Scaphobaeocera episternalis, Lobl, 2011

Löbl, Ivan, 2011, On the Scaphisomatini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scaphidiinae) of the Philippines, II, Revue suisse de Zoologie 118 (4), pp. 695-721 : 704

Scaphobaeocera episternalis sp. n. Figs 13-16

HOLOTYPE: Ƌ, Mindanao , Davao Prov., 25 km W of New Batan 20-22 May 1996, Bolm leg. ( SMNS).

PARATYPES: 1 Ƌ, with the sama data as the holotype ( MHNG). – 1 ♀ , Mindanao , 30 km NW of Maramag, 13-17 May 1996 Bagongsilang, 1700m, Bolm leg. ( SMNS) .

DESCRIPTION: Length 1.23-1.26 mm, width 0.72-0.75 mm, dorsoventral diameter 0.72-0.75 mm. Head, most of body, femora and tibiae light rufous, apices of elytra, apex of abdomen and legs lighter, ochraceous, tarsi and antennomeres I to V or VI yellowish, antennomers VII to XI brown. Pronotum lacking microsculpture. Elytra microsculptured and weakly iridescent. Pronotal and elytral punctation sparse and extremely fine, hardly visible at magnification 100x. Length ratio of antennomeres as: III 8: IV 8: V 9: VI 8: VII 11: VIII 8: IX 12: X 12: XI 20. Segments III and IV equal, each about 3 times as long as wide. Segments V and VI slightly wider than segment IV, segment V 3 times as long as wide. Segment VII almost 3 times as long as wide. Segment VIII slightly wider than segment VI, about 2.5 times as long as wide. Segments IX and X each distinctly wider than segment VIII. Segment XI parallelsided, distinctly wider than segment X, somewhat more than 3 times as long as wide. Tip of scutellum exposed. Elytra with parasutural striae, sutural striae starting at margin of pronotal lobe, slightly curved at base. Hypomeron lacking stria. Middle part of metaventrite convex, lacking stria or impression, smooth on large central part, with dense and fairly coarse punctation at each side of center and with fairly long pubescence. Sides of metaventrite sparsely and very finely punctate, with long pubescence. Mesocoxal lines with fairly coarse marginal punctures not extending laterally along mesepimera; submesocoxal areas about 0.02 mm long. Metepisterna flat, with exposed portion about 0.10-0.14 mm wide, widest in anterior half, suture broadly arcuate toward anterior angles, slightly curved or oblique apically. Abdomen lacking obvious microsculpture and with punctation hardly visible. Abdominal ventrite 1 with basal punctures coarse, not elongate. Tibiae straight.

Male characters. Protarsi with segments 1 to 3 strongly widened, segment 1 slightly wider than protibia. Aedeagus (Figs 13-16) 0.57-0.58 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION: Philippines: Mindanao.

COMMENTS: This species may be readily distinguished from its Philippine congeners by its large metepisterna. It differs from most other species by the median lobe of the aedeagus that is not bent apically and has no distinct apicoventral processes. The internal sac with a complex base and very narrow flagellum reminds that in S. tibialis Löbl, 1984 , while the parameres are wider and not arcuate as in the latter species.