Acalanthis mirabilis Reitter

Arias, Elizabeth T., Slipinski, Adam, Lawrence, John F. & Elgueta, Mario, 2009, A review of the Chilean Egoliini (Coleoptera: Trogossitidae) with description of a new species of Necrobiopsis Crowson, Zootaxa 2170, pp. 37-45 : 40-41

Acalanthis mirabilis Reitter

( Fig. 2 )

Acalanthis mirabilis Reitter, 1876: 10 .

Diagnosis: This species is easily recognised by its strongly shiny, bluish-black body with each elytron bearing extensive smooth areas and the punctate striate visible only within two transverse bands near middle.

Description: Length 6-8 mm. Colour uniformly black with distinct bluish or purple tint (especially posteriorly on elytra), legs and antennae somewhat lighter but only tarsi dark brown; each elytron with two transverse whitish bands near middle formed by dense setae ( Fig. 2 ); vestiture consists of long, sparsely distributed setae and moderately long and shorter, erect, whitish setae concentrated mostly on rugose areas and along lateral parts of head and pronotum and on transverse elytral bands and lateral edges of elytra.

Head, including eyes, as wide as pronotum at anterior angles; punctation very coarse and dense, covering entire head surface except of smooth and shiny central area in middle of frons; interspaces densely reticulate and dull. Terminal maxillary palpomere, three times as long as wide and two times as long as penultimate. Antennal club 1.1–1.2 times as long as wide and 2.6–2.8 times as long as penultimate segment.

Pronotum 0.7–0.8 times as long as wide, widest behind anterior angles with sides strongly, sinuately narrowing posteriorly; lateral margin complete, crenulated, without distinct bead. Disc evenly convex and smooth anteriorly with Y-shaped, shallow and densely punctate area, extending medially from pronotal base almost to middle and then anterolaterally reaching anterior angles ( Fig. 2 ); narrow elongate area between median and lateral punctate surfaces smooth; coarse pronotal punctures about two to three times as large as those on vertex; interspaces densely reticulate and feebly shiny. Scutellum pentagonal, transverse and not distinctly elevated.

Elytra 1.9–2.1 times as long as wide and 2.7–2.8 times as long as pronotum; sides parallel for most of their lengths, with each elytron rounded apically; disc evenly convex and strongly shiny with 7–9 deeply impressed striae visible only as two transverse bands before and behind mid-length of elytron ( Fig. 2 ); intervals in striate area, slightly carinate and densely setose.

Type: “ Chili / coll. Chevrolat D. Passor [illegible]/ Type ” (1, MNHN).

Specimens examined: Chile: Chile (23, MNHN; BMNH, ANIC); VIII Region, N Las Trancas Puente Aserradero, 36°54.947’S / 071°27.417’W, 1247 m, 30.xi.2001, canopy fogging GT, Nothofagus dombeyi, Arias et al. UC Berkeley (2, EMUC); Las Trancas, Shangrila , 16-30.iii.2005, Malaise Trap, S. Ocares & E. Arias (13, ANIC, BMNH, CAS, USNM); Las Trancas, Shangrila , 36°53’42”S / 71°28’49.5”W, 1324 m, 1–15.xi.2006, Malaise trap 3, Ocares & Arias UCB (8, MNNC); VIII Region, Las Trancas, Shangrila , 36°53’42.9”S / 71°28’4.4”W, 1336 m, 41-1. 16–30.xi.2006, Malaise trap 4, Ocares & Arias UCB (2, ANIC); VIII Region, Las Trancas, Shangrila , 3–12.xii.2005, Malaise trap, Ocares & Arias (7, EMUC, MNHN); IX Region Villarrica, Flor del Lago ranch 306 m, 39º12.201’S / 72º08.107’W, 24.i.2003 Sheep Field 19:42 PM, Fogging 125 cc Roble-laurel, Arias et al. UCB (1, MNNC); Loncoche, Trampa funnel, i-2002, leg. M. Schafer (2, UMCE); Valdivia, 1871 (4, MNNC); Prov. Valdivia, Santo Domingo, 14.xii.1980, E. Krahmer (1, MNNC), Santo Domingo, 25.12.1980, E. Krahmer (1, MNNC).

Notes: This species is very similar to A. semimetallica in most respects, differing mainly in coloration, and it is possible that it represents a subspecies or colour variant. However, intermediates have not been seen and available material is not sufficient to assess the distributional ranges of the two forms.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Adult habitus, dorsal. 1. Acalanthis semimetallica (Fairmaire & Germain); 2. A. mirabilis Reitter; 3. A. quadrisignata Erichson; 4. Necrobiopsis shangrila sp. nov.