Olophrum piceum ( GYLLENHAL 1810)

Zanetti, A., 2008, Synonymies in the European Omaliinae, with notes on distribution (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (1), pp. 979-992 : 983

Olophrum piceum ( GYLLENHAL 1810)

Omalium piceum ( GYLLENHAL 1810) . Lectotype male (here designated) labelled Höb. /f (red) / Uppsala Univ. Zool. Mus. Gyllenhals saml. typ. 1214 (red) / aedeagus in Euparal / Olophrum piceum ( Gyllenhal, 1810) / Lectotype des. Zanetti 2007 (red) ( EMZU) ; 4 paralectotypes males with the number 1214 and the letters a, b, e (with label "Höb"), and j; 6 paralectotypes females with the number 1214 and the letters c, d, g, h, i (with label " Höb "), and k ( EMZU) ( Fig. 17 )

Olophrum austriacum SCHEERPELTZ 1929 nov.syn. type (male) labelled / Ob. Oest. M. Priesner / Ebelsberg 14.II.1911 (blue) / ex coll. Scheerpeltz (blue) / Photographiert 9-12.XI.1928 O. Scheerpeltz (orange) /Typus Olophrum austriacum O. Scheerpeltz (red) / Olophrum piceum (Gyllemhal, 1810) det. Zanetti 2007 / aedeagus in Euparal / (NHMW). 1 paratype with the same data (NHMW); 1 paratype Donauauen b. Albern A.I. O. Scheerperltz (NHMW); 1 paratype Karlsburg A. i. (NHMW) ( Fig. 21 )

Olophrum leleupi FAGEL 1848 nov.syn. type (male) labelled with the symbol / Mousses lâches Wavreille 9.ix.1947 N. Leleup / G. Fagel 1948 Olophrum leleupi mihi / Type (red) / R. Mus. Hist. Nat. Belg. IG 16-022 / cf. Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. Belg. XXIV, n° 44, 1948, p. 1-4 / Coll. R. I. Sc. N. B. (IRSNB) ( Fig. 23 ).

C o m m e n t s: Olophrum austriacum SCHEERPELTZ 1929 was described from Oberösterreich and it was reported from Südbayern and Austria in riparian habitats along the Danube and its tributaries ( HORION 1963). The characters supposedly distinguishing it from piceum are the form of pronotum (widest in the posterior half in piceum and in the middle in austriacum), and the longer elytra of austriacum ( SCHEERPELTZ 1929, LOHSE 1964). Many species of Olophrum described or diagnosed by SCHEERPELTZ (1929) are based on the form and puncturation of pronotum. The variability of these characters was pointed out by various authors who synonymized several species ( O. laticolle J. SAHLBERG 1876 with O. fuscum GRAVENHORST 1806 by MUNSTER 1935; O. nicolsoni DONISTHORPE 1910 with O. fuscum ( GRAVENHORST, 1806) by HAMMOND 1970b; O. alpinum HEER 1839 , O. bernhauerianum SCHEERPELTZ 1929 and O. recticolle SCHEERPELTZ 1929 with O. consimile GYLLENHAL 1810 by CAMPBELL 1983). The difference of in the length of the elytra is inconsistent, in both species the elytral suture is about 1.8 times as long as the pronotum. Most specimens of O. piceum are testaceous and the typical specimens of O. austriacum are brown, but also colour is rather variable in Olophrum . The form of the elytra (convex in the posterior half) is the same, and rules out the synonymy with O. fuscum , which is similar in the form of the pronotum.

The aedeagus (Fig. 13), which distinguishes O. piceum from O. fuscum (see below), is decisive for the synonymy. The apex of parameres is within the variability range of O. piceum ( Figs 17-23 ), which always possesses two apical close setae, plus a variable number of accessory setae.

Olophrum leleupi FAGEL, 1948 was described based on a single female specimen from Belgium. In this case, too, the form of the pronotum, with parallel sides, was considered to be of diagnostic value. Other characters indicated in the original description are the smaller size (4.1 mm vs 5-6 mm), lighter colour, shorter elytra, as well as coarse and denser puncturation of pronotum and elytra. The type of O. leleupi is in fact a male, the aedeagus falls in the variability range of O. piceum . Consequently, the holotype of O. leleupi is doubtlessly a small specimen of O. piceum .

Figures

Figs 17-30: Olophrum piceum (GYLLENHAL), apex of paramere: (17) lectotype; (18) specimen from Meppen (Niedersachsen); (19) idem; (20) specimen from Friedland (Germany); (21) type of O. austriacum SCHEERPELTZ; (22) specimen from Meppen (Niedersachsen); (23) type of O. leleupi FAGEL. Olophrum fuscum (GRAVENHORST), apex of paramere: (24) specimen from Torfhaus (Niedersachsen); (25) idem; (26) specimen from Plön (N Germany); (27); specimen from Winsen/Luhe (Niedersachsen); (28) specimen from Revsund (Sweden); (29) type of O. transversicolle LUZE; (30) specimen from Val Calamento (Trento, Italy).