Ochthephilus aurorans (Peyerimhoff, 1914)

Makranczy, György, 2014, Revision of the genus Ochthephilus Mulsant & Rey, 1856 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Oxytelinae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 121 (4), pp. 457-694 : 482-488

Ochthephilus aurorans (Peyerimhoff, 1914) Figs 39-41, 47, 64, 84, 90, 91, 111, 514

Ancyrophorus aurorans Peyerimhoff, 1914: 249 . – Scheerpeltz, 1950: 65. – Fagel, 1951b: 6. Ochthephilus aurorans (Peyerimhoff) . – Herman, 1970: 384.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED: Ancyrophorus aurorans – LECTOTYPE (3, here designated): “[ ALGERIA:] Oued Biskra [*+34.85/+05.73*]; février 1914; R. de Borde \ Ancyrophorus ; aurorans; Peyerimhoff; -Type- \ Type [curator label] \ Museum Paris; Coll. P. de Peyerimhoff; 1950 \ Lectotypus; Ancyrophorus ; aurorans Peyerimhoff ; [on the back] des. Makranczy, 1999 \ Ochthephilus ; aurorans Peyerimhoff ; det. Makranczy, 1999” ( MNHP).

OTHER MATERIAL: MOROCCO: Tafilalet, Beni Tadjit, Khangnet, Oued Grou [*+32.24/-

03.47*], 5.IV.1938, leg. P. de Peyerimhoff, coll. Peyerimhoff, MNHP (1♀), MHNG (1♀).

REDESCRIPTION: Habitus as in Fig. 47, forebody as in Fig. 514. Measurements (n=3): HW = 0.41 (0.40-0.43); TW = 0.41 (0.40-0.43); PW = 0.45 (0.44-0.47); SW = 0.50 (0.49-0.50); AW = 0.56 (0.55-0.56); HL = 0.34 (0.32-0.36); EL = 0.10 (0.08-0.11); TL = 0.12 (0.10-0.14); PL = 0.38 (0.37-0.39); SL = 0.63 (0.62-0.64); SC = 0.56 (0.53-0.58); FB = 1.36 (1.30-1.40); BL = 2.46 (2.29-2.60) mm. Head reddish medium brown with dark brown transversal stripe along epistomal sulcus. Pronotum orangeish medium brown (marginal bead darker), abdomen medium brown with basal ridges marked by darker brown lines. Elytra medium to light brown, sometimes yellowish, darker from scutellar area to shoulders. Legs, mouthparts and antennae orangeish medium brown. Body with moderate lustre in spite of light body colour, head and elytra shinier. Pubescence rather sparse and uniformly short (regularly spaced) on elytra, longer but finer on head and pronotum, only abdomen with conspicuous and longer setae; a few particularly strong and long setae near pronotal sides and inner anterior corners of eyes. Elytral apex without conspicuous setae. Last tarsomere with a few setae only.

Forebody. Antenna as in Fig. 111. Clypeus (Fig. 90) almost impunctate (colliculate microsculptured), trapezoid, corners rounded, anterior edge gently arched; separated by black transversal line (frontoclypeal suture) across a shinier area. Supraantennal prominences well developed, feebly separated from clypeus/vertex by impressions. Vertex with oblique impressions in middle almost joining in V-shape. Temples very slightly bulging, evenly curved, little longer than eye length. Neck separated by slightly impressed transversal groove, microsculpture of different direction than on head, with transverse cells, no setation. Pronotum with narrow (and slightly darker) marginal bead, visible to anterior pronotal corners. Posterior pronotal angles well-formed, just slightly obtuse-angled, sides in posterior 1/2 almost straight. 'Anchor' partially formed, apart from longitudinal midline two roundish, elevated (shinier) areas near posterior margin and two similar ones on both sides of midline in anterior half of disc; basal arms barely visible. Elytra (Fig. 91) slightly broadening posteriorly, sutural corners narrowly rounded; apical sides more or less straight. Elytral surface rather even with two shallow, very elongate impressions behind scutellum. Head with fine coriaceous/colliculate microsculpture, fading on elevated parts, stronger in impressions, on pronotum microsculpture slightly stronger and more even. Punctation on head sparse, mostly confined to posterior part and sides, on pronotum more evenly spaced, average interspaces much larger than puncture diameters; elytral punctation more even and

FIGS 37-46

(37) general structure of the aedeagus in Ochthephilus: BO = basal orifice; OA = basal orifice appendix; AP = apical opening processes of median lobe; DA = digitiform lamellar appendix of median lobe subapical orifice (on parameral side); IS = (primary) inner sclerite (copulatory piece?); SS = secondary inner sclerite; VM = ventral margin of apical orifice (on parameral side); SB = striated band; AT = attatchment (joint) of paramere; MS = median lobe shell; PA = paramere apex; PR = main branch of paramere; SP = secondary lobe of paramere. (38-41) O. aurorans (Peyerimhoff) ; median apex of tergite VII (38), aedeagus (39), female ringstructures (40-41). (42-45) O. scheerpeltzi (Fagel) ; median apex of tergite VII (42), aedeagus (43), female ringstructures (44-45). (46) O. filum (Fauvel) , antennomeres 5-9. Scale bar = 0.013 mm for 43, 0.02 mm for 44-45, 0.023 mm for 39, 0.03 mm for 40-41, 0.08 mm for 42, 0.1 mm for 38, 46.

regularly spaced, average interspaces (with indistinct coriaceous microsculpture) about as puncture diameters, punctures discrete.

Abdomen. Compared to forebody, abdomen with much more sparse, finer, less distinct punctation, microsculpture on tergal apices fine coriaceous with moderately transverse cells. Tergite VII posterior margin with palisade fringe unmodified in middle (nearly uniform breadth). Tergite VIII (Fig. 84) basal edge evenly arched, without concavity in middle of basal sclerotized band; apical edge (Fig. 64) with sinuate (protruding) corners, and broad, moderately deep emargination in between. Corners with sclerotized tubercles in well developed males, also two medial sclerotized tubercles in the concavity. In lesser developed female specimens knobs sometimes entirely missing, margin between inner knobs either gently sinuate or slightly emarginate. Sternite VIII with rounded apical corners, apex in males more or less truncate (straight); similar in females. Tergite X unmodified, apex very slightly wider in males than in females. Aedeagus as in Fig. 39. Female ringstructures as in Figs 40-41.

COMPARATIVE NOTES: This species shares a similar formation of tergite VIII with O. scheerpeltzi , but O. aurorans is larger (PW = 0.44-0.47 mm) and antennae more elongate. Other species with similar colouration is the larger O. angustatus (PW = 0.47-0.58 mm) separable by a very different tergite VIII and more elongate antenna with asymmetrically swollen antennomere 7 in O. angustatus .

NOTE: Peyerimhoff based his description on two specimens, only one of which is found in his collection. The whereabout of the other specimen remains unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: The species is so far known from Morocco and Algeria, foot of the Atlas Mountains.

BIONOMICS: Only four specimens were ever recorded, with no specific bionomical information, but from the localities it can be inferred that they were collected at sandy-gravelly riverbanks.

Ochthephilus scheerpeltzi (Fagel, 1951) Figs 43-45, 48, 65, 85, 515 Ancyrophorus scheerpeltzi Fagel, 1951b: 5 . – Smetana, 1967: 384, 390.

Ochthephilus scheerpeltzi (Fagel) . – Herman, 1970: 385. – Makranczy, 2001: 178.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED: HOLOTYPE: “ Brandeis , près Prague, inondations de l’Elbe [*+50.18/+14.18*, leg. Skalitzky (according to description)]” ( ISNB) . – PARATYPES (2): “ Près Brandeis ” [this specimen is without head and pronotum] ( ISNB, 1♀) – “Toušeň, leg. Dr. Lokay ” ( ISNB, 13) .

OTHER MATERIAL: GERMANY: Leipzig, Wurzen *+51.38/+12.70*, 18.V.1918, leg. Linke, coll. Scholz, UWCP (1♀). — CZECH REPUBLIC: Toušeň *+50.11/+14.72*, leg. Dr. Lokay, coll. Lokay, NMPC (13) , MHNG (1) , HNHM (2). – Bohemia, Prag, Anschw? *+50.05/+14.41*, 3.V.1896, leg. K. Skalitzky, coll. Neumann, SMFD (1) , coll. Skalitzky, NHMW (2) . – Brandeis a/ Elbe *+50.18/+14.18*, 10.IV.1895, 18. IV.1906 and 18.VI.1894, leg. K. Skalitzky, coll. C. Bosch, SMFD (1♀, 1), coll. Skalitzky, NHMW (3) , coll. Bernhauer, FMNH (1) , HNHM (1) . — CROATIA: Fužine *+45.32/+14.71*, [leg.? K.] Kelecsényi, coll. Kaufmann, HNHM (1) . – Ludbreg *+46.25/+16.62*, leg. Apfelbeck, coll. Eppelsheim, NHMW (1) . — BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: Sarajevo *+43.86/+18.44*, Hochwasser, MZHF (1) HNHM (1♀); Ilidza , Miljacka *+43.86/+18.33*, leg. Paganetti, hochwasser, coll. Bernhauer, FMNH (1♀, 1) . — BULGARIA: Rumel., Trnovo-Sejmen [Turnovo-Seymen], Marica *+42.02/+25.85*, 21.III.1909, leg. Rambousek, coll. Roubal, SNMC (1) , coll. Rambousek, NMPC (1) , SDEI (1) . – Mac., Mittl. Struma [Струма], Kresana-Defilé [Кресненско дефиле] *+41.73/+23.16*, 13.VI.1937, leg. J. Breit, coll. Jörger, NHMB (1).

FIGS 47-48

Habitus of Ochthephilus species. O. aurorans (Peyerimhoff) (47), O. scheerpeltzi (Fagel) , 3 (48).

REDESCRIPTION: Habitus as in Fig. 48, forebody as in Fig. 515. Measurements (n=10): HW = 0.37 (0.35-0.39); TW = 0.36 (0.34-0.38); PW = 0.39 (0.37-0.41); SW = 0.42 (0.40-0.44); AW = 0.49 (0.44-0.55); HL = 0.31 (0.28-0.33); EL = 0.115 (0.10- 0.13); TL = 0.10 (0.09-0.11); PL = 0.33 (0.30-0.34); SL = 0.58 (0.53-0.61); SC = 0.54 (0.50-0.58); FB = 1.27 (1.19-1.34); BL = 2.29 (2.07-2.44) mm. Head reddish dark brown with a darker, blackish transversal stripe along epistomal sulcus, pronotum and abdomen somewhat lighter, slightly reddish medium brown (on abdomen basal ridges appearing as darker lines). Elytra even lighter, yellowish medium to light brown, but darker around scutellum and shoulders. Mouthparts, legs and antennae medium to light brown. Body with moderate lustre in spite of light body colour, only elytra shinier. Pubescence rather sparse and uniformly short (regularly spaced) on elytra, longer but finer on head and pronotum, only abdomen with conspicuous and longer setae; a few particularly strong and long setae near pronotal sides and inner anterior corners of eyes. Elytral apex without conspicuous setae. Last tarsomere with a few setae only.

Forebody. Antenna as in Fig. 48. Clypeus almost impunctate (colliculate microsculptured), trapezoid, corners rounded, anterior edge gently arched; separated by black transversal line (frontoclypeal suture) across a shinier area. Supraantennal prominences well developed, feebly separated from clypeus/vertex by impressions. Vertex with oblique impressions in middle almost joining in V-shape. Temples very slightly bulging, evenly curved, little shorter than eye length. Neck separated by slightly impressed transversal groove, microsculpture of different direction than on head, with transverse cells, no setation. Pronotum with narrow (and slightly darker) marginal bead, visible to anterior pronotal corners. Posterior pronotal angles well-formed, just slightly obtuse-angled, sides in posterior 1/2 almost straight. 'Anchor' partially formed, apart from longitudinal midline two roundish, elevated (shinier) areas near posterior margin and two similar ones on both sides of midline in anterior half of disc; basal arms barely visible. Elytra slightly broadening posteriorly, sutural corners narrowly rounded; apical sides more or less straight. Elytral surface rather even with two shallow, very elongate impressions behind scutellum. Head with fine coriaceous/colliculate microsculpture, fading on elevated parts, stronger in impressions, on pronotum microsculpture slightly stronger and more even. Punctation on head sparse, mostly confined to posterior part and sides, on pronotum more evenly spaced, average interspaces much larger than puncture diameters; elytral punctation more even and regularly spaced, average interspaces (with indistinct coriaceous microsculpture) about as puncture diameters, punctures discrete.

Abdomen. Compared to forebody, abdomen with much more sparse, finer, less distinct punctation, microsculpture on tergal apices fine coriaceous with moderately transverse cells. Tergite VII posterior margin with palisade fringe unmodified in middle (nearly uniform breadth). Tergite VIII (Fig. 85) basal edge evenly arched, without concavity in middle of basal sclerotized band; apical edge (Fig. 65) with sinuate (protruding) corners, and broad, moderately deep emargination in between. Corners with sclerotized tubercles in well developed males, also two medial sclerotized tubercles in the concavity. In lesser developed female specimens knobs sometimes entirely missing, margin between inner knobs either gently sinuate or slightly emarginate. Sternite VIII with rounded apical corners, apex in males more or less truncate

FIGS 49-63

(49-53) Ochthephiluscarnicus (Scheerpeltz); aedeagus (49), innersclerites (50-51), female ringstructures (52-53). (54-58) O. angustatus (Erichson) ; aedeagus (54), innersclerites (55-56), femaleringstructures (57-58). (59-63) O. filum (Fauvel) ; aedeagus (59), innersclerites (60-61), femaleringstructures (62-63). Scalebar = 0.06 mmfor 52-53, 57-58, 62-63, 0.08 mmfor 59-61, 0.1 mmfor 54-56, 0.12 mmfor 49-51.

(straight); similar in females. Tergite X unmodified, apex very slightly wider in males than in females. Aedeagus as in Fig. 43. Female ringstructures as in Figs 44-45.

COMPARATIVE NOTES: This species has as similar formation of tergite VIII to that of O. aurorans , but O. scheerpeltzi is smaller (PW = 0.37-0.41 mm) and antennae less elongate. Other species with similar colouration and size is O. filum , separable by a very different apical margin of tergite VIII.

DISTRIBUTION: The species is so far known from Central Europe and the

Balkans.

BIONOMICS: Specimens were collected from flood debris. Since this species was not observed in the last 80 years, any information about its bionomics is very superficial. As far as it can be speculated this species – as in the case for O. angustatus – inhabits only lowland rivers, but was perhaps always rare. Its relative frequency in historical collections is due to the different collecting habits of the old naturalists like Karl Skalitzky, who re-visited the same sites a great many times and their close attention to life habits enabled them to collect great rarities in numbers. Now these lowland river habitats are extinct in most of Europe, and this kind of collecting attitute has also vanished. For example, the specimen from Károly Kelecsényi was collected at Fužine (historical Croatia) probably circa 1890-1900. That location was destroyed by a pair of large dams built there and the feeding stream having been turned into a canal. The same happened to almost all the larger streams and rivers that could maintain this kind of habitat with a lot of sand deposits.

II. Ochthephilus angustatus species group