Baeocera alticola, 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 : 378-382

Baeocera alticola sp. n. Figs 63-66

HOLOTYPE: Ƌ, LUZON, Benguet Prov., Pacay , 2400m, nr. Sayangan, 11.VII.1985, leg. M. Sakai ( MHNG).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: 1 Ƌ in poor state, LUZON, Mountain Prov., Mount Data Lodge, 2200-2300m, 23-24.XII.79, leg. L. Deharveng & J. Orousset ( MHNG).

DESCRIPTION: Length 2.20 mm, width 1.50 mm. Body black, abdomen somewhat reddish, apical abdominal segments lighter. Antennomeres I to III reddish-brown, IV to VI slightly darker, VII to XI distinctly darker. Femora and tibiae dark reddishbrown, tarsi lighter. Body convex dorsally. Eyes large. Length ratio of antennomeres as: III 10: IV 11: V 13: VI 10: VII 21: VIII 17: IX 22: X 24: XI 34. Antennomere III about 3 times as long as wide, segment IV about as wide as III, not quite 4 times as long as wide; V wider than segment IV, about 3 times as long as wide; VI notably wider than segment V, not quite twice as long as wide; VII much wider than VI, 3 times as long as wide; VIII slightly wider than VI, distinctly narrower than VII, about 3 times as long as wide; IX barely larger than VII; X and XI somewhat wider than IX, X somewhat more than 3 times as long as wide, segment XI about 4.5 times as long as wide. Lateral contours of pronotum and elytra separately rounded. Pronotum with lateral margin carina concealed in dorsal view, pronotal punctation very fine. Hypomera impunctate. Exposed part of scutellum large. Elytra weakly narrowing apically, with lateral margin carina visible throughout in dorsal view, lateral margins straight in middle third, sutural striae deep, curved basally to form basal striae extending to sides and joined with lateral striae; adsutural areas flat in basal third, slightly raised posterior basal third. Elytral punctation very fine in both, basal and apical fourth, irregular, fairly fine and scarce on large middle area, puncture diameters there much smaller than puncture intervals. Exposed parts of abdominal tergites very finely punctate. Mesoventrite with very fine median stria, lacking coarse punctures. Mesepimeron large, about 5 times as long as interval to mesocoxa and 4 times as long as wide. Median part of metaventrite convex, densely and finely punctate near metacoxal process, in middle impunctate, with fine punctures at each side of impunctate area. Lateral parts of metaventrite very finely and sparsely punctate, appearing impunctate. Metacoxal process horizontal. Submesocoxal areas 0.03 mm long, with marginal punctures fine, not elongate, reaching laterally level of tip of mesepimera. Metanepisterna flat, about 0.15 mm wide, weakly narrowing anteriad, with inner suture deep, slightly sinuate, impunctate, abruptly ending before reaching level of mesepimeron and not curved toward lateral margin. Abdominal ventrite 1 lacking obvious microsculpture, with basal punctures fine, not elongate, without basal rugosity. Following ventrites very finely punctate and with barely visible punctulate microsculpture. Protibiae almost straight. Mesotibiae and metatibiae weakly curved.

Male characters: Protarsus and mesotarsus each with segment 1 strongly widened, wider than apex of tibia, segment 2 distinctly narrower than segment 1, segment 3 weakly widened. Apical lobe of abdominal ventrite 6 small, blunt, about 0.07 mm long. Aedeagus as in Figs 63-66, 0.82 mm long, strongly sclerotized.

DISTRIBUTION: Philippines, Luzon.

ETYMOLOGY: The species epithet refers to the high altitude at which the species was found.

COMMENTS: This species shares with B. robertiana Löbl, 1990 the shape of the median lobe, in particular the apical process short, strongly inflexed, and in dorsal view completely overlapped by the basal bulb. Both species have the left paramere simple, lacking denticles and apophyses. Baeocera alticola differs drastically from B. robertiana by the right paramere narrower, almost evenly curved, and lacking inner membranous lobe and subapical tooth. It may be easily distinguished from B. fortis by its dark body colour and elongate apical antennomere.

Baeocera fortis sp. nov. Figs 67-70 HOLOTYPE: Ƌ, LUZON, Lagunas Prov., Los Banos, 10.VII.1970, leg. M. Satô ( MHNG).

DESCRIPTION: Length 1.95 mm, width 1.37 mm. Body reddish-brown. Antennomeres I to VI light reddish-brown, following antennomeres darkened, legs reddishbrown. Body convex dorsally. Eyes large. Length ratio of antennomeres as: III 11: IV 15: V 15: VI 16: VII 18: VIII 15: IX 18: X 18: XI 22. Antennomeres III to VI narrow, almost even in width, VI about six times as long as wide, following conspicuously wider; VII about twice as wide as VI and 3.5 times as long as wide; VIII slightly narrower than VII, about 4 times as long as wide; XI distinctly larger than preceding, 3 times as long as wide. Lateral contours of pronotum and elytra separately rounded. Pronotum with lateral margin carina concealed in dorsal view, punctation very fine. Hypomera impunctate. Exposed part of scutellum large. Elytra weakly narrowing apically, with lateral margin carina visible throughout in dorsal view, lateral margins straight in middle third, sutural striae deep, curved basally to form basal striae reaching sides and joined with lateral striae; adsutural areas flat. Elytra very finely punctate on basal sixth, punctation posterior basal sixth fairly fine and dense, with puncture diameters much smaller than puncture intervals, punctation becoming again very fine near apices. Propygidium and pygidium exposed. Propygidium with punctation dense and fairly coarse near base, irregular and sparse on remaining surface. Pygidium with distinct punctulate microsculpture and fairly coarse, irregular punctation. Mesoventrite with two parallel admesal striae, somewhat convex in between; punctate posterior mesoventral margin. Mesepimera about twice as long as interval to mesocoxa. Metaventrite convex in middle, impressed and coarsely punctate along margin of metacoxal process, with two admesal rows of fairly coarse punctures, on remaining surface very finely punctate. Lateral parts of metaventrite very finely punctate, FIGS 63-70

(63-66) Baeocera alticola sp. n., aedeagus (63) in dorsal view, internal sac (64) in dorsal view, (65, 66) apical part of median lobe with parameres in ventral and lateral views; scale bars = 0.2 mm for aedeagus, = 0.1 mm for internal sac. (67-70) Baeocera fortis sp. n., aedeagus (67) in dorsal view, internal sac (68) in dorsal view, (69, 70) apical part of median lobe with parameres in ventral and lateral views; scale bars = 0.2 mm.

appearing impunctate. Submesocoxal areas about 0.03 mm long, with coarse marginal punctures becoming elongate laterally and extended almost to mid-width of mesepimera. Metacoxal process oblique. Metanepisterna almost flat, about 0.12- 0.13 mm wide, narrowed anteriad, with suture deep, straight except at slightly rounded anterior angles, impunctate. Abdominal ventrite 1 lacking obvious microsculpture, with coarse basal punctures and short wrinkles; remaining punctation very fine. Following ventrites very finely punctate, with barely visible punctulate microsculpture. Meso and metatibiae straight near base, curved posterior basal fifth.

Male characters: Protarsus with segment 1 strongly widened, wider than apex of tibia, segment 2 distinctly narrower than segment 1, segment 3 barely widened. Mesotarsus with segment 1 strongly widened, narrower than apex of mesotibia, segments 2 and 3 similar to those of protarsi. Ventrite 6 with apical margin widely arcuate, barely prominent in middle. Aedeagus as in Figs 67-70, 0.97 mm long, strongly sclerotized.

DISTRIBUTION: Philippines, Luzon.

ETYMOLOGY: The species epithet refers to the robust (= strong) diagnostic characters defining the taxon.

COMMENTS: This species shares with B innocua Löbl, 1990 the median lobe with a long, moderately inflexed apical process. It may be readily distinguished from B. innocua by the shape of the process that is wider and truncate at apex in the latter species, and by the shape of the parameres and sclerotized structures of the internal sac. See also comments under B. alticola .