Episcaphium dabashanum Sheng & Gu

Sheng, Chun & Gu, Fu-Kang, 2009, Two new species of the genus Episcaphium Lewis (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scaphidiinae) of China, Zootaxa 2325, pp. 35-38 : 37-38

Episcaphium dabashanum Sheng & Gu , sp. nov.

( Figs. 8–14 )

Type material. Holotype: CHINA: Chongqing City: m#, 31º51’227”N, 109º07’174”E, lower Huang’an-Gou, East Daba-shan, Chengkou County, alt. 2039 m, 22–23.IV.2008, HUANG Hao & XU Wang leg.

Description. BL: 4.6 mm. PW: 1.8 mm.

Body including abdomen and legs black, antennal segments 1 to 6 and palpi dark reddish brown, antennal club black.

Frons at narrowest point 0.45 mm wide, punctation coarse and dense on median portion, becoming fine and sparse towards eyes, near neck puncture diameters larger than puncture intervals. Punctation fine and sparse on tempora, finer and sparser on median portion of neck, without punctures laterally. Neck transversely microsculptured, except on smooth centre.

Pronotum with lateral margin oblique, antebasal puncture row interrupted at middle, impressed laterally. Discal punctures very fine and sparse. Elytra impressed in apical fifth, without lateral impression, with four discal puncture rows consisting of very fine punctures. First and second rows starting at about basal ninth, third and fourth rows joined to basal row. First row short, ending slightly after mid-length of elytron, second and third somewhat close to each other, ending at about same level as fourth row, slightly behind apical third of elytron. Mesoventral process ( Fig. 10 ) with raised, ridge-like edges, grooved in middle. Metaventrite ( Fig. 11 ) extremely finely punctate, lacking microsculpture, with medio-apical impression distinct but shallow and narrowed anteriorly, with two small oval impressions near metacoxae.

Sternite 3 finely and sparsely punctate, with transverse microsculpture in wide median portion, obsolete laterally. The following sternites finely and sparsely punctate, with microsculpture consisting of transverse striae. Abdominal tergites very finely and sparsely punctured, with microsculpture consisting of transverse striae on apical half.

Male sexual character. Segments 1 to 3 of protarsi slightly widened. Aedeagus ( Figs. 12, 13 ) 1.31 mm long. Median lobe with apical portion inflexed in lateral view. Basal process relatively large and prominent. Parameres slightly sinuate in lateral view. Internal sac ( Fig. 7 ) with a pair of apical sclerotized rods and a pair of vertical laminae. Apical (when retracted) portion of internal sac covered by fine spine-like structures oriented proximally.

Distribution. China (Chongqing).

Remarks. This new species is very similar to E. catenatum Löbl, 1999 , but it may be distinguished by the characters listed in the key.

Etymology. This species name is derived from “Dabashan”, its type locality.

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 14. Episcaphium dabashanum sp. nov. 8 — habitus; 9 — antenna; 10 — mesoventral process; 11 — metaventrite; 12 — aedeagus, lateral view; 13 — aedeagus, dorsal view; 14 — detail of internal sac. Scale bar 1 mm (8); 0.25 mm (9 – 14).

FIGURES 1 – 7. Episcaphium changchini sp. nov. 1 — habitus; 2 — antenna; 3 — mesoventral process; 4 — metaventrite; 5 — aedeagus, lateral view; 6 — aedeagus, dorsal view; 7 — detail of internal sac. Scale bar 1 mm (1), 0.25 mm (2 – 7).