Ocalea plana, Terlutter & P, 2025

Ocalea plana nov.sp.

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype:J, "I. Lombardei, Alpi Orobie, 1200 m, Pso di S. Marco, 22.VIII 1994 Assing / Holotypus Ocalea plana nov. spec. det. H. Terlutter 2025" (cAss) . Paratypes: ITALY: same data as holotype, 1J, 1♀, (cTer, cAss) ; "I-Pordenone, Pradis di Sopra , leg. Kahlen / Mineres, 25.10. 82, 600 m, Laubstreu", 1J, ( TLFI) ; AUSTRIA: " Burgenland, leg. M. Kahlen / Leithageb. Zeilerberg, 19.11.1967 ", 2JJ, ( TLFI) ; SLOVENIA: "Kras, Divača, leg. Kahlen / Divaška jarna, Eingangsdoline, 430 m, 9.4.1996, Laubstreu ", 1J, ( TLFI) .

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 4.0-5.0 mm, reduced length 1.8-2.2 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 1 View Figs 1-9 . Body colour brown, elytra yellowish brown, posterior part of abdominal segments yellowish brown, first three antennomeres light brownish yellow, becoming more brownish towards apex, legs light brownish yellow.

Head as long as broad ( Fig. 2 View Figs 1-9 ); punctation shallow and distant, microsculpture composed of isodiametric meshes; eyes 0.82 times as long as postocular region in lateral view. Antennae ( Fig. 3 View Figs 1-9 ) slender, antennomeres I-III elongate and of subequal length; III 1,59 as long as IV; IX and X about as long as broad.

Pronotum 1.04 times as wide as long and 1.25 times as wide as head; posterior angles obtuse but distinct; lateral margins in posterior third slightly convex or straight, pubescence directed cephalad along anterior 3/4 of midline, caudad along posterior 1/4, lateral in lateral portions of pronotum disc; with shallow depression along midline, small round depression just anterior to base of pronotum; punctation and microsculpture similar to head, but punctation denser.

Elytra about 0.87 times as long and 0.84 times as wide as pronotum; posterior margins moderately sinuate near posterior angles; punctures slightly larger and denser than those on head, microsculpture composed of isodiametric meshes. Pubescence is only very slightly directed outwards, some hairs slightly erect. Hind wings fully developed.

Abdomen almost as wide as elytra, widest at segments V/VI; tergites III-V with rather deep, tergite VI with shallow anterior impression; punctation fine and rather sparse; tergites III-VIII shiny, with very shallow microsculpture composed of extremely fine transverse striae (visible only at high magnification); posterior margin of tergite VII with pronounced palisade fringe.

J: posterior margin of tergite VIII weakly convex ( Fig. 5 View Figs 1-9 ), truncate medially; posterior margin of sternite VIII slightly produced medially ( Fig. 6 View Figs 1-9 ); median lobe of aedeagus of distinct morphology, with flat ventral process in lateral view ( Fig. 4 View Figs 1-9 ); parameres inconspicuous.

♀: posterior margin of tergite VIII slightly convex ( Fig. 7 View Figs 1-9 ), truncate medially; posterior margin of sternite VIII slightly sinuate medially ( Fig. 8 View Figs 1-9 ); spermathecae rather simple, without distinctive characters ( Fig. 9 View Figs 1-9 ).

E t y m o l o g y: The name refers to the flat/planar apical lobe of the aedeagus in lateral view.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s: Very similar to O. badia ERICHSON and O. robusta BERNHAUER. O. robusta has a larger body size, the female has a very different spermatheca. Due to the large intraspecific variability of O. badia , O. plana can only be distinguished from this species by the difference in the structure of the aedeagus. Females of O. badia and O. plana cannot be separated by morphological characters or by the spermathecae.

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d b i o n o m i c s: Northern Italy, Austria and Slovenia. Some specimens have been found in wood litter.