Ptomaphagus (Appadelopsis) merritti, Tishechkin, 2007

TISHECHKIN, ALEXEY K., 2007, A new species of Ptomaphagus (Appadelopsis) (Coleoptera: Leiodidae) from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U. S. A., Zootaxa 1478, pp. 61-64 : 61-62

Ptomaphagus (Appadelopsis) merritti sp. n. ( Figs. 1–6 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, labeled: “N CAROLINA: Swain Co., GSMNP, Appalachian Tr. nr. Doe Knob at 35º31.61’N 83º49.18’W. 1370 m. Forest litter. 14.iv.2006, A. Tishechkin / LSAM 0109735 / HOLOTYPE Ptomaphagus (Appadelopsis) merritti sp. n. A. Tishechkin des. 2007” ( FMNH) . Paratypes (5): USA: North Carolina: Swain Co. : same data as holotype (♀, LSAM); GSMNP , jct. of Beech Gap and Hyatt Ridge Trs. 35º37.82’N 83º14.07’W, 1495 m, 2 October 2005, W.D. Merritt, forest litter (♂, LSAM); GSMNP , upper Deep Creek Tr. at 35º35.97’N 83º25.47’W, 22 July 2002, C. E. Carlton, moist upland Berlese (♂, ♀, GSMNP) ; Tennessee: Sevier Co.: GSMNP , Appalachian Tr. at Beech Gap on Clingmans Dome Rd. 35º36.6’N 83º26.63’W, 1750 m, 28 June 2001, V. Moseley, C. E. Carlton & A. K. Tishechkin, forest litter Berlese (♂, LSAM) .

Description. A typical member of Ptomaphagus (Appadelopsis) ( Fig. 1 ). Body length 2.75–2.85 mm, width 1.35– 1.40 mm. Pronotum 1.72–1.78 times wider then long, 2.09–2.14 times shorter then elytra. Elytra together 1.23–1.29 times longer then wide. Aedeagus apex is similar to that of P.suteri (Peck) , with dorsal section upturned into long, wide knob with a distinct depression in the middle ( Figs. 2–4 ). Edges of both dorsal and ventral sections in frontal view deeply asymmetrically sinuate ( Fig. 3 ). Spermatheca ( Figs. 5–6 ) with sharp bend in posterior end, distinctly sinuate central section and anterior crest perpendicular to middle section.

Diagnosis. The genitalia, primarily the aedeagus, of P. merriti is similar to the genitalia of only one described Appadelopsis species, P. (A.) suteri ( Peck, 1978) . The sinuate margins of the dorsal and ventral sections of the aedeagus are unique to the new species, in P. suteri they are almost straight. The shape of the apical knob of the aedeagus is slightly different in these species. Spermatheca of P. merritti has a distinctly sinuate central section and anterior section almost rectangularly attached to it, whereas in P. suteri the spermatheca has a straight middle section and the angle between it and apical section is acute. Also, these species have widely allopatric distributions, with P. suteri found in the southern Nantahala Mountains south of GSMNP, an area known for numerous narrow endemics among specialized litterdwelling beetles ( Barr 1974, 1979).

Etymology. I dedicate this species to William D. Merritt, collector of one of the paratypes, in appreciation of his outstanding volunteer contribution to the GSMNP ATBI. Habitat. Found in deep forest litter at 1400–1750 m of altitude. Distribution. Apparent endemic of the Great Smoky Mountains, known from scattered localities at high altitudes of GSMNP ( Fig. 7 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ptomaphagus merritti sp. n. Dorsal habitus of the holotype.

FIGURES 2–6. Genitalia of Ptomaphagus merritti sp. n. 2—aedeagus, lateral view; 3—apex of median lobe, frontal view; 4—apex of median lobe, dorso-lateral view; 5—spermatheca, dorsal view; 6—spermatheca, lateral view.

FIGURE 7. Known distribution of Ptomaphagus merritti sp. n. (squares) and P.fumosus(Peck, 1978) (circles, filled—for historic records, open—for recent ATBI records) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.