Ochthephilus proximus ( Cameron, 1941 )

Makranczy, György, 2014, Revision of the genus Ochthephilus Mulsant & Rey, 1856 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Oxytelinae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 121 (4), pp. 457-694 : 630-633

Ochthephilus proximus ( Cameron, 1941) Figs 462-466, 507-508, 558

Ancyrophorus proximus Cameron, 1941: 146 .

Ochthephilus proximus (Cameron) . – Herman, 1970: 385.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED: Ancyrophorus proximus – LECTOTYPE (♀, here designated): “Type [red margined round disc, curator label] \ Ghum district [*+27.02/+88.16*]; v-vi-31; Dr. Cameron \ A.; proximus; Type Cam. \ M. Cameron.; Bequest.; B.M. 1955-147.; \ Lectotypus; Ancyrophorus ; proximus Cameron ; [on the back] des. Makranczy, 1999 \ Ochthephilus ; proximus Cameron ; det. Makranczy, 1999” ( BMNH). – PARALECTOTYPE (1): same data as lectotype ( BMNH, 1♀) .

REDESCRIPTION: Forebody as in Fig. 558. Measurements (n=2): HW = 0.65 (0.64-0.66); TW = 0.57 (0.58-0.56); PW = 0.69 (0.68-0.69); SW = 0.90 (0.90-0.90); AW = 0.92 (0.94-0.90); HL = 0.43 (0.42-0.44); EL = 0.22 (0.22-0.22); TL = 0.10 (0.10- 0.10); PL = 0.56 (0.56-0.56); SL = 1.00 (0.98-1.02); SC = 0.91 (0.90-0.92); FB = 2.11 (2.10-2.12); BL = 3.80 (3.60-4.00) mm. Body uniformly blackish dark brown, legs dark brown except tarsi, both ends of tibiae and mouthparts somewhat lighter, more or less medium brown. Most of antennae also dark brown, basal antennomeres occasionally a tiny bit lighter. Medium shiny with some more lustrous parts. Pubescence rather fine and moderately dense, shorter and regularly spaced on elytra, abdominal tergites with longer setae, especially at apices of tergites. Head anteriad eyes and near inner posterior margin of eye with stronger and darker bristles, as well as pronotal margin and middle of tibiae. Elytra without conspicuous setae at the apical edge near the sutural corners. Last tarsomere with a few setae only.

FIGS 467-475

(467-471) Ochthephilustichomirovae sp. n.; aedeagus (467), paramereinsideview (468), spermatheca (469), femaleringstructures (470-471). (472-475) O. ritae sp. n.; aedeagus (472), paramere in side view (473), female ringstructures (474-475). Scale bar = 0.08 mm for 470-471, 474-475, 0.1 mmfor 469, 0.2 mmfor 467-468, 472-473.

Forebody. Antenna as in Fig. 464. Clypeus (Fig. 462) sparsely punctate (colliculate microsculptured), trapezoid, corners rounded, anterior edge gently arched; separated by impressed, shinier transversal line (frontoclypeal suture). Supraantennal prominences moderately well developed, separated from clypeus/vertex by moderately deep longitudinal impressions. Vertex has two extremely shallow impressions (at the sides of the center of midline), center rather shiny. Temple (Fig. 463) barely bulging, evenly curved, little shorter than half of eye length. Neck separated by a weakly impressed transversal groove, very strong areolate microsculpture, with more or less isodiametric cells, no setation. Pronotum with a narrow marginal bead, getting invisible anteriorly with pronotal corners strongly curved in ventral direction, inconspicuous on anterior margin. Posterior pronotal angles well-formed, but rather obtuseangled, sides in posterior 1/3 very gently concave/bisinuate. 'Anchor' fully formed, longitudinal midline as a slightly elevated, impunctate, weakly microsculptured line, a feeble cross-elevation at 3/5 of the broad midline continuing curved anteriorly. In corners of anchor feeble, oblique impressions directed outwards, in middle at sides of midline two smaller impressions. Elytra (Fig. 465) slightly broadening posteriorly, sutural corners narrowly rounded; apical sides very slightly oblique and slightly, evenly arched (convex). Elytral surface with two rather strong, oval impressions behind scutellum. Head and pronotum with almost indistinct coriaceous microsculpture, faded for the most part, only apparent on sides of head and more impressed areas and sides of pronotum; clypeus, however, with distinct colliculate microsculpture. The punctation on the head and pronotum variously sparse, on the shinier centre the interspaces larger than puncture diameters, towards sides 1/2 of puncture diameters. Elytra with distinct, regularly spaced but not particularly coarse punctation, puncture sizes nearly equal to interspaces; on the surface between the punctures microsculpture only slightly apparent.

Abdomen. Compared to forebody, abdomen with finer, less distinct punctation, microsculpture fine coriaceous with moderately transverse cells, more apparent on bases and towards laterosternites. Tergite VII posterior margin with palisade fringe broadened in middle (Fig. 466) with 10-12 more coarse spiniform processes. Tergite VIII basal edge evenly arched, without concavity in middle of basal sclerotized band; apical edge with sinuate (protruding) corners, and broad, moderately deep emargination in between. Sternite VIII with rounded apical corners, apex in females shallowly concave laterally, gently sinuate in middle; in males unknown. Tergite X unmodified, apex broadly rounded in females. Female ringstructures as in Figs 507-508.

COMPARATIVE NOTES: The placement of this species – in absence of a male specimen – is rather problematic. It is tentatively placed in the O. monticola group, although the female ringstructure in the O. wrasei group is also similar.

DISTRIBUTION: The species is only known from its original type material from northern India ( Darjeeling district ) .

BIONOMICS: There is no bionomical information on the labels.

FIGS 476-480

Ochthephilus kashmiricus (Cameron) ; head and pronotum (476), side of head (477), antenna (478), elytra and base of abdomen (479), left side of tergite VII (480). All SEM, dorsal views. Scale bar = 0.28 mm for 477, 480, 0.42 mm for 476, 0.5 mm for 478-479.