Baeocera jeani, Löbl & Ch-, 2012

Löbl, Ivan, 2012, On the Scaphisomatini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scaphidiinae) of the Philippines, III: the genus Baeocera Erichson, Revue suisse de Zoologie 119 (3), pp. 351-383 : 366-367

Baeocera jeani sp. nov. Figs 35-38

HOLOTYPE: Ƌ, LUZON, Lagunas Prov. , Mt. Makiling, 450-550m, 20.XI.1995, I. Löbl ( MHNG).

PARATYPES: 4 Ƌ, 2 ♀, with the same data as the holotype. – 1 Ƌ , 1 ♀, LUZON, Lagunas Prov. , Mt. Makiling, 400m, 19.IX.1995, leg. I. Löbl. – 3 ex., Lagunas Prov. , Mt. Makiling summit rd 500m, 20.IX.1995, leg. I. Löbl. – 4 Ƌ, Lagunas Prov. , Mt. Banahaw near school about 1 km from Kinabuhayan, 600m, 28.IX.1995, leg. J. Kodada and 2 ♀, with the same data but 500m, leg. I. Löbl. – 1 Ƌ, 2 ♀, Lagunas Prov. , Mt. Banahaw above Kinabuhayan, Cristalino trail, 600-700m, 24.XI.95, leg. I. Löbl. – 1 Ƌ, 1 ♀, Lagunas Prov. , Mt. Banahaw about 1 km from Kinabuhayan, 500m, 26.XI.95, leg. I. Löbl. – 1 Ƌ, 1 ♀, the same data but 800m, 25.XI.95 (all MHNG) .

DESCRIPTION: Length 1.10-1.28 m, width 0.70-0.82 mm. Body convex dorsally, dark brown or dark reddish-brown, femora and tibiae lighter, apex of abdomen, tarsi and antennae yellowish. Eyes large. Length ratio of antennomeres as: III 7: IV 7: V 9: VI 7: VII 11: VIII 7: IX 10: X 9: XI 11. Antennomeres III to VI almost evenly narrow, V hardly wider than IV; VII comparatively narrow, distinctly wider than VI, about 3 times as long as wide; VIII distinctly narrower than VII, about as narrow as VI; IX to XI each distinctly wider than VII; XI about twice as long as wide. Pronotum and elytra without microsculpture, with lateral contours continuously arcuate; pubescence visible at 50 times magnification. Pronotum very finely punctate, with lateral margins strongly convex, lateral margin carinae concealed in dorsal view. Scutellum concealed or its minute tip exposed. Elytra almost covering apex of abdomen, with lateral carinae concealed or shortly exposed near base. Elytron with sutural stria deep, curved at base to form basal stria ending in outer half of basal width, adsutural area somewhat raised. Elytral punctation almost evanescent or very fine, similar to pronotal punctation along base, on fairly wide strip along sutural stria and on almost entire apical third. Remaining surface of elytral disc coarsely punctate, intervals between coarse punctures about 2 to 3 times as large as punctures diameters. Hind wings not reduced. Hypomera impunctate. Mesepimera flat, almost 3 times as long as wide and about 4 times as long as interval to mesocoxa. Metaventrite somewhat convex in middle, with impunctate central surface small, around centre distinctly punctate. Lateral parts of metaventrite impunctate on posterior area; remaining surface with irregular, coarse punctures. Punctures on lateral parts of metaventrite larger than those around centre, usually elongate and larger than, or about as large as puncture intervals. Submesocoxal lines convex, with marginal punctures about as large as those around centre of metaventrite, not extended along anapleural suture. Submesocoxal area about 0.03 to 0.04 mm long, shortest interval between its margin and metacoxa about 0.08-0.09 mm. Metanepisterna flat, with suture indicated by impressed row of outer coarse punctures. Metepimera with carinate inner margin. Abdominal ventrite 1 lacking microsculpture, with basal punctures coarse, extended by wrinkles. Lateral wrinkles usually 0.04-0.06 mm long, mesal wrinkles short; basal puncture row contiguous in middle, reaching to or almost to lateral margins; punctures near lateral margins moderately elongate. Punctation posterior basal puncture row very fine on sides of ventrite, distinct on mesal area. Tibiae straight.

Male characters: Tarsomeres 1 to 3 of forelegs barely widened. Aedeagus as in

Figs 35-38, 0.36-0.40 mm long. Median lobe moderately sclerotized.

HABITAT: Degraded rainforest, in leaf litter, mostly on slope and in ravine.

DISTRIBUTION: Philippines, Luzon.

ETYMOLOGY: The species is names in honour of Jean Orousset, Paris, France, who collected together with Louis Deharveng.

COMMENTS: The parameres abruptly narrowed at level of the tip of the median lobe are similar to those in B. incisa Löbl, 1973 from Sabah, and B. manasensis Löbl, 1984 and B. pseudincisa Löbl, 1984 from northern India. Baeocera jeani shares with B. incisa sinuate parameres (in lateral view) and the shape of the median lobe, but the shape of the sclerotized complex of the internal sac is distinctive. These two species may be readily distinguished by the elytral punctation that is restricted onto a small surface in the new species, while it covers most of the disc in B. incisa , and by the abdominal sternite 1 having conspicuous basal wrinkles in B. jeani , lacking in B. incisa . Both, B. manasensis and B. pseudincisa , have the internal sac of the aedeagus similar to that in B. jeani . These two species share rugulose base of the first abdominal ventrite, with wrinkles significantly shorter, and the lateral surfaces posterior wrinkles are distinctly punctate in B. pseudincisa . Both, B. pseudincisa and B. manasensis , differ notably from B. jeani by their elytral punctation that is coarse on almost entire discal surface in the former, and coarse on most of the basal half of the disc in the latter species.