Oxypoda, BERNHAUER 1929, 1830

Assing, V., 2012, On the taxonomy and zoogeography of some Oxypoda species of the West Palaearctic region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 44 (1), pp. 365-399 : 396

"Oxypoda" weiratheri BERNHAUER 1929

( Figs 54-57 )

Oxypoda (Bessobia) weiratheri BERNHAUER 1929: 194 f.

Type material examined: Lectotype, present designation [dissected prior to present study, aedeagus damaged]: "N. Montenegro, lg. Weirather / Bio a Gruppe / Pl. 21, 18.7.27 / 1800 m / weiratheri Bernh. Cotypus / Chicago NHMus M.Bernhauer Collection / Lectotypus Oxypoda weiratheri Bernhauer , desig. V. Assing 2011 / " Oxypoda" weiratheri Bernhauer , det. V. Assing 2011" ( FMNH). Paralectotypes: 2: same data as lectotype" ( FMNH ).

Comment: Oxypoda weiratheri was described from several syntypes ("in mehreren Stücken") collected by Weirather "in den nord-montenegrinischen Alpen: Bio a, in einer Meereshöhe von 1800 m am 18. Juli 1927 " ( BERNHAUER 1929). Three specimens, a male and two females, were located in the Bernhauer collection at the FMNH. The male is designated as the lectotype.

The generic affiliations of this species are doubtful. In general habitus, it does not much resemble Oxypoda . Also, metatarsomere I is rather short, longer than metatarsomere II, but distinctly shorter than the combined length of metatarsomeres II and III.

The species is readily recognised by the following character combination:

Body small and slender, 1.8-1.9 mm long ( Fig. 54 ). Coloration uniformly yellowish. Eyes reduced to minute rudiments without ommatidia and without pigmentation. Antennae strongly incrassate apically; antennomere IV distinctly transverse; antennomeres VI-X more than twice as broad as long. Elytra short, approximately 0.6 times as long as, and narrower than pronotum. Tarsi short; metatarsomere I distinctly shorter than the combined length of II and III. Posterior margin of tergite VIII without palisade fringe.

: median lobe of aedeagus and paramere as in Figs 55-56 .

: spermatheca as in Fig. 57 .

Figures

Figs 51-57: Oxypoda defossa ASSING (51-53) and "O." weiratheri BERNHAUER (54-57; 55-56: lectotype): (51) male sternite VIII; (52) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (53, 56) paramere; (54) habitus; (55) apical portion of median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (57) spermatheca. Scale bars: 54: 0.5 mm; 51: 0.2 mm; 52-53, 55-57: 0.1 mm.