar to those on pronotum but distinctly thicker.

Legs moderately long and slender; protrochanter unmodified, protibia with conspicuously large subapical finlike projection ( Fig. 23 ).

Aedeagus ( Figs 9–10 , 17–18 ) elongate and slender; AeL 0.30 mm; in ventral view median lobe parallel-sided in proximal 3/4, slightly constricted in subapical region, with rounded apical portion; ventral diaphragm small, about as long as 1/3 of median lobe and with its proximal margin close to base of aedeagus; in lateral view median lobe weakly curved; parameres weakly curved, each with one tiny apical seta and one longer subapical seta.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Japan, northern Honshu ( Fig. 25 ).

Etymology. The name aomoriensis refers to the Aomori Prefecture.

Remarks. Veraphis aomoriensis belongs to the sawadai group of species, and is sympatric with V. mutsuensis . It is unique among members of this group in having the aedeagus with rounded instead of emarginate apex.

Figures

FIGURE 25. Distribution of Veraphis in Japan.

FIGURES 1–4. Dorsal habitus of males. Veraphis loebli sp. n. (1); V. mutsuensis sp. n. (2); V. aomoriensis sp. n. (3); V. sakaii sp. n. (4).

FIGURES 5–12. Aedeagus in ventral (5, 7, 9, 11) and lateral (6, 8, 10, 12) views. Veraphis loebli sp. n. (5–6); V. mutsuensis sp. n. (7–8); V. aomoriensis sp. n. (9–10); V. sakaii sp. n. (11–12).

FIGURES 13–20. Aedeagus in ventral (13, 15, 17, 19) and lateral (14, 16, 18, 20) views. Veraphis loebli sp. n. (13–14); V. mutsuensis sp. n. (15–16); V. aomoriensis sp. n. (17–18); V. sakaii sp. n. (19–20).

FIGURES 21–24. Fore leg of male. Veraphis loebli sp. n. (21); V. mutsuensis sp. n. (22); V. aomoriensis sp. n. (23); V. sakaii sp. n. (24).