Ocypus (Pseudocypus) dolon, 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 : 32-33

Ocypus (Pseudocypus) dolon sp. nov.

( Figs. 115–121)

Type material. Holotype (male): CHINA: Shaanxi: “ CHINA: Shaanxi 15 km S Shou-Man vill. Daba Shan , 1800 m 32°08'N 108°37'E 25.5.– 14.6.2000 " ( NMW) . Allotype (female): CHINA: Shaanxi: Shaanxi (Daba Shan) 1800 m, 15 km S Shou-Man vill. 32°08'N 108°37'E 25.V.–14.VI.2000, Siniaev & Plutenko ” ( ASC) .

Paratypes: CHINA: Shaanxi: same data as holotype, 17 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀ ( ASC, NMW) ; same data as allotype, 167 ♂♂, 77♀♀ ( ASC, MSC) ; Zhouzhi, Houzhenzi , 3200 m, 18.– 25.7.1998, Dr. Vlad. Beneš legit, ♀ ( MDC) .

An additional 68 specimens, mostly in bad condition, were not designated as paratypes.

Diagnosis. A medium-sized to large species with dark legs, uniformly dark pubescence of dorsal side of the body, with very dense punctation of both the head and pronotum, lacking the impunctate medial line on the head, and with characteristic aedoeagus.

Description. Entirely black, rather dull; maxillary and labial palpi brunneous to dark brunneous, antennae piceous; legs dark brownish to piceous with paler dorsal faces of front tibiae and front tarsi; pubescence of dorsal side of body uniformly piceous-black. Head of rounded quadrangular shape, wider than long (ratio 1.30), temples behind eyes slightly, arcutely dilated before narrowed toward neck; eyes small and rather flat, tempora considerably longer than eyes from above (ratio 2.47), dorsal surface of head very densely, moderately finely punctate and pubescent, interspaces between punctures on disc slightly smaller than diameters of punctures, punctation gradually becoming even denser toward posterior and lateral margins; impunctate midline absent; interspaces between punctures with fine submeshed microsculpture. Gular sutures contiguous in midsection; postgenae densely punctate, interspaces between punctures near gular sutures smaller than diameters of punctures. Dorsal side of neck with punctation similar to that on head. Antenna moderately long, segment 3 slightly longer than segment 2 (ratio 1.25), 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 vaguely longer than wide (ratio 1.10), almost parallelsided, narrow marginal groove disappearing downwards just in front of middle of pronotal length; disc with impunctate midline markedly reduced, present only on posterior third of pronotal length; punctation on disc somewhat finer and even denser than that on head, pubescence and microsculpture on interspaces between punctures similar to that on head. Pronotal hypomeron extensively microsetose. 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. 58), at sides distinctly (ratio 0.72) 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, very densely and finely punctate and pubescent; all tergites evenly, very finely and densely punctate, punctation gradually becoming slightly sparser toward apex of abdomen; interspaces with very fine, dense microsculpture of irregular, short striae.

Male. Sternite 8 with moderately wide and deep, obtusely triangular medioapical emargination. Genital segment with sternite 9 short, densely setose, lacking basal portion, apical portion with apex variably rounded ( Fig. 115). Tergite 10 markedly narrowed toward arcuate apex, setation of apical part limited to medioapical area, apical portion strongly sclerotized ( Fig. 116). Aedoeagus relatively small, shaped as in Figs. 117–120; median lobe to great extent parallelsided, apex subtruncate, extended into pigmented protuberance at left corner (paramere removed) ( Fig. 118); paramere situated on median lobe asymmetrically, shaped as in Figs. 117, 119, 120, with distinct, arcuate carina on face away from median lobe, right lateral margin slightly curled mediad, apex of paramere irregularly obtuse to subacute, about reaching apex of median lobe; sensory peg setae on underside of paramere situated as in Fig. 120, missing on curled right lateral portion; apical setae fine, situated as in Fig. 120.

Female. Genital segment with tergite 10 rather short and wide, markedly narrowed toward subacute apex, moderately setose on apical portion ( Fig. 121).

Length 16.0–20.0 mm (see Comments).

Bionomics. The specimens of the original series were taken from pitfall traps, but nothing is know about the habitat the traps were set in.

Geographical distribution. Ocypus dolon is known from Daba Shan in Shaanxi. It may be endemic to this mountain range.

Recognition and comments. Ocypus dolon may be fairly easily recognized by the characters mentioned in the diagnosis. It may only be confused with the sympatric species O. menander , but the latter species differs by the entirely differently shaped aedoeagus ( Figs. 117, 123) and by some other characters (see under O. menander for details).

One male specimen of the original series is extremely small, measuring only 12.5 mm. This is considered to be abnormal.

Etymology. The specific epithet is the name of Dolon, - onis, m, a spy of the Trojans in the Trojan war, in apposition.