Anillinus carltoni Sokolov, 2011

Sokolov, Igor M., 2011, Five new species of Anillinus Casey from the Southern Appalachian Mountains and the Piedmont Plateau of eastern U. S. A. (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechinae: Bembidiini), Insecta Mundi 2011 (164), pp. 1-14 : 6-8

Anillinus carltoni Sokolov , new species

Figure 2 , 7 , 12 , 16

Holotype. Male labeled / TENNESSEE: Blount Co., GSMNP, Appalachian Tr. ca. 0.5km E Thunderhead Mt., 35°34’3”N 83°42’4”W, 1,510m. Leaf litter sifting. 30 July 2004 A. Tishechkin / HOLOTYPE, Anillinus carltoni Sokolov , des. 2009/. Deposited USNM .

Type locality. U.S.A. Tennessee, Blount County, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Thunderhead Mountain at 35°34’3”N 83°42’4”W.

Paratypes (22). Eight males and 14 females with the same data as holotype.

Etymology. This species is named for Christopher E. Carlton, Director of the Louisiana State Arthropod Museum, who originally suggested that I direct my efforts on this peculiar group of small, blind carabids, and for his constant and multipurpose help in everyday things during the author’s postdoctoral fellowship in the Museum.

Description. Moderate-to large size for genus (ABL range 1.66-1.90 mm, mean 1.79± 0.076 mm, n=19). Habitus ( Fig. 2 ) subdepressed, subparallel (WE/ABL 0.37±0.011), head of normal proportions for the genus (WH/WPm 0.75±0.022), pronotum narrow compared to elytra (WPm/WE 0.80±0.018). Body color rufotestaceous, appendages testaceous. Dorsal microsculpture partly effaced. Head with polygonal microsculpture on entire vertex and anterior part of frons with the effaced area between them. Disc and front part of pronotum with effaced microsculpture, base of pronotum with polygonal microsculpture.

Elytra with well-developed polygonal microsculpture.

Pronotum ( Fig. 7 ) moderately convex and of normal proportions for genus (WPm/LP 1.26±0.046), with margins rectilinear and strongly constricted posteriad (WPm/WPp 1.42±0.038). Anterior angles weak, very slightly prominent. Posterior angles nearly rectangular (95-100°). Width between posterior angles less than between anterior angles (WPa/WPp 1.08±0.026).

Elytra slightly convex, depressed along suture, of normal length for genus (LE/ABL 0.53±0.020), with traces of 4-5 interneurs. Humeri oblique and effaced. Lateral margins subparallel, slightly divergent in basal half, evenly rounded to apex in apical third, maximal width of elytra at midpoint. Elytra without subapical sinuation. Vestiture of elytra short (lesser than one-third of discal setae).

Prothoracic leg of males with moderately dilated tarsomere 1. Profemur moderately swollen. Metafemora unmodified. Sternum VII of males unmodified.

Median lobe of aedeagus ( Fig. 12a ) angulate-arcuate and twisted, with apex greatly enlarged, moderately tapering apically and narrowly rounded. Distinctive small fold extending from base of apex towards apex of median lobe. Ventral margin of median lobe greatly enlarged and uneven, bearing numerous poriferous canals, which are also present on walls of median lobe across its ventral side. Dorsal copulatory sclerites forming two curled blade-like structures of moderate length diverging at their base and converging at apices. Ventral sclerite and spines of internal sac absent. Membranous folds around dorsal sclerites are covered with distinctive scale structures. Ostium bears a small field of tiny sclerotized spinules. Left paramere ( Fig. 12b ) not enlarged, paramere apex with numerous poriferous canals, but without visible setae. Right paramere ( Fig. 12c ) elongate and enlarged, with subparallel apical portion, bearing numerous long setae that are comparable in length with the apical part of paramere itself.

Distribution. Known only from high altitudes (1500-1600 m) of Thunderhead Mountain, along the state line between Tennessee and North Carolina, within GSMNP ( Fig. 16 ).

Habitat. The type series was collected on the northern slope of the ridge by sifting litter under forest canopy. The locality is situated in northern hardwood forest at relatively high altitudes (1510 m).

Differential diagnosis. Anillinus carltoni belongs to the moseleyae-group of species (group VII, Sokolov et al. 2004), which is characterized by the smooth disc of pronotum, partly smoothed head microsculpture and by the narrow base of pronotum (WPa/WPp> 1.00).). It is distinguished from all other species in this group by the form of the median lobe and armature of the internal sac. Externally, it is similar to A. moseleyae and A. unicoi , but is noticeably smaller than either of them. Also the genitalia of all three species are different.

Whether A. carltoni occurs sympatrically with any other species of Anillina is unknown. Representatives of Serranillus , A. cieglerae Sokolov and Carlton , and A. pusillus Sokolov and Carlton inhabit altitudes below 1500 m. Anillinus loweae Sokolov and Carlton , is known to live at the same altitudes, but is distributed far to the east of Thunderhead Mountain. Anillinus cherokee could potentially be sympatric, but it can be distinguished from the latter by the microsculptured pronotum of different proportions.

The key below may be used for the identification of the endogean species with effaced microsculpture on pronotum (including the moseleyae-group species) in the southern Appalachian Mountains (to the South of the French Broad River):

1. Pronotum smooth AND greatly constricted posteriad: ratio WPa/WPp>1.00. ........................... 2

— Pronotum microsculptured OR smooth AND less constricted posteriad: ratio WPa/WPp <1.00 .. ................................................................................................................ other Anillinus species

2(1). Head totally covered with polygonal microsculpture. Elytral interneurs obvious only mediad discal setae (i.e. between the suture and discal setae). Beetles from low altitudes. Roane Co., Tennessee ......................................................................................................... A. sinuaticollis Jeannel

— Head with smooth central part of frons. Elytral interneurs obvious also laterad discal setae (i.e between discal setae and the lateral margin of elytra) ............................................................ 3

3(2). Medium to large-sized beetles (ABL> 1.65 mm) from high altitudes. .......................................... 4

— Small-sized beetles (ABL <1.60 mm) from low altitudes. Peach Co., Georgia................................ ................................................................................................................... A. turneri Jeannel

4(3). Apex of median lobe noticeably asymmetrical, its upper margin moderately elevated. Unicoi Mountains ..................................................................................................... A. unicoi sp.nov.

— Apex of median lobe rounded and more or less symmetrical. Great Smoky Mountains ............ 5

5(4). Larger beetles on average (ABL range 1.80-2.08 mm). Ventral margin of median lobe straight. Clingmans Dome and adjacent areas .......................... A. moseleyae Sokolov and Carlton

— Smaller beetles on average (ABL range 1.66-1.90 mm). Ventral margin of median lobe noticeably angulate. Thunderhead Mountain .......................................................... A. carltoni sp.nov.

Figures

Figure 16. Locality records for the moseleyae-group (red color) and loweae-group species from Chilhowee and Starr Mountains (yellow color). Anillinus moseleyae – red quadrangles; A. carltoni, new species – red circle; A. unicoi – red star; A. juliae – yellow circle; A. chilhowee – yellow star.

Figure 1-5. Habitus images. 1) Anillinus unicoi (NC, Graham Co., Unicoi Mtns.), holotype. 2) A. carltoni (TN, Blount Co., GSMNP, Thunderhead Mtn.), paratype. 3) A. chilhowee (TN, Polk Co., Chilhowee Mtn.), holotype. 4) A. smokiensis (TN, Blount Co., GSMNP), paratype. 5) A. chandleri (SC, Edgefield Co., Sumter National Forest), holotype.

Figure 6-10. Pronotum images. 6) Anillinus unicoi (NC, Graham Co., Unicoi Mtns.). 7) A. carltoni (TN, Blount Co., GSMNP, Thunderhead Mtn.). 8) A. chilhowee (TN, Polk Co., Chilhowee Mtn.). 9) A. smokiensis (TN, Blount Co., GSMNP). 10) A. chandleri (SC, Edgefield Co., Sumter National Forest).

Figure 11-15. Illustrations of male aedeagus. 11) Anillinus unicoi (NC, Graham Co., Unicoi Mtns.). 12) A. carltoni (TN, Blount Co., GSMNP, Thunderhead Mtn.). 13) A. chilhowee (TN, Polk Co., Chilhowee Mtn.). 14) A. smokiensis (TN, Blount Co., GSMNP). 15) A. chandleri (SC, Edgefield Co., Sumter National Forest). a-Median lobe, right lateral aspect; b-Left paramere, left lateral aspect; c-Right paramere, right lateral aspect. Scale = 100 µm.