Oedichirus speculifrons Bernhauer, 2013

Herman, Lee H., 2013, Revision Of The New World Species Of Oedichirus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Pinophilini: Procirrina), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2013 (375), pp. 1-137 : 119-128

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1206/816.1
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03DF8794-7D6F-D1E7-FF77-579BFC84012D
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Oedichirus speculifrons Bernhauer
status

Treatment

Oedichirus speculifrons Bernhauer View in CoL

Figures 40 View Figs , 208–220 View Figs View Figs View Figs View Figs

Oedichirus speculifrons Bernhauer, 1939: 238 View in CoL .

— Blackwelder, 1944: 131 (checklist). — Fernandez et al., 2007: 31 (syntype deposition).

TYPE MATERIAL: Syntypes: One male ( FMNH) and one female ( MLPA). In the original description Bernhauer neither designated a holotype nor indicated the number of specimens of the species he examined. In the Bernhauer collection ( FMNH) only one specimen from the published type locality is identified as ‘‘ speculifrons Brnh. typus’’ in Bernhauer’s handwriting. A female in the Museo de La Plata ( MLPA) is identified as ‘‘ Oedichirus speculifrons Brnh. n. sp. ’’ in Bernhauer’s handwriting and is from the type locality of that species. The locality labels for both are identical in that they are the same size, are printed in the same typeface, read ‘‘ Brasilien Nova Teutonia 27 ° 119 B. 52 ° 239 L. Fritz Plaumann’’ on the obverse, and have the handwritten notation ‘‘Coll: M. Viana 6-1938’’ on the reverse. Details of the identification and locality labels support the possibility that both specimens were examined by Bernhauer when he described the species. Because O. speculifrons is variable and part of a complex of species, a lectotype is designated to fix the name.

LECTOTYPE. Designated here. Male. ‘‘ Brasilien Nova Teutonia 27 ° 119B. 52 ° 239L. Fritz Plaumann [topside, printed] Col. M. Viana 6-1938 [bottom side, handwritten]/ speculifrons Bernh. Typus/ speculifrons Bernh. Typus Oedichirus / Chicago NHMus M.Bernhauer Collection/ Lectotype Oedichirus speculifrons Bernhauer des. L. Herman, 2011.’’ Deposited in the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. (Left maxillary palpomeres 3 and 4, left metatarsus, and right mesotarsus are missing.)

PARALECTOTYPE: Female. ‘‘ Brasilien Nova Teutonia 27 ° 119B. 52 ° 239L. Fritz Plaumann [topside, printed] Col. M. Viana 6-1938 [bottom side, handwritten]/99/ Oedichirus speculifrons Brnh. n.sp. /Sintipo/168/ Paralectotype Oedichirus speculifrons Bernhauer det. L.Herman, 2011.’’ Deposited in the Museo de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.

TYPE LOCALITY: Brazil: Santa Catarina : Nova Teutonia, 27 ° 119S, 52 ° 239W. (This locality is cited by Paynter and Traylor [1991: 414], but with slightly different coordinates: 27 ° 039S, 52 ° 249W.)

DIAGNOSIS: Oedichirus speculifrons is one of four externally similar species that also includes O. apiculus , O. glabrihamus , and O. misionesiensis , all of which have a symmetrical emargination of sternum VIII (fig. 208) and, on the aedeagus, a stout, tapered, curved apicoventral process extending from the right side of the apex of the ventral sclerite (fig. 212). Oedichirus apiculus can be separated from O. speculifrons by the shallower emargination, the oviform median depression, and the absence of a densely pubescent depression laterad of the median depression of sternum VIII (cf. figs. 46, 47 with 208, 209). The lateral margin of the median depression of O. speculifrons is bordered lateroapically by a straight ridge, a boss is present at the posterior end of the ridge, and the apical margin of the median depression is beveled (fig. 208). The aedeagus of O. apiculus has a spiniform process on the right side of the apical margin of the ventral sclerite dorsad of the anteroventral process (figs. 41, 44) that O. speculifrons lacks (fig. 211). Sternum VIII is similar for the males of O. speculifrons and O. misionesiensis , but the two are separated by the peg-boss on the apical margin of the apicoventral process of the aedeagus of the latter (figs. 173, 176), whereas the swelling at nearly the same position (fig. 212) on O. speculifrons is diagonally transverse and the ventral surface is ridged. On sternum VIII the lateroapical boss near the posterior margin is more strongly defined (fig. 208) and the pubescence laterad of the median depression is moderately dense (fig. 209) in O. speculifrons . For O. misionesiensis the lateroapical corner of the slightly depressed, median plane is polished, low, and feebly raised and the pubesence laterad of the median plane is more dense (fig. 177) than for O. speculifrons (fig. 209). The median depression of sternum VIII of O. glabrihamus is bordered laterally by a dense cluster of setae (fig. 155), the aedeagus has a pointed lobe on the right dorsal edge of the ventral sclerite (fig. 153), the apicoventral process of the aedeagus lacks a boss and is short and broad (fig. 154). For O. speculifrons , the cluster of setae laterad of the median depression is moderately dense (fig. 209), the aedeagus lacks a pointed lobe on the right dorsal edge of the ventral sclerite (fig. 211), and the apicoventral process of the aedeagus has a broad boss on the posterior surface (fig. 212).

As for females, the anterior vulvar lobe is membranous and lacks adornment (figs. 219, 220), the posterior vulvar lobe is covered with cobble, and the median gonocoxal plate anteriad of the vulvar plate is reduced to a narrow strap (figs. 210, 219) for O. speculifrons . The females are unknown for other described species of the complex, but includ- ed below is a discussion and illustrations for females of other species of the complex (see below, Remarks: Females).

DESCRIPTION: Length: 7.3–8.8 mm. Length of head: 0.7 mm. Width of head: 1.0– 1.1 mm. Pronotal length: 1.2–1.3 mm. Pronotal width: 1.1 mm. Elytral length: 0.8– 0.9 mm. Elytral width: 1.0– 1.1 mm.

Body concolorous dark reddish brown to black with infusions of paler reddish brown particularly on elytra. Legs yellowish brown, some specimens with slightly darker infusion at femorotibial joint.

Head about two fifths to one half wider than long (HW/HL: 1.4–1.5). Frontoclypeal ridge curved and incomplete, separated medially. Dorsal surface without V-shaped depression; surface polished and with coarse, moderately dense punctation, punctation less dense anteriorly and some specimens with small impunctate spot basally. Labrum quadridentate; surface without tubercle near submedial denticle.

Pronotum about one tenth to one fifth longer than wide (PL/PW: 1.1–1.2). Pronotum polished with coarse punctation arranged in irregular and scattered dense to moderately dense clusters and with irregularly punctate, submedial groove on basal third to half. Elytra about one fifth to one third wider than long (EW/EL: 1.2–1.3); surface weakly convex and coarsely punctate.

Abdomen with coarse, irregularly distributed punctation dorsally; segments VII and VIII slightly less densely punctate than preceding segments; segments III to VII with or without transverse, subapical row of punctures, but row irregular when present. Segment III without paratergite; paratergal carina extending beyond spiracle for most of length of segment, but not reaching posterior margin and poorly developed beyond spiracle. Tergum III without median point extending from transverse basal ridge. Tergum VIII with posterior margin broadly and feebly rounded to nearly truncate; transverse basal ridge broadly curved anteriorly and without median point. Tergum IX with lateroapical process equal to midbasal length to about a third longer (LLaP/L9 5 1.0–1.3), slightly bent ventrally, and slightly divergent from other process; ventromedial margin without posteriorly directed spur (cf. fig. 158).

MALE: Sterna VI and VII unmodified. Sternum VIII (figs. 208, 209) with deep, wide symmetrical emargination of posterior margin; emargination about one seventh of length of segment, wider than deep, with basal margin wide and rounded; subapical surface not translucent; surface with broad, shallow, median depression extending from near base of emargination to transverse basal ridge; surface with low, polished boss on each side of apex of median depression and with low ridge extending anteriorly from boss along lateral margin of depression; median depression with moderately dense setate punctation medially and without punctation basally or apically; posterior end of depression beveled and with transverse row or cluster of closely spaced setae extending between lateroapical bosses; surface laterad of median depression with feeble to shallow depression and with small, slightly denser cluster of fine setae at proximal end of depression; surface distad of lateral depression with curved, subapical row of setate punctures; sternal surface without comb; transverse basal ridge with median portion broadly and strongly curved anteriorly and without median point. Tergum IX with long, wide process on anterior margin of anteroventral angle. Sternum IX (fig. 214) slightly asymmetrical; anterior margin shallowly emarginate and moderately wide; posterior margin wide and sinuatotruncate; lateral margins broadly rounded.

Aedeagus asymmetrical (figs. 211–213). Ventral sclerite with apicoventral process extending laterally from right side of apical margin of ventral sclerite; apicoventral process moderately long, anteroposteriorly flattened, thick basally, strongly tapered to lateroanteriorly bent and acute apex, slender in ventral view (fig. 212), wide in posterior view, and with small to large, slightly compressed tumescent boss on ventroapical surface at rightward bend of process; boss with diagonally transverse orientation and with ridge on ventral surface; ventral sclerite with slightly curved carina on right side proximad of base of apicoventral process and without pointed lobe or spiniform process on right side dorsad of base of apicoventral process (fig. 211). Parameres long, tapered, moderately broad basally and slender apically; base half fused to median lobe; apical half free of median lobe. Internal sac (figs. 215–218) largely membranous; apical region near gonopore with various types of armature on ventral surface (figs. 217, 218); dorsal surface with short, robust spinelike process subapically; ventral side with heavily sclerotized mass lateroposteriad of and to right of gonopore, surface with spines extending from surface (figs. 217, 218); gonopore surrounded by short, apically acute and apically rounded cuticular processes (figs. 216–218).

FEMALE: Sternum VIII with posterior margin truncate to slightly sinuate; transverse basal ridge irregularly and slightly sinuate and with median portion curved anteriorly, and without median point. Tergum IX with anteroventral angles separated from each other (fig. 210). Median gonocoxal plate anteriad of vulvar plate reduced to narrow strap with broadly rounded anterior margin (figs. 210, 219); anterior margin broadly rounded then sloping lateroposteriorly; gonocoxal plate posteriad of vulvar plate gradually tapered to broadly rounded posterior margin. Vulvar plate embedded in gonocoxal plate anteromedially. Anterior vulvar lobe (figs. 219, 220) transverse, posterior margin contiguous with anterior margin and extending along all of right lateral margin of posterior lobe; surface membranous, wrinkled, and without ornamentation. Posterior vulvar lobe irregularly ovoid; surface cobbled. Vulva at slight angle to longitudinal axis.

VARIATION: Unlike any other specimens collected in the New World, a series of two males and four females from Nova Teutonia were completely black including the legs, which are normally yellowish brown. These melanistic forms were collected by F. Plaumann in May 1972 and, but for color, are indistinguishable from other specimens of O. speculifrons .

MALES: Sternum VIII of the males exhibits subtle variation in the depth, density, and posterior extent of punctation of the median depression, development of the ridge bordering that depression, and development of the subapical boss on the lateroapical corner of the depression, but there seems to be little geographical pattern to this variation. However, specimens from Nova Teutonia have a transverse row of relatively few setae on the beveled, posterior margin of the median depression, whereas for those from Chapeco and Sinimbu, the row of setae is more irregular and includes a few more setae. On the aedeagus, the apicoventral process varies in thickness and length and the size of the boss on the posterior margin at the corner of the rightward bend of the process varies. The boss is a wide transverse swelling with a ridge on the ventral surface. It is moderately tumid on specimens (fig. 212) from Nova Teutonia and larger on a specimen from Chapeco and another from Sinimbu. Characteristically the boss is ventrally directed and is a diagonally transverse swelling that is continuous with a ventral ridge that extends to the apex of the apicoventral process. By contrast, the boss of O. misionesiensis , near the same bend of the apicoventral process, is a posteriorly directed, cylindrical peg that lacks a ridge (fig. 173).

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Twenty-seven males, 36 females. Brazil: Rio Grande do Sul: Sinimbu , 29 ° 309, 52 ° 309, 200 m, IX - 1960, F. Plaumann (1 male, CNCI). Santa Catarina : Chapeco, 27 ° 079, 52 ° 369, 600 m, VII - 1961, F. Plaumann (2 males, CNCI), VII - 1960 (10 females, CNCI), IX - 1960 (1 female, CNCI) ; Santa Catarina : Nova Teutonia, Plaumann (3 males, FMNH), XII - 1953 (2 males, FMNH), 27 ° 119B., 52 ° 239L., Fr. Plaumann (1 male, Lectotype, FMNH; 1 female, Paralectotype, MLPA), ii - 1939 (1 female, BMNH), V - 1972 (1 male, 5 females, CNCI), 27 ° 119, 52 ° 239, 300– 500 m, IV - 1954, leg. F. Plaumann (1 male, FMNH), 27 ° 119S, 52 ° 239W, III - 1958 (5 males, 6 females, CNCI), V - 1961 (1 male, CNCI), VII - 1961 (1 male, CNCI), VII - 1969 (5 males, 11 females, CNCI), II - 1971 (3 males, CNCI), April 1971 (1 male, 1 female, CNCI) .

DISTRIBUTION: Oedichirus speculifrons is known from three localities in Santa Catarina and one in Rio Grande do Sul (fig. 40).

REMARKS: Females: Thirty-two males of the speculifrons complex were collected from two sites in Santa Catarina, Chapeco , and Nova Teutonia. Collected together with those males were 41 females. The females lacked characters that associated any of them with any species in the speculifrons group, they could not be assigned to the speculifrons complex without collecting-based associations with males, and they could not be segregated into groups using only external features. However, dissection of the genital segment revealed four groups based on characters of the median gonocoxal plate and anterior vulvar lobe; these groups included 36 (figs. 219, 220), two (figs. 221, 222), two (fig. 223), and one specimens (fig. 224). Three species of the complex, O. speculifrons , O. apiculus , and O. glabrihamus , are represented in Santa Catarina by 26, four, and one males respectively. The males and females were all collected by Fritz Plaumann. The simplest hypothesis would be that the males and females were represented in the same relative proportions. Thus, O. speculifrons would include 26 males and the group of 36 females. As ancillary evidence on the identity of these females, the lectotype and paralectotype for O. speculifrons , both from Nova Teutonia, may have been collected together (see Type Material above) and are presumed to be conspecific. The median gonocoxal plate of the paralectotype matches those of the 36 dissected females thought to be O. speculifrons .

The disposition of the remaining three groups (1, 2, and 3) of females is uncertain. Oedichirus apiculus is known by four males, three from Nova Teutonia and one from Chapeco. Oedichirus glabrihamus is known by a male from Chapeco. Among the five unidentified females, all collected on different dates, one from Chapeco and four from Nova Teutonia, three groupings can be recognized. Two groups, speculifrons complex groups 1 and 2, have indeterminate surface structure on the anterior vulvar lobe (figs. 221–223). In group 1, represented by two specimens from Nova Teutonia, the median gonocoxal plate anteriad of the vulvar plate is large and triangular (fig. 221), and the anterior margin is narrow and rounded medially; the posterior margin of the anterior vulvar lobe extends along the anterior margin of the posterior vulvar lobe of one specimen (fig. 222) and along part of the right lateral margin of the other (fig. 221). For group 2, represented by a specimen from Chapeco and another from Nova Teutonia, the median gonocoxal plate anteriad of the vulvar plate is short and triangular/trapezoidal with a nearly straight or slightly rounded anterior margin and the anterior vulvar lobe extends strongly around the right lateral side of the posterior vulvar lobe (fig. 223). The third group, speculifrons complex group 3, from Nova Teutonia, has a network of fine fimbriae on the anterior vulvar lobe; the anterior lobe embraces the lateral sides of the posterior vulvar lobe equally, and the median gonocoxal plate anteriad of the vulvar plate is a narrow strap (fig. 224). It was impossible to decide which of the three groups of females were conspecific with the two remaining species from Santa Catarina.

BIONOMICS: Upon dissection of specimens collected in 1960 at Chapeco, an egg was found in the abdomen of each of four females collected in July and in a female collected in September. Two other specimens, each with an egg, were collected from Nova Teutonia in May 1972 and June 1938.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Groups of O. speculifrons complex: Group 1. Brazil: Santa Catarina : Nova Teutonia, 27 ° 119S, 52 ° 239W, 300–500 m, VI - 1972, Fritz Plaumann (1 female, CNC); VII - 1969 (1 female, CNC). Group 2. Brazil: Santa Catarina : Nova Teutonia, 27 ° 119S, 52 ° 239W, 300–500 m, V - 1960, Fritz Plaumann (1 female, CNC); Chapeco, 27 ° 079, 52 ° 369, 600 m, VII - 1960 (1 female, CNC). Group 3. Brazil: Santa Catarina : Nova Teutonia, 27 ° 119S, 52 ° 239W, 300–500 m, III - 1958, Fritz Plaumann (1 female, CNC).