Batrisodes (Babnormodes) hairstoni Park 1947

Chandler, Donald S. & Lewis, Julian J., 2008, Notes on the Cave-Associated Pselaphinae (Staphylinidae) of Indiana, The Coleopterists Bulletin 62 (1), pp. 114-119 : 115-117

Batrisodes (Babnormodes) hairstoni Park 1947

( Figs. 1–3 )

Batrisodes hairstoni Park 1947:101 , pl. VI, fig. 5. Type locality: Clark Co. State Park, near Uno [misspelling for Union], Clark Co., Indiana (FMNH). Male .

Batrisodes (Babmormodes) krekeleri Park 1960:74 . Type locality: Cave Spring , 2.5 mi SSW New Washington, Clark Co., Indiana (FMNH). Female. NEW

SYNONYMY

Specimens examined. Indiana: Clark Co., Cave Spring , 2.5 mi SSW New Washington, VIII-3-1959, C.H. Krekeler ( FMNH, holotype B. krekeleri ); Clark State Forest, near Uno [Union], V-1-1947, N.G. Hairston, ex stomach Plethodon c. cinereus (Green) ( FMNH, holotype B. hairstoni ). Crawford Co., 1 male, Hoton Canyon Cave , 2.5 mi ESE Marengo, X-26-1996, Julian Lewis, James Lewis, & Victor Lewis. Greene Co. , 1 female, Ashcraft Cave , 2 mi NE Koleen, VIII-20-2006, Julian Lewis & Salisa Lewis, entrance room under stone. Lawrence Co. , 1 male, JJ’s Cave, VIII-26-2006, Pierre Paquin & Julian Lewis; 1 female, Smith’s Folly Cave , Tincher Hollow Special Area , Hoosier National Forest , VII-29-2001, Julian Lewis & Salisa Rafail; 2 males, same locality, VIII-26-2006, Pierre Paquin & Julian Lewis .

Description. Length 2.3–2.5. Head with nude vertexal foveae; lateral occipital carinae extending anteriorly to point dorsal to anterior margin of eyes. Pronotum with antebasal sulcus biarcuate, antebasal foveae large, subequal, lateral antebasal foveae setose, median antebasal fovea nude; lateral longitudinal sulci distinct, median longitudinal sulcus weakly extending anteriorly to near middle of disc, disc convex; lateral antebasal tubercles low, bluntly pointed. Elytra with three antebasal foveae.

Male. Head with short broad sulci extending anteriorly from vertexal foveae; vertex prominently projecting on anterior margin between antennal bases, apex broadly and shallowly curved, sometimes appearing slightly sinuate laterally, apical portion slightly curving ventrally, densely punctate, with short anteriorlycurved setae; deep transverse sulcus between antennal insertions sharply defining underside of projection, sulcus with band of short dense setae between antennal insertions originating from vertexal overhang and clypeus; clypeus broadly projecting and truncate at border with sulcus. Eyes with about 45 facets. First antennomere unmodified, antennomeres III–VII subequal in length, nearly half again as long as wide, VIII as long as wide, IX transversely triangular, twice as wide as long, widest laterally, X enlarged and globular, as long as wide, nearly as wide as XI, flattened on ventral margin, with large setose fovea occupying about half of ventral surface; XI with ventral surface flattened in basal half.

Protibiae with apical half flattened, slightly widening to apex, with dense short setae on mesal margin; mesotibiae broadly angulate in apical half, densely setose from angulation to apex; second mesotarsomere sinuate; metatibiae simple, with dense short setae on mesal margin in apical half.

Fourth visible sternite broadly and slightly convex; fifth sternite flattened at middle.

Female. Head with junction of vertex and frons distinctly angled between antennal bases, frons flat, more densely punctate than vertex, antennal tubercles equally densely punctate. Eyes with about 20 facets ( Park (1960) observed 12 facets, but 20 is more appropriate).

Distribution and Ecology. Specimens were found on the underside of rocks in caves from late July to October, with the specimen obtained from the salamander stomach found in May. In Hoton Canyon Cave the specimens were found under a stone far into the dark zone of the cave, while in the other caves the beetles were found in the twilight zone. Prolonged, repeated searching in the same part of Ashcraft Cave failed to secure a second specimen. The rocky slope outside the cave entrance was also searched without success.

The range spans a linear distance of approximately 100 km, from Clark Co. west to Crawford Co., north to Lawrence and Greene Counties. Cave Spring Cave (Clark Co.) was formed in limestone of the southeastern Indiana karst that was covered by the Illinoian glaciation. The other three caves lie in the unglaciated south-central Indiana karst region. The only known epigean locality of B. hairstoni is from a non-karst area of rugged hill topography in the intervening Scottsburg Lowland, a region separating the two karst belts. The zoogeography of Indiana cavernicoles was discussed in detail by Lewis (1983).

The eyes of the male are somewhat reduced (circa 45 facets), and those of the female distinctly so (circa 20 facets), indicating an adaptation to caves or possibly deep soil habitats. One specimen taken in August is teneral, and another is not fully sclerotized. Flight wings of the male are fully developed, while those of the female are slightly shortened, extending only to the abdomen apex.

Relationships. Superficially similar to the locally common B. lineaticollis , but separable by the weak median longitudinal sulcus that barely reaches the middle of the pronotal disc in B. hairstoni , while in B. lineaticollis this sulcus is distinct and reaches the pronotal apex. Males of B. hairstoni are easily separable by the broadly rounded vertexal projection, antennomeres X and XI being equally wide, the large fovea on the underside of antennomere X, and the sinuate second mesotarsomere, the definitive character for the subgenus Babnormodes . Batrisodes lineaticollis males are characterized by a bluntly angular vertexal projection, antennomere X is clearly wider than XI, the fovea on the underside of antennomere X is punctiform, and the second mesotarsomere is linear.

This species appears to be closest to the widespread eastern Batrisodes (Babnormodes) foveicornis (Casey, 1887) by the similar antennal and pronotal characters of the males. In B. foveicornis the vertexal apex smoothly declines to the frons with a slight transverse sulcus indicated at the junction of the frons and vertex, in contrast to the prominent and well-defined vertexal apex with a deep transverse indentation at the junction with the frons in B. hairstoni , and the mesotibiae lack the mesal angulation that is prominent in B. krekeleri .

Figures

Figs. 1–3. Batrisodes hairstoni. 1. Lateral view of left antenna with ventral view of apical three segments. 2. Dorsal view of head. 3. Dorsal view of aedeagus. Line equals 0.1 mm.