Baeocera procerula, 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 : 373-374

Baeocera procerula sp. nov. Figs 51-54

HOLOTYPE: Ƌ, LUZON, Lagunas Prov. , Mt. Makiling, 400m, 19.IX.1995, leg. I. Löbl summit road, litter ( MHNG).

PARATYPES: 4 Ƌ, LUZON, Lagunas Prov. , 4 km SE Los Banos, 11. IV.1977, leg. L. E. Watrous. – 3 Ƌ, Lagunas Prov., Mt. Banahaw above Kinabuhayan, Cristalino trail , 600-700m, 24.XI.95, leg. I. Löbl. – 7 Ƌ, Lagunas Prov. , Mt. Banahaw near school about 1 km from Kinabuhayan , 600m, 28.IX.1995, leg. J. Kodada. – 3 Ƌ, 1 ♀, Lagunas Prov., Mt. Banahaw about 1 km from Kinabuhayan, 500m, 26.XI.95, leg. I. Löbl. – 20 Ƌ, 10 ♀, Mountain Prov. , N. & NE Sagada, 15-19.XII.1979, leg. L. Deharveng & J. Orousset #38, 39, 43, 44, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 68, 69, 72 . – 1 ♀, Mountain Prov. , env. Sagada , near Latan Cave , 15-19.XII.1979, leg. L. Deharveng & J. Orousset #55. – 1 Ƌ, Mountain Prov., Vallon de Sogong Cave, 21.XII.79, leg. L. Deharveng & J. Orousset #79. – 2 Ƌ , 3 ♀, Banguio, 1500m, near Crystal Caves , 1-2.I.1980, leg. L. Deharveng & J. Orousset #128. – 2 Ƌ , 2 ♀, Mountain Prov. , Sagada, 4-5.I.1980, leg. L. Deharveng & J. Orousset #143, 144 . – 1 ♀, Mountain Prov. , above Sagada, 9.I.1980, leg. L. Deharveng & J. Orousset #173 . – 1 ♀, Mountain Prov. , Sagada, near entry of Latipan Cave, 15.XII.79, leg. L. Deharveng & J. Orousset #222 (all MHNG) .

DESCRIPTION: Length 1.02-1.23 mm, width 0.70-0.84 mm. Body very dark brown to black, apices of elytra narrowly lighter, abdomen entirely or only its apical segments reddish-brown, femora and tibiae reddish-brown, tarsi and antennae lighter than tibiae. Body convex dorsally. Eyes large. Length ratio of antennomeres as: III 7: IV 7: V 10: VI 10: VII 11: VIII 9: IX 12: X 11: XI 13. Antennomeres III to VI very narrow, V and VI each about 5.5 times as long as wide, slightly wider and IV; VII narrow, about 3.5 times as long as wide; VIII slightly wider than VI, narrower than VII, almost 4 times as long as wide; IX to XI each distinctly wider than VIII, XI about 3 times as long as wide. Pronotum and elytra without microsculpture, with lateral contours almost 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. Elytra not covering apical abdominal tergites, with lateral carinae concealed. Elytron with sutural stria curved at base to form basal stria reaching sides and joined to lateral stria; basal stria often very shallow, adsutural area flat. Elytral punctation distinct although often fairly fine on most of anterior haft to two thirds of discal surface, with puncture intervals mostly much larger than puncture diameters, apical third of elytron very finely punctate. Hind wings not reduced. Hypomera impunctate. Mesepimera flat, about 3 times as long as wide and about 3 to 4 times as long as interval to mesocoxa. Metaventrite somewhat convex in middle, with impunctate central surface fairly small, around centre coarsely punctate. Lateral parts of metaventrite with irregular, coarse punctures larger than those around centre, not or slightly elongate and often larger than puncture intervals. Narrow area along metacoxae impunctate. Submesocoxal lines parallel, with marginal punctures about as large as those around centre of metaventrite, not extended along anapleural suture. Submesocoxal area about 0.02 mm long, shortest interval between its margin and metacoxa about 0.08 to 0.10 mm. Metanepisterna indistinct, fused with metaventrite. Metepimera striate at inner angle. Abdominal ventrite 1 lacking microsculpture, with basal punctures elongate, often extended by wrinkles, reaching to, or almost to lateral margins, interrupted in middle; punctation posterior basal punctures very fine, usually hardly visible. Tibiae straight.

Male characters: Tarsomeres 1 to 3 of forelegs barely widened. Aedeagus as in Figs 51-54, 0.28-0.35 mm long. Median lobe moderately sclerotized.

HABITAT: In samples of forest floor litter in both, shady and exposed sites, in degraded evergreen forest, in pine debris, in moss on trunks and on rocks.

DISTRIBUTION: Philippines, Luzon.

ETYMOLOGY: The species epithet is a Latin adjective meaning slightly elongate, referring to the elongate basal punctures of first abdominal ventrite.

COMMENTS: This species is variable, particularly in size, elytral and metaventral punctation, and the basal striae of the elytra that may become very shallow. It may be distinguished from the similar B. louisi and B. danielae by the elytra with distinctly punctate surface reaching to, or almost to, sutural striae. In addition, it may be separated from these two species, as from other members of the group, by the shape of the parameres and sclerites of the internal sac.