Oedichirus minor CAMERON

Rougemont, Guillaume de, 2018, New oriental Oedichirus (Staphylinidae, Paederinae, Pinophilini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 50 (1), pp. 461-536 : 489-490

Oedichirus minor CAMERON

(Figs 53)

Oedichirus minor CAMERON, 1914: 537 .

Oedichirus minor CAMERON 1932: 30 .

Material studied: 1♀: Ceylon, G. Lewis 1910-320 / Bogawantalawa 4,900-5,200 ft. 28.11- 12.III.82 / Oedichirus minor Cam. / LECTOTYPE Oedichirus minor Cameron Des. 2015 G. de Rougemont [ NHML]

Additional material: 1♂: CEYLON, Kandy , 10.VII.1979, G. de Rougemont [ CRO]; 1♀: CEYLAN, Uva, Haputale, 1350 m, 23.I.1970, MUSSARD BESUCHET LÖBL / Oedichirus sp. det. G. de Rougemont 1999 / Oedichirus minor Cam. det. 2015 G. de Rougemont [ MHNG]; 1♀: CEYLAN, Central, Hakgala , 28.I.70, 1700 – 1800 m, MUSSARD BESUCHET LÖBL [ MHNG]; 1♂: CEYLAN, Central, Pidurutalagala , 29.I.70, MUSSARD BESUCHET LÖBL / Oedichirus sp. det G. de Rougemont 1999 / Oedichirus minor Cam. det. 2015 G. de Rougemont [ MHNG].

Description: length (of type): 5.4 mm; length of fore-body: 2.6; length of head: 0.75; breadth of head: 0.92; length of antenna: 1.65; length of pronotum: 0.97; breadth of pronotum: 0.87; length of elytron: 0.75; breadth of elytra: 1.1. Body black, palpi, antennae and legs uniformly testaceous. Dorsal surfaces glossy, devoid of microsculpture. Pubescence long, erect. Habitus: Fig. 53h.

Head strongly transverse, eyes large and prominent; post-ocular carina salient, ending anteriad in a large dentiform angles well removed from posterior margin of eye; puncturation of disc sparse and irregular, composed of about a dozen small punctures on frons and anterior part of vertex, and a transverse series of four larger punctures before base, and about three small punctures on either side in groove above post-ocular carina.

Pronotum cordiform, the sides retracted in almost straight lines to narrow base; lateral margins without evident borders; disc with a pair of arcuate series of four punctures each preceded by half a dozen smaller punctures, lateral series of three punctures each and small punctures along lateral margins. Micropterous, elytra very broad, short, widest just behind middle, the humeral angles completely obsolete, the posterior angles produced. Punctures of abdominal tergites arranged in three discrete transverse rows, the first very close to row of keels and furrows on anterior margin, the three median punctures of second row much larger than lateral punctures.

Male: abdominal sternite VII unmodified; sternite VIII: Fig. 53s8; aedoeagus: Fig. 53arl

Female: abdominal sternite IX: Fig. 53vp.

Of the known Ceylanese species O. minor , owing to its black colour and microptery, most closely resembles O. mahanuvaraensis nov.sp. from which it can be readily distinguished by the uniformly testaceous legs. The original description was based on the specimen from Bogawantalawa listed above; since it did not bear any type label I have designated it lectotype of the species.