Eupines (Byraxis) halli ( Broun, 1921 )

Shen, Jia-Wei & Leschen, Richard A. B., 2020, Revision of Eupines King of New Zealand (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae: Goniaceritae), Zootaxa 4777 (1), pp. 1-84 : 34-36

Eupines (Byraxis) halli ( Broun, 1921)

Fig. 21 ; map Fig. 51

Byraxis halli Broun, 1921: 608 . Hudson 1923: 367, 1934: 185. Eupines (Byraxis) halli : combination and subgeneric assignment by Nomura and Leschen 2006: 255. Maddison 2010: 417; Shen and Leschen 2019: 266.

Type locality: [ NN] Mount Saint Arnaud , Nelson .

Type depository: BMNH LT ♂, 2 PLT ; NZAC 2 PLT .

Diagnosis: Head with vertexal foveae punctiform; antennae 10-segmented with 2-segmented antennal club; A4, A6, A7, A8 and A10 unmodified, A5 greatly enlarged and asymmetrical, flag-shaped, dorsal side broadly concave, A7 asymmetrical, A8 disc-shaped and slightly asymmetrical, A9 largest, with laminate base and boot-shaped protuberance at lateral side, forming gulf-shaped structure, A10 conical. Abdominal ventrite 2 with pair of long and slender discal protuberances, inserted with small and strongly curved apical setae; ventrite 6 with pair of long medi- an struts, about half of ventral length. Protrochanters with long ventral spine, about three-fourths of protrochanteral width; protibiae with blunt apical protuberance; mesotibiae with apical minute triangle spine.

Redescription: Body length 1.20–1.30 mm; body colour dark brown with lighter coloured tarsi. Head slightly wider than long; frons slightly narrowed at end, about half width of head at eye level; eyes slightly prominent, with about 32 facets; vertexal foveae punctiform; lacking antennal tubercles and postantennal notches; postantennal cavities barely visible in dorsal view; antennae 10-segmented with 2-segmented antennal club; A4, A6, A7, A8 and A10 unmodified, A5 greatly enlarged and asymmetrical, flag-shaped, dorsal side broadly concave, A7 asymmetrical, A8 disc-shaped and slightly asymmetrical, A9 largest, with laminate base and boot-shaped protuberance at lateral side, forming gulf-shaped structure, A10 conical. Pronotum about as long as wide, wider than head at eye level; lacking lateral antebasal foveae. Elytra slightly wider than long, widest at apical three-fourths; humeral calli barely visible; sutural stria weakly extending from base to apex. Abdomen with tergite 1 about 1.2 × longer than tergite 2; ventrite 2 with pair of long and slender discal protuberances, inserted with small and strongly curved apical setae; ventrite 6 with pair of long median struts, about half of ventral length. Legs with protrochanters modified with long ventral spine, about three-fourths of protrochanteral width; protibiae with blunt apical protuberance; mesotibiae with apical minute triangle spine. Aedeagus about 0.34 mm long, with parameres wide and long, slightly curved inwards, with three pairs of apical setae; median lobe relatively small, with two sclerites much narrower than parameres, strongly curved towards each other in dorsal view, basal bulb slightly longer than two sclerites.

Comments: This species can be immediately recognized by its bizarre form of A9 ( Figs. 21 B–C).

Distribution: North Island. TO. South Island. BR.

Additional material examined: 8 ♂♂, TO: 3, Whanganui V., 792 m Whenuakura Flats, 11/ Oct/1979, J. S. Dugdale, bryophytes, 79/94; 1, Tongariro NP., Chateau, 1000 m, 6/Dec/1978, G. Kuschel, Dacrydium bidwillii ; NN: 1, DSC, Nelson Lakes N.P., N. slope Mt. Robert, Pinchgut Track, 950 m, 14/xii/84–6/i/85, Nothofagus spp. forest, A. Newton/ M. Thayer, 707, flight intercept (window) trap; 1, FMNH, Nelson Lakes N.P., N. slope Mt. Robert, Pinchgut Track, 1290 m, 18–26/xii/1984, Noth. Sol. Elfin For., A. Newton/ M. Thayer, 716; BR: 1, Mt. Sewell, TV station, 853 m, 22/Nov/1984, B.A. Holloway; 1, FMNH, Lewis Pass Nat. Res., 0.6 km S Lewis Pass, 870 m, 17/ xii/1984 – 21/i/1985, Nothofagus spp. forest, A. Newton/ M. Thayer, 714. Associated females (1 ♀): NN: Arnaud, T. Broun Collection, A. E. Brookes Collection.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Diagnostic characters of E. (B.) halli (Broun, 1921). A) Habitus. B) Antenna, in dorsal view. C) Same, in lateral view. D) Protrochanter. E) Protibia. F) Mesotibia. G) Ventrite 2. H) Ventrite 6. I) Aedeagus, in dorsal view. J) Same, in lateral view. K) Same, in ventral view. Scale bars: A = 1 mm, B–G = 0.2 mm, H–K = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 51. Geographic distributions of E. (B.) glabrata (Broun, 1886), E. (B.) graceae sp. n., E. (B.) halli (Broun, 1921), E. (B.) hectori (Broun, 1895), E. (B.) hoarei sp. n., E. (B.) huizhenae sp. n., and E. (B.) illustris (Broun, 1914) in New Zealand.