Batriscenellus besucheti Jiang and Yin, 2017

Yin, Zi-Wei, 2017, Eight new species and two new records of Batriscenellus Jeannel (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) from China and India, Zootaxa 4318 (3), pp. 561-575 : 562

Batriscenellus besucheti Jiang and Yin , new species

( Figs 1 A, 2A, 2C, 2E–F)

Type material (1 ex.). Holotype: ♂: ‘ INDIA Meghalaya, Khasi Hills, 1000 m, Mawsynram–Balat, Besuchet–Löbl , (19)78.27.X.’ ( MHNG).

Diagnosis of male. Dorsal surface of head, pronotum, and tergite IV coarsely punctate; antennomeres subquadrate; elytra with deep sutural and discal striae; first protarsomere with long protuberance at apex; tergites VI–VII modified, VI concave, with two long lateral projections, VII strongly concave at base; aedeagus with relatively short and broad ventral and dorsal lobes.

Description. Male ( Fig. 1 A). Body reddish-brown, length 1.99 mm. Head subrectangular, slightly wider than long, HL 0.41 mm, HW 0.44 mm, dorsal surface coarsely punctate, with large and round punctures ( Fig. 2 A); vertex with median ridge anteriorly connected with U-shaped sulcus that connects foveae; antennomeres subquadrate, clubs loosely formed by apical three antennomeres; each eye composed of about 20 facets. Pronotum about as long as wide, PL 0.45 mm, PW 0.46 mm, coarsely punctate ( Fig. 2 A). Elytra wider than long, EL 0.58 mm, EW 0.72 mm, narrowed at base, discal striae extending to near elytral apex, curved laterally at apices; sutural striae complete. First protarsomeres ( Fig. 1 A) with long setose projection at apices. Abdomen wider than long, AL 0.55 mm, AW 0.70 mm, coarsely punctate and with long setae; tergite VI ( Fig. 2 C) concave, with two long lateral projections, tergite VII ( Fig. 2 C) strongly concave at base. Aedeagus strongly asymmetric, length 0.29 mm, ventral lobe elongate, broad at base and narrowing toward apex, curved leftwards in ventral view; dorsal lobe longer than ventral lobe, broad and curved ventrally, acute at apex ( Fig. 2 E–F).

Female. Unknown.

Comparative Notes. The new species is morphologically similar to the other three new Indian species described below. These species share coarsely punctate heads, pronota, and tergites IV, a similar position of the male abdominal modifications, and form a distinct B. besucheti species group (here termed) within the genus. Batriscenellus besucheti can be readily separated from B. carltoni , B. cuccodoroi , and B. loebli by the protarsomere I having a long setose projection at the apex, a unique character lacking in all other congeners. Otherwise, the presence of two projections at the posterior margin of tergite VI, the basally strongly concave tergite VII, and form of the aedeagus also help to clearly separated the new species from similar relatives.

Distribution. India: Meghalaya.

Etymology. The new specific epithet is dedicated to Claude Besuchet, one of the collectors of the holotype.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Male habitus of Batriscenellus besucheti (with right protarsi enlarged) (A), and B. carltoni (B). Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 2. Diagnostic features of male Batriscenellus (A, C, E – F. B. besucheti; B, D, G – H. B. carltoni). A – B. Head dorsum and pronotum. C – D. Abdominal tergites IV – VII, in dorsal view. E – H. Aedeagus, in lateral (E, G) and ventral (F, H) views. Scale bars: 0.2 mm in A – D; 0.1 mm in E – H.