Octavius endroedyanus Puthz, 1986

Janák, Jiří, 2024, On Octavius from Maloti-Drakensberg and Golden Gate National Parks, South Africa (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Euaesthetinae), Zootaxa 5443 (4), pp. 495-522 : 499-501

Octavius endroedyanus Puthz, 1986

Figs. 21–28 , 120 , 125–127

Octavius endroedyanus Puthz, 1986: 190 ; Herman, 2001: 1858.

Type locality. South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal Province, Maloti-Drakensberg Park, Cathedral Peak National Reserve .

Material examined (89 specimens). SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal : 5 ♂, 11 ♀: Maloti-Drakensberg Park , Royal Natal NR, Gudu Forest 28°41.0ʼS, 28°55.8ʼE, 1730m, 9.i.2019, J. Janák lgt., Berlese extraction, leaf & log litter, sifting ( JJRC) ; 6 ♂, 3 ♀: Maloti-Drakensberg Park , Royal Natal NR, Devilʼs Hoek , 28°42.7ʼS, 28°55.4ʼE, 1620m, 10.i.2019, J. Janák lgt., Berlese extraction, leaf & log litter, sifting ( TMSA, JJRC) ; 22 ♂, 15 ♀: Maloti-Drakensberg Park , Cathedral Peak NR , Oqualweni Fern forest , 28°56.6ʼS, 29°11.0ʼE, 1570m, 7.i.2019, J. Janák lgt., Berlese extraction, leaf & log litter, sifting ( TMSA, JJRC, 1 ♂ in 96 % alcohol) ; 13 ♂, 4 ♀: Maloti-Drakensberg Park , Cathedral Peak NR , Rainbow Gorge , 28°57.6ʼS, 29°13.4ʼE, 1500m, 4.i.2019, J. Janák lgt., Berlese extraction, leaf & log litter, sifting ( TMSA, JJRC) ; 4 ♂, 6 ♀: Cathedral Peaks Forest Station , 17.xii.1979, podocarp forest, rotted stump Cussonia spicata , S. & J. Peck ( FMNH) .

Distribution. The species was described from Cathedral Peak and is surprisingly not distributed only in Cathedral Peak NR forests (Rainbow gorge, Oqualweni Fern forest), but also in forests in Royal Natal NR (Gudu forest, Devilʼs Hoek, Fig. 120 ).

Bionomics. All specimens were collected in siftings of forest litter in patches of indigenous forests at the elevation of about 1500–1700 m a.s.l. ( Figs. 124–127 , the abundance of specimens per kg of sifted material: 1.0 in Gudu forest, 0.7 in Devilʼs Hoek, 2.3 in Oqualweni Fern forest and 0.9 in Rainbow gorge).

Figures

FIGURES 16–28. 16–20: Octavius crucialis (Kistner), Oqualweni Fern forest. 21–28: Octavius edroedyanus Puthz, 21–23, 25, 27, Oqualweni Fern Forest; 24, 26, 28, Gudu forest. 16, 21, habitus; 17–18, 22–24, aedeagus ventral; 19, 25–26, male sternite VIII; 20, 27–28, male sternite IX. Scale 0.5 mm: 16, 21; scales 0.1 mm: remaining figures.

FIGURES 113–121. Octavius undulatus Janák, sp. nov.; 113–116, 118–119, holotype; 117, paratype. 113, habitus; 114, fore parts; 115, fore parts lateral; 116–117, aedeagus ventral; 118, male sternite VIII; 119, male sternite IX. Scale 0.5 mm: 113; scales 0.1 mm: 114–115; 116–117; 118–119; o: ommatidium. 120: Distribution of Octavius – subgroup A. 121: Distribution of Octavius – subgroup B.

FIGURES 122–127. 122–123: Golden Gate. 124–125: Royal Natal: 124, Gudu forest, 125, Devilʼs Hoek. 126–127: Cathedral Peak: 126, Rainbow gorge, 127, Oqualweni Fern forest.