Oedichirus rufotestaceus BERNHAUER

Rougemont, Guillaume de, 2018, New oriental Oedichirus (Staphylinidae, Paederinae, Pinophilini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 50 (1), pp. 461-536 : 498-499

Oedichirus rufotestaceus BERNHAUER

(Figs 19)

Oedichirus rufotestaceus BERNHAUER, 1902: 39 .

Oedichirus rufotestaceus CAMERON, 1932: 29 .

Material studied: ♀ Type (lacking head and prothorax): Nalanda / rufotestaceus Bh. Det. Bernhauer / rufotestaceus Bernh. Type Ceylon. Horn / Chicago NHMuseum M. Bernhauer collection [ FMC].

Additional material: 1♀: CEYLAN, Northern, Murumkan , 5.II.70, MUSSARD BESUCHET LÖBL / Oedichirus rufotestaceus Bnh. det. 2016 G. de Rougemont [ MHNG] ; 1♀: CEYLAN, Southern, Yala Nat.-Park , 24.I.70, MUSSARD BESUCHET LÖBL / Oedichirus rufotestaceus Bnh. det. 2016 G. de Rougemont [ CRO] .

Description (of ex. from Yala): length: ca. 7.5; length of fore-body: 2.9; length of head: 0.85; breadth of head: 0.97; length of antenna: 1.7; length of pronotum: 1.45; breadth of pronotum: 1; length of elytron: 0.92; breadth of elytra: 1.2. Body reddishbrown except abdominal segments VII-IX black, palpi, antennae and legs uniformly testacous. All dorsal surfaces with dense but faint micro-reticulation in ex. from Yala, imperceptible or non-existant in ex. from Murumkan (observed in good light at x40-50 magnification). Pubescence moderately long, pale, semi-erect. Habitus: Fig. 19h.

Head moderately transverse, eyes large but not particularly prominent; post-ocular carina fine, forming a small dentiform angle close to posterior margin of eye; puncturaiton of disc sparse, consisting of a number of very small punctures on frons, half a dozen large punctures on vertex, and numerous small punctures near base. Pronotum relatively short, the sides retracted in almost straight lines between broadly rounded anterior and posterior angles; lateral margins not visibly bordered; puncturation of disc serially aligned; the series may be descrinbed as a pair of discal series of 5-6 punctures preceded by a group of four punctures disposed in a square, or alternatively, because the two lateral punctures of each group are aligned aproximately with discal series, as a pair of discal series of 6-7 punctures extending anteriad almost to anterior margin; in addition there are a number of scattered punctures between the discal series and those of lateral margins. Micropterous, elytra short and broad, the humeral angles completely obsolete; punctures arranged in three slightly divergent series of ca. 5 puntures on disc and the usual series of smaller punctures along lateral margins. Punctures of abdominal tergites arranged in four discrete transverse rows, the first row consisting of small round punctures adjacent to basal keels of tergites, the punctures of following rows larger.

Female: sternite IX: Fig. 19vp.

Variability: the variation in microsculpture has been noted above. Apart from the colour of abdominal segments III, the differences between O. rufotestaceus and O. ruficeps given by CAMERON (1932) – relative breadth of head, puncturation of the abdomen – are largely illusory (see remark on puncturation of abdomen in ‘diagnostic characters’ above) or based on variable characters. These two species and the very similar O. rufulus nov.sp. described below may be separated as follows:

1 Abdominal segment III black; last row of punctures on abdominal tergites (on posterior margin) widely and irregularly spaced; vulvar plate: Fig.18vp .................. ruficeps KRAATZ

- Abdominal segment III rufo-testaceous, concolorous with fore-body and following segments; last row of punctures on abdominal tergites as closely and regularly spaced as those of preceding rows ..................................................................................................2

2 Head, pronotum and elytra with dense but faint micro-reticulation, surfaces less shiny; puncturation of elytra coarser and denser; vulvar plate: Fig. 19vp. Ceylon.......................... .................................................................................................... rufotestaceus BERNHAUER

- Head, pronotum and elytra devoid of micro-reticulation, Surfaces glossy; puncturation of elytra finer and sparser; vulvar plate: Fig. 20vp; aedoeagus: Fig. 20arl. S. India.............. ...................................................................................................................... rufulus nov.sp.