Octavius viduus Puthz, 1986

Janák, Jiří, 2024, On Octavius from Maloti-Drakensberg and Golden Gate National Parks, South Africa (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Euaesthetinae), Zootaxa 5443 (4), pp. 495-522 : 508-510

Octavius viduus Puthz, 1986

Figs. 67–70 , 120

Octavius viduus Puthz, 1986: 188 ; Herman, 2001: 1869.

Type locality. South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal Province, Maloti-Drakensberg Park, Cathedral Peak National Reserve .

Material examined (5 specimens). SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal Province: 2 ♂, 3 ♀: Cathedral Peaks For. Sta ., 75km WSW Estcourt, 7–31.XII.1979, S&J Peck, Berlese 15, 23.XII. 79, Catchment 9, 1800m, Buddleia ( FMNH, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ in glycerine, JJRC) .

Male. Aedeagus small (length 0.19 mm), moderately elongate, almost symmetrical, with small narrow tearshaped point, internal structure long, narrowed and slighty curved apically, paramere shorter than median lobe, with three apical setae ( Fig. 68 ), sternite VIII slightly broadly emarginated in posterior one eighteenth ( Fig. 69 ), sternite IX as in Fig. 70 .

Measurements (n = 3). For detailed description which fit well to the examined specimens see Puthz (1986: 188). As only three female type specimens were hirtherto known I add here measurements of new examined specimens in comparison to that extracted from the original description (here in brackets): body length 1.3–1.4 mm (0.9–1.2 mm), forebody length 0.5–0.6 mm (no data), head width/pronotum width 0.98–0.99 (0.98), head width/width of elytra 0.86–0.94 (0.91), head width/head length 1.15–1.25 (1.22), length of temples/length of eyes 3.7–4.1 (3.33), pronotum width/pronotum length 1.08–1.09 (1.04), width of elytra/length of elytra 1.35–1.46 (1.35).

Note. Puthz (2006) listed in his key O. viduus at the couplet 84 (83) among species with pronotum longer than broad or at most as long as broad (cf. couplet 65(86)). As the pronotum is slightly broader than long, the species is listed here in subgroup A and in an updated key ( Janák 2014) is to be arranged better at the couplet 91 (90) near to O. endroedyanus .

Distribution. The species is hirtherto recorded only from Cathedral Peak region, Drakensberg Mts., KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.

Figures

FIGURES 60–70. 60–66: Octavius squamatus Janák, sp. nov.; 60–61, 64–65, holotype; 62–63, 66, paratypes. 67–70: Octavius viduus Puthz, Cathedral Peak. 60, 67, habitus; 61–63, 68, aedeagus ventral; 66, apex of aedeagus ventral; 65, 69, male sternite VIII; 66, 70, male sternite IX. Scale 0.5 mm: 60, 67; scales 0.1 mm: 61–63; 65–66; 68–70.