Olophrum lama Shavrin, 2018

Shavrin, Alexey V., 2018, Two new species and records of Olophrum laxum species group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Omaliinae: Anthophagini) from China and Nepal, Zootaxa 4399 (2), pp. 295-300 : 296-298

Olophrum lama Shavrin , sp.n.

( Figs. 1 , 3 –4 )

Type material examined: Holotype ♂ [plastic plate with aedeagus and apical abdominal segment was pinned under the card with the specimen; mediobasal portion of the pronotum with small artificial indentation; basal part of the aedeagus slightly damaged (shown as dotted lines in Fig. 3 )]: ‘ NEPAL 14/ 15.9.1999 | Rolwaling vall.3600 | 4000m, Beding to Na | leg. J. Schmidt’ <rectangular label, printed> / ‘ HOLOTYPE | Olophrum | lama sp.n. | Shavrin A.V. des. 2017’ <red rectangulat label, printed> ( CSC).

Description. Measurements (n=1): HW: 0.62; HL: 0.60; AL: 1.66; OL: 0.22; PL: 0.75; PW: 1.20; ESL: 1.57; EW: 1.77; AW: 1.71; MTbL: 1.00; MTrL: 0.55 (MTrL 1–4: 0.40; MTrL 5: 0.15); AedL: 0.87; TL: 4.65.

Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Body, antennomeres 5–11 and legs yellow-brown; antennomeres 1–4 and mouthparts yellow. Head with irregular, small and moderately deep punctation distinctly denser on infraorbital ridges and temples, median part of head with very sparse punctation; neck with irregular moderately sparse punctation; punctation of pronotum slightly larger and denser than that on head and neck, with small impunctate portions on mediobasal third and posterior margin; scutellum with several small punctures; punctation of elytra in diameter and deep as that in pronotum, but markedly denser, especially on sutural area behind scutellum, middle part of each elytron with very indistinct and tangled seven longitudinal rows of serial punctures, punctures of three sutural rows slightly smaller, located very close together and separated from fourth row by moderately wide impunctate interspace, other interspaces between rows narrower, lateral punctures not serially arranged, irregularly scattered; abdomen without punctation except of tergite VIII with several punctures.

Head narrow, about as wide as long, with moderately distinct occipital line behind ocelli, with elongated indistinct straight grooves in front of ocelli, reaching midlength of eye; head behind posterior margins of eyes with extremely flattened postocular ridges, with almost parallel-sided temples, slightly narrowed toward neck; surface between postocular ridge and posterior margin of eye as long as two nearest facets; anterolateral portions between antennal insertion and anterior margin of eye widely concaved. Eyes moderately large, weakly protruded. Ocelli large and very convex, equal to diameter of three nearest punctures; distance between ocelli subequal to distance between ocellus and posterior margin of eye. Apical segment of maxillary palpi slightly more than twice as long as preceding segment. Antenna with elongated antennomeres 1–7 and glabrous antennomeres 1–3, reaching basal third of elytra when reclined; measurements of antennomeres (holotype): 1: 0.21 × 0.07; 2: 0.16 × 0.06; 3: 0.17 × 0.06; 4–5: 0.17 × 0.07; 6–7: 0.16 × 0.08; 8–9: 0.14 × 0.08; 10: 0.13 × 0.09; 11: 0.18 × 0.09.

Pronotum 1.6 times as wide as long, about twice as wide as head, widest in middle, markedly more narrowed anteriad than posteriad, with distinctly explanate lateral portions; anterior angles widely rounded, not protruded apicad, posterior angles obtuse; lateral portions with oval pits in middle; lateral margins with very flattened indistinct crenulation.

Elytra convex, 1.1 times as wide as long, distinctly widened posteriad, extending to apical margin of abdominal tergite III, with slightly explanate lateral portions; latero-apical margin of elytra with indistinct flattened crenulation.

Metatibia 1.8 times as long as metatarsus.

Abdomen distinctly narrower than elytra, without tomentose spots on tergite V; intersegmental membranes between tergites III–VI wide, covered by brickwall-like sculpture; tergite VII with short palisade fringe on apical margin.

Male. Apical margin of abdominal tergite VIII rounded. Apical margin of abdominal sternite VIII slightly sinuate. Aedeagus ( Fig. 3 ) with very wide basal part, gradually narrowed toward widely rounded apex; parameres significantly exceeding apex of median lobe, apical portions of parameres with two moderately long apical and preapical setae; internal sac very wide, consisting of numerous acute thorns. Aedeagus laterally as in Fig. 4 .

Female unknown.

Comparative notes. Olophrum lama sp.n. differs from the remaining species of the laxum group by the narrower head with extremely flattened postocular ridges and weakly protruding eyes, as well as by the very wide internal sac of the aedeagus.

Distribution. The new species is known only from the type locality in the Rolwaling Himal of the central Nepal.

Bionomics. The type specimen was collected at elevations from 3600 to 4000 m a.s.l. The detailed ecological data are unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet is the noun lama (title for a teacher, priest or monk of the dharma in Buddhism) in apposition.

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Habitus of Olophrum lama (1: holotype) and O. schuelkei (2: holotype).Scale bar:1.0 mm.

FIGURES 3–6. Aedeagus of Olophrum lama (3–4: holotype) and O. schuelkei (5–6: holotype): 3, 5—parameral view, 4, 6— lateral view. Scale bar:0.1 mm.