Oedichirus muluensis, Rougemont, 2018

Rougemont, Guillaume de, 2018, New oriental Oedichirus (Staphylinidae, Paederinae, Pinophilini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 50 (1), pp. 461-536 : 490-491

Oedichirus muluensis nov.sp. (Fig. 27)

M a t e r i a l s t u d i e d: Holotype (lacking abdominal segments V-IX): SARAWAK, 4 th Division, Gn. Mulu NP / HOLOTYPE Oedichirus muluensis Des. 2015 G. de Rougemont [NHML].

D e s c r i p t i o n: length:> 10 mm; length of fore-body: 5.3 mm; length of head: 1.25; breadth of head: 1.4; length of antenna: 3.7; length of pronotum: 1.5; breadth of pronotum: 1.25; length of elytron: 1.85; breadth of elytra: 1.8. Head and pronotum rufo-testaceous, elytra and visible abdominal segments testaceous, with a dark longitudinal macula on disc of each elytron. Head and pronotum devoid of microsculpture, elytra with faint traces of micro-reticulation in anterior half, abdominal tergites with microsculpture consisting of dense reticulation on anterior margins of tergites and mostly transverse microstriae on rest of surface. Pubescence sparse, pale, erect. Habitus: Fig. 27h.

Head only a little transverse; post-ocular border consisting of a carina extending anteriad to under the posterior margin of eye, not forming an angle, surmounted by a rather broad and shallow groove bearing large punctures; puncturation of disc irregular, leaving frons and a large part of vertex impunctate. Pronotum characteristinc of the Wallacei group, the sides concave; lateral margins bordered in anterior half, the line continued posteriad by a series of four punctures smaller than those of disc; puncturation of disc arranged roughly in two median series of 7-8 punctures, a longitudinal series of three closely-set punctures behind anterior angles, and a number of scattered punctures between the median and antero-lateral series. Elytra strongly elongate, humeral angles narrow but marked, the sides dilated posteriad nearly to posterior angles; surface of elytra strongly depressed in anterior half, the surface distinctly concave in lateral view; puncturation finer than that of pronotum, the interstices in anterior half on average about as wide as diameter of punctures, larger in posterior half. Punctures of abdominal tergites disposed randomly, about as coarse as those of elytra.

Sexual characters unknown.

Key 2.

This Bornean endemic is the largest of the four members of the ‘Wallacei group’ and also distinctive by virtue of the depressed form of the elytra.

The data given on the label is incomplete; the specimen was obtained by the BM Gunung Mulu expedition in 1978.