Ocypus (Pseudocypus) scaevola, Published, 2007

Published, First, 2007, Contributions to the knowledge of the “ Staphylinus-complex ” (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylinini) of China. Part XX. The genus Ocypus Leach, 1819, subgenus Pseudocypus Mulsant & Rey, 1876. Section 1, Zootaxa 1421, pp. 1-72 : 20-21

Ocypus (Pseudocypus) scaevola sp. nov.

( Figs. 57–61)

Type material. Holotype (male) and allotype (female): CHINA: Sichuan: “CHINA Sichuan SanYa ( Ervizuxian ) 2723 m 28°43.374'N 101°56.972'E 11.6.2005 R. Sehnal & M. Tryzna ” ( ASC).

Paratypes: CHINA: Sichuan: same data as holotype, 9 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀ ( ASC, MSC) ; SW-Sichuan V.2005 NNE Eryizuxiang, prim. forest 28°47.6'N 101°58.3'E 3561 m Häckel & Sehnal , ♂. ( ASC) ; W Sichuan, Jiulong Co. & Mianning Co., border, near the Yalong Jiang great bend, 28°47'N & 101°58'– 102°01'E, 2900– 4100 m, 17.–18.VII. 2001, L. & R. Businský, 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀ ( ASC, YSC) .

Diagnosis. A small to medium-sized species with asetose pronotal hypomeron, rufotestaceous legs, inconspicuously dark bluish, bluish-purplish to purplish color of head and pronotum, uniform black pubescence of abdominal tergites, and with a distinctively shaped aedoeagus and tergite 10 of female genital segment.

Description. Black, moderately dull, head and pronotum inconspicuously dark bluish, bluish-purlish to purplish; maxillary and labial palpi testaceobrunneous; antennae piceous, with first two segments and most of third segment rufobrunneous; legs rufotestaceous; pubescence of dorsal side of body, including abdominal tergites, uniformly black. Head of rounded quadrangular shape, with rounded posterior angles, wider than long (ratio 1.27), eyes small and rather flat, tempora considerably longer than eyes from above (ratio 2.28), dorsal surface of head finely, moderately densely punctate and pubescent, interspaces between punctures on disc larger than diameters of punctures, punctation gradually becoming slightly denser and coarser toward posterior and lateral margins; no impunctate midline or only traces of it present; interspaces between punctures with moderately coarse submeshed microsculpture. Gular sutures distinctly separated; postgenae very sparsely punctate, interspaces between punctures near gular sutures much larger than diameters of punctures. Dorsal side of neck with punctation similar to that on head. Antenna rather short, segment 3 longer than segment 2 (ratio 1.18), segments 4 to7 longer than wide, becoming gradually shorter, outer segments about as long as wide to vaguely wider than long, last segment shorter than two preceding segments combined. Pronotum longer than wide (ratio 1.11), almost parallelsided, narrow marginal groove disappearing downwards just in front of middle of pronotal length; disc with impunctate midline distinct on posterior half, to various extent disappearing anteriad; punctation on disc similar to that on disc of head but marginally coarser, pubescence and microsculpture on interspaces between punctures similar to that on head. Pronotal hypomeron lacking microsetae. Scutellum finely punctate and setose on entire surface, surface with very fine, rudimentary submeshed microsculpture. Elytra short, slightly depressed at base, vaguely dilated posteriad, at suture considerably (ratio 0. 61), at sides distinctly (ratio 0.80) shorter than pronotum at midline; punctation fine and dense, difficult to observe among dense granulose microsculpture. Wings each reduced to minute, nonfunctional stump. Abdomen with fifth visible tergite lacking pale apical seam of palisade setae; tergite 2 (in front of first visible tergite) entirely, densely and finely punctate and pubescent; all tergites evenly, finely and densely punctate, puctation gradually becoming sparser toward apex of abdomen; interspaces with very fine, dense microsculpture of irregular, short striae.

Male. Sternite 8 with moderately wide and deep, obtusely triangular medioapical emargination. Genital segment with sternite 9 with short, narrow basal portion, apical portion with distinct, obtusely triangular medioapical emargination ( Fig. 57). Tergite 10 evenly narrowed toward subtruncate to truncate apex, with rather fine setae at and near apical margin, otherwise sparsely setose ( Fig. 58). Aedoeagus shaped as in Figs.59, 60; median lobe elongate, with asymmetrical apical portion with narrowly arcuate apex, apical portion, when paramere removed with fine bisinuate carina; paramere situated on median lobe slightly asymmetrically, shaped as in Figs. 59, 60, with long carina on face away from median lobe, right margin of apical portion slightly curled invard, apex not quite or about reaching apex of median lobe; sensory peg setae on underside of paramere quite numerous, forming a large apical field extended considerably posteriad along left margin, much less so near curled right margin ( Fig. 60); apical setae minute, situated as in Fig. 60.

Female. Tergite 10 of genital segment of quite characteristic shape, markedly, evenly narrowed toward irregularly, widely emarginate apex, with numerous long setae on median area, otherwise with sparsely situated, fine short setae, large portion of tergite strongly sclerotized ( Fig. 61).

Length 13.0–15.0 mm.

Bionomics. No details are known about the habitat requirements of this species. One specimen of the original series was taken from a pitfall trap set in a “primary forest”.

Geographical distribution. Ocypus scaevola is known only from the type locality in southwestern Sichuan.

Recognition and comments. Ocypus scaevola may be easily recognized, in addition to the characteristic shape of the aedoeagus and tergite 10 of the female genital segment, by the coloration of the body and the appendages. Ocypus laelaps shows a similar coloration of the head and pronotum, but the color tends to be more into purplish and is much less intensive; in addition, O. laelaps differs in the coloration of the antennae and the abdomen, in the pubescence of the abdomen, and by the entirely differently shaped aedoeagus (for details see under O. laelaps ).

One male specimen of the series, collected on 11. VI. 2005 differs from the rest of the specimens by the distinctly finer and more susperficial punctation of the head and pronotum that almost disappears in the middle of the pronotal disc (teratological nature?). The specimen was not labelled as a paratype.

It is assumed that the two spellings (“Ervizuxian” and “Eryizuxiang”) denote the same place.

Etymology. The specific epithet is the name of Scaevola, - ae, m, the name of Q. Mucius Scaevola, an augur, the most famous jurist of Cicero ’s time, in apposition.