Ochicanthon ceylonicus 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 : 3-6

Ochicanthon ceylonicus Cuccodoro sp. nov.

( Figs. 6–8 )

Description. Body ( Fig. 6 ) predominantly black. Dorsal surface of head with annular setiferous punctures separated by intervals almost equal to their diameter. Pronotum in lateral view weakly convex, outline at base almost in line with that of elytral suture; laterobasal paramarginal ridge absent. Pronotal punctation ( Fig. 7 ) consists of annular setiferous punctures separated by interval equal to their diameter, becomes finer anteromedially; setae indistinct, straight and recumbent. Elytra moderately convex in lateral view; suture not raised; striae shallow, narrow, consisting of chains of oval depressions joined by straight sulci ( Fig. 7 ); interstriae slightly convex, uneven, finely punctate, irregular; background microsculpture smooth; setae fine, straight and recumbent; lateral ridge posteriorly extended to level of apex of second stria. Mesosternum impunctate, meso-metasternal line arcuate, metasternal shield coarsely punctate along the sides and finely punctate in the centre ( Fig. 8 ). Pygidium covered with shallow setiferous punctures becoming finer and sparser ventrally. Protrochanter with outer margin arcuate. Hind wings present.

Male unknown.

Measurements (mm; n = 3): TL = 4.2–4.4; BW = 2.4–2.5; PL = 1.1–1.2; PW = 2.0–2.1; EL = 2.1–2.2.

Type material. Holotype (female, MHNG): “ Ceylan [ Sri Lanka], Central, Peradeniya, 550m, 19.i.1970, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard, #10” [sifting in forest near experimental agricultural station].

Paratypes (2 females, MHNG): same data as holotype.

Distribution and natural history. Sri Lanka. (Peradeniya in the Sri Lanka lowland rainforest ecoregion).

Etymology. Named after “ Ceylon ”, the former name of Sri Lanka.

Diagnosis. Ochicanthon ceylonicus and O. cingalensis are the only Ochicanthon known from Sri Lanka. Both species can be easily distinguished by the pygidium, which is markedly punctate in O. ceylonicus and appearing impunctate in O. cingalensis . They uniquely share unicolored elytra and striae consisting of chains of oval depressions joined by straight sulci with the South Indian species O. gauricola and O. tristis . However the South Indian species have the middle portion of the meso-metasternal line subangulate.

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 8. Ochicanthon ceylonicus (holotype). Dorsal habitus (6); base of pronotum and elytra (7); mesosternum and metasternum (8). Scale bars = 1 mm.