Octavius trihastatus Puthz, 2006

Janák, Jiří, 2025, Overview of Octavius of Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces, South Africa (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Euaesthetinae) with descriptions of eight new species, Zootaxa 5737 (1), pp. 105-126 : 119-120

Octavius trihastatus Puthz, 2006

Figs. 65–71 , 85–88 , 95

Octavius trihastatus Puthz, 2006: 8

Type locality. South Africa, Mpumalanga Province, Mariepskop .

Type material examined. Paratype ♂: “ S. Afr., E.Transvaal / Mariepskop / 24.35 S – 30.50 E ”, “ 6.5.1981; E-Y: 1785 / sifting / leg. Endrödy-Younga ”, “ ♂ — Paratypus (top side) Puthz, 2005 (bottom side)” [yellow], “ Octavius / trihastatus sp.n. / det. Puthz 2005” ( JJRC) .

Additional material examined ( 270 specimens): SOUTH AFRICA: Mpumalanga : 1 ♂: Mariepskop, Bush Pic Trail , km 1, 1550 m, - 24.56651S, 30.876382E 17.xi.2012, sifted at stream, P. Jałoszyński lgt. ( MNHW) ; 3 ♂, 3 ♀, 101 ♂ or ♀: Mariepskop forest reserve, fynbos 1, ca. 1900 m, 25.xi.2023, 24°33.10'S 30°52.33'E, J. Janák lgt. ( JJRC) ; 2 ♂, 4 ♀, 72 ♂ or ♀: Mariepskop forest reserve, fynbos 2, ca. 1900 m, 25.xi.2023, 24°33.17'S 30°52.20'E, J. Janák lgt. ( JJRC) ; 10 ♂, 32 ♀, 42 ♂ or ♀: Mariepskop forest reserve, ind. forest, 1645 m, 25.xi.2023, 24°33.9'S 30°51.7'E, J. Janák lgt. ( JJRC) .

Note. Significant variability in the shape of apical part of aedeagus was observed among examined specimens ( Figs. 66–69 ).

Distribution. The species is currently known only from Mt. Mariepskop in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa ( Fig. 95 ).

Bionomics. All new specimens were collected in siftings of forest litter in indigenous forest and in fynbos at the elevation of about 1600–1900 m a.s.l. ( Figs. 85–88 , with the abundance of specimens per kg of sifted material: fynbos 1: 14.9/kg, fynbos 2: 15.3/kg, forest 13.1/kg).

Figures

FIGURE 95. Distribution of Octavius in Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces, South Africa.

FIGURES 60–71. 60–64. Octavius transvaalensis Puthz, Mariepskop. 65–71. Octavius trihastatus Puthz, Mariepskop. 60, 65, habitus; 61–62, 66–69, aedeagus ventral; 63, 70, male sternite VIII; 64, 71, male sternite IX. Identical scales 0.1 mm: 61=62; 63=64; 66=67–69; 70=71.

FIGURES 83–88. 83: Forest near Josefsdal, type locality of O. hastifer; 84: National Reserve Songimvelo, type locality of O. barbetonensis; 85–87: Mount Mariepskop, mountain fynbos, locality of O. attenuatus, O. mariepskopensis, O. transvaalensis and O. trihastatus; 88: Mount Mariepskop, forest, locality of O. attenuatus, O. transvaalensis and O. trihastatus.