Olophrum fuscum ( GRAVENHORST 1806)

Zanetti, A., 2008, Synonymies in the European Omaliinae, with notes on distribution (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 40 (1), pp. 979-992 : 984

Olophrum fuscum ( GRAVENHORST 1806)

Omalium fuscum GRAVENHORST 1806

Olophrum transversicolle LUZE 1905 : synonymy confirmed: Lectotype male (here designated) labelled / Taufers Tir. Luze / Type transversicolle Luze / ex coll. Luze (yellow) / Typus Olophrum transversicolle Luze (red) / Olophrum fuscum (Gravh.) det. Zanetti 2008 aedeagus in Euparal, 3 paralectotypes female with the same data (NHMH ( Fig. 29 ).

C o m m e n t s: Oloprum fuscum ( GRAVENHORST 1806) is closely related to O. piceum ( GYLLENHAL 1810) and not always easy to distinguish from it. Besides the exoskeletal differences (elytra more flattened, puncuration finer, pronotum less narrowed in front) the aedeagus is decisive for the identification. It is less elongate in O. fuscum and the apex of the parameres is different ( HAMMOND 1970b) (Figs 14, 24-30), the two apical setae are more distant. O. transversicolle LUZE 1905 , described from Tyrol and distributed in the Eastern Alps, was synonymized with O. fuscum by BERNHAUER & SCHUBERT (1910), then considered a valid species by SCHEERPELTZ (1929), a variety of O. fuscum by MUNSTER (1935) and a valid species by subsequent authors (e.g. LOHSE 1964 and ZANETTI 1987). The differential characters reported in the literature (sparser and finer puncuration, wider pronotum with almost straight margins in the middle) are not sufficient to consider it a valid species because the shape of the aedeagus, mostly the apex of the parameres, is the same ( Fig. 29 ). A similar level of difference between Central European and Alpine populations in Olophrum can be observed in O. consimile GYLLENHAL 1810 , whose alpine populations, formerly attributed to different species (see above) are now considered co specific.

Figures

Figs 17-30: Olophrum piceum (GYLLENHAL), apex of paramere: (17) lectotype; (18) specimen from Meppen (Niedersachsen); (19) idem; (20) specimen from Friedland (Germany); (21) type of O. austriacum SCHEERPELTZ; (22) specimen from Meppen (Niedersachsen); (23) type of O. leleupi FAGEL. Olophrum fuscum (GRAVENHORST), apex of paramere: (24) specimen from Torfhaus (Niedersachsen); (25) idem; (26) specimen from Plön (N Germany); (27); specimen from Winsen/Luhe (Niedersachsen); (28) specimen from Revsund (Sweden); (29) type of O. transversicolle LUZE; (30) specimen from Val Calamento (Trento, Italy).