Ocypus (Pseudocypus) elpenor, Published, 2007

Published, First, 2007, Contributions to the knowledge of the “ Staphylinus-complex ” (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylinini) of China. Part XX. The genus Ocypus Leach, 1819, subgenus Pseudocypus Mulsant & Rey, 1876. Section 1, Zootaxa 1421, pp. 1-72 : 35-36

Ocypus (Pseudocypus) elpenor sp. nov.

( Figs. 134–139)

Type material. Holotype (male) and allotype (female): CHINA: Sichuan: “CHINA: Sichuan 53 km NW Lixian 2750–3000m VII.2001 leg. S. Murzin ” . Holotype in MSC, allotype in ASC.

Paratypes: CHINA: Sichuan: same data as holotype, 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ ( ASC, MSC); Tonghua env., 1900–2000 m, 8.VIII.2001, leg. S. Murzin, 3 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀ ( ASC, MSC) .

Diagnosis. Medium-sized to large, black species with dark legs, uniformly dark pubescence of dorsal side of body, and with characteristically shaped aedoeagus and tergite 10 of female genital segment.

Description. Entirely black, moderately dull, apex of abdomen slightly paler in some specimens; maxil- lary and labial palpi brunneous, antennae piceous, becoming gradually vaguely paler toward apex; legs dark brownish to piceous with front tarsi and dorsal faces of front tibiae paler; pubescence of dorsal side of body uniformly piceous-black, becoming dark brownish-piceous toward apex of abdomen.. Head of rounded quadrangular shape, with rounded posterior angles, wider than long (ratio 1.30), eyes small and rather flat, tempora considerably longer than eyes from above (ratio 2.15), dorsal surface of head finely and densely punctate and pubescent, interspaces between punctures on disc about as large as diameters of punctures, punctation gradually becoming slightly denser and coarser toward posterior and lateral margins; rudimentary, vague, impunctate midline present on posterior half of head; interspaces between punctures with fine submeshed microsculpture. Gular sutures narrowly separated; postgenae moderately densely punctate, interspaces between punctures near gular sutures about as large as diameters of punctures. Dorsal side of neck with punctation similar to that on head. Antenna moderately long, segment 3 longer than segment 2 (ratio 1.33), segments 4 to 7 longer than wide, becoming gradually shorter, outer segments about as long as wide, last segment shorter than two preceding segments combined. Pronotum slightly longer than wide (ratio 1.15), almost parallelsided, narrow marginal groove disappearing downwards at about anterior third of pronotal length; disc with entire, narrow impunctate midline; punctation on disc somewhat sparser than that on head, but becoming denser toward both posterior and lateral margins of pronotum, pubescence and microsculpture on interspaces between punctures similar to that on head. Pronotal hypomeron moderately setose. Scutellum finely punctate and setose, surface with very fine, rudimentary submeshed microsculpture. Elytra short, moderately depressed at base, hardly dilated posteriad, at suture considerably (ratio 0. 62), at sides distinctly (ratio 0.77) shorter than pronotum at midline; punctation fine and dense, difficult to observe among dense granulose microsculpture. Wings each reduced to minute, nonfunctional stump. Abdomen with fifth visible tergite lacking pale apical seam of palisade setae; tergite 2 (in front of first visible tergite) entirely, densely and finely punctate and pubescent; all tergites evenly, finely and densely punctate, puctation gradually becoming slightly sparser toward apex of abdomen; interspaces with fine, dense microsculpture of irregular, short striae.

Male. Sternite 8 with deep and wide, obtusely triangular medioapical emargination. Genital segment with sternite 9 with short, tapered basal portion, apical portion subparallelsided with apical margin distinctly, almost semicircularly emarginate ( Fig. 134). Tergite 10 wide, evenly narrowed toward broadly arcuate apex, setose as in Fig. 135. Aedoeagus large, long, shaped as in Figs. 136–138; median lobe with middle portion parallelsided, apical portion slightly asymmetrical, apex narrowly arcuate; paramere large, very long, situated on median lobe markedly asymmetrically; apical portion relatively short, moderately wide, curved mediad, narrowly arcuate apex about reaching apex of median lobe; right margin of paramere, when paramere removed from median lobe and viewed with underside up, appearing almost evenly arcuate ( Fig. 137); sensory peg setae on underside of paramere situated as in Figs. 137, 138; apical setae situated as in Fig. 138.

Female. Tergite 10 of genital segment of characteristic appearance, markedly, evenly narrowed toward narrowly arcuate apex, sparingly setose, except densely setose at lateral margins of apical portion, characteristically shaped portion of tergite strongly sclerotized ( Fig. 139).

Length 16.0–18.0 mm.

Bionomics. Nothing is known about the collection circumstances of the specimens of the original series.

Geographical distribution. Ocypus elpenor is at present known from the two localities in Sichuan.

Recognition and comments. Ocypus elpenor may be positively recognized by the characteristically shaped aedoeagus ( Fig. 136), in combination with the deep and wide medioapical emargination of the male sternite 8, and by the quite unique shape of tergite 10 of the female genital segment ( Fig. 139).

Etymology. The specific epithet is the name of Elpenor, - oris, m, one of the companions of Ulysses , whom Circe changed into swine, in apposition.