Ocypus (Pseudocypus) nigroaeneus Sharp 1889

Ocypus (Pseudocypus) nigroaeneus Sharp, 1889

(Figs. 50–56)

nigroaeneus Sharp, 1889, 109 (Ocypus).

Bernhauer & Schubert, 1914, 388 (Staphylinus; Grupp e (Ocypus); J. Müller, 1925, 45 (Staphylinus; subg. Pseudocypus); Scheerpeltz, 1933, 1401 (Staphylinus; subg. Pseudocypus, variety of rambouseki); Adachi, 1957, 20 (Ocypus; subg. Pseudocypus, variety of rambouseki); Shibata, 1984, 93 (Ocypus; subg. Pseudocypus, variety of rambouseki); Shibata, 1985, 302 (Ocypus; subg. Pseudocypus, variety of rambouseki); Yuh, Paik, Kwon, & Lee, 1985, 246 (Ocypus); Li, 1993, 38 (Ocypus, spelled as nigraeneus); Smetana & Davies, 2000, 44 (Ocypus; subg. Pseudocypus); Herman, 2001, 3390 (Ocypus); Smetana, 2004, 678 (Ocypus; subg. Pseudocypus).

Type material. Ocypus nigroaeneus. Sharp (1889, 109) described the species from eight specimens from “Subashiri, Nanai; Hakodate, Sept. 1880 ". I was able to study five specimens of the original series. They are labeled as follows: Specimen 1 (female): “ Ocypus nigro-aeneus. Type ex parte. D. S. Japan. Lewis” [on plate with the beetle] / ” Type ” [round label with red margin] / ” Japan. G. Lewis.” / ”Sharp Coll. 1905.-313.” [upside down] / ”SYN-TYPE” [round label with blue margin]. Specimens 2 (left) and 3 (right) (females; glued together on the same plate): “ Ocypus nigro-aeneus. Subaphiri. Japan.” [on plate with the beetles] / ” Japan. G. Lewis.” / ”Sharp Coll. 1905.-313.” [upside down] / ”SYN-TYPE” [round label with blue margin]. Specimen 4 (female): “Olga Bay” / ”Sharp Coll. 1905.-313.” [upside down] / ”SYN-TYPE” [round label with blue margin] / ” SYNTYPE Ocypus nigroaeneus Sharp, 1889 det. R. G. Booth 2009”. Specimen 5 (male): “ Japan. G. Lewis. 1910-320.” / ” SYNTYPE Ocypus nigroaeneus Sharp, 1889 det. R. G. Booth 2009”.

In order to preserve stability of nomenclature of the group, it is necessary to designate a lectotype for O. nigroaeneus. Since the shape of tergite 10 of the female genital segment of O. nigroaeneus is characteristic and markedly different from that of O. fuscatus, I designate the female specimen 2 of the original series (see above) as the lectotype of O. nigroaeneus. The label “ Lectotype (left specimen) Ocypus nigroaeneus Sharp, 1889 A. Smetana des. 2009” has been attached to the pin with the two specimens. The lectotype is in good shape, only segments 9–11 of left antenna are missing.

Additional material studied. CHINA: Gansu: ”Kan-ssa, 1885, G. Potanin” (1) (NMW); Heilongjiang: ”Heilungkiang, Harbin, 24.4.[19]66, P. M. Hammond / N. CHINA: P. M. Hammond. B. M. 1967-215” (1) (NHM); Shanxi: ”Wutaishan, 4–5.VI.1993, G. De Rougemont” (1) (GRC); Sichuan: ” China, N Sichuan prov., HONGYUAN, ca 4200 m, 21.7.– 3.8.1991, J. Kaláb leg.” (4) (ASC, NMW); RUSSIA: Primorskiy Kray: ”Seitengraben des Perwaja Rjetschka Tales, nördl. Wladiwostok / H. Frieb leg., 1918–1920 ” (1) (NMW); ” Russia, Primorie, S Artyom town env., 100–300 m, Ozenyi kluytch riv., 20.IV.–30.V.1976, leg. A. Plutenko” (2) (ASC, MSC); ” Russia or.: Primorie, Sikhote-Alinsky Res[erve]., Kordon Blagodatnoe, 136°32’36”E 44°55’45”N, 7–12.VII.1999, leg. J. Sundukov” (1) (MSC); ” RUSSIA: Primorie, 20 km N Artyom town, 100–300 m, Kamenushka river, VI–VII.1997, leg. A. Plutenko” (2) (ASC, MSC); Sakhalinskaya oblast’: ”RU[ssia]: Sakhalin isl., Anivskyi dis[trict]., Oghon’ki vill[age]., Partizanka riv., 4– 26.IV. [19]96, A. Plutenko” (2) (ASC); JAPAN: Honshu: ” JAPAN: HONSHU: Ibaraki Tsukuba, NIAES 14– 25.VII.1989, M. J. Sharkey, FIT” (1) (CNC); ”Hiratsuka, JAPAN, Aug. 14. 1959, Col. K. Tanaka” (1) (YSC); same but Aug. 27, 1962 (1) (YSC); ”(Near ZUSHI) Machida, Tokyo, June 14, 1976, Y. Shibata legt.” (1) (YSC); same but XII.2.1976 (1) (YSC); ”Urayasu Chûokôen Urayasu, Chiba, Apr. 16th, 1980, S. Saito leg.” (2) (ASC, YSC); ”Meshimori-yama, NAGANO Pref., 22.IX.1968, Coll. R. Suzuki” (1) (YSC); ” ITOU (SIZUOKA), Dec. 19th 1971, Coll. H. HORIE ” (1) (YSC); ”Near ASHIGAKUBO, Saitama pref., III.19.1972, H. Horie leg.” (1) (YSC); Hokkaido: ”(SHIRETOKO), Hokkaido, Japan, August 2nd 1962, Y. Shibata” (3) (ASC, YSC); ”Mt. Rausudake, Hokkaido, viii.22.1963, T. Okumura leg.” (1) (YSC); same, but July 28. 1975, T. Matsumoto (1) (YSC); ”(Chûbetsu River) Kagura, Asahikawa, HOKKAIDO, IV.21.1980, H. Matsumoto leg.” (1) (YSC); ”(Ishikari River) Esaushi Kamikawa, HOKKAIDO, IV.18.1980, V.17.1980, H. Matsumoto leg.” (3) (ASC, YSC); ”CHUBETSU Riv. Asahikawa, HOKKAIDO, IV.24.1979, H. Matsumoto leg.” (1) (YSC);”(Horokaishikari) Kamikawa, Hokkaido, Aug. 23 rd, 1977, T. Matsumoto leg.” (1) (YSC); ”(AKKESHI) HOKKAIDO, Aug. 4 1962, K. Mizusawa” (1) (YSC); ”OIKAMANAI Taiki, Hokkaido, June 27th 1993, K. Shibata leg.” (2) (YSC); ”Mt. Sharidake, Hokkaidô, Aug. 15. 1962, Coll. S. Tsukaguchi” (1) (YSC); ”(Lake ABASHIRI) Meman-betsu, Hokkaido, VIII.24.1980, T. Matsumoto leg.” (1) (YSC); ”Chûbetsu Riv. Asahikawa, HOKKAIDO, IV.24.1979, T. Matsumoto leg.” (1) (YSC).

Diagnosis. Medium-sized species, sharing most character states with O. fuscatus, but distinct mainly by different secondary sexual characters on pronotum, and by differently shaped aedoeagus.

Description. In all character states similar to O. fuscatus, but different by a few external characters, including the secondary sexual characters on pronotum, and by the differently shaped aedoeagus. Average size larger, body form more robust. Punctation of head on average coarser and denser (but see Comments), punctation of pronotum mostly coarser and denser (but see Comments), with a variably large impunctate area on each side of impunctate midline.

Male. Area behind anterior angles of pronotum sparingly punctate on ground with distinct microsculpture of longitudinal striae. Sternite 8 with shallow, moderately wide, almost arcuate medioapical emargination, similar to that of O. fuscatus. Genital segment with tergite 10 not appreciably different from that of O. fuscatus (Fig. 50); sternite 9 similar to that of O. fuscatus, but markedly shorter and wider with apex arcuate or minutely notched (Fig. 51). Aedoeagus (Figs.52–55) similar to that of O. fuscatus, but right lateral portion of median lobe in ventral view abruptly dilated below apex. Paramere situated on median lobe quite asymmetrically, longer and differently shaped than that of O. fuscatus (Figs. 52, 54), with subacute apex not reaching apex of median lobe; underside of paramere lacking sensory peg setae, but with minute sensory setae situated as in Fig. 55.

Female. Area behind anterior angles of pronotum sparingly punctate on ground with distinct microsculpture of longitudinal striae, not different from that of male. Tergite 10 of genital segment relatively large, slightly differentiated apical portion short, with subacute apex (Fig.56).

Body length 12.0–15.0 mm.

Geographical distribution. Ocypus nigroaeneus is at present known from the Lake Baikal area, eastward through Heilongjiang to the Russian Far East, including the island of Sakhalin, and to Japan (both in Hokkaido and Honshu). In mainland China southward through Shanxi and Gansu to northern Sichuan.

Bionomics. Nothing is known about the habitat preferences of this species.

Recognition and comments. Ocypus nigroaeneus may only be confused with O. fuscatus, the only other species with the base of tergite 2 (in front of first visible tergite) lacking punctures and pubescence, and with fifth visible tergite bearing pale apical seam of palisade setae (Fig. 67). However, the two species differ, in addition to the differently shaped aedoeagi (Figs. 45, 52), by the different secondary sexual characters on the area behind the anterior angles of the pronotum (see above), and by the differently shaped tergites 10 of the female genital segments (Figs. 49, 56). The punctation of the head and pronotum in O. nigroaeneus varies both in the density and coarseness, but the pronotal punctation is characteristic by the presence of only one variably large impunctate area on each side of impunctate midline (see above), whereas the pronotal punctation in O. fuscatus is characteristic by the presence of several impuncate areas on both sides of the impunctate midline.