Batraxis ziyueae, Wang, Dan & Yin, Zi-Wei, 2016

Wang, Dan & Yin, Zi-Wei, 2016, New species and records of Batraxis Reitter (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) in continental China, Zootaxa 4147 (4), pp. 443-465 : 454

Batraxis ziyueae , new species

( Figs 6 A, 12G–I, 14D, 14T, 15)

Type material (2 ƋƋ, 1 ♀). Holotype: CHINA: Ƌ, labeled ‘ CHINA: Yunnan, Lincang City, Yun Hsien, Manwan Town , Guiziba Village (洼子八村), 24°43'48"N, 100°20'01"E, rotten wood, alt. 1243 m, 16.iv.2016, Zi-Chun Xiong leg.’ ( SNUC) . Paratypes: CHINA: 1 Ƌ, 1 ♀, same label data as holotype except ‘ 20.iv.2016 ’ ( SNUC) .

Diagnosis of male. Body almost glabrous; frons with complete subantennal transverse sulcus; antennomeres IX as long as wide, IX obliquely subconical; pronotum with small median antebasal fovea and shallow, complete basal impression; all tibiae slender; protrochanters protuberant ventrally, profemora simple, protibiae concaved and protuberant near apex, mesotibiae lacking apical spur; tergite IV with broad, abrupt basal sulcus, discal carinae short, widely separated, with complete marginal carinae; aedeagus stout.

Description. Male ( Fig. 6 A). Body almost glabrous, reddish brown, length 1.67–1.86 mm. Head rectangular, slightly wider than long, HL 0.35–0.39 mm, HW 0.40–0.42 mm, vertex moderately convex, with pair of small, distinct vertexal foveae; antennal tubercles low; frons flattened, subantennal transverse sulcus complete, with shallow vertexal sulcus merging with subantennal transverse sulcus and connecting foveae; each eye composed of about 30 facets; antennae relatively thick, antennomeres III slightly elongate, IV‒VIII as long as wide, IX and X transverse, XI largest, widest at middle; median gular carina relatively narrow, with two separated nude foveae. Pronotum slightly wider than long, PL 0.35–0.38 mm, PW 0.42–0.43 mm, with small median antebasal fovea and shallow but complete basal impression. Elytra wider than long, EL 0.4 8– 0.54 mm, EW 0.70–0.76 mm, each elytron with two distinct foveae at base. Protrochanters protuberant at ventral margin ( Fig. 14 T), protibiae distinctly concave before apex, with acute at cavity ( Fig. 14 D). Abdomen as long as wide, AL 0.49–0.55 mm, AW 0.67–0.74 mm, obliquely narrowed at base; tergite IV (first visible tergite) with broad, abrupt basal sulcus; discal carinae short, widely separated, extending to apical one-fifth of tergal length, width between carinae 0.30–0.34 mm at apices; with complete marginal carinae. Aedeagus ( Fig. 12 G–I) 0.20 mm in length, stout, parameres strongly narrowed apically, each with two long apical setae; endophallus complicated, with pairs of symmetric sclerites.

Female. Similar to male in general appearance; protrochanters and protibiae simples; each eye composed of about 30 facets. Measurements: BL 1.72 mm; HL 0.33 mm; HW 0.39 mm; PL 0.35 mm; PW 0.40 mm; EL 0.47 mm; EW 0.67 mm; AL 0.57 mm; AW 0.67 mm; width between discal carinae of tergite IV 0.30 mm at apices.

Comparative notes. Batraxis ziyueae is similar to B. tibialis Wang & Yin by the thick antennae, complete subantennal transverse sulcus of the head, preapically concaved protibiae with a small tubercle inside the cavity, abdomen obliquely narrowed at the base, and short discal carinae. These two species can be separated by the simple profemora, and aedeagal parameres strongly narrowed at the apices in B. ziyueae . Batraxis tibialis has the profemora with a small protuberance at the middle of the ventral margin, and the aedeagal parameres are much broader at the apices.

Distribution. China: Yunnan ( Fig. 15 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is dedicated to the collector’s sister of this new species, Zi-Yue Xiong.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Dorsal habitus of Batraxis males. A. B. ziyueae. B. B. bicolor, population from Yunnan. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 12. Aedeagi of Batraxis species. (A, B, D, E, G, H. in ventral view. C, F, I. in lateral view). A – C. B. nanlingensis. D – F. B. yifan. G – I. B. ziyueae. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 14. Legs of male Batraxis species. (A – F. Protibia. G. Mesotibia. H, I. Profemur. J – V. Protrochanter). A, K. B. gloriosa, population from Fujian. B, L. B. gloriosa, population from Zhejiang. C, H, P. B. gesar. D, T. B. ziyueae. E, U. B. bicolor, population from Yunnan. F, I, V. B. tibialis, population from Jiangxi. G, S. B. yifan. J. B. gloriosa, population from Hunan. M. B. gloriosa, population from Jiangxi. N. B. gloriosa, population from Guangxi. O. B. longicornis. Q. B. longithorax. R. B. nanlingensis. Scale bars: A ‒ I = 0.1 mm; J ‒ V = 0.05 mm.

FIGURE 15. Distribution of Batraxis species in China.