Ocypus (Pseudocypus) dryas, Published, 2007

Published, First, 2007, Contributions to the knowledge of the “ Staphylinus-complex ” (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylinini) of China. Part XX. The genus Ocypus Leach, 1819, subgenus Pseudocypus Mulsant & Rey, 1876. Section 1, Zootaxa 1421, pp. 1-72 : 25-26

Ocypus (Pseudocypus) dryas sp. nov.

( Figs. 81 –87)

Type material. Holotype (male) and allotype (female): CHINA: Xinjiang: “ China, Xinjiang, 1993 road Narat–Kuytun ca 40 km NE NARAT pass 3500 m, 16–18/VII Jaroslav Turna leg.” . Holotype in NMW, allotype in ASC.

Paratypes: CHINA: Xinjiang: same data holotype, 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ ( ASC, NMW) ; same data as holotype but J. Kaláb leg., 8 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀ ( ASC, NMW) ; road Bayanbulak–Narat, 30 km ESE Narat, Tian Shan , pass 2800 m, 13–14.VII.1993, Jar. Turna leg., 6 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀ ( ASC, NMW) ; same data but J. Kaláb leg., 6 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀ ( ASC, NMW) ; 10 km S Chorma (50 km NEN Narat ), 2500 m, 19.7.1993, J. Kaláb leg., 2 ♂♂ ( ASC, NMW) .

Diagnosis. A small species with asetose pronotal hypomeron, dark legs, with intermixed fine punctures among coarser punctures on disc of head, lacking microsculpture on interspaces between punctures on head and pronotum, with uniformly dark pubescence of abdominal tergites, and a small, characteristically shaped aedoeagus with paramere lacking the black sensory peg setae..

Description. Black, relatively shiny; elytra and abdominal tergites mostly paler, dark brownish piceous to piceous-black, apical margins and apex of abdomen more or less paler; maxillary and labial palpi brunneous; antennae brunneous, first three segments piceous to piceous-black with paler bases; legs piceous with front tarsi and sometimes dorsal faces of front tibiae variably paler; pubescence of dorsal side of body, including abdominal tergites, uniformly dark brunneous. Head of rounded quadrangular shape, with rounded posterior angles, wider than long (ratio 1.27), eyes small and rather flat, tempora considerably longer than eyes from above (ratio 1.84), dorsal surface of head moderately densely, relatively coarsely punctate and pubescent, most interspaces between punctures on disc somewhat larger than diameters of punctures, punctation gradually becoming slightly denser toward posterior and lateral margins; disc of head with intermixed fine punctures among coarser punctures, impunctate midline inconspicuous, present only on posterior half of head; interspaces between punctures without microsculpture. Gular sutures relatively widely separated; postgenae coarsely, moderately densely punctate, interspaces between punctures near gular sutures mostly about as large as diameters of punctures. Punctation of dorsal side of neck markedly denser than that on disc of head. Antenna rather short, segment 3 slightly longer than segment 2 (ratio 1.17), segment 4 slightly longer than wide, following segments about as long as wide, segments 9 and 10 vaguely wider than long, last segment shorter than two preceding segments combined. Pronotum short, about as long as wide, parallelsided, narrow marginal groove disappearing downwards at about anterior third of pronotal length; disc with narrow, inconspicuous impunctate midline apparent on posterior half of pronotal length; punctation on disc finer and markedly denser than that on disc of head, interspaces between punctures without microsculpture. Pronotal hypomeron lacking microsetae. Scutellum finely punctate and setose on entire surface, surface with fine microsculpture of striae. Elytra short, not depressed at base, vaguely dilated posteriad, at suture considerably (ratio 0. 67), at sides distinctly (ratio 0.82) shorter than pronotum at midline; punctation fine and dense, difficult to observe among dense granulose microsculpture. Wings each reduced to minute, nonfunctional stump. Abdomen with fifth visible tergite lacking pale apical seam of palisade setae; tergite 2 (in front of first visible tergite) entirely, densely and finely punctate and pubescent; all tergites evenly, finely and densely punctate, puctation gradually becoming sparser toward apex of abdomen; interspaces with very fine microsculpture of irregular, short striae.

Male. Sternite 8 with moderately wide, shallow, obtusely triangular medioapical emargination. Genital segment with sternite 9 relatively large, with long basal portion, apical portion arcuate apically ( Fig. 81). Tergite 10 as in Fig. 82, more or less evenly narrowed toward subacute apex. Aedoeagus small and short, shaped as in Figs. 83–86; median lobe with characteristically shaped, asymmetrical apical portion (Figs. 83, 84); paramere situated on median lobe markedly asymmetrically, shaped as in Figs. 83, 85, 86, without carina on face away from median lobe, apex of paramere not quite reaching apex of median lobe; no sensory peg setae on underside of paramere; apical setae minute, situated as in Fig. 86.

Female. Tergite 10 of genital segment evenly narrowed toward narrowly arcuate apex, setose as in Fig. 87.

Length 10.0–12.0 mm.

Bionomics. The specimens of the original series were taken from pitfall traps that were set at elevations from 2800 m to 3500 m, but no real details are known about the habitat. Some specimens taken in “pass 40 km NE Narat” at 3500 m bear the habitat note “alpine region”.

Geographical distribution. Ocypus dryas is at present known from an area around Narat in Xinjiang.

Recognition and comments. This is the smallest Chinese species of the subgenus Pseudocypus ; it may be easily recognized by the characters mentioned in the diagnosis. The only other Chinese species that lacks microsculpture on the interspaces between the punctures on the head and pronotum is O. hyas (see under O. hyas for the distinguishing characters).

On the other hand, O. dryas is quite similar to O. angustulus Eppelsheim, 1888 ( Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan) and O. almensis Coiffait, 1967 ( Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan). It differs from both (see further) by the different aedoeagus, by the surface of head and pronotum lacking any microsculpture, and by the shorter antenna. The status of the two latter species seems to present some problems that will be addressed in a separate paper based on the study of the original material of both, that is available to me. The three original specimens of O. almensis in Coiffait’s collection (Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris) may not belong to the same species. In the male holotype the interspaces between the punctures on the entire head bear fine but distinct microsculpture and those on entire pronotum bear similar, but markedly coarser microsculpture. In the two paratypes (male and female) the microsculpture on the head is rudimentary and appreciable only on posterior and lateral portions of the head and that on entire pronotum is rudimentary. There seems to be also difference in the shape of the aedoeagus of the holotype and of the male paratype.

Etymology. The specific epithet is the name of Dryas, - antis, m, the father of Lycurgus king of Thrace, in apposition.