Oedichirus mahanuvaraensis, Rougemont, 2018

Rougemont, Guillaume de, 2018, New oriental Oedichirus (Staphylinidae, Paederinae, Pinophilini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 50 (1), pp. 461-536 : 488-489

Oedichirus mahanuvaraensis nov.sp. (Figs 52)

M a t e r i a l s t u d i e d: ♀ Holotype: CEYLAN Central , Kandy 700 m, 14.II.1970, MUSSARD BESUCHET LÖBL / Oedichirus sp. det. G. de Rougemont 1999 / HOLOTYPE Oedichirus mahanuvaraensis Des. 2015 G. de Rougemont [ MHNG] ; 1♀ paratype: CEYLAN Central , Kandy 600, 22.I.70, MUSSARD BESUCHET LÖBL / PARATYPE Oedichirus mahanuvaraensis des. 2017 G. de Rougemont [ CRO] .

D e s c r i p t i o n: length: ca. 5.5; length of fore-body: 2.4; length of head: 0.62; breadth of head: 0.72; length of antenna: 1.5; length of pronotum: 0.95; breadth of pronotum: 0.92; length of elytron: 0.77; breadth of elytra: 0.95. Body brown, palpi testaceous, antennae infuscate, the bases of antennomeres narrowly testaceous, legs testaceous, the distal half of profemora, basal half and distal quarter of meso- and metafemora and basal half and distal quarter of meso- and metatibiae infuscate. Dorsal surfaces devoid of microsculpture. Pubescence dark, long on fore-body, short on abdomen, erect. Habitus: Fig. 52h.

Head not strongly transverse; post-ocular border well marked, ending in an acute dentiform angle removed from posterior margin of eye; puncturation consisting of about ten irregularly scattered large punctures on frons, a pair of inter-ocular punctures at a level just behind anterior margins of eyes, a transverse series of three punctures on vertex, and a transverse arcuate series of about six punctures before base, in addition to 3-4 small ocular punctures and fine punctures in groove of post-ocular border; the base has a transverse row of short keels before neck. Pronotum relatively short, the sides strongly contracted to narrow base; lateral margins bordered only on and just behind anterior angles; puncturation consisting of a pair of series of four large punctures and a smaller puncture near base on each side, a few other scattered punctures before the series and on anterior border, lateral series of two large punctures, and a number of punctures on lateral margins. Micropterous, elytra very short, strongly transverse; puncturation consisting of a juxta-sutural series of 6-7 closely set punctures, the rest of disc with irregularly scattered larger punctures; anterior lateral margins with a number of setiferous tubercles. Sculpture of abdominal tergites consisting of the usual basal row of short keels and three discrete transverse rows of punctures.

Female: sternite IX: Fig. 52vp.

Of the other Ceylanese species, O. mahanuvaraensis nov.sp. most closely resembles O. minor Cameron from which it differs most obviously by the infuscation of the legs.