Octavius morio ( Kistner, 1967 )

Janák, Jiří, 2025, Overview of Octavius of Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces, South Africa (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Euaesthetinae) with descriptions of eight new species, Zootaxa 5737 (1), pp. 105-126 : 114

Octavius morio ( Kistner, 1967)

Figs. 37–41 , 91–92 , 95

Turellus morio Kistner, 1967: 58

Octavius morio ; Puthz, 1980: 27; 1986: 199, 2006: 12

Octavius morio ; Herman, 2001: 1863

Type locality. South Africa, Mpumalanga Province, Pilgrimʼs Rest District, Graskop forest .

Material examined ( 42 specimens). SOUTH AFRICA: Mpumalanga : 21 ♂, 21 ♀: Pinnacle Rock, 22.xi.2023, 24°54.71'S, 30°51.24'E, tree ferns sifting, ca 1430m, J. Janák lgt. ( JJRC) .

Note. A precise picture of the aedeagus of the holotype was published by Puthz (2006: Fig. 32 ). The paratype from Cape Peninsula was revised by Puthz (1976) and identified as Turellus brincki Puthz, 1976 later transferred to the genus Octavius ( Puthz, 1980) .

Distribution. The species is currently known from indigenous Graskop forest and from not far situated Pinnacle Rock, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa ( Fig. 95 ).

Bionomics. The examined specimens were collected in siftings of litter under tree ferns at the elevation of about 1430 m a.s.l. and with the abundance 12.0 specimens per kg of sifted material ( Figs. 91–92 ).

Figures

FIGURE 95. Distribution of Octavius in Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces, South Africa.

FIGURES 32–41. 32–36. Octavius microps (Kistner), Woodbush. 37–41. Octavius morio (Kistner), Pinnacle Rock. 32, 37, habitus; 33–34, 38–39, aedeagus ventral; 35, 40, male sternite VIII; 36, 41, male sternite IX. Identical scales 0.1 mm: 33=34; 35=36; 38=39; 40=41.

FIGURES 89–94. 89: Nelshoogte forestry, Acacia trees, type locality of O. hamifer; 90: Klipkraal forest, type locality of O. klipkraalensis; 91–92: Pinnacle Rock, locality of O. morio and O. pinnaculus; 93–94: Woodbush forest: type locality of O. woodbushensis.