Oedichirus brunneus Wendeler

Herman, Lee H., 2013, Revision Of The New World Species Of Oedichirus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Pinophilini: Procirrina), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2013 (375), pp. 1-137 : 50-52

Oedichirus brunneus Wendeler

Figures 29 , 40 , 68–69

Oedichirus brunneus Wendeler, 1930: 185 .

— Scheerpeltz, 1933: 1217 (catalog). — Blackwelder, 1944: 131 (checklist).

TYPE MATERIAL: One syntype. One specimen was sent to me from the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, where the Wendeler collection is distributed in the main collection. The locality data on the label differ slightly from those published by Wendeler (see Remarks below), but his identification label is attached to the specimen. Although a red ‘‘Holotypus’’ label is one of five attached to the specimen, the holotype selection was not published nor did Wendeler state or imply that he had studied only one specimen, so the specimen is a syntype ( ICZN, 1999: Articles 73.1.1, 73.1.2, 73.2). To fix the identity of the species that specimen is herein designated as the lectotype.

LECTOTYPE: Designated here. Female with the following labels: ‘‘ Brasilien Sao Paulo, Alto da Serra , 700 m Biol Stat. Ohs. IX 1926 / Naturschutzpark zw. Santos & Sao Paulo, am Kamme d. Serra doMar/ Sehr feuchter Regenwald / Oedichrus brunneus n.sp. Wendeler det. / Holotypus / Lectotype Oedichirus brunneus Wendeler des. L. Herman, 2011.’’ Deposited in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. (Left antennomeres 8–11, right antennomeres 3–11, left mesotarsus, and left metatibia and metatarsus are missing. The head and prothorax are separated from the pterothorax and abdomen; both are glued to a card.)

TYPE LOCALITY: Brazil: São Paulo: Alto da Serra (5 Paranapiacaba), 700 m, biological station, Nature reserve, crest of Serra do Mar (23 ° 479S, 46 ° 199W). (Alto da Serra is equivalent to Paranapiacaba [ Paynter and Traylor, 1991: 14, 439]. Serra do Mar is 40 km southeast of the city of São Paulo between that city and Santos. The coordinates are from Paynter and Traylor, 1991.)

DIAGNOSIS: The species is known only from the female lectotype. The position of the

vulvar lobes of the median gonocoxal plate relative to one another and the surface microstructures (fig. 69) and the steeply sloped median gonocoxal plate anteriad of the vulvar plate (fig. 68) will separate O. brunneus from most other species. Species with the most similar form and adornment of the vulvar lobes include O. batillus , O. bullaglaber , O. distortus , O. geniculatus , and O. sparsipennis . Oedichirus brunneus can be separated from O. boehmi by the pronotal punctation and form of the posterior and anterior vulvar lobes (cf. fig. 69 with 67). The anteroventral angles of tergum IX of the female of O. distortus are fused (fig. 116), but separated in O. brunneus (fig. 68). Oedichirus batillus has paratergite III, which is replaced by a paratergal carina (see fig. 23) in O. brunneus . Tergum III of O. bullaglaber has a median point (as in sternum of fig. 73), which is lacking in O. brunneus . The anterior vulvar lobe of Oedichirus brunneus has short spicules (fig. 69) which are absent in O. geniculatus (fig. 151) and the anterolateral margin of the median gonocoxal plate of O. brunneus anteriad of the vulvar plate is steeply sloped (fig. 68), but more gradually sloped for O. geniculatus (figs. 148–150). The females of O. brunneus and O. sparsipennis are similar; both have bicolored legs, a paratergal carina; the median gonocoxal plate anteriad of the vulvar plate of both species is triangular, but the apex is wider in O. sparsipennis (fig. 206) than O. brunneus (fig. 68). The two species differ slightly as follows: for O. brunneus the lateral margin of the paratergal carina is nearly straight in dorsal view, the anterior vulvar lobe has small, scattered cuticular processes (fig. 69), and it is from the state of São Paulo, whereas for O. sparsipennis the lateral margin of the paratergal carina is convex in dorsal view, the anterior vulvar lobe lacks cuticular processes or any other adornment (fig. 207), and the species is from the state of Santa Catarina. However , the two species differ only slightly; it is likely that the question will remain unresolved until males and more females of O. brunneus have been found and compared to O. sparsipennis .

Externally, diagnostic features include the bicolored yellowish-brown legs with a dark reddish-brown spot at the femorotibial joint, the quadridentate labrum, the equal length and width of the elytra, the short, welldeveloped paratergal carina of segment III reaches the spiracle, and the dense, coarse, dorsal cephalic punctation.

DESCRIPTION: Length: 10.2 mm. Length of head: 1.2 mm. Width of head: 1.5 mm. Pronotal length: 2.0 mm. Pronotal width: 1.5 mm. Elytral length: 1.5 mm. Elytral width: 1.5 mm.

Body concolorous reddish brown. Legs bicolored, yellowish brown with femorotibial spot dark reddish brown.

Head wider than long (HW/HL: 1.2). Frontoclypeal ridge complete, not separated medially. Dorsal surface without V-shaped depression; surface uniformly, densely, and coarsely punctate medially, punctation less dense posteriorly and less coarse lateroposteriorly. Labrum quadridentate; surface without tubercle near submedial denticle.

Pronotum longer than wide (PL/PW: 1.3). Pronotal surface with scattered polished, impunctate spots and with coarse punctation arranged in scattered clusters and irregular rows; submedial punctate groove extending posteriorly from near middle. Elytra with length and width equal (EW/EL: 1.0); surface of disc feebly concave and with coarse punctation.

Abdomen irregularly punctate dorsally, punctures not arranged in transverse rows; punctation of III to VI coarse and dense; punctation of VII and VIII less dense and less coarse. Segment III without paratergite; paratergal carina present and short, reaching to spiracle and with lateral margin nearly straight in dorsal view. Tergum III without median point extending from transverse basal ridge. Tergum VIII with posterior margin truncate or feebly emarginate; transverse basal ridge with apically open median point. Tergum IX with lateroapical process moderately long, nearly twice as long as midbasal length (LLaP/L9 5 1.96), slightly bent ventrally, and approximately parallel to other process; ventromedial margin without posteriorly directed spur (cf. fig. 158).

MALE: Unknown.

FEMALE: Tergum IX with anteroventral angles separated from each other (fig. 68). Median gonocoxal plate anteriad of vulvar plate large, strongly tapered, trianguliform, and with anterior margin narrowly rounded and strongly sloped lateroposteriorly; gonocoxal plate posteriad of vulvar plate gradually tapered posteriorly to broadly rounded posterior margin. Vulvar plate embedded in anterior half of median gonocoxal plate. Anterior vulvar lobe (fig. 69) transverse and extending across anterior margin of posterior vulvar lobe, with curved posterior margin, and surface moderately densely covered with short cuticular processes. Posterior vulvar lobe with most of surface densely covered with cobble, but with scattered cuticular processes anteriorly on each side of vulvar depression. Vulvar depression membranous and unadorned; vulva longitudinally oriented near midsagittal plane (fig. 69).

DISTRIBUTION: Known from southeastern São Paulo state, Brazil (fig. 40).

REMARKS: Wendeler (1930: 185) reported the specimen was collected in November, but according to the label attached to the specimen it was collected in September.

Figures

Figs. 29–31. 29. Oedichirus brunneus. Segment IX, ventral, female. 30. Palaminus sp. Right elytron. 31. Palaminus sp. Abdominal tergum V (SEM).

Figs. 39–40. Oedichirus species. Distribution. 39. Mesoamerica and the Caribbean. 40. South America. (Species described prior to present work preceded with *. Symbols ³ or ♀ signify species known only by the sex indicated. Open circle denotes multiple collecting sites.)

Figs. 68–69. Oedichirus brunneus. 68. Segment IX, female. 69. Segment IX, vulvar plate, enlarged (CLSM).