Eupines (Byraxis) pannicula, Shen & Leschen, 2020

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 : 63-65

Eupines (Byraxis) pannicula sp. nov.

Fig. 41 ; map Fig. 54

Diagnosis: Head with vertexal foveae small and asetose; antennae 10-segmented with 2-segmented antennal club; A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8 unmodified, A9 enlarged, about 3.2 × longer than A8, ventral side truncate near apex, A10 conical, with basal impression at ventral view. Abdominal ventrite 2 with pair of medium-sized discal protuberances, inserted with strongly curved small apical setae; ventrite 6 with pair of long and stout median struts, about one-fourth of ventral length. Protrochanters with short ventral spine, about one-third of protrochanteral width; protibiae unmodified; mesotibiae slightly convex near apex, with long tuft of subapical setae.

Description: Body length 1.52–1.62 mm; body colour reddish brown with lighter coloured legs. Head slightly wider than long; frons not narrowed at end, about three-fourths width of head at eye level; eyes well developed, conspicuously prominent in dorsal view, with about 31 facets; vertexal foveae small and asetose; antennal tubercles moderately developed; postantennal notches broad and long; postantennal cavities large and long, about as long as antennal tubercles in dorsal view; antennae 10-segmented with 2-segmented antennal club; A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8 unmodified, A9 enlarged, about 3.2 × longer than A8, ventral side truncate near apex, A10 conical, with basal impression at ventral view. Pronotum as long as wide, about as wide as head at eye level; lacking lateral antebasal foveae. Elytra longer than wide, widest near middle; humeral calli weak, slightly prominent in dorsal view; sutural stria shallowly extending from base to middle, barely visible from middle to apex. Abdomen with tergite 1 about as long as tergite 2; ventrite 2 with pair of medium-sized discal protuberances, inserted with strongly curved small apical setae; ventrite 6 with pair of long and stout median struts, about one-fourth of ventral length. Legs with protrochanters modified with short ventral spine, about one-third of protrochanteral width; protibiae unmodified; mesotibiae slightly convex near apex, with long tuft of subapical setae. Aedeagus about 0.34 mm long, with long and stout parameres, meet at apex, widest near middle, curved downwards in lateral view, with four pairs of subapical short setae; median lobe with two slender sclerites, slightly sinuate and meet at apex.

Comments: This species can be distinguished from all other Eupines by its mesotibiae modified with a long tuft of subapical setae ( Fig. 41E ).

Distribution: North Island. ND.

Etymology: This specific epithet means ‘tuft’ in Latin, referring to the long tuft of subapical setae on mesotibiae.

Type material ( NZAC): Holotype. ♂, specimen entire, card-mounted: “ NEW ZEALAND, ND, Mt. Horo-

kaka, 518 m, Tangihua Ra., 16 Aug 1977, J.S. Dugdale // moss and liverworts 77/96”. Paratypes. 7 ex.: ND: 1, same data as holotype; 1, Waipoua SF., Lookout area , 29/Oct/1980, G. Kuschel // sifted moss, 80/92; 2 , FMNH, Waipoua For. , Te Matua Ngahere, 16–20/iii/ 78, 400 m, S & J. Peck, Kauri for. // Berlese moss; 2 , FMNH, Waipoua SF., Yakas Tree Tr. , 350 m, 11–14/iv/1980, broadlf.-podocarp A. Newton & M. Thayer, 710 // berl, litter at bases of Metrosideros robusta trunks; 1 , FMNH, Omahuta For. , Picnic Area near Kauri Sanctuary, 330 m, 29/xi–5/xii/1984, hdwd.-podocarp for. A. Newton / M. Thayer, 694 // flight intercept (window) trap .

Figures

FIGURE 41. Diagnostic characters of E. (B.) pannicula sp. n. A) Habitus. B) Antenna, in dorsal view. C) Same, in lateral view. D) Same, in ventral view. E) Mesotibia. F) Protrochanter. 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 54. Geographic distributions of E. (B.) pannicula sp. n., E. (B.) petila sp. n., E. (B.) platyarthra (Broun, 1893), E. (B.) protibialis sp. n., E. (B.) setifera (Broun, 1893), E. (B.) waikaremoana sp. n., E. (B.) whirinaki sp. n. and E. (B.) undecim sp. n. in New Zealand.