Taxonomy of the dung beetle genus Ochicanthon Vaz-de-Mello (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) of the Indian subcontinent, with notes on distribution patterns and flightlessness Author Latha, Mathews Author Cuccodoro, Giulio Author Sabu, Thomas K. text Zootaxa 2011 2745 1 29 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.276621 a6eb9c5a-9b0b-47df-a207-6c5ee54acebd 1175-5326 276621 Ochicanthon ceylonicus Cuccodoro sp. nov. ( Figs. 6–8 ) Description. Body ( Fig. 6 ) predominantly black. Dorsal surface of head with annular setiferous punctures separated by intervals almost equal to their diameter. Pronotum in lateral view weakly convex, outline at base almost in line with that of elytral suture; laterobasal paramarginal ridge absent. Pronotal punctation ( Fig. 7 ) consists of annular setiferous punctures separated by interval equal to their diameter, becomes finer anteromedially; setae indistinct, straight and recumbent. Elytra moderately convex in lateral view; suture not raised; striae shallow, narrow, consisting of chains of oval depressions joined by straight sulci ( Fig. 7 ); interstriae slightly convex, uneven, finely punctate, irregular; background microsculpture smooth; setae fine, straight and recumbent; lateral ridge posteriorly extended to level of apex of second stria. Mesosternum impunctate, meso-metasternal line arcuate, metasternal shield coarsely punctate along the sides and finely punctate in the centre ( Fig. 8 ). Pygidium covered with shallow setiferous punctures becoming finer and sparser ventrally. Protrochanter with outer margin arcuate. Hind wings present. FIGURES 1–5. Ochicanthon besucheti (holotype). Dorsal habitus (1); base of pronotum and elytra (2); mesosternum and metasternum (3); aedeagus, ventral view (4); aedeagus, lateral left view (5). Scale bars = 1 mm. FIGURES 6–8. Ochicanthon ceylonicus (holotype). Dorsal habitus (6); base of pronotum and elytra (7); mesosternum and metasternum (8). Scale bars = 1 mm. Male unknown. Measurements (mm; n = 3): TL = 4.2–4.4; BW = 2.4–2.5; PL = 1.1–1.2; PW = 2.0–2.1; EL = 2.1–2.2. Type material. Holotype (female, MHNG ): “ Ceylan [ Sri Lanka ], Central, Peradeniya, 550m , 19.i.1970 , leg. Besuchet, Löbl & Mussard, #10” [sifting in forest near experimental agricultural station]. Paratypes ( 2 females , MHNG ): same data as holotype . Distribution and natural history. Sri Lanka . (Peradeniya in the Sri Lanka lowland rainforest ecoregion). Etymology . Named after “ Ceylon ”, the former name of Sri Lanka . Diagnosis. Ochicanthon ceylonicus and O. cingalensis are the only Ochicanthon known from Sri Lanka . Both species can be easily distinguished by the pygidium, which is markedly punctate in O. ceylonicus and appearing impunctate in O. cingalensis . They uniquely share unicolored elytra and striae consisting of chains of oval depressions joined by straight sulci with the South Indian species O. gauricola and O. tristis . However the South Indian species have the middle portion of the meso-metasternal line subangulate.