Scaphidium melanopus ( Achard, 1924 ) Löbl, 2025

Löbl, Ivan, 2025, On the identity of Scaphidium grande, with resurrection of S. inimpressum and S. melanopus and description of two new species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scaphidiinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 65 (1), pp. 15-20 : 17-18

Scaphidium melanopus ( Achard, 1924) , stat. nov.

( Figs 3 , 8 )

Scaphidiolum grande var. melanopus Achard, 1924: 91 .

Type material. LECTOTYPE (present designation): J, labelled: ʻKhasis [followed by a crossed illegible word] Nat Coll [printed] / S. grande Gest.v. melanopus m.[handwritten by J.Achard] / Scaphidium melanopus Achard det.Löbl,2024 [printed]ʼ ( NMPC). PARALECTOTYPE: ♀, labelled:ʻ27.V.20 / Ht Laos Vitalis 1920 / S. grande Gest. v. melanopus TYPE m [all handwritten, the identification label by J. Achard] / paralectotype [printed, yellow] / Scaphidium sp. paralectotype of Scaphidium melanopusʼ ( NMPC).

Additional material examined. INDIA: ARUNACHAL PRADESH: 8 km S Jamini – Sessa vicinity, 27°07′-09′N, 92°34′E, 350 m, 26.v.–4.vi.2005, leg. L. Dembický, 2 JJ 1 ♀ ( BMNH, MHNG). NEPAL: KOSI: Arun Valley below Num, 1050 m, 22.iv.1984, leg. I. Löbl & A. Smetana, 1 J ( MHNG). TAඉLEJUNG: Kanchenjunga Himal, Chiruwa vill., 1260 m, env. 27°29′N, 87°45′E, leg. D. Král, 1 J ( NMPC). MYANMAR: KACHIN: 50 km E Putao, 950 m, env. Nan Thi vill., 11.–16.v.1998, leg. S. Murzin & V. Siniaev, 1 J ( MHNG).

Diagnosis. This species is in external characters similar with S. grande , S. inimpressum and S. dureli . The body length and width of S. melanopus is about that of S. inimpressum (length 5.3–6.0 mm, width 3.7–4.0 mm). The species may be distinguished by the combination of the following characters: Antennal club entirely black. Frons flat or slightly impressed anteriad, with punctures not elongate, dense on posterior area. Elytron lacking distinct humeral hump, discal punctation sparse and nearly evenly fine on anterior two thirds of disc, somewhat coarser and denser near apex, discal puncture rows absent, disc slightly impressed near apex, punctures in subbasal stria very dense, larger than punctures of pronotal antebasal row, anterior third of adsutural area flat. Prosternum lacking strigulate microsculpture. Lateral parts of metaventrite lacking microsculpture. Mesanepisternum with anterior bead widening laterad. Ventrite I rather evenly and finely punctate. Lateral parts of ventrites II to IV with hardly visible elongate striae. Male profemur with ventral side rounded, bearing two irregular rows of minute tubercles. Male protibia rather long and strongly curved, somewhat sinuate, weakly thicken apicad, near apex about 1.1–1.2 times as broad as at base, distinctly tuberculate, lacking apical ridge or denticle but with acute inner apical angle. Aedeagus ( Figs 3 , 8 ) 1.85–1.95 mm long, with fold-like structures on each side of median lobe, below dorsal valves.

Remarks. As only male characters provide reliable means to distinguish most species of the S. grande group, the female paralectotype cannot be assigned to the same species as the lectotype, nor to any other described species. The lectotype is a teneral specimen with legs, antennomeres I to VI and most of abdomen evenly brown. Thus, the mesofemora and metafemora of the lectotype lack reddish fasciae, while these are distinct in the other specimens examined. The lateral fold-like structures of the median lobe are unique for this species. Scaphidium andrewesi from South India is another member of the S. grande group that exhibits femora with color variation. It may be readily distinguished from S. melanopus by the brown antennomeres XI and the short, weakly curved male protibiae bearing a subapical denticle.

Distribution. Northeast India, Nepal, Myanmar (revised data).

Figures

Figs 1–5. Aedeagi in Scaphidium grande group. 1 – S. grande Gestro, 1879 (Rumah Tuan Village, Sarawak); 2 – S. inimpressum Pic, 1920 (Defulan Trail, Taiwan); 3 – S. melanopus Achard, 1924 (lectotype); 4 – S. metafasciatum sp. nov. (holotype); 5 – S. grandior sp. nov. (holotype). Scale = 0.5 mm.

Figs 6–11. Internal sac of median lobe in Scaphidium grande group. 6 – S. grande Gestro, 1879 (Rumah Tuan Village, Sarawak); 7 – S. inimpressum Pic, 1920 (Defulan Trail, Taiwan); 8 – S. melanopus Achard, 1924 (lectotype); 9 – S. metafasciatum sp. nov. (holotype); 10 – S. grandior sp. nov. (holotype); 11 – Scaphidium sp. (Huisun, Taiwan).