Ochicanthon besucheti 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 : 3

Ochicanthon besucheti Cuccodoro sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–5 )

Description. Body ( Fig. 1 ) predominantly black. Punctation on dorsal surface of head setiferous and annular separated by intervals not 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. 2 ) consisting of annular setiferous punctures separated by interval not exceeding their diameter, becoming sparser medially and larger posteriorly; setae fine and very short, almost indistinct. Elytra in lateral view moderately convex; suture not raised; striae shallow, wide, consisting of chains of fairly confluent discoidal depressions ( Fig. 2 ); interstriae fairly flat, even, covered with annular setiferous punctures scattered irregularly and separated by interval nearly equal to their diameter; background microsculpture smooth; setae fine, straight and recumbent; lateral ridge posteriorly extended to level of apex of third stria. Mesosternum impunctate; meso-metasternal line arcuate; metasternum coarsely and uniformly punctate ( Fig. 3 ). Pygidium covered with shallow setiferous punctures becoming finer and sparser ventrally. Protrochanter with outer margin arcuate. Hind wings absent.

Male lacking obvious secondary sexual characters. Aedeagus as in Figs 4–5 .

Measurements (mm; n = 4): TL = 3.3–4.5; BW = 2.2–2.7; PL = 1.0–1.2; PW = 1.9–2.3; EL = 1.9–2.2.

Type material. Holotype (male, MHNG): “ India, Meghalaya, Khasi Hills, Shillong, 1850–1950m, 25.x.1978, leg. Besuchet & Löbl, #27” [sifting in primary forest, Shillong Peak, slope North].

Paratypes (3, MHNG): Same data as holotype, 1 male and 1 female; “ India, Meghalaya, Khasi hills, Shillong Peak, 1800m, 21.x.2000 <25°32’30’’ N; 91°50’55’’ E>, leg. Carlton, Cuccodoro, Erne & Leschen, #9a” [sifting leaf litter in mixed Pine forest], 1 female.

Distribution and natural history. North East India (Upper montane forest in Shillong Peak in the Meghalaya subtropical forests ecoregion).

Etymology. Named after Claude Besuchet, Geneva, who collected part of the type series.

Diagnosis. Among the four wingless species of Ochicanthon ( O. besucheti , O. devagiriensis , O. loebli and O. vazdemelloi ) in the Indian subcontinent, O. besucheti and O. loebli possess elytral interstriae with annular setiferous punctures not arranged in two rows. It is the only wingless Ochicanthon recorded from northeast of the Indian subcontinent. Ochicanthon besucheti strongly resembles O. ernei and O. tristoides , from northeast India, but is easily distinguishable by the absence of wings, aedeagal shape and coarsely punctate central area of the metasternal shield.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Ochicanthon besucheti (holotype). Dorsal habitus (1); base of pronotum and elytra (2); mesosternum and metasternum (3); aedeagus, ventral view (4); aedeagus, lateral left view (5). Scale bars = 1 mm.