Ochicanthon gauricola Cuccodoro

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 : 10-13

Ochicanthon gauricola Cuccodoro sp.nov.

( Figs. 23–25 )

Description. Body ( Fig. 23 ) predominantly reddish brown. Punctation on dorsal surface of head annular, separated by intervals slightly exceeding their diameter. Pronotum in lateral view weakly convex, outline at base almost in line with that of elytral suture; laterobasal paramarginal ridge well marked, extended on slightly more than one third of pronotal length. Pronotal punctation ( Fig. 24 ) consisting of annular setiferous punctures separated by interval approximately equal to their diameter, becoming finer anteriorly; setae almost indistinct, straight and recumbent. Elytra in lateral view moderately convex; suture not raised; striae shallow, narrow, consisting of chains of oval depressions joined by straight sulci ( Fig. 24 ); interstriae slightly convex, uneven, finely punctate, irregularly; microsculpture smooth; setae almost indistinct, straight and recumbent; lateral ridge posteriorly extended to level of apex of fourth stria. Mesosternum smooth; meso-metasternal line angulate; metasternum with few large punctures near base and fine, sparse punctures on centre, at the sides and on anterior portion ( Fig. 25 ). Pygidium covered with shallow setiferous punctures becoming finer laterally and ventrally. Protrochanter with outer margin arcuate. Hind wings present.

Male unknown.

Measurements (mm; n = 1: holotype): TL = 4.9; BW = 3.2; PL = 1.5; PW = 2.6; EL = 2.4.

Type material. Holotype (female, MHNG): “ India, Kerala, Nelliampathi Hills, Pothundy Dam, 300 m, 30.xi.1972, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard, #57” [sifting in a forest ravine].

Distribution and natural history. South India (Pothundy Dam, in the South Western Ghats moist deciduous forest ecoregion).

Etymology. Named from ‘Gaur’ (= bison), called ‘Pothu’ in the local language, which is also the derivation of the name of the type locality.

Diagnosis. Ochicanthon gauricola and O. tristis are the only south-Indian members of the genus to possess unicolored elytra with striae consisting of chains of oval depressions joined by straight sulci. However, they can be easily distinguished by the metasternum, which is impunctate along the meso-metasternal line in O. gauricola and punctate in O. tristis . See diagnosis under O. ceylonicus .

Figures

FIGURES 23 – 25. Ochicanthon gauricola (holotype). Dorsal habitus (23); base of pronotum and elytra (24); mesosternum and metasternum (25). Scale bars = 1 mm.