Oedichirus planiceps, Rougemont, 2018

Rougemont, Guillaume de, 2018, The genus Oedichirus in New Caledonia (Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Pinophilini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 50 (1), pp. 537-586 : 563

Oedichirus planiceps nov.sp. (Figs 16)

Material studied: ♂ Holotype: NEW CALEDONIA 11799, 22º23’S x 66º56’E, 150 m, Cap Ndoua , Site 1, rainfor., 28Nov2004, pyrethrum, C.J. Burwell, G.B. Monteith ♀ HOLOTYPE Oedichirus planiceps Des. 2017 G. de Rougemont [ MNHN] ; 1♂ paratype: NEW CALEDONIA 9913, 22º03’Sx166º28’E, Mt Dzumac road, 700 m, 1 Dec 2000, GB Monteith, Pyrethrum trunks & logs ♀ PARATYPE Oedichirus planiceps Des. 2017 G. de Rougemont [ CRO] ; 2♀♀ paratypes: NEW CALEDONIA 11149, 22º14’S x 166º52’E, Chute Madeleine , 230m, 18 Nov 2002, G. Monteith, pyrethrum trees & logs ♀ PARATYPE Oedichirus planiceps des. 2017 G. de Rougemont [ QM] .

Description: length: 8-8.5 mm; length of fore-body: 3.7; length of head: 1.12; breadth of head: 1.12; length of antenna: 3; length of pronotum: 1.5; breadth of pronotum: 1.17; length of elytron: 1.17; breadth of elytra: 1.32. Fore-body dark brown, abdomen pale brown (all specimens are somewhat testaceous); palpi, antennae and legs testaceous. Microsculpture of head and pronotum strong, the surface coriaceous; elytra devoid of microsculpture, abdominal tergites entirely covered with fine, light microstriation. Pubescence erect, of medium length, sparse on fore-body, denser on abdomen. Habitus: Fig. 16h.

Head at least as long as broad, flattened; eyes protruberant, moderately large, shorter than temples; temples long, retracted in straight lines to neck; grooves of post-ocular borders on dorsal surface away from lateral margins, each bearing 5-6 conspicuous setae; puncturation very sparse, the punctures small, shallow, irregularly scattered. Pronotum moderatey elongate, the sides slightly rounded, not strongly convergent towards broadly rounded posterior angles; lateral border sharp near anterior angles, evanescent posteriad; puncturation sparse, forming a distinct pair of discal series of 6-7 punctures each, with scattered punctures elsewhere, all punctures small and shallow. Elytra short, broadest at about middle, humeral angles completely obsolete, joint posterior margin scarcely concave; puncturation very sparse, the punctures of unequal sizes, irregularly scattered. Keels and grooves at bases of abdominal tergites obsolete; puncturation relatively sparse, the punctures of unequal sizes, disposed randomly.

Male: abdominal sternite VIII: Fig. 16s8, with a small, simple semi-circular apical emargination with a whitish membranous fringe; aedoeagus: Fig 16arl, the dorsal plate produced anteriad almost to tip of long, characteristically shaped process of the ventral sclerite.

Female: sternite IX: Fig. 16vp.

The puncturation of the pronotum, with a pair of discrete discal series, and the conformation of the aedoeagus, with its very long dorsal plate of the median lobe and long securiform ventral process show that O. planiceps is closely related to the novacaledonicus complex, notwithstanding its brown colour and smaller size.