Charisius Champion

Campbell, J. M., 2014, New species and records of Charisius Champion from Mexico and Central America (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Alleculinae), ZooKeys 415, pp. 269-293 : 270-271

Charisius Champion

Charisius Champion (1888: 421); Champion (1893: 565); Campbell (1965: 43).

Narses Champion (1888: 423). Syn. n.

Description.

Body narrowly elongate (Figs 1-6, 9-12) (broader in subalatus group, Figs 7-8); glabrous dorsally; color ranging from light to dark reddish-brown, often with yellow and/or piceous markings on elytra. Surface varying from smooth, shining, with very fine microsculpture (visible only under high magnification) to dull with dense, moderately fine, visible microsculpture. Length 6-13 mm.

Head moderately sparsely to moderately densely, evenly punctate on vertex; punctures separated by average distance equal to or slightly greater than diameter of a puncture. Eyes moderate in size, separated by distances ranging from equal to or slightly greater than diameter of eye (OI ranging from 30 to 47); with distinct, well-developed nuchal-constriction (Figs 2, 4). Maxillary palpus (Fig. 16) with apical segment broadly securiform; apex subequal in length to outer side; mandible with apex shallowly notched medially. Antennae narrowly elongate (Figs 1-6); antennomere 2 very short, antennomere 3 much longer than 2, slightly shorter than to slightly longer than 4; 4-10 each elongate, at least two times longer than wide; sides only slightly widened from base to apex; antennal sensoriae small, visible only under high magnification, evenly distributed on segments 4-11.

Pronotum with base distinctly narrower than base of elytra (Figs 1-10); sides variable, ranging from evenly narrowed from base to near apex to widest near middle and curved both anteriad and posteriad; width greater than length (PI ranging from 67 to 95); anterior margin truncate to slightly convex; anterior angles distinct, narrowly rounded. Basal foveae small, moderately deeply impressed, connected across base of pronotum by distinct transverse, prebasal groove. Prosternum elongate (Figs 17-18), horizontal anteriad of procoxae, prosternal process evenly rounded, abruptly declivous anteriad and posteriad of procoxae. Mesoventrite elongate (Fig. 17), distinctly more elongate than mesocoxal cavities except in species of subalatus group (Fig. 18); with shallow to moderately deep, V-shaped mesoventral cavity; intercoxal process gradually sloped to prosternum. Metaventrite with surface finely, sparsely to moderately coarsely punctate; disc distinctly more elongate between coxae than length of mesocoxal cavities (except in species of subalatus group). Third and fourth segments of anterior and intermediate tarsi and penultimate segment of posterior tarsi lobed ventrally, in addition, basal two segments of protarsus lobed ventrally in male (except Charisius salvini ).

Elytra elongate (Figs 1-6, 9-12); sides parallel for basal half; then evenly narrowed to apex except Charisius apterus and Charisius subalatus (Figs 7-8); striae moderately shallowly impressed near base, becoming more deeply impressed approaching apex (striae unimpressed between strial punctures in Charisius howdenorum (Fig. 19); strial interstices usually convex or rarely flat; impunctate or with a row of fine, median punctures visible only under high magnification. Elytral epipleurae ending just before apex of elytra; evenly arched from base to apex. Ventrites finely, sparsely punctate or impunctate.

Male: Eighth sternite divided into two large, well developed lobes (Figs 21-24); apex of each lobe appearing glabrous, actually bearing small, densely placed, dentiform setae which extend along inner margin to near base (visible only under high magnification). Ninth sternite bilobed; lobes small, not joined medially, reaching only to base of eighth sternal lobes. Apicale of aedeagus variable (Figs 25-28); ranging from 2.8 to 3.5 times as long as basale (apicale very short in salvini group, basale 6.9 to 7.9 times longer than apicale).

Type species.

I previously designated Charisius fasciatus Champion as the type species of the genus ( Campbell 1965: 45). The type species of Narses is Narses subalatus Champion, by monotypy ( Champion 1888: 423).

Remarks.

Champion (1888 and 1893) described the genus Charisius to include five species and the genus Narses to include only Narses subalatus . Subsequently, I revised the genus Charisius ( 1965) and included one additional species, Charisius mexicanus . In this paper, based on additional material, I have placed one species, Charisius interstitialis Champion, in synonymy with Charisius zunilensis Champion and have described an additional four new species. Species of Charisius occur in moderate to high elevations from central Mexico south to the highlands of Nicaragua. Records cited in this paper extend the known ranges of several species from Guatemala south to El Salvador and Honduras. One specimen of Charisius salvini was collected in Nicaragua.

Adults of Charisius are easily distinguished from all other Mexican and Central American members of the tenebrionid subfamily Alleculinae (Tribe Alleculini ) by the combination of having the body glabrous dorsally; by the deep, prebasal transverse groove connecting the basal foveae of the pronotum; by having the elytral interstices impunctate except for a median row of minute punctures visible only under high magnification; by their elongate, almost filiform antennae, with the subapical antennomeres at least two times longer than wide; by their narrow and elongate shape (see Figs 1-12), and by the broadly securiform shape of the apical segments of the maxillary palpi (Fig. 16). Adults of seven of the ten species now known differ from those of all other species of Mexican and Central American Alleculina in having distinctive yellow and/or black markings on the elytra.

Champion distinguished the genus Narses from Charisius based only on the presence of reduced wings, stating that the genera are similar in all other respects. The discovery of a second flightless species, Charisius apterus and an examination of the male terminalia of all the species confirm that Narses and Charisius are congeneric.

I have retained the same species groups that I established in my previous paper except that I have added an additional group for the two flightless species.

Bionomics.

Adults of Charisius are found primarily throughout the rainy season. In Guatemala and southern Mexico the rainy season normally begins in March or April and the season ends usually in November. Adults are usually collected by beating dead leaves of thick, mixed vegetation. Apparently, there is no plant host specificity involved since I have collected specimens from the leaves of oaks, dead vines, tree ferns, and a number of different deciduous trees. I collected and reared one larva of Charisius fasciatus from rotting detritus from inside a hollow log. A pupa and one adult were collected from pupal cells about a meter above ground level in soft, decaying wood of a dead, standing oak.