Nototylus fryi (Schaum), 1863

Erwin, Terry L., Kavanaugh, David H. & Maddison, David R., 2020, After 157 years, a second specimen and species of the phylogenetically enigmatic and previously monobasic genus Nototylus Gemminger & Harold, 1868 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Nototylini), ZooKeys 927, pp. 65-74 : 65

Nototylus fryi (Schaum), 1863 Fry’s strange-combed beetle Figures 1 , 9

Tylonotus fryi Schaum, 1863: 75.

Nototylus fryi (Schaum): Gemminger & Harold, 1868: 161.

Type material.

Holotype female deposited in NHMUK. Detailed description and illustrations in Deuve (1994). See also Schaum (1863), Bänninger (1927), and Erwin (2011).

Geographical distribution

(Fig. 9 ). Known only from Brazil, Espíritu Santo, without precise locality.

Dispersal potential.

Brachypterous (wing truncated without distal venation), probably not capable of flight.

Way of life.

Unknown, except that they live in Southern Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica).

Note.

This taxon is known from a single disarticulated specimen in the NHMUK, which one of us (TLE) has re-examined twice. Its habitat, somewhere in the state of Espíritu Santo, Brazil, likely has suffered forest conversion to sugar cane, cacao plantations, or cattle ranches. The Bahia Coastal Forests ecoregion, which includes the state of Espíritu Santo, has less than 5% of the original forest vegetation remaining. See the web site http://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/nt0103 (last accessed on 19 December 2019) for a very good description of what the area where this unique species lived was like previously and is like now (not good). Perhaps N. fryi is still extant in remaining protected areas such as Sooretama Biological Reserve and/or Linhares Forest Reserve. A major effort needs to be made to seek more specimens, particularly males, which remain unknown.

Figures

Figure 9. Map illustrating known distributions of species of Nototylus. Key: ■ = precise locality for N. balli sp. nov. (see text); ● = generalized locality for N. fryi (Schaum) in Brazil.

Figures 1 - 8. Nototylus 1 Nototylus fryi (Schaum), habitus, dorsal aspect, apparent body length (ABL) = 8.2 mm 2 - 6 Nototylus balli sp. nov.: 2 habitus, dorsal aspect, ABL = 9.1 mm 3 habitus, left lateral aspect 4 head, dorsal aspect 5 head, left lateral aspect; arrow indicates location of sulcus beneath eye 6 left foreleg, lateral aspect; femur with antennal cleaner present subapicoventrally 7 left mesotibia, ventral aspect 8 closeup of a middle leg spatulate seta. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (1 - 8).