taxonID	type	description	language	source
03FA2D405C024161CB2C6A62FBB32C11.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Within the Selenophori group, Oesyperus is clearly distinguished by the combination of the following character states: dorsum punctate and pubescent; head with clypeo­ocular prolongations; supraorbital furrows deep, more or less straight and prolonged to neck constriction behind eyes; mandibles elongate, evenly curved and acute at apices; mentum with median tooth; antennae pubescent from apical half of second antennomere (first antennomere also with several short setae apically); elytra with rows of discal setigerous pores at least on third intervals; and tarsi pubescent dorsally. Apical orifice of aedeagus in dorsal position and covered by sclerotized plica at apex.	en	Kataev, Boris M. (2006): A taxonomic review of the genus Oesyperus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalini). Zootaxa 1286: 43-55, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.173499
03FA2D405C024161CB2C6A62FBB32C11.taxon	description	Description. Size: Body small to moderate (about 6.0 – 11.0 mm). Colour: Body dark, not iridescent and without metallic lustre; appendages pale. Dorsal pubescence: Dorsum almost throughout (except for eyes, labrum and mandibles) covered with short erect black setae. Head: Moderate or rather large, with small eyes and wide genae. Temples long, distinctly pubescent. Frontal suture narrow and shallow; clypeo­ocular prolongations reaching supraorbital furrows. Supraorbital furrows somewhat deep, more or less straight and prolonged to neck constriction behind eyes (Figs 4 – 5). Apical margin of clypeus weakly arcuately emarginate, not bordered, and labral base invisible in emargination. Mentum (Fig. 6) with a large acute tooth and with two medial setae, separated from submentum by complete suture. Epilobes narrow, slightly widened apically. Ligular sclerite narrow, with two ventro­apical setae, separated from glabrous narrow paraglossae by deep notches [Andrewes (1923) statement that the paraglossae are setulose in Oesyperus is probably erroneous]. Basal palpomere not carinate. Penultimate palpomere approximately equal to or slightly longer than apical, with numerous setae on anterior margin. Mandibles rather long and acute, somewhat evenly curved to apex. Antennae moderately long, reaching elytral base, pubescent from apical half of second antennomere (first antennomere also with several short setae apically), but this pubescence sparser than in other antennomeres. Pronotum: Sides each with one marginal seta; apical margin bordered only laterally, basal margin without distinct border (bead sometimes hardly distinct at basal angles), not ciliate on basal edge. Elytra: Humeri more or less widely rounded at apices, without denticles. Additional ninth stria not separated from lateral furrow by convexity. Basal pore present. Each third interval with several (3 – 9) discal pores. Each fifth and seventh intervals without discal pores, or, discal pores, if present, hardly recognizable against backgrounds of general puncturation. Series umbilicate irregular, without a distinct gap medially. Hind wings: Reduced to small scales. Ventral surface: Metepisterna wider than long, weakly narrowed posteriad. Abdominal sternites densely punctate and covered with short setae. Anal sternite rounded at apex, with two pairs of setae at apical margin. Legs: Protibia not sulcate, with one or two preapical spines on outer margin and one ventroapical spine; apical spur slender, lanceolate. Metacoxa punctate, without additional setae. Metafemur with two or three setae along posterior margin. Tarsi densely pubescent dorsally. Metatarsus with first tarsomere much longer than second. In male, protarsomeres 1 – 4 moderately dilated, each with biseriate vestiture ventrally, first mesotarsomere longer than second, not dilated and without vestiture ventrally; mesotarsomeres 2 – 4 comparatively weakly dilated, each with biseriate vestiture ventrally. Male genitalia: Median lobe of aedeagus (Figs 7 – 14) arcuate, with rather short terminal lamella, more or less strongly bent dorsad at apex; ventral surface of median lobe unbordered. Apical orifice in dorsal position, extending basally and covered by more strongly sclerotized plica at apex. Internal sac without any distinct sclerotized structures. Composition and distribution. The genus includes three species, all from southern India.	en	Kataev, Boris M. (2006): A taxonomic review of the genus Oesyperus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalini). Zootaxa 1286: 43-55, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.173499
03FA2D405C024161CB2C6A62FBB32C11.taxon	discussion	Remarks. The examination of the type material of three species included in Oesyperus showed that this taxon is a member of the Selenophori genus­group of the subtribe Harpalina because it possesses the following character states which are distinctive of this group: paraglossae glabrous, penultimate labial palpomere with several setae at anterior margin, third elytral interval with row of discal pores, and male pro­ and mesotarsi dilated and carring biseriate vestiture ventrally. Other character states of Oesyperus (distinct clypeo­ocular prolongations, rather long first metatarsomere, and dorsal position of apical orifice of median lobe of aedeagus) also substantiate this relationship. However, Oesyperus is not a member of the genus Parophonus, as suggested by Noonan (1985 a), since it clearly differs in having the rather elongate mandibles. Based on the latter character, Oesyperus should, in my opinion, be included in the Oxycentrus stock sensu Noonan (1985 b) which comprised two phyletic lineages (groups), both restricted mainly to the Oriental Region: 1) Hyphaerion MacLeay sensu lato (including Calathomimus Bates, Coleolissus Bates, Tenuistilus Habu, and Allosiopelus Ito) and 2) Oxycentrus Chaudoir sensu lato (including Oxycentropsis Schauberger, Paroxycentrus Ito, and Trichoxycentrus Ito). These two groups differ chiefly in the body shape (more or less oval, somewhat robust in Hyphaerion, and elongate, often cylindrical in Oxycentrus) and apparently represent two different adaptive morphological types associated with different modes of life (probably surface or litter dweller in Hyphaerion, and hole dweller or burrower in Oxycentrus). Members of Oxycentrus are also characterized by the particularly long mandibles, usually more elongate than those in species of Hyphaerion. Both Oxycentrus sensu lato and Hyphaerion sensu lato need revision and the taxonomic status of some of the included taxa invites further investigation. Based on the somewhat robust body and moderately long mandibles, Oesyperus is more similar and probably more closely related to Hyphaerion than to Oxycentrus. However, it seems to represent a separate genus clearly distinguished from the both by the pubescent body and the modified supraorbital furrows which are deep, more or less straight and prolonged to the neck constriction behind eyes. The latter character state is known to me only for some species of Trichotichnus Morawitz. According to the original description (Ito 2000), the monotypical genus Trichoxycentrus possesses pubescence on the dorsal surfaces of the head and tarsi, but, unlike Oesyperus, the pronotum and elytra are glabrous. In addition, Trichoxycentrus, which is certainly closely related to Oxycentrus, shows other remarkable morphological characters (ligular sclerite quadrisetose, legs densely setose dorsally, prosternum and ventral surface of head densely covered with long setae) differing not only from Oesyperus but also from other related genera. In my opinion, the presence of dorsal pubescence in Oesyperus and Trichoxycentrus is not an indication of affinity. It is well known that many groups of Harpalini have dorsal pubescence and in many cases it evolved independently. Recently, Ito (2004) established a new selenophorine genus Merklia with a single newly described species M. pubens. Because the name Merklia had already been used in 1997 for a Lagriidae genus, Ito (2005) replaced it by the new name Merklophonus. Ito (2004) described this genus without reference to Oesyperus and mentioned only that it “ might be related to the genera Parophonus Ganglbauer, Ophoniscus Bates, Trichotichnus Morawitz, Coleolisssus Bates, Hyphaereon MacLeay, Oxycentrus Chaudoir, and Trichoxycentrus N. Ito ”. Unfortunately, both Merklia Ito and Merklophonus are objective synonyms of Oesyperus since the type species of the first two taxa is conspecific with the type species of Oesyperus (see below). It is interesting to note that, although all three species of Oesyperus differ sharply from each other by their appearance, they have very similar male genitalia.	en	Kataev, Boris M. (2006): A taxonomic review of the genus Oesyperus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalini). Zootaxa 1286: 43-55, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.173499
03FA2D405C074163CB2C6B1AFD522CF1.taxon	materials_examined	Type material. Holotype of Oe. unctulus: ɗ, labelled " Kodai Kanal, S. India, T. V. Campbell ", " Type ", " Oesyperus unctulus Andr., Type, H. E. Andrewes det. ", " H. E. Andrewes Coll., Brit. Mus. 1945 – 97. " (NHML). Redescription (based on the holotype). Size: Length 8.6 mm, width 3.7 mm. Habitus: Fig. 1. Colour: Body dark, poorly shiny on dorsum: head and pronotum nearly black, elytra slightly paler, dark brown; labrum, base of mandibles and very narrow lateral margins of pronotum reddish brown. Palpi, antennae and legs pale, light brownish yellow. Head: Medium sized (WHmax / WPmax = 0.67; WHmin / WPmax = 0.57), with comparatively small and weakly convex eyes separated from buccal fissure ventrally by distance approximately equal to length of second antennomere. Temples long, rather flat, sloping to neck constriction. Frontal suture shallow, clypeo­ocular prolongations slightly deepened throughout. Supraorbital furrows straight, moderately prolonged to neck constriction behind eyes and not curved ventrad distally. Labrum concave apically. Penultimate labial palpomere longer than apical one (Fig. 6). Puncturation of dorsal surface of head coarse, sparse and irregular (distance between punctures usually greater than their diameter). Dorsal microsculpture distinct throughout, consisting of isodiametric meshes. Pronotum: Rather flat, moderately transverse, 1.39 times as wide as long, cordate, widest before middle (WPmax / WPmin = 1.30). Apical margin arcuately, moderately emarginate. Apical angles slightly protruding, narrowly rounded at apices. Basal margin approximately equal to apical margin and slightly narrower than base of elytra between humeral angles, more or less straight medially, slightly oblique laterally. Sides clearly sinuate in basal third, very finely bordered. Basal angles slightly obtuse and slightly blunt at apex. Lateral margins and latero­basal areas slightly flattened, weakly explanate at basal angles. Basal foveae very wide, indistinct. Dorsal puncturation irregular, rather coarse and sparse, distributed almost throughout (sparser in central portion). Dorsal microsculpture distinct throughout, consisting largely of transverse meshes (more or less isodiametric at basal margin). Elytra: Oval, moderately long, 1.42 times as long as wide, 2.50 times as long and 1.27 times as wide as pronotum, somewhat flat basally and rather convex apically, base of each elytron with depression between scutellum and humeral angle. Preapical sinuation moderate. Sutural angle acute, narrowly rounded at apex. Basal edge rather strongly sinuate laterally, forming with lateral margin a very obtuse angle with rounded apex. Striae impunctate, deepened throughout, slightly widened posteriad. Parascutellar striole rather short, with large basal pore. Intervals convex, strongly narrowed to apex. All intervals somewhat coarsely punctate, usually with two punctures in transverse row on each interval on disc. Third interval with 5 (6) discal pores usually not connected with second stria. Microsculpture visible throughout, meshes weakly transverse on disc, more or less isodiametric basally and apically. Legs: Protibia with two preapical spines on outer margin. Metafemur with three longer and several shorter setae along posterior margin. Metatarsus approximately as long as WHmax, with first tarsomere as long as second and third together. Male genitalia: Median lobe of aedeagus (Figs 7 – 8) moderately arcuate, with almost straight ventral margin of medial portion (lateral aspect). Terminal lamella rather short and wide, evenly narrowed to rounded apex (dorsal aspect) and clearly, but not strongly, bent dorsad at tip.	en	Kataev, Boris M. (2006): A taxonomic review of the genus Oesyperus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalini). Zootaxa 1286: 43-55, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.173499
03FA2D405C074163CB2C6B1AFD522CF1.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Known only from Palni Hills in southern India.	en	Kataev, Boris M. (2006): A taxonomic review of the genus Oesyperus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalini). Zootaxa 1286: 43-55, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.173499
03FA2D405C074163CB2C6B1AFD522CF1.taxon	discussion	Remarks. Oesyperus unctulus was described from two localities (“ 6900 – 7200 feet and … 6850 feet ”) in Kodaikanal, Palni Hills, India. This species is easily distinguished from the other two species of the genus by the cordate pronotum with clearly sinuate sides. Merklia [= Merklophonus] pubens was described on the basis of five specimens (four males and one female) collected together in the same area (Palni Hills) without reference to Oe. unctulus. The original description fully agrees with the holotype of Oe. unctulus and I believe that the two taxa are identical.	en	Kataev, Boris M. (2006): A taxonomic review of the genus Oesyperus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalini). Zootaxa 1286: 43-55, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.173499
03FA2D405C04416DCB2C6F70FB6C2B29.taxon	materials_examined	Type material. Holotype: ɗ, labelled " Shembaganur, India, 6 – 1908 ", " 29 ", " Ex coll. Touzalin ", " Type ", " Oesyperus planus Andr., Type, H. E. Andrewes det. ", " H. E. Andrewes Coll., B. M. 1945 – 97 " (NHML). Redescription (based on the holotype). Size: Length 10.3 mm, width 4.1 mm. Habitus: Fig. 2. Colour: Body dark, almost black, slightly shiny on dorsum, with labrum and extremely narrow lateral margins of pronotum slightly paler; palpi, antennae and legs reddish brown. Head: Medium sized (WHmax / WPmax = 0.70; WHmin / WPmax = 0.57), with small, moderately convex eyes separated from buccal fissure ventrally by distance slightly shorter than length of second antennomere. Temples long, weakly convex, sloping to neck constriction. Frontal suture narrow and shallow, clypeo­ocular prolongations superficial, rather strongly curved to sides at clypeus. Supraorbital furrows (Fig. 4) almost straight, rather strongly prolonged to neck constriction behind eyes and very weakly curved ventrad distally. Labrum rather strongly emarginate anteriorly. Penultimate labial palpomere slightly longer than apical. Puncturation of dorsal surface of head coarse, sparse and irregular, more dense on lateral areas near eyes (with distance between punctures there approximately equal to their diameter). Dorsal microsculpture distinct throughout, consisting of isodiametric meshes. Pronotum: Weakly and evenly convex, comparatively long, 1.26 times as long as wide, widest before middle (WPmax / WPmin = 1.31). Apical margin arcuately emarginate. Apical angles markedly protruding, almost rectangular, blunt at apices. Basal margin approximately equal to apical margin, a little narrower than base of elytra between humeral angles, straight medially, clearly oblique laterally, indistinctly bordered at basal angles. Sides rounded anteriorly, nearly rectilinearly converging in basal half, throughout very narrowly bordered. Basal angles very obtuse, blunt at apices. Areas at basal angles flat. Basal foveae small, very shallow and indistinct. Dorsal puncturation more or less regular (slightly more dense along margins), with distance between punctures approximately equal to their diameter. Microsculpture distinct throughout, consisting of isodiametric meshes along margins and weakly transverse meshes on disc. Elytra: Oblong­oval, rather long, 1.54 times as long as wide, 2.52 times as long and 1.30 times as wide as pronotum, comparatively flat basally and moderately convex apically; base of each elytron with depression between scutellum and humeral angle. Humeri prominent, rather widely rounded at apices. Preapical sinuation distinct, moderately deep. Sutural angle acute, very narrowly rounded at apex. Basal bead pubescent, rather strongly sinuate laterally, forming with lateral margin slightly obtuse angle with narrowly rounded apex. Striae impunctate, comparatively wide, shallow basally, evenly becoming deeper to apex. Parascutellar striole rather long, with distinct basal pore isolated from basal bead. Intervals rather strongly narrowed posteriad, rather flat basally, convex apically. Eighth and ninth intervals notably widened at apex. All intervals rather finely and regularly punctate, with three punctures in transverse row on each intervals on disc. Third interval with 7 – 9 discal pores not connected with second stria. Microsculpture distinct throughout, consisting of isodiametric, nearly granulate meshes. Legs: Protibia with one preapical spine on outer margin; apical spur approximately as long as first protarsomere. Metafemur with two setigerous pores along posterior margin. First metatarsomere much longer than second (metatarsomeres 3 – 5 absent in holotype). Male genitalia: Median lobe of aedeagus (Figs 9 – 11) arcuate, with weakly convex ventral margin of medial portion (lateral aspect). Terminal lamella (Fig. 10) short, slightly wider than long, with sides roundly converging to rather widely rounded apex. Apex of terminal lamella rather strongly bent dorsad forming a hook. Apical orifice extending up to basal bulb.	en	Kataev, Boris M. (2006): A taxonomic review of the genus Oesyperus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalini). Zootaxa 1286: 43-55, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.173499
03FA2D405C04416DCB2C6F70FB6C2B29.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Madras: Madura, Shembaganur) in southern India.	en	Kataev, Boris M. (2006): A taxonomic review of the genus Oesyperus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalini). Zootaxa 1286: 43-55, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.173499
03FA2D405C04416DCB2C6F70FB6C2B29.taxon	discussion	Remarks. This species was described from two specimens collected at the same locality. In size, Oe. planus is similar to Oe. unctulus, but distinctly differs from it in the more elongate body with pronotal sides not sinuate basally. These two species seem to be more closely related to each other than any one of them to Oe. pygmaeus since both possess very similar male genitalia and share some other distinctive characters (for example, a distinct parascutellar striole and a basal depression on each elytron between scutellum and humeral angle). On the other hand, The pronotum and elytra of Oe. planus are more regularly and finely punctate than those of Oe. unctulus and Oe. pygmaeus.	en	Kataev, Boris M. (2006): A taxonomic review of the genus Oesyperus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalini). Zootaxa 1286: 43-55, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.173499
03FA2D405C0B416ECB2C6B10FEE12F99.taxon	materials_examined	Type material. Paratype: ɗ, labelled " Palni Hills, Marian Shola, ca. 7200 ft., S. W. Kemp, under rotten wood in dense jungle, S. W. K. ", " Cotype " [on round piece of paper with green margin], " Oesyperus pygmaeus Andr., Cotype, H. E. Andrewes det. ", " Indian Mus. Calcutta ", " H. E. Andrewes Coll., B. M. 1945 – 97 " (NHML). Redescription (based on the paratype). Size: Length 6.4 mm, width 2.6 mm. Habitus: Fig. 3. Colour: Dark brown, nearly black, poorly shiny on elytra, head and pronotum somewhat dull; labrum paler, reddish brown. Palpi, antennae and legs brownish yellow. Head: Large (WHmax / WPmax = 0.78; WHmin / WPmax = 0.68), with small and weakly convex eyes separated from buccal fissure ventrally by distance longer than width of first antennomere and slightly shorter than length of second antennomere. Temples moderately long, flat, sloping to neck constriction. Frontal suture shallow; clypeo­ocular prolongations rather evenly curved, deepened at clypeus, superficial at eyes. Supraorbital furrows (Fig. 5) straight, moderately prolonged to neck constriction behind eyes and not curved ventrad distally. Labrum moderately deeply concave apically. Penultimate labial palpomere approximately equal to apical palpomere. Puncturation of dorsal surface of head rather coarse and irregular, with distance between punctures usually slightly greater than their diameter; on frons puncturation very sparse. Dorsal microsculpture visible throughout, consisting of very distinct isodiametric, almost granulate meshes. Pronotum: Weakly convex and weakly transverse, 1.38 times as wide as long, widest in anterior third, notably narrowed basad (WPmax / WPmin = 1.38). Apical margin slightly, arcuately emarginate, bordered only at apical angles. Apical angles slightly protruding, acute, blunt at apices. Basal margin somewhat straight, narrower than apical margin and slightly narrower than base of elytra between humeral angles, without distinct basal border (bead hardly distinct at basal angles). Sides very widely rounded up to distinct obtuse basal angles, narrowly bordered throughout. Lateral depressions not developed; basal foveae very small, oval and shallow. Dorsal puncturation irregular, rather coarse and sparse, distributed throughout, with distance between punctures along margins approximately equal to their diameter and in central portion of pronotal disc greater than their diameter. Dorsal microsculpture distinct throughout, consisting of isodiametric, almost granulate meshes. Elytra: Oval, moderately long, 1.45 times as long as wide, 2.60 times as long and 1.30 times as wide as pronotum, rather strongly convex, without basal depressions. Humeri not prominent, widely rounded at apices. Preapical sinuation moderate. Sutural angle acute, narrowly rounded at apex. Basal bead glabrous, almost straight, forming with lateral margin a very obtuse angle. Striae impunctate, slightly deepened throughout. Parascutellar striole strongly reduced, indistinct; basal pore distinct, isolated from basal bead. Intervals slightly convex, weakly narrowed to apex; eighth and ninth intervals not widened apically. All intervals rather coarsely punctate, with two punctures in transverse row on each interval on disc. Each third interval with 3 – 4 discal pores usually connected with second stria. Microsculpture visible throughout, consisting of large, more or less isodiametric meshes. Legs: Protibia with one preapical spine on outer margin; apical spur slightly longer than first protarsomere. Metafemur with two setae along posterior margin. Metatarsus shorter than WHmin, with first tarsomere approximately as long as second and third combined. Male genitalia: Median lobe of aedeagus (Figs 12 – 14) arcuate, with arcuate ventral margin of medial portion (lateral aspect). Terminal lamella (Fig. 13) short and wide, slightly bend dorsad apically, with sides roundly converging to rounded apex.	en	Kataev, Boris M. (2006): A taxonomic review of the genus Oesyperus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalini). Zootaxa 1286: 43-55, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.173499
03FA2D405C0B416ECB2C6B10FEE12F99.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Marian Shola) in Palni Hills, southern India. The beetles were collected under rotten wood in dense jungle.	en	Kataev, Boris M. (2006): A taxonomic review of the genus Oesyperus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalini). Zootaxa 1286: 43-55, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.173499
03FA2D405C0B416ECB2C6B10FEE12F99.taxon	discussion	Remarks. Oesyperus pygmaeus is easily recognized by the small body and the rather convex elytra with strongly reduced parascutellar striole and without basal depressions. In addition, the head is relatively wider and the median lobe is more arcuate than in other species.	en	Kataev, Boris M. (2006): A taxonomic review of the genus Oesyperus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalini). Zootaxa 1286: 43-55, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.173499
