Oxypoda (Cyrtonychochaeta) nimbicola FAUVEL 1900

Assing, V., 2012, On the taxonomy and zoogeography of some Oxypoda species of the West Palaearctic region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 44 (1), pp. 365-399 : 387-388

Oxypoda (Cyrtonychochaeta) nimbicola FAUVEL 1900

Oxypoda nimbicola FAUVEL 1900: 253 .

Cyrtonychochaeta falsa LOHSE 1968: 46 f.

Type material examined:

O. nimbicola : Lectotype [teneral; dissected prior to present study]: " La Vanoise ( Savoie ). 25 août / alticola Fvl. / Ex-Typis / Coll. et det. A. Fauvel, Oxypoda nimbicola Fauv., R.I.Sc.N.B. 17.479 / Lectotypus Oxypoda nimbicola Fauvel, 1900 , Zerche desg. 1990" ( IRSNB) . Paralectotype [heavily damaged; one antenna, pronotum, and two legs missing; legs partly separated from body]: Macugnaga, Mt. Rosa / nimbicola Fvl. / Ex-Typis / Coll. et det. A. Fauvel, Oxypoda nimbicola Fauv., R.I.Sc.N.B. 17.479 / Lectotypus / Paralectotypus Oxypoda nimbicola Fauvel, 1900 , Zerche desg. 1990" ( IRSNB) .

C. falsa : Holotype: " Defreggen, Barmer Hütte, 2600 13.7.63 / Oxypoda nimbicola Fauv. ? Peez 64. / Holotypus / Cyrtonychonych. falsa n. sp. Lohse 1967 [overleaf] / Cyrtonychochaeta nimbicola (Fauvel) , Zerche det. 1990 / Cyrtonychochaeta falsa / Coll. G. A. Lohse, MHNG-1994 / Oxypoda nimbicola Fauvel , det. V. Assing 2012" (MHNG). Paratype: 1: "crête du Djurdjura , 6.VII.1907 " ( MNHNP) ; 1: "crête du Djurdjura / Oxypoda transgressa / Muséum Paris, Ex Collection J. Jarrige 1976 / Oxypoda transgressa Peyer , M. Tronquet Det. 1999" ( MNHNP) .

Additional material examined: France: 1, Isère , Veiron env., 19.VI.1976 ( MHNG). Italy: 1, Alpi Cozie, Colle dell'Agnello, 2600 m, 1.VII.1997, leg. Feldmann (cFel). Switzerland: 1, 1, Graubünden, Lenzerheide, S Parpaner Rothorn, 2700 m, 24.-25.V.2011, leg. Szallies (cSza, cAss). Austria: 1, 1, Kärnten, Hohe Tauern , Reisseck, VIII.1972 ( MHNG, cAss) ; 1, Kärnten, Gurktaler Alpen , Rinsennock, peack, 2300 m, 23.VII.1996, leg. Assing (cAss). Slovenia: 1, Triglavski Narodni Park, V. Mangart, 2100-2200 mm, N-slope, 26.VII.1999, leg. Assing (cAss) .

Comment: The original description of O. nimbicola is based on an unspecified number of syntypes from "Mont Rosa: Macugnaga; Savoie: La Vanoise, août! Hautes-Pyrénées: Arrens" ( FAUVEL 1900). ZERCHE (1995) designated a female syntype from La Vanoise as the lectotype. The lectotype is teneral and the paralectotype is in very poor condition.

Cyrtonychochaeta falsa was described from a male holotype from "Defreggen (Gebirge), Barmer Hütte", a female paratype from "Rolle-Pass, Tirol ", and an unspecified number of paratypes from "Peltlerkofel, Südtirol" ( LOHSE 1968). ZERCHE (1995) synonymised C. falsa with Oxypoda nimbicola without specifying his reasons.

This species is subject to remarkable intraspecific variation, particularly of the coloration, antennal morphology, the shape of the pronotum, and the shape of the spermatheca. For illustrations of the variability of the spermatheca see ZERCHE (1995).