Ochthephilus kashmiricus ( Cameron, 1941 )

Makranczy, György, 2014, Revision of the genus Ochthephilus Mulsant & Rey, 1856 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Oxytelinae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 121 (4), pp. 457-694 : 618-620

Ochthephilus kashmiricus ( Cameron, 1941) Figs 459-461, 476-480

Ancyrophorus kashmiricus Cameron, 1941: 145 .

Ochthephilus kashmiricus (Cameron) . – Herman, 1970: 384.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED: LECTOTYPE (here designated): “Type [red margined round disc, curator label] \ Kashmir; Gulmarg [+34.05/+74.38]; vi-vii-31; Dr. Cameron \ A.; kashmiricus; Type Cam. \ M. Cameron.; Bequest.; B.M. 1955-147.; \ Lectotypus; Ancyrophorus ; kashmiricus Cameron ; (on the back) des. Makranczy, 1999 \ Ochthephilus ; kashmiricus Cameron ; det. Makranczy, 2004” ( BMNH). – PARALECTOTYPES (6): same data as lectotype ( BMNH, 4, MHNG, 13, 1♀) .

OTHER MATERIAL: NEPAL: Annapurna Region , unterh. [below] Annapurna Base Camp, 3800-4000m [28°32'N, 83°54'E], 14.VI.2000, leg. J. Schmidt [in the gravel of banks of the upper Modi Khola river, collected by hand] ( NHMW, 1♀) .

REDESCRIPTION: Measurements (n=8): HW = 0.54 (0.52-0.57); TW = 0.51 (0.48-0.54); PW = 0.62 (0.60-0.66); SW = 0.78 (0.74-0.84); AW = 0.87 (0.82-0.92); HL = 0.40 (0.37-0.42); EL = 0.17 (0.15-0.18); TL = 0.10 (0.09-0.12); PL = 0.51 (0.48- 0.54); SL = 0.91 (0.85-0.98); SC = 0.79 (0.74-0.84); FB = 1.90 (1.84-2.04); BL = 3.52 (3.30-3.80) mm. Body blackish dark brown, elytra sometimes lighter, dark brown. Mouthparts and antennae blackish dark brown but legs often lighter, femora yellowish medium brown, tibiae dark brown but both ends lighter, as well as tarsi. Body with greasy lustre due to more obscured punctation on head and pronotum, but distinct coriaceous microsculpture covering interspaces; elytral setation short but rather dense. Pubescence on elytra shorter than in closest congeners but strong, rather dense and regularly spaced, in contrast with somewhat less conspicuous setation of head and pronotum: with rather fine and moderately dense setae. Abdominal tergites with setae just as thick as elytral ones but much longer, especially at apices of tergites and adjacent to laterosternites. Head anteriad eyes and near inner posterior margin of eye with stronger and much longer bristles, as well as pronotal margin; at middle of tibiae with darker bristles. Elytral apex without conspicuous setae. Last tarsomere with a few setae only.

Forebody. Antenna as in Fig. 478. Clypeus (Fig. 476) almost impunctate (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 (Fig. 477) slightly bulging, evenly curved, barely longer 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, getting inconspicuous anteriorly with pronotal corners strongly curved in ventral direction. Posterior pronotal angles well-formed, just slightly obtuse-angled, sides in posterior 1/2 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 (Fig. 479) slightly broadening posteriorly, sutural corners narrowly rounded; apical sides slightly oblique and in inner halves 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 shallow, more dense on 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 broadened in middle (Fig. 480) with more coarse spiniform processes. Tergite VIII basal edge arched (more straight laterally, more arched in middle), basal sclerotized band straight on a small distance in middle; 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 unmodified, apex very slightly wider in males than in females. Aedeagus as in Fig. 459. Female ringstructures as in Figs 460-461.

COMPARATIVE NOTES: Details under O. monticola , with remarks on the complex.

DISTRIBUTION: The species is so far known from Kashmir and Nepal.

BIONOMICS: The only existing bionomical note indicates occurence of the species in the gravel of a riverbank.