Scaphisoma approximatum, Lobl, 2015

Löbl, Ivan, 2015, On the Scaphidiinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) of the Lesser Sunda Islands, Revue suisse de Zoologie 122 (1), pp. 75-120 : 105

Scaphisoma approximatum sp. nov.

Figs 85-86

Holotype: MHNG; ♂; Indonesia, Indo.: Lombok Mt. Rinjani above Senaro, 900-1100 m 6. XI 1991, I. Löbl forest floor litter.

Etymology: The species epithet is a Latin adjective, meaning being close.

Description: Length 1.65 mm, width 1.14 mm. Head, body and appendages light reddish-brown. Pronotum and elytra lacking microsculpture. Antennae long, length/width ration of antennomeres as follows: III 15/8: IV 29/6: V 35/6: VI 36/7: VII 48/15: VIII 35/9: IX 48/15: X 44/15: XI 65/15. Antennomere III subtriangular. Pronotum very finely punctate, lateral margins evenly rounded, lateral margin carinae not visible in dorsal view. Point of scutellum exposed. Elytra with lateral margin carinae visible in dorsal view, apical margins weakly convex, inner apical angle rounded, not prominent, situated posterior level of outer angles, sutural margin not raised, sutural striae fairly shallow, parallel, at base somewhat curved, not extending laterad pronotal lobe, adsutural areas flat. Punctation very fine and sparse near elytral bases, becoming more distinct and denser apically, punctures on apical halves of elytral disc well delimited, puncture intervals mostly about as large to twice as large as puncture intervals. Pygidium distinctly, densely punctate, most punctures about as large as puncture intervals. Hypomera smooth. Mesepimeron somewhat shorter than interval to mesocoxa, about 2.5 times as long as wide. Metaventrite not microsculptured, lacking mesal impressions or sulci, with punctation even, very fine and sparse. Submesocoxal areas 0.03 mm, as long as sixth of interval to metacoxa, submesocoxal lines parallel, with very fine marginal punctures. Metanepisternum flat, impressed below margin of metaventrite, narrowed anteriad, with inner margin weakly sinuate. Tibiae straight. Abdomen lacking obvious microsculpture. Sternite 1 with punctation dense and comparatively coarse on basal half, becoming finer and sparser toward apical margin. Following sternites very finely punctate. Submetacoxal areas 0.02-0.03 mm, submetacoxal lines parallel, with fine margin punctures.

Male: Protarsal segments 1 to 3 hardly widened. Aedeagus (Figs 85-86) 0.37 mm long, weakly sclerotized, symmetrical. Median lobe with basal bulb longer than apical process and large, prominent articular process. Apical process moderately narrowed apically in dorsal view, strongly inflexed, with oblique ventral side, abruptly narrowed in apical part in lateral view. Parameres wide, arcuate in dorsal view, strongly widened ventrally and abruptly narrowed at tip in lateral view. Internal sac with robust bidentate sclerite and finely denticulate membranes.

Distribution: Indonesia: Lombok.

Type locality: Lombok Mt. Rinjani above Senaro, 900- 1100 m.

Comments: The species resembles S. incomptum Löbl, 1986 from Sumatra, though it has conspicuously longer antennae. Its aedeagal characters suggest relationships with the Sumatran S. heissi Löbl, 1982 , that possesses larger and strongly sclerotized aedeagus with the apical process of the median lobe parallel and evenly curved. The new species may be readily distinguished from S. heissi by the uniformly light body colour and the elytra with parallel sutural striae.