Oedichirus novaguinea W ENDELER, 1925

Rougemont, Guillaume de, 2018, New Papuan Oedichirus (Staphylinidae, Paederinae, Pinophilini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 50 (1), pp. 435-446 : 439

Oedichirus novaguinea W ENDELER (Figs 5)

Oedichirus novaguinea WENDELER 1925: 212

M a t e r i a l s t u d i e d: 1♂: IRIAN JAYA, Paniai Prov. Epomani , Ugoda , km 179, 1350- 1400 m, 19.- 20.1.1996, leg. A. Riedel [ NHMW] ; 1♂ & 1♀: IRIAN JAYA, Fakfak Prov. , ca. 20km W Timika, SP 7, 30m, 8.- 11.1.1996, leg. A. Riedel [ CRO, NHMW] ; 1♂: W. PAPUA, Rajah Ampat Prov. , Batanta Isl. , 11 km W Yensanai, Marway River, 6º49’53"S 130 º 34’55"E, 17.I.2004 leg. A Weigel ♀ Oedichirus sp. det. Schillhammer ’ 11 ♀ Oedichirus novaguinea det. 2015 G. de Rougemont [ NME] ; 1♀: IRIAN JAYA, Japen Isl. , W Serui, Panduamin 50 m, 18.XII.2000, leg. A. RIEDEL [ SMNS] ; 1♀: PNG, Vaanimo , Denake-Range, 28.- 29.10.1992, 500 m, leg. A. RIEDEL [ SMNS] ; ♂ & 1♀: S 230 GORAINA, N. GUINEA, 28.7.71, R.H. ♀ F3008.2799 ♀ papuanus ♀ Oedichirus novaguinea Wendeler det. 2015 G. de Rougemont [ MM] .

D e s c r i p t i o n: length: 11 mm; length of fore-body: 4.4; length of head: 0.9; breadth of head: 1.3; length of antenna: 3.1; length of pronotum: 1.4; breadth of pronotum: 1.22; length of elytron: 1.75; breadth of elytra: 1.8. Head, elytra and abdomen black, prothorax red, all appendages testaceous. Body devoid of microsculpture. Pubescence long, pale, erect. Habitus: Fig. 5h.

Macropterous, elytra short but ample, humeral angles well marked. Abdominal puncturation arranged in three discrete transverse rows.

Male: abdominal sternite VII unmodified; sternite VII: Fig. 5s8; aedoeagus: Figs 5arl, av.

Female: sternite IX: Fig. 5vp.

V a r i a b i l i t y: the abdomen may be entirely black (type; ex. from Epomani), or black with the posterior part of segments III-VI dark reddish, or segments III-VI entirely reddish.

The typical form of this species is distinctive by virtue of the black abdomen in combination with red pronotum; in exx. with reddish segments III-VI the colour pattern resembles that of the widespread oriental species O. longipennis KRAATZ , which does not occur in New Guinea, but O. novaguinea is a larger species with legs entirely testaceous. It is the only bicolorous, red and black species so far recorded from the Papuan region. The species apparently occurs throughout New Guinea, from Batanta in the far northwest of Irian Jaya, to Merauke (the type locality) on the south coast, to eastern Papua New Guinea.