Ocypus (Pseudocypus) alticulminis, He & Zhou, 2017

He, Liang & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2017, Taxonomy of the subgenus Pseudocypus Mulsant & Rey (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylinini) and eight new species from China, Zootaxa 4339 (1), pp. 1-77 : 23

5. Ocypus (Pseudocypus) alticulminis sp. nov.

(Figs. 5-1, 5-2)

Type locality: CHINA, Sichuan Province, west of Danba County, Geshizaxiang.

Type material. Holotype male, CHINA: Sichuan Province: west of Danba County, Geshizaxiang , 2490 m, coniferous forest, pitfall traps, 20–22.VII.2001, coll. Xiaodong Yu & Hongzhang Zhou (IZ-CAS) . Paratypes: CHINA: Sichuan Province: 1 male, 2 females, same data as holotype (IZ-CAS) ; 1 male, west of Danba County, Geshizaxiang , 2620 m, mixed broad-leaved forest, pitfall traps, 20–22.VII.2001, coll. Xiaodong Yu & Hongzhang Zhou (IZ-CAS).

Measurements. Body length: 24.5– 21.2 mm. CL: 0.81; EL: 3.42; ELS: 1.45; EW: 4.06; HL: 3.32; HW: 3.97; PO: 1.89; PL: 4.15; PW: 3.72.

Description. Large sized species. Body robust, entirely black to brunneous-black, elytra and abdomen slightly paler; maxillary and labial palpi brunneous; antennae brunneous-black; legs brunneous-black, with protibia distinctly paler; protibia and protarsus covered with dense brownish pubescence; pubescence of dorsal side of head and pronotum brownish black, and that of elytra and abdominal tergites almost the same.

Head of rounded inverted trapezoid shape, large and wide, with rounded posterior angles, distinctly wider than long (ratio 1.20), slightly narrowed toward basal parts. Eyes small and slightly protruding, considerably shorter than tempora (ratio 0.43) in dorsal view. Punctation and pubescence on dorsal surface of head dense and fine, puncture intervals larger than diameters of punctures; punctation gradually becoming sparser toward clypeus; impunctate midline vaguely present on posterior half of head. Gular sutures distinctly separated, and gular becoming strip-shaped in middle and posterior section. Antenna moderately long, segment 3 distinctly longer than segment 2 (ratio 1.39), segments 4 to 7 longer than wide, segment 8 to 10 about as long as wide, gradually becoming shorter toward apex (note: all specimens of Ocypus alticulminis sp. nov. known at present have lost several apical antennal segments and segment 11 could not be observed). Pronotum vaguely longer than wide (ratio 1.12), slightly dilated posteriad from middle, with posterior angles widely rounded; narrow marginal groove relatively wider than most species of Pseudocypus , disappearing downwards at about half of pronotal length; impunctate midline distinct at posterior half, gradually disappeared toward apex; punctation and pubescence on disc relatively sparser than that on dorsal surface of head, puncture intervals larger than diameters of punctures. Pronotal hypomeron lacking microsetae. Scutellum finely punctate and setose on entire surface. Elytra short, distinctly depressed at base, slightly dilated posteriad; elytral length shorter than pronotum along midline, with a ratio of 0.34 along suture and a ratio of 0.82 along sides; elytral punctation much finer and denser than that on head disc, combined with very fine and dense microsculpture. Wings markedly reduced. Abdominal tergite 2 densely and finely punctate and pubescent on entire surface; all visible abdominal tergites very densely and finely punctate and pubescent, punctation gradually becoming slightly sparser and coarser toward apex of abdomen; no yellowish tomentose pubescence present on visible tergites 4 and 5.

Male. Sternite 8 narrow, with acutely triangular medioapical emargination (Fig. 5-2 J). Sternite 9 elongate, with acute apical emargination; tapered basal portion rather short (Fig. 5-2 H). Tergite 10 elongate, relatively densely setose, shaped as in Fig. 5-2 A. Aedeagus long and simple, shaped as in Figs. 5-1 B, C, 5-2 B–D; apical portion of median lobe elongate and lanceolate, slightly asymmetrical (Fig. 5-2 F); apical portion of paramere also elongate and lanceolate; sensory peg setae arranged along apical margin of paramere, not numerous (Figs. 5-1 D, 5- 2 G).

Female. Second gonocoxite elongate, shaped as in Figs. 5-1 E, 5- 2 I. Tergite 10 of female relatively narrow, with subacute triangular apex, densely setose (Fig. 5-2 E).

Distribution. Ocypus alticulminis sp. nov. is at present known only from Danba County in western Sichuan Province.

Notes. The specimens of Ocypus alticulminis sp. nov. and Ocypus anguliculminis sp. nov. were collected in the same places and even similar altitudes and habitats. Both species are of large body size, but they can be distinguished from each other by the different shape of the pronotal disc and the differently shaped aedeagus.

Etymology. The specific epithet, alticulminis , is from the Latin words " altus " (high altitude) and " culmen " (culminis, tip, top).