Ocypus (Pseudocypus) sadales, 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 : 19-20

Ocypus (Pseudocypus) sadales sp. nov.

( Figs. 52–56)

Type material. Holotype (male) and allotype (female): CHINA: Gansu: “CHINA Gansu Min Shan , 2300– 3300 m 33°30N 104°35'E, 27.VII.–14.VIII. 2000 leg. A. Plutenko ” . Holotype in MSC, allotype in ASC.

Paratypes: CHINA: Gansu: same data as holotype, 77 ♂♂, 34 ♀♀ ( ASC, MSC) ; Min Shan Mts., 70 km NW from Wudo , 2100 m, 25.VII.2000, A. Gorodinski leg., 21♂♂, 6 ♀♀ ( ASC, YSC) ; Min Shan Mts., 95 km NW from Wudo, Satan village , 3300 m, 18.VI.2001, A. Gorodinski leg., ♂ ( YSC) .

An additional of 13 specimens in bad condition were not designated as paratypes.

Diagnosis. A medium-sized, piceous-black to black species with faint metallic hue on entire dorsal surface and with abdomen becoming rufobrunneous toward apex; with pronotum appreciably longer than wide, asetose pronotal hypomeron, piceous-black legs, uniform piceous-black pubescence of dorsal side of body that becomes paler toward apex of abdomen, and with moderately large, characteristically shaped aedoeagus.

Description. Head and pronotum black, elytra piceous to piceous-black, abdomen piceous, becoming rufobrunneous toward apex, entire dorsal surface with faint metallic hue, best visible on elytra and abdomen; maxillary and labial palpi testaceobrunneous; antennae piceous to piceous-black, becoming indistinctly paler toward apex, bases of first three segments reddish; legs piceous, with front tarsi and dorsal faces of front tibiae slightly paler; pubescence of dorsal side of body uniformly piceous-black, becoming paler toward apex of abdomen. Head of rounded quadrangular shape, with rounded posterior angles, slightly wider than long (ratio 1. 14), eyes very small and rather flat, tempora considerably longer than eyes from above (ratio 2.20), dorsal surface of head finely and densely punctate and pubescent, interspaces between punctures on disc somewhat larger than diameters of punctures, punctation gradually becoming denser and coarser toward posterior and lateral margins and markedly sparser toward anterior margin; impunctate midline present posteriorly, absent from sparsely punctate anterior portion of head; interspaces between punctures with relatively coarse submeshed microsculpture. Gular sutures distinctly separated; postgenae moderately densely punctate, interspaces between punctures near gular sutures about as large as diameters of punctures. Dorsal side of neck with punctation about same as that on head. Antenna moderately long, segment 3 longer than segment 2 (ratio 1. 26), segments 4 to7 longer than wide, becoming gradually shorter, segments 8–10 about as long as wide, last segment shorter than two preceding segments combined. Pronotum relatively narrow, longer than wide (ratio 1.20), parallelsided, narrow marginal groove disappearing downwards at about anterior third of pronotal length; disc with distinct, entire impunctate midline; punctation on disc about same as that on disc of head, pubescence and microsculpture on interspaces between punctures similar to that on head. Pronotal hypomeron lacking microsetae. Scutellum finely, densely punctate and setose on entire surface, surface with very fine, rudimentary microsculpture. Elytra short, slightly depressed at base, vaguely dilated posteriad, at suture considerably (ratio 0. 58), at sides distinctly (ratio 0.76) shorter than pronotum at midline; punctation very 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 slightly sparser toward apex of abdomen; interspaces with very fine, dense microsculpture of irregular, short striae.

Male. Sternite 8 with moderately wide and deep, obtuse medioapical emargination. Genital segment with sternite 9 with moderately long basal portion, apical portion with apex subemarginate to slightly emarginate ( Fig. 52). Tergite 10 evenly narrowed toward broadly arcuate apex, setose as in Fig. 53. Aedoeagus shaped as in Figs. 54, 55; median lobe attenuate at base, middle and apical portions asymmetrical, apical portion, when paramere removed, with hook-like apex at left edge; paramere situated on median lobe asymmetrically, shaped as in Figs. 54, 55, with long carina on face away from median lobe ( Fig. 54) and right margin curled inwards, irregularly, obtusely rounded apex of paramere not quite reaching apex of median lobe; sensory peg setae on underside of paramere not pigmented, numerous, forming an apical field below apex of paramere, absent from curled portion; two minute apical setae at apex, four longer setae at left margin below apex, and two unequally long setae at apex of curled right portion, directed mediad ( Fig. 55).

Female. Tergite 10 of genital segment with slightly differentiated apical portion, narrowed into acute apex bearing two long setae, apical half of tergite strongly sclerotized ( Fig. 56).

Length 13.0–16.0 mm.

Bionomics. The specimens of the original series were taken from pitfall traps; however, nothing is known about the habitat the traps were set in.

Geographical distribution. Ocypus sadales is at present known only from Min Shan in southern Gansu.

Recognition and comments. Ocypus sadales may be rather easily recognized by the characters mentioned in the diagnosis. The faint metallic hue on the entire dorsal surface of the body, the piceous abdomen becoming rufobrunneous toward apex, and the relatively narrow pronotum, in combination with the shape of the aedoeagus are easily observable distinguishing features of the species.

Several specimens of the original series are to various extent teneral.

Etymology. The specific epithet is the name of Sadales, - ae, m, the king of Thrace, in apposition.