SYNONYMIES IN THE HOLARCTIC THINOBIUS MAJOR AND LINEARIS SPECIES GROUPS (COLEOPTERA: STAPHYLINIDAE: OXYTELINAE)

A cleanup effort for taxonomy of the Central European species of the genus Thinobius Kiesenwetter, 1844 resulted in a series of previously unpublished synonymies. The new edition of “Die Käfer Mitteleuropas, Band 4” interpreted the names in their correct identities,but the research that lead to these could not be presented there in detail, in part also because of extralimital taxa involved, this is supplied with the present contribution. One species is described as new to science: Thinobius paramicros sp. n. (Algeria: Tamanrasset), for earlier erroneous use of T. algiricus Fauvel. The following new synonymies are proposed: T. angusticeps Fauvel, 1889 = Thinobius (Thinophilus) allocerus Eppelsheim, 1893, syn. n., = Trogophloeus alaskanus Fall, 1926, syn. n., T. major Kraatz, 1857 = Thinobius diversicornis Fauvel, 1889, syn. n., = Thinobius sahlbergi Scheerpeltz, 1959, syn. n., T. micros Fauvel, 1871 = Thinobius algiricus Fauvel, 1898, syn. n., T. petzi Bernhauer, 1908 = Thinobius tingitanus Peyerimhoff, 1925, syn. n., = Thinobius (Thiphonilus) anatolicus Smetana, 1967, syn. n. T. procerus Eppelsheim, 1893 = Trogophloeus teres Fall, 1926, syn. n., and lectotypes are designated for the following ten nominal species: Thinobius micros Fauvel, 1871, Thinobius diversicornis Fauvel, 1889, Thinobius (Thinophilus) allocerus Eppelsheim, 1893, Thinobius (Thinophilus)procerus Eppelsheim, 1893, Thinobius algiricus Fauvel, 1898, Thinobius silvaticus Bernhauer, 1899, Thinobius bicolor Joy, 1911, Thinobius longicornis Joy, 1913, Thinobius franzi Scheerpeltz, 1947 and Thinobius peezi Scheerpeltz, 1957. A neotype for Thinobius angusticeps Fauvel, 1889 is designated from France (Alpes-Maritimes)

OXYTELUS MEINANDERI SCHEERPELTZ, 1974 AND O. TUBERCULIFRONS EICHELBAUM, 1913, TWO AFROTROPICAL SPECIES WITH PROBLEMATIC TYPE MATERIAL (COLEOPTERA: STAPHYLINIDAE: OXYTELINAE)

Oxytelus meinanderi Scheerpeltz, 1974 and O. tuberculifrons Eichelbaum, 1913 are identified as not based on proper type material. In the absence of information on the whereabouts of missing specimens and in lack of more material the available specimens are left ‘as is’, but they are fully illustrated to make these taxa recognizable. Habitus is depicted by colour habitus photographs, genitalia and terminalia by SEM images and line drawings

Memento Mori

Memento mori, a Latin phrase usually translated as "Remember that you are mortal," or "Remember you will die" describes the basis of the body of artwork that is my focus. Obituaries taken from newspapers, are the materials I use to explore poetic notions about death and loss. Obituaries reveal attitudes which influence my work as well as points of view which I sought to emphasize and later shift away from. My work leaves room for the viewer to sift through multiple levels of meaning while not imposing any singular interpretation

Description of a Cretaceous amber fossil putatively of the tribe Coprophilini (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Oxytelinae)

An unusual and well-preserved fossil staphylinid is described and figured from a single specimen in Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber. Gollandia planata gen. et sp. n. is tentatively placed in the extant oxyteline tribe Coprophilini, although it lacks a few characteristic features of present-day members of the group, likely indicating it to be either a stem group of the tribe or prove to be distinct pending future discoveries. The discovery of this genus suggests that early oxytelines were more morphologically diverse during the Cretaceous and their evolutionary history was more complicated than previously documented. Tribal placement as regards fossil oxyteline taxa is discussed

Review of the Anotylus cimicoides species group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae)

As a result of the moving of Oxytelopsis Fauvel, 1895 into the mega-diverse Anotylus Thomson, 1859 as a species group (A. cimicoides species group) a number of actions were necessitated (treating homonymies and ending changes inflicted by different gender of genera), forcing the reexamination of the involved taxa. This review is focused on the Oriental region and the transitional Himalayan area (including the southern provinces of China). 15 species are described as new to science: Anotylus coonoor sp. n. (India: Tamil Nadu), A. ganapati sp. n. (Nepal: Eastern Region), A. gunung sp. n. (Thailand: Yala prov.), A. hartmanni sp. n. (Nepal: Western Region), A. ijen sp. n. (Indonesia/Java: Banyuwangi), A. jambi sp. n. (Indonesia/Sumatra: Jambi), A. kabasi sp. n. (Indonesia/Sumatra: N. Sum.), A. linaxi sp. n. (China: Yunnan), A. riedeli sp. n. (Indonesia/Java: Bandung), A. rurukan sp. n. (Indonesia/Sulawesi: Tomohon), A. schawalleri sp. n. (Malaysia/Borneo: Sabah), A. schillhammeri sp. n. (Myanmar: Chin State), A. schuelkei sp. n. (China: Yunnan), A. tanator sp. n. (Indonesia/Sulawesi: Tanah Toraja), A. topali sp. n. (Vietnam: Ninh Binh). The following new synonymies are proposed: A. chinensis (Bernhauer, 1938) = Oxytelopsis shibatai Ito, 1987, syn. n., A. cimicoides (Fauvel, 1895) = Oxytelopsis taiwana Ito, 1987, syn. n., A. malaisei (Scheerpeltz, 1965) = Oxytelopsis gardneri Paulian, 1940 (preoccupied), syn. n., A. pseudopsinus (Fauvel, 1895) = Oxytelopsis rufotestacea Cameron, 1925, syn. n., Oxytelopsis brevipennis Bernhauer, 1926 (preoccupied), syn. n., Oxytelopsis chapmani Cameron, 1934, syn. n., Oxytelopsis nigripennis Cameron, 1934, syn. n., Oxytelopsis cassagnaui Coiffait, 1982, syn. n., and lectotypes are designated for the following nominal species: Oxytelopsis andrewesi Cameron, 1930, Oxytelopsis anguliceps Cameron, 1934, Oxytelopsis apicipennis Fauvel, 1895, Oxytelopsis chinensis Bernhauer, 1938, Oxytelopsis cimicoides Fauvel, 1895, Oxytelopsis lucidula Cameron, 1936, Oxytelopsis nigricans Cameron, 1933 and Oxytelopsis pseudopsina Fauvel, 1895. A neotype for Oxytelopsis franzi Coiffait, 1982 is designated from Nepal (Central, prov. Bagmati), very near its original type locality. All the treated species are illustrated with colour habitus images and line drawings of their male genitalia and terminalia, spermathecae (where available) are illustrated for the new species

Forest leaf litter beetles of Taiwan: first DNA barcodes and first insight into the fauna

We report the publication of 953 DNA barcodes of forest leaf litter beetles from central Taiwan, in total representing 334 spe- cies of 36 beetle families. This is the first bulk of data from the Taiwanese Leaf Litter beetles project focused on uncovering the under-explored diversity of leaf litter beetles across Taiwan. Based on these data, we provide the first records of the following taxa for Taiwan: family Sphindidae (genus Aspidiphorus Ziegler, 1821); tribes Trichonychini, Ctenistini, and Bythinoplectini (all Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae); genera Gyrelon Hinton, 1942, Thyroderus Sharp, 1885, Cautomus Sharp, 1885 (all Cerylonidae), Dermatohomoeus Hlisnikovský, 1963 (Leiodidae), Paraploderus Herman, 1970 (Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae), Thinocharis Kraatz, 1859 (Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Cephennodes Reitter, 1884, Napoconnus Franz, 1957 (both Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae), Bicava Belon, 1884 (Latridiidae), Otibazo Morimoto, 1961, Seleuca Pascoe, 1871 and Acallinus Morimoto, 1962 (all Curculioni- dae); species Oodes (Lachnocrepis) japonicus (Bates, 1873) (Carabidae: Licininae), Drusilla obliqua (Bernhauer, 1916) (Staphylin- idae: Aleocharinae) and Coccotrypes advena Blandford, 1894 (Curculionidae: Scolytinae). The records of Anapleus Horn, 1873 (Histeridae) and Batraxis Reitter, 1882 (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) have been confirmed. The male of Sivacrypticus taiwanicus Kaszab, 1964 (Archeocrypticidae) is described for the first time. Gyrelon jenpani Hu, Fikáček & Matsumoto, sp. nov. (Cerylon- idae) is described, illustrated, and compared with related species. DNA barcodes associated larvae of 42 species with adults, we are concisely illustrating some of these: Oodes japonicus, Perigona cf. nigriceps Dejean, 1831 (both Carabidae), Ptilodactyla sp. (Ptilodactylidae), Maltypus ryukyuanus Wittmer, 1970 (Cantharidae), Drusilla obliqua, Myrmecocephalus brevisulcus (Pace, 2008), Diochus sp., Mimopinophilus sp. (all Staphylinidae), Stelidota multiguttata Reitter, 1877, Lasiodites inaequalis (Grouvelle, 1914) (both Nitidulidae), Lagria scutellaris Pic, 1910, and Anaedus spinicornis Kaszab, 1973 (both Tenebrionidae). We also report the first cases of Rickettsia infections in Scydmaeninae and Pselaphinae. All data (sequences, metadata, and voucher photos) are made public in BOLD database and in a Zenodo Archive

Ochthephilus championi

Ochthephilus championi (Bernhauer, 1926) Figs 394, 398-402, 553, 587 Ancyrophorus (Misancyrus) championi Bernhauer, 1926: 21. – Cameron, 1930: 177. – Scheerpeltz, 1976: 19. [Coiffait, 1982: 43. is a misidentification of O. nepalensis] Ochthephilus championi (Bernhauer). – Herman, 1970: 384. TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED: Ancyrophorus championi – LECTOTYPE (here designated): “[West-Almora] Ranikhet; Kumaon [*29.35/+79.42*]; H.G.C.[hampion] \ Championi; Bernh.; Typus \ Chicago NHMus; M. Bernhauer; Collection \ Lectotypus; Ancyrophorus; championi Bernhauer; [on the back] des. Makranczy, 1999 \ Ochthephilus; championi Bernhauer; det. Makranczy, 1999” (FMNH). OTHER MATERIAL: INDIA: W. Almora, Kumaon *29.35/+79.42*, leg. H.G. Champion, coll. Champion, BMNH (1). – W. Almora Division, Upper Gumti Valley *+29.78/+79.15*, IV.1919, leg. H.G. Champion, coll. Champion, BMNH (2). — NEPAL: [Western region, Dhawalagiri,] Himalaya, Dhawalagiri, Region Parbat, near Chitre, Ghar Khola valley, ~ 2400m [28°27'36"N, 83°38'06"E], 24.V.2004, leg. A. Kleeberg [sifted organic material at bank of a tributary to Ghar Khola], coll. Kleeberg (2), MHNG (13), HNHM (1♀). — CHINA: YUNNAN: Qüjing prefecture, Liangwang Shan (= King Liang Mountains), ca. 100km (on road)[80km] NNE Kunming, 25°33’14”N, 103°05’52”E, ca. 2300m, 3.XI.1999, leg. M.A. Jäch & H. Schönmann (CWBS 350), stream ca. 1-2m wide, [unshaded, shrubs] (NHMW, 13). DESCRIPTION: Forebody as in Fig. 553. Measurements (n=5): HW = 0.67 (0.65- 0.69); TW = 0.61 (0.59-0.62); PW = 0.74 (0.73-0.76); SW = 1.04 (1.02-1.07); AW = 1.06 (0.98-1.17); HL = 0.53 (0.50-0.54); EL = 0.235 (0.23-0.24); TL = 0.11 (0.10- 0.12); PL = 0.60 (0.57-0.61); SL = 1.16 (1.13-1.20); SC = 1.06 (1.03-1.12); FB = 2.38 (2.34-2.44); BL = 4.57 (4.37-4.94) mm. Whole body dark brown with occasional slight reddish tint, antennae and mouthparts dark brown. Legs mostly dark brown; if lighter, tibiae (except both ends) and apices of femora darker. Body with moderate lustre due to very dense elytral setation and fine, dense punctation all over. Pubescence on elytra short but strong and rather dense (and irregularly spaced), in contrast with much 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; around middle of tibiae with 2-3 darker bristles. Elytral apex with an occasional, slightly longer seta near sutural corner. Last tarsomere with a few setae only. Forebody. Antenna as in Fig. 587. Clypeus sparsely and shallowly punctate (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 barely bulging, evenly curved, little shorter 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, visible to anterior pronotal corners. Posterior pronotal angles well-formed, just slightly obtuse-angled, sides in posterior 1/3 very gently concave. '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 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 moderately dense, more so 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 with more coarse spiniform processes. Tergite VIII (Fig. 394) basal edge evenly arched, with small concavity in middle of basal sclerotized band; 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. 398, apex of paramere (Yunnan specimen) as in Fig. 399, base of paramere (Yunnan specimen) as in Fig. 400, base of paramere (Nepal specimen) as in Fig. 401. Female ringstructure as in Fig. 402. NOTE: The only type specimen is most likely a female (was not dissected at the time of study, 15 years ago, because its sibling species was not discovered at that point), and the females of O. championi and O. nigerrimus cannot be distinguished. The interpretation of this name, therefore, has to be taken with caution. The available material at the moment is much too small (only one very old series for O. nigerrimus and a few scattered specimens for the taxon interpreted here as O. championi), and even more species can be involved, so this problem may require re-examination at a later point. COMPARATIVE NOTES: From other members of the O. vulgaris group O. championi can be separated by the body setation shared with O. nigerrimus, but the latter species has very different, much wider parameres. Confusion could occur with O. vulgaris (especially if setation is worn off or covered), but it has almost unpunctured clypeus, with only stronger microsculpture than on vertex. DISTRIBUTION: Currently only known from N-India, Nepal and the Chinese province of Sichuan. BIONOMICS: The species was collected from sifted organic material on a streambank. A specimen was collected by the China Water Beetle Survey (more details in their publications), apparently at a smaller stream (gravelbank) on open landscape.Published as part of Makranczy, György, 2014, Revision of the genus Ochthephilus Mulsant & Rey, 1856 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Oxytelinae), pp. 457-694 in Revue suisse de Zoologie 121 (4) on pages 592-594, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.612021