Scaphidium sp.

Ivan Löbl & Ryo Ogawa, 2016, Contribution to the knowledge of Himalayan and North Indian species of Scaphidium (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 123 (1), pp. 159-163 : 163

Scaphidium sp.

Material examined: SMNS; 1 ♀, 548 NEPAL: Chitwan Distr. Chitwan N.P.: Sauraha 150 m, 31.V.-1. VI.1997 leg. W. Schawaller.

Comments: This species is likely new but available in a single, damaged female while usually males possess the more important diagnostic characters. It is characterized by: Body 4.0 mm long (with head and abdomen 4.65 mm), 2.24 mm wide, black, without metallic shine, with weakly convex lateral contours. Femora and tibiae almost as dark as body. Antennomeres I to VI, mouthparts, tarsi and apex of abdomen lighter, dark reddishbrown to ochreous. Pronotal punctation dense and fairly coarse, with punctures much smaller than puncture intervals, similar to elytral punctures. Hypomera smooth. Metaventrite with indistinct punctation (80x magnification), with apicomedian part flattened. Discrimen throughout very narrow. Legs short, tibiae slightly bent.

This species is similar to S. punctaticolle Pic, 1923 from Vietnam. It may be readily distinguished by the darker legs and the anterior section of the discrimen evenly narrow and shallow. Other similar Asian species are S. comes Löbl, 1968 , S. incisum Lewis, 1893 and S. obtabile (Lewis, 1893), all differing by the coarser pronotal punctation, S. obtabile also by a rugose upper part of hypomera.