Ochicanthon
Creators: name: Latha, Mathews
name: Cuccodoro, Giulio
name: Sabu, Thomas K.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Ochicanthon

description: Key to the species of Ochicanthon of the Indian subcontinent
This key includes all the species of Ochicanthon reported from the Indian subcontinent, including O. obscurus Boucomont, 1920 (not treated in taxomomy below). Ochicanthon obscurus is widely distributed in the Indochina ecoregion in Myanmar (type locality), Laos, Vietnam and Thailand (Hanboonsong & Masumoto 2001, Krikken & Huijbregts 2007). In India, it has been reported only once from the Kachin Hills in Arunachal Pradesh (Sewak 2006). However, the specimens identified by Sewak (2006) could not be located and this identification could not be verified. Moreover, the examination of five MHNG specimens from Myanmar (1) and Thailand (4) and matching the description of O. obscurus revealed that these represent not less than four distinct species, whose adequate taxonomic treatment was beyond the scope of this study. In this context, we consider that the O. obscurus determined by Sewak (2006) probably represents an undescribed species. Although we do not consider O. obscurus to occur in India, we included it in this key to indicate that there is a similar undescribed species that occurs here.
1 Each elytron with 1–3 distinct orange-yellow spots (Figs. 10, 41) (O. tristis group)................................. 2
- Each elytron with a faint orange humeral spot or no spots (Figs. 26, 46) (O. laetus group)........................... 5
2 Each elytron with 2–3 orange-yellow spots (Fig. 10); background microsculpture of elytral interstriae coriaceous......... 3
- Each elytron with a single orange-yellow spot (Fig. 41); background microsculpture of elytral interstriae smooth......... 4
3 Pronotum with anterolateral lobes orange-yellow........................................ O. obscurus (Boucomont)
- Pronotum unicolored................................................................ O. deplanatus (Paulian)
4 Mesosternum impunctate (Fig. 33)........................................................................ 6
- Mesosternum with posterior area coarsely punctate (Fig. 43)................................ O. mussardi Cuccodoro
5 Punctation on head and pronotum with distance between punctures not exceeding their diameter (Fig. 26). O. laetus (Arrow)
- Punctation on head and pronotum with interval between punctures exceeding their diameter (Fig. 46).... O. nitidus (Paulian)
6 Punctation on pronotum very fine, almost indistinct, with interval between punctures exceeding by more than 5 times their diameter; elytral striae consisting of long straight sulci without depressions (Fig. 32); hind wings absent... O. loebli (Paulian)
- Punctation on pronotum coarse and distinct, with interval between punctures not exceeding 5 times their diameter; elytral striae consisting of long straight sulci with depressions (Fig. 9); hind wings present or absent......................... 7
7 Pygidium fairly impunctate, except a few minute punctures at the sides; metasternal shield smooth and shiny................................................................................................ O. cingalensis (Arrow)
- Pygidium markedly punctate; metasternal shield punctate and shiny............................................. 8
8 Protrochanter with outer margin angulate; elytra each with a faint orange humeral spot........... O. murthyi Vinod & Sabu
- Protrochanter with outer margin arcuate; elytra unicolored.................................................... 9
9 Elytral pubescence conspicuous, arcuate, semi-erect, arranged in two rows; hind wings absent....................... 10
- Elytral pubescence inconspicuous, straight, recumbent, not arranged in two rows; hind wings present or absent......... 11
10 Pronotal pubescence inconspicuous, recumbent; elytral disc lacking tubercles.................................................................................................................... O. vazdemelloi Latha & Sabu
- Pronotal pubescence conspicuous, semi-erect; posterior portion of elytral disc bearing projecting tubercles............................................................................................ O. devagiriensis Sabu & Latha
11 Elytral striae consisting mainly of chains of confluent discoidal depressions (Fig. 19).............................. 12
- Elytral striae consisting mainly of chains of oval depressions joined by straight sulci (Fig. 24)....................... 14
12 Metasternal shield with central area coarsely punctate (Fig. 3); hind wings absent................. O. besucheti Cuccodoro
- Metasternal shield with central area finely punctate (Fig. 58); hind wings present................................. 13
13 Mesosternum appearing impunctate (Fig. 20)................................................. O. ernei Cuccodoro
- Mesosternum with large punctures along meso-metasternal line (Fig. 58)............................................................................................................................. O. tristoides (Paulian)
14 Median portion of meso-metasternal line arcuate (Fig. 8)...................................................................................................................................... O. ceylonicus Cuccodoro
- Median portion of meso-metasternal line subangulate (Fig. 25)............................................... 15
15 Metasternal shield impunctate along meso-metasternal line (Fig. 25)............................................................................................................................... O. gauricola Cuccodoro
- Metasternal shield coarsely punctate along meso-metasternal line (Fig. 53)................................................................................................................................ O. tristis (Arrow)
description: Published as part of Latha, Mathews, Cuccodoro, Giulio & Sabu, Thomas K., 2011, Taxonomy of the dung beetle genus Ochicanthon Vaz-de-Mello (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) of the Indian subcontinent, with notes on distribution patterns and flightlessness, pp. 1-29 in Zootaxa 2745 on pages 2-3, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.276621