Scydmepitoxis paradoxa, Jałoszyński, Paweł, 2014

Jałoszyński, Paweł, 2014, Scydmepitoxis gen. n., a new genus of Cyrtoscydmini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae) from Australia, Zootaxa 3866 (2), pp. 289-296 : 295-296

Scydmepitoxis paradoxa sp. n.

( Figs. 1–9 )

Type material. Holotype: AUSTRALIA: ♂, four labels: “ AUSTRALIA: NSW / Kyogle Wiangarie / S.F. Brindle Ck. / 800m 21 Jun. 1978 / temperate forest / S. & J. Peck” [white, printed], “Bark and / log litter” [white, printed], “Aust. Nat. / Ins. Coll.” [green, printed], “ SCYDMEPITOXIS / paradoxa m. / det. P. Jałoszyński ’14 / HOLOTYPUS ” [red, printed] ( ANIC). Paratypes: 1 ♂, 1 ♀: three original labels: “ AUSTRALIA: QLD / Lamington N.P. / Binna Burra / 900m 23 Jun. 78 / S. & J. Peck” [white, printed], “rotted bark / and litter” [white, printed], “ ANIC / specimen” [green, printed]; during the present study labeled with standard yellow “ PARATYPUS ” labels ( ANIC).

Diagnosis. This species of Scydmepitoxis can be identified on the basis of generic diagnosis and aedeagus.

Description. Body of male ( Fig. 1 ) moderately convex, light brown, covered with yellowish vestiture; BL 1.50 mm.

Head ( Figs. 1 , 3 ) broadest at moderately large, weakly convex and finely faceted eyes, HL 0.25 mm, HW 0.30 mm; vertex and frons confluent, posterior portion of frons (between eyes) and vertex together convex and transverse, anterior portion of frons rapidly lowering anteriorly; supraantennal tubercles indistinct. Punctures on frons and vertex inconspicuous, fine; setae on frons and median portion of vertex short, sparse and suberect; tempora and posterior margin of vertex with dense thick bristles. Antennae ( Fig. 1 ) slender, AnL 0.80–0.83 mm, antennomeres I–VIII distinctly elongate; IX slightly longer than broad; XI about twice as long as broad.

Pronotum ( Figs. 1 , 4 ) with nearly pentagonal disc sharply demarcated from short posterior 'collar' by deep constriction, broadest posterior to middle; PL 0.38–0.40 mm, PW 0.33–0.35 mm. Anterior margin weakly arcuate; anterior corners obtuse but well-marked; sides of large discal part rounded and divergent posteriorly, in the broadest place rapidly convergent; posterior 'collar' with rounded sides; posterior corners well-marked, obtuse; posterior pronotal margin barely noticeably bisinuate. Pronotum near base with two pairs of small distinct circular pits. Punctures on pronotal disc as small and sparse as those on head dorsum; setae on dorsal surface of disc denser and longer than those on frons, suberect, sides of pronotum with longer and denser erect setae and in the broadest place with dense setal brushes directed posteriorly.

Elytra ( Fig. 1 ) oval, broadest distinctly behind middle; EL 0.85–0.88 mm, EW 0.58 mm, EI 1.48–1.52; humeral calli distinct; elytral apices rounded together. Punctures on elytra much more distinct than those on head and pronotum, small and shallow, separated by spaces 1–1.5x their diameter; setae shorter, sparser and more recumbent than those on pronotum. Hind wings well developed.

Legs ( Fig. 1 ) moderately long and slender, without modifications.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 8–9 ) elongate; AeL 0.35 mm; median lobe in ventral view narrowing from middle to subtriangular apical region; internal armature with elongate fibrous structure in distal half; parameres slender and without apical setae.

Female. Differs from males in distinctly smaller eyes and shorter antennae in relation to body length; BL 1.48 mm; HL 0.25 mm, HW 0.30 mm, AnL 0.73 mm; PL 0.38 mm, PW 0.33 mm; EL 0.85 mm, EW 0.58 mm, EI 1.48.

Distribution. North-eastern New South Wales ( Fig. 2 a).

Etymology. The Latin adjective paradoxus (fem. paradoxa ) meaning “marvelous, strange, paradoxical” was chosen to reflect the unusual and strange shape of the prothorax.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Morphology and distribution of Scydmepitoxis gen. n. Dorsal habitus of Scydmepitoxis paradoxa sp. n., male holotype (1); distribution of S. paradoxa sp. n. (2 a) and Scydmepitoxis sp., undescribed species known from a female (2 b).

FIGURES 3 – 5. Morphology of Scydmepitoxis paradoxa sp. n., paratype female. Head in ventral view (3); prothorax and base of elytra in dorsal view (4); and prothorax in ventral view (5). Abbreviations: abp, antebasal pronotal pits; aest 2, mesanepisternum; bas, basisternal part of prosternum; bst, basistipes; cd, cardo; el, elytron; gal, galea; gp, gular plate; gs, gular suture; hr, hypostomal ridge; hy, hypomeron; hyr, hypomeral ridge; lac, lacinia; md, mandible; mn, mentum; mst, mediostipes; mxp, maxillary palpus; nss, pronotosternal suture; pcc, procoxal cavity; pcs, procoxal socket; pf, profurca; pmn, prementum; pn, pronotum; ppf, palpifer; smn, submentum.

FIGURES 6 – 9. Morphology of Scydmepitoxis paradoxa sp. n., paratype female (6 – 7) and holotype male (8 – 9). Pterothorax in ventral view (6); mesothorax in ventral view, setation omitted (7); aedeagus in ventral (8) and lateral (9) views. Abbreviations: aest 2, mesanepisternum; aest 3, metanepisternum; ar, anterior ridge; lmfa, lateral metafurcal arm; mcc, mesocoxal cavity; mcp, mesocoxal projection; mcs, mesocoxal socket; mff, mesofurcal fovea; msvp, mesoventral intercoxal process; mtvp, metaventral intercoxal process; sp, spermatheca; vlf, ventrolateral fovea.