Ochthephilus indicus, Makranczy, 2014

Makranczy, György, 2014, Revision of the genus Ochthephilus Mulsant & Rey, 1856 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Oxytelinae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 121 (4), pp. 457-694 : 617-618

Ochthephilus indicus sp. nov. Figs 493-497, 504-506

TYPE MATERIAL: HOLOTYPE (3): “ INDIA: Punjab [part today Himachal Pradesh], Kul [l]u, Bhab [b]u Pass , 9000ft [*+31.93/+77.00*], 4.V.1926, leg. H.G. Champion, torrent moss” ( BMNH) . – PARATYPES (6): same data as holotype ( BMNH, 3♀, MHNG, 1♀, NHMW, 1♀) . – “ Punjab, Kul [l]u, Naggar , 5000ft [*+32.11/+77.15*], leg. H.G. Champion ” ( BMNH, 1♀) .

DESCRIPTION: Measurements (n=7): HW = 0.60 (0.58-0.61); TW = 0.55 (0.54- 0.56); PW = 0.66 (0.64-0.69); SW = 0.87 (0.86-0.90); AW = 0.92 (0.90-0.94); HL = 0.46 (0.44-0.48); EL = 0.19 (0.18-0.20); TL = 0.09 (0.08-0.10); PL = 0.54 (0.54-0.56); SL = 1.03 (1.00-1.04); SC = 0.94 (0.92-0.96); FB = 2.11 (2.00-2.20); BL = 3.72 (3.30- 3.94) mm. Head, pronotum and abdomen dark brown (but lighter than in most related species), head darkest, abdominal base sometimes lighter. Elytra medium brown, broadly around scutellum (and to shoulders) darker, blackish. Antennae and mouthparts dark brown, but first two antennomeres sometimes lighter. Legs medium to dark brown. Body with somewhat greasy lustre due to moderately deep but not too dense punctation on head and pronotum, but less distinct coriaceous microsculpture on some parts of head and pronotum; elytral punctation fine, rather shallow. Pubescence on elytra very dense, short and finer than in closest congeners; in contrast with somewhat less conspicuous setation of head and pronotum: with rather fine and dense setae. Abdominal tergites with setae finer than elytral ones but much longer, especially at apices of tergites and adjacent to laterosternites. Head anteriad eyes and near inner posterior margin of eye with stronger and much longer bristles, as well as pronotal margin; at middle of tibiae with darker bristles. Elytral apex without conspicuous setae. Last tarsomere with a few setae only.

Forebody. Antenna as in Fig. 495. Clypeus (Fig. 493) sparsely punctate (colliculate microsculptured), trapezoid, corners rounded, anterior edge gently arched; separated by impressed transversal line (frontoclypeal suture) across a shinier area. Supraantennal prominences well developed, feebly separated from clypeus/vertex by impressions. Vertex with oblique impressions in middle almost joining in V-shape. Temples (Fig. 494) slightly bulging, evenly curved, about as long as than half of eye length. Neck separated by an impressed transversal groove, microsculpture much stronger than on head, with transverse cells, no setation. Pronotum with a narrow marginal bead, getting inconspicuous anteriorly with pronotal corners strongly curved in ventral direction. Posterior pronotal angles well-formed, just slightly obtuse-angled, sides in posterior 1/3 very gently concave. 'Anchor' fully formed, longitudinal midline as a slightly elevated, impunctate, weakly microsculptured line, parallel to this line two gentle, semi-longitudinal elongate elevations in anterior half of disc. In corners of anchor feeble, oblique impressions directed outwards, in middle at sides of midline two smaller impressions. Elytra (Fig. 496) slightly broadening posteriorly, sutural corners narrowly rounded; apical sides slightly oblique and in inner halves more or less straight. Elytral surface rather even with two shallow, very elongate impressions behind scutellum. Head with fine coriaceous/colliculate microsculpture, fading on elevated parts, stronger in impressions, on pronotum microsculpture slightly stronger and more even. Punctation on head rather sparse, stronger and more dense on posterior part and sides, on pronotum more evenly spaced, average interspaces much larger than puncture diameters; elytral punctation more even and regularly spaced, average inter- spaces (with indistinct coriaceous microsculpture) about as puncture diameters, punctures discrete.

Abdomen. Compared to forebody, abdomen with much more sparse, finer, less distinct punctation, microsculpture on tergal apices fine coriaceous with moderately transverse cells. Tergite VII posterior margin with palisade fringe broadened in middle (Fig. 497) with more coarse spiniform processes. Tergite VIII basal edge evenly arched, without concavity in middle of basal sclerotized band; apical edge with sinuate (protruding) corners, and broad, moderately deep emargination in between. Sternite VIII with rounded apical corners, apex in males shallowly concave laterally, gently sinuate in middle; in females slightly more sinuate (convex) in middle. Tergite X unmodified, apex very slightly wider in males than in females. Aedeagus as in Fig. 504. Female ringstructures as in Figs 505-506.

ETYMOLOGY: The species is named after the country from where the examined specimens originate.

COMPARATIVE NOTES: This is a smaller species with (at least in the few known specimens) somewhat lighter, reddish elytra, a feature shared with not many other species in this group. Another peculiar feature is the fully visible marginal bead on the pronotal side, shared only with a larger black species, O. szarukani , outside the O. monticola complex.

DISTRIBUTION: Currently only known from a few old specimens from the Kullu area in N-India. The poorly collected nature of this region is most likely responsible for the lack of more records.

BIONOMICS: The collector, H.G. Champion noted on a handwritten slip "torrent moss".