Oropodes casson Chandler & Caterino

Chandler, Donald S. & Caterino, Michael S., 2011, A taxonomic revision of the New World genus Oropodes Casey (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae), ZooKeys 147, pp. 425-477 : 446-448

11. Oropodes casson Chandler & Caterino sp. n. Fig. 12Map 3

Specimen examined.

HOLOTYPE male: California, Sequoia National Park, Ash Mt. Road, IV-30-1955, H.R. Moffitt (UCDC).

Description.

Length about 1.90. Body light orange-brown. Eyes with about 65 facets. Antennomeres V and VII slightly larger than those adjacent, V-VIII obconical, IX nearly as large as X. Abdomen with carinae of first ventrite extending from posteromesal margin of metacoxal cavities posteriorly to ventrite apex.

Males: Metasternum with median longitudinal sulcus. Legs (Fig. 21): profemora with large tubercle near base on mesal margin; protibiae angulate on mesal margin at about two-thirds length from base; mesotibiae with short apical spur; metatibiae with apical spur. Abdomen (Fig. 12C) with disc of second ventrite semicircularly impressed to two blunt teeth on apical margin, teeth 0.12 apart; third ventrite 0.58 wide, with disc transversely impressed anterior to narrow lamina, impression with irregular row of short dense setae, lamina 0.16 wide, originating near middle of ventrite, deeply emarginate on anterior margin, lamina raised at about 40°; fourth-sixth ventrites flattened in middle third; setose area of sixth ventrite (Fig. 12D) slightly narrowing toward medially, still well-separated at middle. Aedeagus (Fig. 12A) 0.48 long; with left paramere angularly rounded, longer than subtruncate right paramere, with two curving spines that are apically divided and complex.

Females: unknown.

Collection notes.

Taken in late April from a dry-scrub forest area.

Geographical distribution.

(Map 3): The single record is from the west side of the southern portion of the Sierra Nevada.

Comparisons and diagnostic notes. Placed as a member of the raffrayi-group, and most similar to Oropodes aalbui and Oropodes chumash in sharing the median position of the lamina of the third ventrite and the blunt or rounded apical projections of the second ventrite. The armature of all the tibiae is close to that of Oropodes aalbui : protibiae medially angulate, and relatively short apical spurs of the meso- and metatibiae. The lamina of the third ventrite is more upright (at about 40°) than that of Oropodes aalbui (at about 25°), the projections of the second ventrite are more prominent versus the broadly rounded lobes found in Oropodes aalbui , and the large rods of the internal sac are more spinose in the apical portion. This specimen was originally placed as Oropodes nuclere by Grigarick & Schuster (1976).

Etymology.

The specific epithet, treated as a Latin singular noun in apposition, nominative case, is based on the tribal name of the Casson group of Yokut Indians, who originally lived in the area where the holotype of this species was taken.