Ochthephilus wrasei, 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 : 608-610

Ochthephilus wrasei sp. nov. Figs 20, 427, 428, 440-442

TYPE MATERIAL: HOLOTYPE (3): “ CHINA: YUNNAN: Nujiang Lisu Auton. Prefecture, Gaoligong Shan , pass 22km W Gongshan, N slope, 3350-3400m, 27º46'27"N, 98º26'50"E, 6.VI.2007, leg. M. Schülke [CH07-21], fern, moss, litter, sifted” ( ZMHB) . – PARATYPES (43): same data as holotype (coll. Schülke, 14, MHNG, 1, NHMW, 1, AMNH, 1, NKME, 1, SDEI, 1, MNHP, 1, FMNH, 1, SEMC, 1, CNCI, 1, USNM, 1, ISNB, 1, HNHM, 23, 2♀). – “Nujiang Lisu Auton. Prefecture, Gongshan Co., Gaoligong Shan, sidevalley, 3000-3050m, 27º47.90'N, 98º30.19'E, 21.VI.2005, leg. M. Schülke (C2005-16), coniferous forest with Rhododendron, broad leaved bushes, litter, moss, dead wood sifted along creek and snowfields” (coll. Schülke, 3). – “ Nujiang Lisu Pref., Gaoligong Shan , W "Cloud pass", 24km NW Liuku, 2907m, 25º59'00"N, 98º40'14"E, 3.IX.2009, leg. M. Schülke ( CH09-23 ) , small waterfall, wet moss sifted” (coll. Schülke, 4). – “ Nujiang Lisu Pref. , Gaoligong Shan, W "Cloud pass", 24km NW Liuku, 2940m, 25º59'02"N, 98º39'56.5"E, 3.IX.2009, leg. M. Schülke ( CH09-24 ) , small cleft, wet moss and litter sifted” (coll. Schülke, 2). – “ Dali Bai Auton. Prefecture , Diancang Shan W Dali, 3160m, 25º41'20"N, 100º06'12"E, 27.V.2007, leg. M. Schülke ( CH07-02 ), small creek valley, litter and debris sifted” (coll. Schülke, 2), same but 28.V.2007 ( CH07-02 A) (coll. Schülke, 2), same but 27.V.2007, leg. D.W. Wrase (02) ( MSNV, 13) .

DESCRIPTION: Forebody as in Fig. 428. Measurements (n=10): HW = 0.65 (0.59-0.68); TW = 0.61 (0.57-0.65); PW = 0.71 (0.67-0.75); SW = 0.89 (0.83-0.95); AW = 1.01 (0.92-1.12); HL = 0.49 (0.46-0.52); EL = 0.20 (0.18-0.21); TL = 0.13 (0.12- 0.14); PL = 0.54 (0.52-0.58); SL = 1.01 (0.94-1.06); SC = 0.92 (0.85-0.97); FB = 2.12 (2.01-2.23); BL = 3.95 (3.50-4.24) mm. Body very dark brown to almost pitch black, tarsi and both ends of tibiae lighter, medium to dark brown. Legs occasionally lighter but antennae and mouthparts always nearly black. Body quite lustrous in spite of deep punctation on head and pronotum, but abundant shiny interspaces and indistinct coriaceous microsculpture covering them; elytral setation short but strong, not too dense. Pubescence on elytra short but strong and rather dense (regularly spaced), in contrast with much less conspicuous setation of head and pronotum: with rather fine and moderately dense setae. Abdominal tergites with setae just as thick as elytral ones but much longer, especially at apices of tergites and adjacent to laterosternites. Head anteriad eyes and near inner posterior margin of eye with stronger and much longer bristles, as well as pronotal margin; at middle of tibiae with darker bristles. Elytral apex without conspicuous setae. Last tarsomere with a few setae only.

Forebody. Antenna as in Fig. 427. Clypeus almost impunctate (faintly 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 slightly bulging, evenly curved, little 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 1/3 very gently concave. 'Anchor' fully formed, longitudinal midline as a slightly elevated, impunctate, weakly microsculptured line, parallel to this line two gentle, semi-longitudinal elongate elevations in anterior half of disc. In corners of anchor feeble, oblique impressions directed outwards, in middle at sides of midline two smaller impressions. Elytra slightly broadening posteriorly, sutural corners narrowly rounded; apical sides slightly oblique and in inner halves more or less straight. Elytral surface rather even with two shallow, very elongate impressions behind scutellum. Head with fine coriaceous/colliculate microsculpture, fading on elevated parts, stronger in impressions, on pronotum microsculpture slightly stronger and more even. Punctation on head very strong and deep, more dense on posterior part and sides, on pronotum more evenly spaced, average interspaces much larger than puncture diameters; 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 broadened in middle with more coarse spiniform processes. Tergite VIII 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 unmodified, apex very slightly wider in males than in females. Aedeagus as in Fig. 440. Female ringstructures as in Figs 441-442.

ETYMOLOGY: This species is named after David W. Wrase, specialist on Carabidae, who (through the collection of Michael Schülke) contributed greatly to the material and knowledge about the Chinese species of the genus.

NOTES: This is a very difficult taxon to place in the herein proposed species group system. The elongate loop-like female ringstructure is characteristic of the O. monticola group, yet every species there has a modified paramere and elongate striated band in the aedeagi, so in this respect O. wrasei is closer to the O. vulgaris group. In the final days of the preparation of this manuscript it was decided that O. wrasei is better placed in its own group.

DISTRIBUTION: Currently only known from the Chinese province of Yunnan .

BIONOMICS: Specimens were collected in coniferous forest with Rhododendron and broad leaved bushes, from moss, litter, debris and even dead wood sifted along stream, waterfall and snowfields.

X. Ochthephilus monticola species group