Baeocera candalagensis, Löbl, 2021

Löbl, Ivan, 2021, Contribution to the knowledge of the Scaphisomatini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scaphidiinae) of Mindanao, Philippines, Biodiversity, Biogeography and Nature Conservation in WALLACEA and NEW GUINEA, Riga: The Entomological Society of Latvia, pp. 265-272 : 266

Baeocera candalagensis sp. nov. (

Figs 1–4 )

Holotype ♂ MHNG: Philippines Mindanao . Araibo. Pantukan. Compostela Valley. 900 m, Candalaga / Mts., 7°16’35.3’’N, 126°10’12.8’’E, 4.5.2019 Shavrin A. V .

Derivatio nominis: The species epithet is an adjective derived from the name of the mountains where it was found.

Description: Length 1.48 mm, width 1.10 mm. Frons and body very dark brown, almost blackish, apex of abdomen ochraceous, femora and tibiae reddish-brown, tarsi and antennomeres I to VI ochraceous, following antennomeres light brown. Body strongly convex dorsally. Eyes in dorsal view slightly larger than half of interval between them. Length/width rations of antennomeres as: III 25 /8: IV 25 /8: V 30 /8: VI 26 /8: VII 45 /11: VIII 44 /11: IX 45 /14: X 44 /14: XI 51 /14. Pronotum and elytra not microsculptured, with lateral contours separately arcuate. Pronotum very finely punctate, with lateral margins rounded, lateral margin carinae concealed in dorsal view. Apex of scutellum exposed. Elytra not overlapping abdominal apex, moderately narrowed apically, lateral margin carinae not visible in dorsal view, sutural striae entire, parallel in basal third of sutural length, converging posteriad, bent along pronotal lobe and extended along bases to form complete basal striae joined with lateral striae. Sutural striae distinctly punctate, except along apical third, punctures along lateral striae almost indistinct. Basal striae deep and well visible near lateral margins. Punctation on basal 0.15 to 0,20 mm, on 0.15 mm broad stripe along sutural striae, on narrow stripe along lateral margins and on apical halves of elytra fine, very shallow and not well delimited, with punctures distinctly larger than pronotal punctures. Conspicuous patch of coarse and sharply delimited punctures situated in anterior half of each elytron; intervals between coarse punctures about 1.5 to two times puncture diameters. Hind wings not reduced. Hypomera extremely finely punctate. Mesepimera about four times as long as wide and four times as long as intervals to mesocoxae. Metaventrite convex and impunctate in middle, with several coarse punctures delimiting smooth centre; lateral parts of metaventrite extremely finely punctate. Mesocoxal lines parallel, with coarse puncture row extended laterally almost to mid-length of mesepimera; mesocoxal areas about 0.03 mm, as fifth of shortest intervals to metacoxae. Exposed part of metanepisterna large, near anterior angles about 0.10 mm wide, narrowed posteriad, with distinct, impunctate suture. Metepimera each with longitudinal stria. Protibiae straight, mesotibiae and metatibiae slightly bent. Propygidium and ventrite I not microsculptured, pygidium and ventrites II to VI with hardly visible punctulate microsculpture. Basal half of propygidium densely and rather coarsely punctate, with punctures well delimited, smaller than coarse elytral punctures, to part about as large as puncture intervals. Apical part of propygidium and pygidium very finely and sparsely punctate. Ventrite I without wrinkles, with basal row of coarse elongate punctures not interrupted in middle; punctation extremely fine posterior of basal row, as on following ventrites. Male protarsomere I strongly widened, somewhat narrower than apices of protibiae, Protarsomere II and III slightly widened. Mesotarsomeres I slightly widened. Ventrite VI shallowly emarginate at each side of triangular, about 0.10 mm long and acute median process. Aedeagus ( Figs 1–4 ) 0.87 mm long.

Differential diagnosis: This new species falls in the key to Philippine species ( LÖbl, 2012) under the couplet 5, to B. alticola LÖbl, 2012 and B. fortis LÖbl, 2012 , its aedeagal characters suggest relationships with B. fortis . The new species is readily distinguishable from B. fortis by its smaller size, the darker body colour, the antennomeres III as long as the antennomeres IV and the antennomeres V clearly longer than antennomeres IV or VI, the shape of the apical margin of the male ventrite VI, the parameres widened apically and lacking lobes or processes, the blunt and in dorsal view not incurved tip of the median lobe, and the shape of the sclerotized pieces of the internal sac. Diagnostic for the new species are also tufts of elongate spine-like and lamellar structures within the internal sac.

Figures

Figures 1–4. Baeocera candalagensis sp. nov. 1 – Aedeagus in lateral view [scale bar 0.2 mm]; 2 – Apical part of aedeagus [scale bar 0.1 mm]; 3 – Internal sac in dorsal view [scale bar 0.1 mm]; 4 – Parameres in ventral view,