Ochicanthon devagiriensis Sabu & Latha

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 : 7-10

Ochicanthon devagiriensis Sabu & Latha sp. nov.

( Figs. 13–17 )

Description. Body ( Fig. 13 ) predominantly black. Dorsal surface of head glabrous, with annular punctation separated by intervals approximately equal to their diameter. Pronotum in lateral view strongly convex, outline at base obtusely angled with that of elytral suture; laterobasal paramarginal ridge absent. Pronotal punctation ( Fig. 14 ) consists of annular setiferous punctures separated by interval approximately equal to their diameter, becoming larger laterally and posteriorly; setae conspicuous, arcuate and semi-erect. Elytra in lateral view strongly convex, bearing about a dozen tubercles, some on posterior portion of disc projecting conspicuously; suture conspicuously raised, except on apical quarter; striae shallow, wide, consisting of chains of discoidal depressions joined by straight sulci ( Fig. 14 ); interstriae moderately convex, uneven, covered with fine, sparse setiferous punctures arranged in two rows; background microsculpture smooth; setae stout, arcuate and semi-erect, never scale-like; lateral ridge posteriorly extended to level of apex of second stria. Mesosternum with sparse punctures towards base; meso-metasternal line angulate; metasternal shield with uniform punctation separated by intervals fairly equal to their diameter ( Fig.15 ). Pygidium rather uniformly covered with shallow annular setiferous punctures. Protrochanter with outer margin arcuate. Hind wings absent.

Male lacking obvious secondary sexual characters. Aedeagus as in Figs 16–17 .

Measurements (mm; n = 27): TL = 3.8–4.3; BW = 2.2–2.4; PL = 1.3–1.4; PW = 2.1–2.3; EL = 1.9–2.2. Type material. Holotype (male, in NPC): “ India, Kerala, Idikki District, Umayamalai (Eravikulam National Park), 2368 m, upper montane evergreen forest, dung baited pit fall trap, 1. IX. 2007, Shiju, T.R.”

Paratypes (26): Same data as holotype, 15 females in SJC and ZSI-Ca; same data as holotype, but 2. IX. 2007, 5 females in KFRI; “ India, Kerala, Idikki District, Rajamalai (Eravikulam National Park), 2114 m, montane evergreen forest, dung baited pit fall trap, 5. XII. 2006, Vinod, K.V,” 4 females in NPC; “ India, Kerala,” 1 male and 1 female in MHNG.

Distribution and natural history. South India (upper montane evergreen forests at Eravikulam National Park, in the South Western Ghats montane rain forest ecoregion).

Etymology. Named after the local name ‘Devagiri’ of St. Joseph’s College, Calicut, Kerala State, India.

Diagnosis. Within the genus, the presence of projecting tubercles on elytral disc is unique to O. devagiriensis . Among the four wingless Indian species of Ochicanthon (see diagnosis under O. besucheti ), only O. devagiriensis and O. vazdemelloi have the elytral pubescence arcuate, semi-erect and arranged in rows. The only other Ochicanthon species to possess erect elytral pubescence arranged in rows is O. hanskii Krikken & Huijbregts, 2007 , from Borneo, which is interestingly also the only non-Indian wingless species of the genus.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 17. Ochicanthon devagiriensis (holotype). Dorsal habitus (13); base of pronotum and elytra (14); mesosternum and metasternum (15); aedeagus, ventral view (16); aedeagus, lateral left view (17). Scale bars = 1 mm.