Scaphisoma minutipenis, Ivan Löbl & Ryo Ogawa, 2016

Ivan Löbl & Ryo Ogawa, 2016, On the Scaphisomatini (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scaphidiinae) of the Philippines, IV: the genera Sapitia ACHARD and Scaphisoma LEACH, Linzer biologische Beiträge 48 (2), pp. 1339-1492 : 1374-1375

5.2.7.13. Scaphisoma minutipenis nov.sp. ( Figs 95, 96 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 6: Burungkot, Upi, Cotabato Prov., Mindanao Elev. 1500ft. I,1-9,1947 / Lot. 6 154 taken on polypores / CNHM-Philippine Zool. Exped. (1946-47) F.G.Werner leg. (FMNH).

Description: Length 1.50 mm, width 1.07 mm. Head, pronotum and basal halves of elytra uniformly fairly light ochreous, elytra posterior middle slightly lighter, on subapical area somewhat darkened, near apical margins yellowish. Ventral side of thorax, femora and tibiae as pronotum, abdomen somewhat lighter, with yellowish apical segments. Tarsi and antennae yellowish. Pronotum and elytra not microsculptured and not iridescent. Length/width ratio of antennomeres as: III 10/7: IV 10/7: V 27/8: VI 43/12: VII 45/15: VIII 37/14: IX 45/15: X 45/15: XI 55/15. Pronotum very finely and densely punctate, punctures hardly visible at 30 times magnification, lateral contours evenly rounded, lateral margin carinae not visible in dorsal view, lateral striae very finely punctate. Exposed tip of scutellum minute. Elytra with lateral margin carinae not visible in dorsal view; apical margins slightly rounded, inner apical angles not prominent, situated posterior level of outer angles; sutural margin not raised, sutural striae fairly deep, bent at base, extending along basal margins to form short basal striae not reaching mid-width of basal margins, parallel from level of tip of scutellum toward apices, punctate; adsutural areas narrow, finely punctate; lateral striae densely punctate. Discal punctation fairly fine and dense, on prevailing surface coarser than pronotal punctation, most puncture intervals about twice as large as puncture diameters, punctation near basal and apical margins much finer. Hind wings well developed. Hypomera and mesanepisterna smooth. Mesepimera somewhat shorter than intervals to mesocoxae and about three times as long as wide. Median part of metaventrite flat, lacking impressions or stria, densely and distinctly punctate; lateral parts of metaventrite sparsely and very finely punctate; antecoxal puncture rows and microsculpture absent. Submesocoxal areas 0.04 mm, about as fifth of intervals to apical margin, submesocoxal lines convex, very finely punctate. Metanepisterna flat, wide, narrowed anteriad, inner margins rounded in posterior halves, sutures deep. Tibiae straight. Abdomen with distinct strigulate microsculpture. Sternite 1 with punctation distinct on most of median area, very fine on lateral areas; submetacoxal areas about 0.05 mm, about as fourth of intervals to apical margin, submetacoxal lines convex, with distinct marginal punctures.

M a l e: Protarsomeres 1 to 3 moderately widened. Aedeagus ( Figs 95, 96 ) 0.29 mm long, symmetrical, weakly sclerotized. Apical processes of median lobe shorter than basal bulb, almost in same plan as basal bulb, with ventral side straight, almost evenly thick and with blunt tip in lateral and dorsal views; articular processes comparatively small, not prominent. Parameres weakly narrowed from bases to mid-third and evenly wide in apical two thirds in dorsal view, almost evenly wide and straight in lateral view, reaching somewhat beyond tip of median lobe. Internal sac without rods or flagellum, with weakly sclerotized, minute denticles.

E t y m o l o g y: The species epithet is a Latin noun, referring to the small size of the aedeagus.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: This species may be distinguished from its Philippine congeners possessing evenly short antennomeres III and IV by the elytral colour pattern, in combination with the presence of strigulate abdominal microsculpture, the lack of antecoxal puncture rows, and the shape of the median lobe of the aedeagus.

Figures

Figs 95 - 100: Aedeagi of Scaphisoma in dorsal and lateral views; (95, 96), S. minutipenis nov. sp.; (97, 98), S. mirum nov. sp.; (99, 100), S. montivagum nov. sp. Scale = 0.1 mm.