Ochthephilus davidi, Makranczy, 2014

Makranczy, György, 2014, Revision of the genus Ochthephilus Mulsant & Rey, 1856 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Oxytelinae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 121 (4), pp. 457-694 : 500-504

Ochthephilus davidi sp. nov. Figs 71-73, 89, 118-119, 150-151, 169-170

TYPE MATERIAL: HOLOTYPE (3): “ CHINA: Sichuan Prov., Bao'xing Co., Deng Chi Valley, Deng Chi stream 7km S + 3km E Feng Tong Zhai (30°19' N, 102°48' E), 15.VIII.1996, rocky mountain stream near Père David's church, 2000m elev., leg. R.E. Roughley ” ( JBWM, barcode 0091585). – PARATYPES (4): same data as holotype ( JBWM, 2♀ [0091582-3], MHNG, 1♀ [0091586]). – “ INDIA: [Uttaranchal] Kumaon, Sarju valley , 5000ft [*+30.03/+79.87*], [leg.] G.C. Champion ” ( BMNH, 1♀) .

DESCRIPTION: Measurements (n=5): HW = 0.65 (0.64-0.68); TW = 0.59 (0.57- 0.62); PW = 0.70 (0.68-0.74); SW = 0.96 (0.94-0.98); AW = 1.04 (0.96-1.12); HL = 0.51 (0.48-0.53); EL = 0.22 (0.21-0.25); TL = 0.10 (0.09-0.11); PL = 0.56 (0.54-0.59); SL = 1.15 (1.10-1.18); SC = 1.04 (1.00-1.07); FB = 2.32 (2.28-2.36); BL = 3.76 (3.48- 4.36) mm. Relatively light coloured species, body dark brown with slight reddish tint, only head darker, blackish. Legs, mouthparts and antennae medium to dark brown, mid-antennal segments sometimes blackish (especially antennomeres 5-6-7). Tibiae darker brown, except both ends lighter. Body with moderate lustre due to very dense elytral setation and fine but dense punctation all over. Pubescence medium short and medium dense, much shorter and more dense on elytra, longer and much sparser on abdomen. Elytral apex without conspicuous setae. Last tarsomere rather densely (and finely) setose.

FIGS 125-129

Tergites X; Ochthephilus japonicus (Watanabe & Shibata) , 3 (125), same, ♀ (126), O. emarginatus (Fauvel) , 3 (127), same, ♀ (128), O. sericinus (Solsky) , 3 (129). Scalebar = 0.1 mmfor 129, 0.115 mmfor 125-128.

Forebody. Antenna as in Fig. 119, antennomere 7 (and in lesser extent article 8) asymmetrically swollen on one side. Clypeus (Fig. 169) sparsely and finely punctate (colliculate microsculptured), trapezoid, corners rounded, anterior edge gently arched; separated by impressed transversal line (frontoclypeal suture) across a shinier area. Supraantennal prominences well developed, feebly separated from clypeus/vertex by impressions. Vertex with oblique impressions in middle almost joining in V-shape. Temples (Fig. 118) slightly bulging, evenly curved, barely longer than half of eye length. Neck separated by an impressed transversal groove, microsculpture much stronger than on head, with transverse cells, no setation. Pronotum with a narrow marginal bead, visible to anterior pronotal corners. Posterior pronotal angles well-formed, just slightly obtuse-angled, sides in posterior 1/2 very gently concave. 'Anchor' rather weakly formed, more apparent in longitudinal midline as an elevated, impunctate, unsculptured (shinier) line, parallel to this line two gentle, semi-longitudinal elongate elevations in anterior half of disc. In the corners of the anchor slight elongate impressions directed outwards. Elytra (Fig. 170) slightly broadening posteriorly, sutural corners broadly rounded; apical sides slightly oblique and in inner halves gently convex. Elytral surface rather even with two shallow, very elongate impressions behind scutellum. Head with extremely fine coriaceous microsculpture, fading on elevated parts, stronger in impressions, on pronotum microsculpture slightly stronger and more even. Punctation on head very fine, unevenly dispersed, with a sparsely punctured longitudinal stripe in middle of vertex, on pronotum rather fine punctures with very uneven strength and density; elytral punctation more even and regularly spaced, average interspaces (with indistinct coriaceous microsculpture) about as puncture diameters, punctures discrete.

Abdomen. Compared to forebody, abdomen with much more sparse, finer, less distinct punctation, microsculpture on tergal apices fine coriaceous with moderately transverse cells. Tergite VII posterior margin with palisade fringe unmodified in middle (nearly uniform breadth). Tergite VIII (Fig. 89) basal edge evenly arched, with small concavity in middle of basal sclerotized band; apical edge with sinuate (protruding) corners, and broad, moderately deep emargination in between. Sternite VIII with rounded apical corners, apex in males shallowly concave laterally, gently sinuate in middle; in females slightly more sinuate (convex) in middle. Tergite X modified, apex with quite a few, but moderately deep emarginations, broader in males (Fig. 150) more narrow in females (Fig. 151). Aedeagus as in Fig. 71. Female ringstructures as in Figs 72-73.

ETYMOLOGY: Named after Père David [Armand David] (1826–1900) who was a missionary priest in Sichuan as well as a zoologist and botanist, made a pioneering and very important contribution to the knowledge on the flora and fauna of the area.

COMPARATIVE NOTES: This is an unusually light coloured species with somewhat darker head and it stands out with this colour pattern as the other species in the group are either uniformly dark coloured or only their elytra (or part of) with lighter reddish colour. In other features similar to the closest relatives, last tarsomere setose. Members of this group are only similar to O. championi and O. nigerrimus with similarly elongate antenna (but without asymmetrically swollen article 7) and dense, somewhat irregular elytral setation.

FIGS 130-144

(130-134) Ochthephiluscalifornicus sp. n.; aedeagus (130), innersclerites (131-132), female ringstructures (133-134). (135-139) O. laevis (Watanabe & Shibata) ; aedeagus (135), inner sclerites (136-137), femaleringstructures (138-139). (140-144) O. flexuosus Mulsant & Rey ; aedeagus (140), innersclerites (141-142), femaleringstructures (143-144). Scalebar = 0.06 mm for 133-134, 0.07 mmfor 143-144, 0.075 mmfor 138-139, 0.1 mmfor 130-132, 140-142, 0.135 mmfor 135-137.

DISTRIBUTION: Currently only known from China (Sichuan) and northern India, this suggests a very rare species with rather wide distribution throughout the Himalaya and SW China.

BIONOMICS: Information from the collector, Dr. Roughley: "We were searching for Amphizoa davidi and decided to visit Pere David's church on the off chance that this might have been the locality where it was collected. We tried there without luck but along the little stream near the church I did get these few staphylinids running around on moss and stones within the stream/spring/seep."