Ochthephilus gusarovi, Makranczy, 2014

Makranczy, György, 2014, Revision of the genus Ochthephilus Mulsant & Rey, 1856 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Oxytelinae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 121 (4), pp. 457-694 : 566-569

Ochthephilus gusarovi sp. nov. Figs 259, 286-290, 328-329, 545, 576

TYPE MATERIAL: HOLOTYPE (3): “ CHINA: W-Sichuan, Ya'an Prefecture, Tianquan Co., E Erlang Shan pass, 29°52.36'N, 102°17.82'E, 2900m, 20.VI.1999, leg. A. Pütz ” ( SDEI). – PARATYPES (24): same data as holotype (coll. Pütz, 13, 3, ZMUN, 13, HNHM, 1♀). – “Ya'an Prefecture, Tianquan Co. , E Erlang Shan pass, 9km SE Luding, 29°52'N, 102°18'E, 2900m, 20.VI.1999, leg. M. Schülke, Bachufer, Moos + Schotter” (coll. Schülke, 23, 6, ZMHB, 13, 1♀, MHNG, 13, 1♀, NHMW, 13, 1♀, ZMUN, 1♀, HNHM, 13, 1♀). – “ CHINA: Sichuan, Gongga Shan, Hailuogou, above Camp 3, 3000m, 29°35' N, 102°00' E, 6.VII.1996, leg. A. Smetana, J. Farkač & P. Kabátek (C53), [sifting of accumulated leaf litter, various debris and moss on small sandy beaches of a small creek]” (coll. Smetana, 13) .

DESCRIPTION: Forebody as in Fig. 545. Measurements (n=10): HW = 0.57 (0.55-0.59); TW = 0.505 (0.48-0.52); PW = 0.625 (0.58-0.66); SW = 0.80 (0.76-0.84); AW = 0.83 (0.76-0.90); HL = 0.43 (0.41-0.44); EL = 0.19 (0.17-0.20); TL = 0.08 (0.07- 0.09); PL = 0.50 (0.47-0.53); SL = 0.98 (0.94-1.04); SC = 0.89 (0.86-0.94); FB = 1.95 (1.88-2.04); BL = 3.54 (3.30-3.76) mm. Head, pronotum and abdomen blackish dark brown. Elytra medium brown, sometimes ochre, except scutellar area to shoulders and a broad transversal stripe at apex dark brown (the expression of the lighter elytra FIGS 309-323

(309-313) Ochthephilusandalusiacus (Fagel); aedeagus (309), innersclerites (310-311), female ringstructures (312-313). (314-318) O. ashei sp. n.; aedeagus (314), innersclerites (315-316), femaleringstructures (317-318). (319-323) O. nitidus (Cameron) ; aedeagus (319), innersclerites (320-321), femaleringstructures (322-323). Scalebar = 0.055 mmfor 312-313, 317-318, 0.06 mmfor 322-323, 0.1 mmfor 309-311, 314-316, 319-321.

varies, but the apical stripe always darker). Mouthparts and antennae dark brown, legs medium to dark brown, tarsi and both ends of tibiae lighter, medium brown. Body with greasy lustre mostly due to elytral setation plus forebody punctation and microsculpture. Pubescence rather fine and moderately dense, shorter and stronger (regularly spaced) on elytra, abdominal tergites with finer and longer setae, especially adjacent to laterosternites. Head anteriad eyes and near inner posterior margin of eye with stronger and darker bristles, as well as pronotal margin and middle of tibiae. Elytral apex without conspicuous setae. Last tarsomere with a few setae only.

Forebody. Antenna as in Fig. 576, antennomere 6 shorter and less wide than neighbours (articles 5 and 7). Clypeus sparsely punctate (colliculate microsculptured), trapezoid, corners rounded, anterior edge gently arched; separated by impressed 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 bulging, evenly curved, little shorter than half of eye length. Neck separated by an impressed transversal groove, microsculpture much stronger than on head, with transverse cells, no setation. Pronotum with a narrow marginal bead, visible to anterior pronotal corners. Posterior pronotal angles well-formed, just slightly obtuse-angled, sides in posterior 2/3 very gently concave/bisinuate. 'Anchor' fully formed, longitudinal midline as a slightly elevated, impunctate, weakly microsculptured line, parallel to this line two gentle, semi-longitudinal elongate elevations in anterior half of disc. In corners of anchor feeble, oblique impressions directed outwards, in middle at sides of midline two smaller impressions. Elytra slightly broadening posteriorly, sutural corners narrowly rounded; apical sides slightly oblique and in inner halves gently convex. 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. 259) basal edge evenly arched, with small concavity in middle of basal sclerotized band; apical edge with sinuate (protruding) corners, and broad, moderately deep emargination in between. Sternite VIII with rounded apical corners, apex in males shallowly concave laterally, gently sinuate in middle; in females slightly more sinuate (convex) in middle. Tergite X strongly modified, in males as in Fig. 328, in females as in Fig. 329. Aedeagus as in Fig. 286, inner sclerites as in Figs 287-288. Female ringstructures as in Figs 289-290.

ETYMOLOGY: Named after Dr. Vladimir I. Gusarov (now Oslo, Norway but originating from St. Petersburg, Russia) who was clearly a mentor in my early years as PhD student in Kansas, in fact I learned much of the trade from him.

COMPARATIVE NOTES: A sibling species of O. qingyianus , (separation from it see in the key) but with much lighter elytra. These two species share a number of interesting features, strong and unique modification of tergite X, conspicuously longer (and strong) abdominal setation and a deep mid-vertex puncture.

DISTRIBUTION: Currently only known from the Chinese province of Sichuan .

BIONOMICS: Specimens were collected from sifting of leafpacks, various debris and moss on streambanks.