Baeocera alamada, Löbl, 2023

Löbl, Ivan, 2023, Three new species of Scaphidiinae from Mindanao and Palawan (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Journal of Tropical Coleopterology 4, No. 2, pp. 1-10 : 6-7

Baeocera alamada sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:25CF7C02-C5A0-4AB1-B626-447891558EEB

( Figures 6-9 )

Type material. Holotype male: Philipp.: Mindanao North Cotabato Alamada , Dato X.2019 ( MHNG).

Description. Length 1.92 mm, width 1.45 mm. Head, pronotum and elytra black, brown apical margins of elytra excepted. Hypomera, mesoventrite and metaventrite dark brown with reddish shine. Mesanepisterna, mesepimera, metanepisterna and metepimera black. Abdomen dark reddish-brown, ventrite I darker than following ventrites. Femora and tibiae rufous, tarsi and antennomeres I to IV yellowish, antennomere V at base yellowish, darkened apicad, antennomeres VI to XI light brown. Length/width ratios of antennomeres as: III 20/9: IV 30/8: V 33/9: VI 31/12: VII 52/15: VIII 45/13: IX 56/17: X 56/19: XI 90/16. Lateral margins of pronotum and elytra separately rounded. Pronotum with lateral margin carinae visible only near base in dorsal view, discal punctation very fine. Hypomera impunctate. Scutellum triangular, small. Elytra weakly narrowed apicad; lateral margins straight in middle third, lateral margin carinae exposed throughout in dorsal view; sutural striae deep, curved near base and extending lateral to form basal striae gradually approximating basal margin and joining lateral striae. Punctation on adsutural areas very fine, punctation on disc much coarser than on pronotum, shallow, puncture intervals in middle of disc about 2 to 3 times as large as puncture diameters. Exposed tergites very finely punctate. Mesoventrite flat, with longitudinal striae. Mesepimeon large, about 5 times as long as wide and 6 times as long as interval to mesocoxa. Metaventrite convex in middle, with row of coarse punctures anterior of metacoxal process, mesal area appearing impunctate, lateral areas very finely and sparsely punctate; submesocoxal areas 0.04 mm long, with coarse marginal punctures. Metanepisternum flat, about 0.15 mm wide, gradually narrowing anteriad, with suture impunctate, nearly straight, reaching margin of metepimeron. Tibiae straight. Abdomen lacking microsculpture. Ventrite I with coarse, to part slightly elongate basal punctures, remaining abdominal punctation very fine and sparse.

Male. Protarsomeres I to III and mesotarsomeres I and II widened and bearing tenet setae; protarsomere I about as wide as apex of protibia. Aedeagus as Figs 6-9 , 0.75 mm long, strongly sclerotized.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. The species epithet is a noun, the name of the type locality.

Diagnosis. Baeocera alamada is a member of the B. monstrosa group comprising of 17 Asian species ( Löbl 2018b). The aedeagus of this species has a short apical process of the median lobe overlapped by the basal bulb, a simple right paramere, and a lobed left paramere. These characteristics are shared with Baeocera alticola Löbl, 2012 , Baeocera fujiana Löbl, 2018 , Baeocera inoptata Löbl, 2018 , Baeocera monstrosa (Löbl, 1971) , Baeocera nakanei (Löbl, 1968) , Baeocera paradoxa (Löbl, 1971) , and Baeocera robertiana Löbl, 1986 . The new species is distinguished by the parameral lobe nearly evenly wide and elongate, about as long as twothirds of total parameral length. In addition, the structures of the internal sac, notably the long, robust rod bent at apex and the denticle-like mesal sclerite are diagnostic. To date, only two species of the group are known from the Philippines, B. alticola and B. fortis Löbl, 2012 . Both are from Luzon, the former is possibly restricted to the high altitudes in the Mountain and Benguet Provinces, and the second was found at Los Banos in the Lagunas Province. In addition to the genital characters, Baeocera alamada may be easily distinguished from these two Philippine congeners by the antennomere IV much longer than the antennomere III, and the antennomere XI much longer than antennomere X, and by evenly fine elytral punctation.

Comments. To date, 23 species of Baeocera have been described from the Philippines (see Löbl 2012, 2018a, 2021). Baeocera are often common in moist floor litter of tropical and subtropical forests but are rarely sampled if not sieved by appropriate devices.

Figures

Figures 2-7. Male genitalia. 2-5. Scaphidium spinipenne sp. nov.; 2. Aedeagus in dorsal view, scale =0.2 mm; 3. Aedeagus in lateral view, without basal bulb, scale = 0.1 mm; 4. Paramere in ventral view, scale = 0.1 mm; 5. Internal sac, scale = 0.1 mm; 6, 7. Baeocera alamada sp. nov., aedeagus in dorsal and lateral views, scale = 0.2 mm.

Figures 8-12. Male genitalia. 8, 9. Baeocera alamada sp. nov., aedeagus; 8. Internal sac, scale = 0.1 mm; 9. Parameres in ventral view, scale = 0.1 mm; 10-12. Baeocera roxas sp. nov.; 10. Aedeagus in dorsal view, scale = 0.1 mm; 11. Aedeagus in lateral view, scale = 0.1 mm; 12. Parameres in ventral view, scale = 0.1 mm.