Ochicanthon mussardi Cuccodoro

Latha, Mathews, Cuccodoro, Giulio & Sabu, Thomas K., 2011, Taxonomy of the dung beetle genus Ochicanthon Vaz-de-Mello (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) of the Indian subcontinent, with notes on distribution patterns and flightlessness, Zootaxa 2745, pp. 1-29 : 18

Ochicanthon mussardi Cuccodoro sp. nov.

( Figs 41–45 )

Description. Body ( Fig. 41 ) predominantly black with one distinct orange-yellow humeral spot on each elytron. Punctation on dorsal surface of head annular separated by an interval of about half their diameter. Pronotum in lateral view weakly convex, outline at base almost in line with that of elytral suture; laterobasal paramarginal ridge well marked, extended on slightly more than one third of pronotal length. Pronotal punctation ( Fig. 42 ) similar to that on head, becoming finer anteromedially and larger anterolaterally; setae almost indistinct, straight and recumbent. Elytra in lateral view weakly convex; suture not raised; striae shallow, narrow, consisting of chains of oval depressions joined by straight sulci ( Fig. 42 ); interstriae weakly convex, uneven, finely punctate, irregularly; background microsculpture smooth; setae fine, straight and recumbent; lateral ridge posteriorly extended nearly to level of apex of fourth stria. Mesosternum impunctate, meso-metasternal line subangulate; metasternal shield with punctures separated by intervals equal to less than their diameter, centre very finely and sparsely punctate ( Fig. 43 ). Pygidium covered with large annular setiferous punctures becoming finer ventrally. Protrochanter with outer margin arcuate. Hind wings present.

Male lacking obvious secondary sexual characters. Aedeagus as in Figs 44–45 .

Measurements (mm; n = 4): TL = 3.3–4.3; BW = 2.2–2.5; PL = 1.0–1.1; PW = 1.7–2.0; EL = 2.0–2.2.

Type material. Holotype (male, MHNG): “ India, Kerala, Cardamon Hills, between Pambanar Peermade, 950m, 9.xi.1972, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard, #18” [sifting in forest, near a river],

Paratypes (26): Same data as holotype, 5 males and 11 females in BMNH, MHNG and SJC; same data, but “ 5.xi.1972, #11 [sifting in forest, near a river]”, 5 males and 3 females in MHNG; “ India, Kerala, Cardamon Hills, Valara Fall [56 km southeast of Munnar], 450–500m, 25.xi.1972, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard, #49 [sifting in forest near the river]”, 1 female in MHNG; “ India, Kerala, Nelliampathi Hills, Kaikatty, 900m, 30.xi.1972, leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard, #58” [sifting in forest, near a river], 1 male in MHNG.

Distribution and natural history. South India (mid and high elevation moist forests in the South Western Ghats montane rain forest ecoregion and South Western Ghats moist deciduous forest ecoregion).

Diagnosis. Three Ochicanthon species, O. laetus , O. mussardi and O. nitidus possess a conspicuous orangeyellow humeral spot on elytron. Among them, O. mussardi shares in common with O. nitidus an impunctate mesosternum, but these two species have a different punctation pattern, notably on the head and the elytra.

Figures

FIGURES 41 – 45. Ochicanthon mussardi (holotype). Dorsal habitus (41); base of pronotum and elytra (42); mesosternum and metasternum (43); aedeagus ventral view, (44); aedeagus, lateral left view (45). Scale bars = 1 mm.