Oedichirus depravatus, Assing, 2013

Assing, V., 2013, Three new species of Paederinae from Northeast India (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 45 (2), pp. 1561-1570 : 1562-1564

Oedichirus depravatus nov.sp.

( Figs 1-5 , Map 1 )

Type material: Holotype: " India: Meghalaya #2b, West Garo Hills dist., Trail Tura - Tura Peak , summit, 800 m, 14.X.2004, 25°30'12''N, 90°40'07''E / Leg. G. Cuccodoro, C. Carlton, R. Leschen & D. Erne / Holotypus Oedichirus depravatus sp.n. det. V. Assing 2013" ( MHNG) . Paratypes: 1: same data as holotype ( cAss) ; 1: " India: Meghalaya #4, road Rongram - Phulbari , ca. 5 km W Rongram, 450 m, 16.X.2004, 25°36'15''N, 90°14'27''E / Leg. G. Cuccodoro, C. Carlton, R. Leschen & D. Erne " ( MHNG) .

Etymology: The specific epithet is the past participle of the Latin verb depravare (to deform) and alludes to the distinctly asymmetric male sternite VIII.

Description: Body length 7.5-9.0 mm; length of forebody 2.8-3.4 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Coloration: body reddish, with abdominal segments VII-X black; legs and antennae dark-yellowish.

Head ( Fig. 2 ) transverse, approximately 1.2 times as broad as long, broadest across eyes; posterior angles sharply marked by a small setiferous projection; dorsal surface with few coarse punctures, the median ones arranged in a transverse oval or rectangle, near posterior margin with a transverse row of densely set punctures. Eyes strongly convex, almost reaching posterior margin of head. Antenna 2.2-2.4 mm long.

Pronotum ( Fig. 2 ) approximately 1.1 times as long as broad and 1.1 times as broad as head, widest in anterior half and distinctly tapering posteriorly; punctation very coarse, coarser than that of head, somewhat irregularly spaced in anterior third and forming a dorsal series of 4-5 punctures on either side of middle in posterior two thirds of pronotum.

Elytra ( Fig. 2 ) short, approximately 0.65 times as long as pronotum, widest in posterior half; humeral angles completely obsolete; punctation very coarse. Hind wings completely reduced.

Abdomen approximately as broad as elytra; anterior impression of tergite III with normal punctation, impressions of tergites IV-VI with numerous longitudinal keels separated by small impressions; remainder of tergal surfaces with coarse punctures arranged in two (tergite III) or three (tergites IV-VII) transverse rows; punctures on tergite VII distinctly less coarse than those on tergites III-VI; posterior margin of tergite VII without palisade fringe.

: sternite VIII ( Fig. 3 ) with distinctly asymmetric posterior excision, this excision furnished with modified stout yellowish setae; aedeagus ( Figs 4-5 ) 1.3 mm long and somewhat asymmetric.

Comparative notes: Using the key in CAMERON (1931), O. depravatus would key out at couplet 6, together with O. rufotestaceus BERNHAUER 1902 ( Sri Lanka), from which it differs by larger size ( O. rufotestaceus : 7 mm) and by the different punctation of the pronotum and of the elytra ( O. rufotestaceus : pronotum with fine punctation; elytral punctation arranged in distinct rows). The male sexual characters of O. rufotestaceus are unknown.

Distribution and natural history: The type specimens were collected in two geographically close localities in Meghalaya, Northeast India ( Map 1 ), at altitudes of 450 and 800 m.

Figures

Map 1: Distributions of Oedichirus depravatus nov.sp. (triangles), O. bicuspidatus nov.sp. (circle), and Paederus borailicus nov.sp. (circle).

Figs 1-5: Oedichirus depravatus nov.sp.: (1) habitus; (2) forebody; (3) male sternite VIII; (4) aedeagus in lateral view; (5) apical portion of aedeagus in ventral view. Scale bars: 1-2: 1.0 mm; 3- 5: 0.5 mm.