Scaphisoma caudatoides, Ivan Löbl & Ryo Ogawa, 2016

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 : 1362-1363

5.2.6.1. Scaphisoma caudatoides nov.sp. ( Fig. 69 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 6: Philippines Central Palawan 4 km N Port Barton 29.xii.1996 50 m, G. Cuccodoro sifting moist & lush leaf litter and vegetable debris in forest above waterfalls (MHNG).

Description: Length 1.20 mm, width 0.83 mm. Head and body very dark reddish-brown, apices of elytra and apical abdominal segments lighter, femora and tibiae light reddish-brown, tarsi and antennae almost yellowish. Pronotum and elytra not microsculptured and not iridescent. Length/width ratio of antennomeres as: III 12/7: IV 33/5: V 43/6: VI 36/6: VII 42/11: VIII 38/8: IX 46/10: X 43/10: XI 57/11. Pronotum with lateral margins evenly rounded, lateral margin carinae almost throughout visible in dorsal view, lateral striae punctate, punctation dense, very fine, hardly visible at 50 times magnification. Tip of scutellum exposed. Elytra convex, with lateral margin carinae entirely visible in dorsal view, apical margins truncate, inner apical angles not prominent, situated posterior level of outer angles; sutural margin raised, sutural striae deep, parallel, very finely punctate, barely bent at base, basal striae absent; adsutural areas narrow, flat, each with single puncture row, lateral striae punctate. Elytral disc with punctation sparse and very fine, near bases about as fine at that on pronotum, on prevailing surface coarser, punctures intervals mostly about twice to four times as large as puncture intervals. Hind wings fully developed. Hypomera and mesanepisterna smooth. Mesepimera somewhat longer than intervals to mesocoxae, about four times as long as wide. Metaventrite not microsculptured, very finely punctate, lacking antecoxal puncture row. Median part of metaventrite slightly convex, without impressions or stria. Submesocoxal areas 0.05 mm, almost as half of intervals to metacoxae, submesocoxal lines convex, finely punctate. Metanepisternum flat, weakly narrowed anteriad, with inner margin straight, rounded at angles, hardly impressed below margin of metaventrite, suture deep. Tibiae straight. Abdomen with strigulate microsculpture, very finely and sparsely punctate; submetacoxal areas 0.04 mm, about as third of intervals to apical margin of sternite, submetacoxal lines convex, finely punctate.

M a l e: Protarsomeres 1 to 3 weakly widened. Aedeagus ( Fig. 69 ) 0.46 mm long, symmetrical, moderately sclerotized. Median lobe with prominent articular processes, apical process slightly shorter than basal bulb, gradually narrowed and with acute tip. Parameres narrowed toward apical third, curved posterior mid-length. Internal sac bulbous in proximal part, with very finely scale-like structures, rows of larger teeth, short marginal denticles and flagellum extruded apically.

E t y m o l o g y: The species epithet derives from S. caudatum; the Greek suffix oides means descendent.

Comparative notes: The new species may be distinguished from S. caudatum LÖBL, 1975 by the shape of the parameres which are narrowed at apices (distinctly seen in dorsal view) in the latter species, and by the internal sac with rows of larger teeth. The submetacoxal areas are in S. caudatoides shorter than the submesocoxal areas, whereas they are longer than the latter in S. caudatum.

Figures

Figs 65 - 69: Aedeagi of Scaphisoma; (65 - 66), S. lineare nov. sp., in dorsal and lateral views; (67), ditto, paramere in ventral view; (68), internal sac and apex of median lobe in lateral view; (69), S. caudatoides nov. sp., aedeagus in dorsal view. Scale = 0.1 mm.