Niponius osorioceps: Ohara, 1994, 68.

Niponius itoi Chujo, 1955, 57 [the type specimen is deposited in Kyushu University]; Ohara, 1994, 71, synonymized by Ohara, 1999a: 78.

Niponius osorioceps Lewis, 1885b: 333 [Japan, Higo, Yuyama and Konose], pl. 8, fig. 12-14; Gardner, 1935: 3; Nakane, 1963: 67, pl. 34, fig. 4 [noted, photo]; Hisamatsu, 1985: 219, 220, pl.40, fig. 5.

Niponius osoriiceps (sic): Jakobson, 1911: 642; Reichardt, 1929: 274; Kryzhanovskij and Reichardt, 1976: 78.

Japanese name: Hime-hoso-emma-mushi..

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Niponius itoi Chûjô, 1955: 57 [Japan, Adera, Ôkuwa-mura, Nishichikuma-gun, Nagano pref., Honshû]; Hisamatsu, 1985: 220 [=? Niponius osorioceps Lewis].

Japanese name: Itô-hoso-emma-mushi.

Ohara (1994).

Description. Biometric data are given in Table 8. Body cylindrical, moderately stout. Cuticle shining, black; tarsi, antennae and projection of epistoma dark rufopiceous.

Projection of epistoma (Fig. 46A, C, D) moderately stout and long, its apex strongly carinate and dorsal surface with two transverse carinae. Apical third of head densely covered with transverse rugae; median third evenly and coarsely punctate, the punctures being separated by their diameter; basal third densely covered with coarse punctures, which are a little coarser than the median ones; depression on mid line present and shallow on apical third.

Pronotum completely with marginal stria on lateral side, the stria strongly carinate; surface covered with coarser punctures which are as coarse as those on the basal third of the head, the punctures being separated by their own diameter to twice the diameter.

Epipleura of elytra completely with marginal elytral stria, which is strongly carinate and of which the apical end attains to near the apical fifth; area between epipleural margin and elytral marginal striae impunctate and extremely finely strigate. All dorsal striae represented by rows of moderate punctures, the rows obscure and not clear, and their punctures a little finer than the pronotal ones and irregularly intermingled with punctures of intervals; intervals among the rows sparsely covered with moderate punctures, the punctures becoming denser laterally and apically. Sutural stria represented by a row of coarse and deep punctures, the row being somewhat clear. Surface of elytra with a deeply transverse excavation on near the basal margin.

Propygidium (Fig. 46E) with two large, transverse oblong, or four longitudinal oblong, and shallow foveae which become shallower posteriorly; surface densely covered with moderate punctures, the punctures becoming sparser on area between the foveae. Pygidium (Fig. 46E) with large, longitudinal oblong and deep foveae behind each basal corner; area inside foveae sparsely covered with moderate punctures; surface between foveae coarsely punctate, the punctures being separated by two to three times their diameter, and other moderate punctures sparsely intermingled among the coarse ones, these punctures becoming finer and denser apically and laterally.

Antennal grooves (Fig. 46B) deep under eyes. Surface of underside of head sparsely clothed with fine punctures, the punctures separated by two to four times their diameter and becoming denser basally and laterally.

Prosternal lobe (Fig. 46F) transverse and narrow, its anterior margin densely with hair. Prosternal keel completely with two carinal striae, which are strongly carinate and slightly convergent basally.

Mesosternum longitudinally and shallowly sulcate on mid line, its disk sparsely and finely punctate. Meso-metasternal suture clearly impressed. Metasternum longitudinally, shallowly and completely sulcate on mid line; lateral metasternal striae strongly carinate and divergent posteriorly, its apical end extending to near the hind coxa. Intercoxal disk of metasternum sparsely clothed with fine punctures, the punctures being separated by two to five times their diameter, and becoming denser and a little coarser on apical fourth. Lateral disk irregularly scattered with large, round and deep punctures on basal third, the punctures becoming finer apically and along the metasternal lateral stria.

Intercoxal disk of 1st abdominal sternum deeply striate on lateral sides, the striae nearly complete and strongly divergent posteriorly; surface densely and moderately punctate, the punctures as large as those on apical fourth of intercoxal disk of metasternum and separated by their own diameter to twice the diameter; surface among the punctures extremely finely strigate.

Table 8. Biometric data of Niponius osorioceps Lewis.

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HOW 0.58-0.50 (0.53±0.006) 18

HW 0.96-0.75 (0.89±0.012) 19

PW 1.15-0.92 (1.04±0.015) 18

PL 1.29-1.02 (1.15±0.017) 19

EL 1.61-1.20 (1.43±0.024) 19

EW 1.24-0.96 (1.14±0.019) 18

ProW 0.75-0.53 (0.65±0.013) 18

ProL 0.41-0.26 (0.35±0.009) 17

PyL 0.61-0.44 (0.53±0.013) 17

PTL 0.73-0.61 (0.67±0.012) 15

MSTL 0.70-0.53 (0.64±0.013) 15

MTTL 0.76-0.58 (0.68±0.012) 17

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Protibia slender and with three denticles on outer margin.

Male genitalia as shown in Fig. 47.

Remarks. Niponius osorioceps is characterized by the long and slender projections of the epistoma and the presence of two to four foveae on the propygidium.

This species is known as a predator of the bark beetle Phloeosinus perlatus Chapuis, Scolytidae.

[Hokkaidô] 2 exs., Gamushi, 10/v/1956, A. Nobuchi leg.

[Honshû] <Fukushima-ken> 1Åä and 7 exs., Yunohana, Tateiwa, Minami-Aizu, 15/vi, 18-20/vii/1947, Y. Kurosawa leg.; 2 exs., Ditto, 9/vii/1948, T. Nakane leg.; 1 ex., Onozawa, Egawa, Minami-Aizu, 2/vi/1951, Y. Kurosawa leg. (NSMT); 1 ex., Ditto, 17/vi/1950, Y. Kurosawa leg. (NSMT). <Yamagata-ken> 1 ex., Ôwisawa, 28/vi/1960, Y. Kurosawa leg. (NSMT); 1 ex., Ôishi, Oguni, 9/vi/1969, K. Shirahata leg. (NSMT). <Gumma-ken> 1 ex., Utsunomiya, 6/v/1968, H. Takizawa leg. <Saitama-ken> 1 ex., Chichibu, Musashi, 17/vi/1913, H. Takabayashi leg. <Tôkyô-to> 2 exs., Hikagesawa, Mt. Takao-san, 4/v/1975, K. Kawada leg.; 1 ex., Hikawa, Okutama, 13/v/1951, K. Umeya leg. (NSMT); 1 ex., Mt. Takao, 21/vi/1963, S. Nomura leg. (NSMT). <Kanagawa-ken> 11 exs., Mt. Ôyama, 5/v/1989, H. Takizawa leg.; 1 ex., Sôun-zan, 29/v/1988, H. Takizawa leg. <Nagano-ken> 1 ex., Yatsu-ga-take, 14/vii/1951, J. Suzuki leg. (NSMT). <Shizuoka-ken> 1 ex., Izu, Inatori, 6/v/1973, H. Takizawa leg.; 1 ex., Mt. Amagi-san, 5/v/1956, S. Tsuyuki leg. (NSMT). <Niigata-ken> 1 ex., Kurokawa, northen Echigo, 9/vi/1963, K. Baba leg. <Gifu-ken> 1 ex., Naratoge, 4/vii/1953, H. Torigai leg. <Shiga-ken> 1 ex., Bomura, 15/vi/1957, T. Nakane leg. <Kyôto-fu> 1 ex., Serio, 29/v/1954, T. Nakane leg. <Tottori-ken> 1 ex., Daisen, 9/vii/1951, N. Yato leg.

[Kyûshû] <Kagoshima-ken> 1 ex., Iriki, Aira-gun, 10/v/1984, T. & T. Nakane leg. (NA).

Ohara (1994)

Remarks. Judging from the original description this species is apparently similar to N. osorioceps, but it is distinguished from latter by the smaller body size. I have been unable to trace it in the Chûjô collection. Accoding to Hisamatsu (1985) this species is probably a synonym of N. osorioceps.

Specimens examined [additional records].

Niponius itoi Chujô, 1955, 57 [the type specimen is deposited in Kyûshû University]; Ôhara, 1994, 71. NEW SYNONYM under Niponius osorioceps.

Holotype of N. itoi Chujoô in ELKU; labeled: 1. Adera, Nagano pref., Honshu, Japan, 17-28.V.1955, Coll. T. Ito ; 2. Niponius itoi Chujoô, Det. M. Chujo; 3. Holotype (red label).

[Honshu] Fukushima-ken: Handa-numa, Kuwaore-machi (1 ex., 5/v/1969), K. Tazoe. Ibaraki-ken: Mt. Tsukuba (10 exs., 4-17/v/1991, PD101; 6 exs., 4­17/v/1991, CJ083), M. Isono; Kunugi-daira, Yasato (4 exs., 4-17/v/1991, QS042), M. Isono; Yasato-chô (4 exs., 4-17/v/1991, QS063), M. Isono.

Remarks. Dr. T. Ueno, Kyushu Univ., found the type specimen of N. itoi in the collection of ELKU and suggested to me that N. itoi is a synonym of N. osorioceps. I also examined the type and confirmed the synonymy.

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