Ochicanthon cingalensis (Arrow)

Latha, Mathews, Cuccodoro, Giulio & Sabu, Thomas K., 2011, Taxonomy of the dung beetle genus Ochicanthon Vaz-de-Mello (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) of the Indian subcontinent, with notes on distribution patterns and flightlessness, Zootaxa 2745, pp. 1-29 : 6-7

Ochicanthon cingalensis (Arrow)

( Fig. 9 )

Phacosoma cingalensis Arrow, 1931: 357 .

Description. Body ( Fig. 9 ) predominantly reddish brown. Punctation on dorsal surface of head fine and even with punctures becoming very fine and sparse anteriorly and larger posteriorly. Pronotum in lateral view weakly convex, outline at base almost in line with that of elytral suture. Pronotal punctation consisting of rather large annular setiferous punctures separated by intervals fairly equal to their diameter, becoming finer anteriorly. Elytra moderately convex; striae well marked, narrow, consisting of chains of oval depressions joined by straight sulci; interstriae slightly convex, fairly even, impunctate; background microsculpture smooth; lateral ridge posteriorly extended nearly to level of apex of second stria. Mesosternum and metasternal shield smooth. Meso-metasternal line gently rounded. Pygidium smooth, except for few minute punctures at the sides. Protrochanter with outer margin arcuate. Hindwings present.

Measurements (mm; n = 1: holotype): TL = 4.5; BW = 2.6; PL = 1.1; PW = 2.2; EL = 2.6. Material examined. Holotype (female, BMNH): “ Ceylon [ Sri Lanka], Ohiya, 6500ft [ca. 2000m], 09.iv.1935, leg. Henry”.

Distribution and natural history. Sri Lanka (Ohiya in the Sri Lanka montane evergreen forests). Diagnosis. Ochicanthon cingalensis is the only species treated in this study to possess the pronotum markedly punctate in combination with unicolor elytra almost impunctate pygidium and impunctate metasternal shield. See discussion under O. ceylonicus and O. nitidus .

Figures

FIGURE 9. Ochicanthon cingalensis (holotype). Dorsal habitus. Scale bar = 1 mm.