Oxypodinus levasseuri PACE

Assing, V., 2006, On two Oxypodinus species from Madagascar, inhabitants of Impatiens inflorescences (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 38 (2), pp. 1216-1220 : 1216-1220

Oxypodinus levasseuri PACE ( Figs 15 , 17 )

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Madagascar: 20 exs., Fort Dauphin, Andohahela National Park, Col de Manangotry, 24.74°S, 46.85°E, 650 m, primary rain forest near road, XI.2005, leg. Erpenbach (cAss).

C o m m e n t s: The species was described by PACE (1999) based on material from " N.-O. de Fort-Dauphin, Massif de l´Andohahelo", apparently close to the locality reported above ( Fig. 17 ). Unlike most of the males examined here, the holotype illustrated in PACE (1999: Fig. 542) seems to lack any modifications of the male abdominal sternites III and IV ; moreover, PACE (1999) indicates that the body is "jaune rougeâtre, avec une large bande abdominale brune", where as the present material is of dark brown to blackish coloration. On the other hand, the primary sexual characters, including the highly distinctive spermatheca (see PACE (1999: Fig. 543)) are identical. Also, the length and shape of the lateral processes of sternite III and IV are subject to pronounced intraspecific variation; in the smallest of the six males examined, they are almost completely reduced. Thus, the evidence suggests that the holotype is probably a very small teneral male. The processes of a larger male are illustrated in Fig. 15 .

The species is currently known only from the Andohahela range in the Fort Dauphin region, southeastern Madagascar ( Fig. 17 ). The specimens listed above were collected from inflorescences of Impatiens vilersii CONSTANTIN & POISSON , where they were encountered in considerable numbers, even on blossoms that had opened only during the preceding night. The beetles seemed to be feeding pollen from the stamina ( Fig. 16 ). Repeatedly, copulating beetles were observed (ERPENBACH pers. comm.).

Figures

Figs 1-15: Oxypodinus floricola sp.n. (1-14; holotype: 1, 2, 4, 7, 10-11) and O. levasseuri PACE (15): (1) forebody; (2-3, 15) Ƌ abdomen; (4-6) processes of Ƌ sternite III of ƋƋ of large (4), intermediate (5), and small size (6); (7) Ƌ tergite VIII (large male) in lateral view; (8) posterior part of Ƌ tergite VIII in antero-dorsal view; (9) Ƌ sternite VIII; (10) median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view; (11) apical part of median lobe in ventral view; (12) ♀ tergite VIII; (13) ♀ sternite VIII; (14) spermatheca. Scale bars: 1-6, 15: 0.5 mm; 7-13: 0.2 mm; 14: 0.1 mm.

Figs 16-17: (16) Oxypodinus levasseuri in inflorescence of Impatiens vilersii (photo by A. Erpenbach); (17) records of O. floricola (filled circle) and O. levasseuri (open circle) in Madagascar.