Lecontella brunnea (Spinola, 1844)

Burke, Alan & Zolnerowich, Gregory, 2017, A taxonomic revision of the subfamily Tillinae Leach sensu lato (Coleoptera, Cleridae) in the New World, ZooKeys 179, pp. 75-157 : 113-114

Lecontella brunnea (Spinola, 1844) Figs 3E, 9F, 12E, 19E

Synonyms.

Cymatodera longicornis var. brunnea (Melsheimer, 1846) nec Spinola 1844, Proc. Acad. Philad., II-12, 1844-45 (1846) p. 306 ( Cymatodera ), synonymized by LeConte (1854), and transferred to Lecontella by Wolcott and Dybas (1943); Cymatodera cancellata LeConte, 1854, Proc. Acad. Philad. VII, 1854, p. 81 ( Cymatodera ), synonymized by Wolcott (1921).

Type material not examined.

Type locality.

Brownsville, Texas. Type depository: Italy, Torino, Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali (SCUT).

Distribution.

USA: AR, FL, GA, IA, IN, KS, ME, MI, MO, NC, NJ, OH, OK, PA, TX, VA; Mexico: Baja California, Jalisco, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas.

Differential diagnosis.

Lecontella brunnea is most similar to L. gnara . The two species are partially sympatric but can be differentiated based on the structure of the pronotal punctations and the antennae. The pronotal punctations on L. brunnea are conspicuously numerous and small (Fig. 12E), while in L. gnara these punctations are scarce, coarse, deep and broad (Fig. 12F). In addition, antennomeres 3-5 of L. brunnea are somewhat slender, moderately compacted and serrate, serration increasing toward the distal end (Fig. 9F); on the other hand, specimens of L. gnara have the antennomeres 3-5 somewhat robust, compacted, and feebly serrate (Fig. 10A).

Redescription.

Male. Form: Medium-sized to large, slightly robust. Color: Head, pronotum, thorax, scutellum, legs and antennae light brown to almost black; elytra light brown to brunneous; mouthparts fuscous, posterior half of mandibles piceous; abdominal segments light testaceous to brown; elytral disc devoid of any bands or fasciae (Fig. 3E).

Head: Including eyes wider than pronotum; eyes large, taller than wide, bulging laterally, coarsely faceted, emarginate posteriorly; antennal notch located in front of emargination; frons bi-impressed; integument coarsely, conspicuously, deeply punctate; clothed with fine, whitish, semirecumbent setae interspersed with some erect, pale setae; antennomeres robust; antennae consisting of 11 antennomeres; antennomeres 2-10 about same length, gradually increasing in width toward distal end; last antennomere of males sexually dimorphic, conspicuously elongate, robust, parallel, cylindrical, posterior portion rounded 4-6 × longer than length of tenth antennomere.

Thorax: Pronotum bisinuate, widest at middle, moderately short in length; sides constricted subapically, tapered, widest in the middle; surface rugulose, conspicuously punctate, punctations small and deep (Fig. 12E), clothed with fine, short, pale, recumbent setae intermixed with some long, erect, fine, pale setae, long setae more abundant on lateral area of pronotum; anterior transverse depression present, subbasal tumescence absent; posterior margin of pronotum compressed. Prosternum conspicuously wider than long; smooth; polished; very feebly punctate to absent; surface vested to glabrous. Mesoventrite with surface rugulose, vested with fine, pale, semi-erect setae, coarsely, conspicuously punctate, punctations wide and deep. Metaventrite surface rugulose, convex; numerously, coarsely punctate; vested with fine, pale, recumbent setae; longitudinal depression and metaventral process present. Scutellum elongate, clothed with pale, fine, semirecumbent setae, compressed medially.

Elytra: Broader than pronotum; elongate; humeri indicated, rounded; sides inconspicuously broadening toward distal end, broadest on posterior third, then abruptly narrowing toward apex at posterior fourth; disc flat above; surface rugose to rugulose; elytral apices subtriangular; inconspicuously dehiscent; elytral declivity moderately steep; surface conspicuously vested with fine, short, whitish, recumbent setae sporadically interspersed with some whitish, fine, long, erect setae; conspicuously, coarsely punctate, punctations arranged in regular striae; sculpturing consisting of coarse, deep, wide punctations arranged in regular striae of the same size through the length of the striae, punctation reaching the elytral apex; interstices at elytral base about 0.5 × the width of punctation; interstices rugulose. Epipleural fold gradually narrowing toward apex, last sixth moderately crenulate.

Legs: Femora rugose; feebly swollen; clothed with some whitish, fine, semirecumbent and semi-erect setae; integument conspicuously punctate, punctations small and shallow. Tibiae rugulose; punctate; punctations shallow and small; vestiture consisting of stiff recumbent and semirecumbent setae.

Abdomen: Six visible ventrites. Ventrites 1-4 shiny, smooth, polished, convex, subquadrate, punctate, clothed with fine, long, yellowish pale, recumbent setae; not compressed laterally; posterior margins truncate. Posterior margin of first visible ventrite conspicuously elevated with a transverse carina originating next to posterolateral angles producing a broad, deep, arcuate emargination. Fifth visible ventrite subtriangular; shiny; surface rugulose, convex, punctate, punctations shallow and moderately small; vested with fine, short pale, recumbent setae; lateral margins strongly oblique, arcuate; posterior margin broadly, shallowly emarginate. Sixth visible ventrite small, subtriangular in shape; feebly to strongly rugulose; surface convex, finely punctate; clothed with short, pale, fine, semierect setae; broader than long; lateral margins strongly oblique, arcuate; posterior margin short, broadly, deeply, V-shaped emarginate. Fifth tergite subtriangular, surface convex, shiny, conspicuously rugulose; punctate; posterior margin truncate. Sixth tergite subtriangular; rugose; longer than wide; surface convex; clothed with fine, pale, recumbent setae; surface finely punctate; lateral margins strongly oblique, posterior margin small, nearly acuminate, inconspicuously truncate. Sixth tergite slightly extending beyond apical margin of sixth visible ventrite, fully covering sixth ventrite in dorsal view.

Aedeagus: Phallobasic apodeme present; phallus with copulatory piece conspicuously swollen at apex; phallic plate unarmed, devoid of denticles; intraspicular plate present, elongate; phallobasic apodeme long, feebly expanded distally; phallobase subparallel; parameres free; tegmen complete, fully covering phallus; parameres pointed distally; endophallic struts long, slender distally (Fig. 19E).

Sexual dimorphism: Females of L. brunnea can be differentiated from males based on differences on the last abdominal segment. In females the eleventh antennomere is broadly rounded, while in males this antennomere is somewhat triangular in shape, with the lateral margins moderately to strongly oblique, and the posterior margin short and V-shaped emarginate. In addition, females have the eleventh antennomere short, slightly robust, rounded, and longer than the tenth antennomere, while males have the last antennomere cylindrical, not compressed medially and conspicuously longer than tenth antennomere.

Material examined.

USA: 12 males, 16 females: San Bernardino Co., CA, Joshua Tree Nat. Park, 12-V to 25-VIII-2010, Black light, E. Sadler; 2 females: New Braunfels, TX, VI7, H. Mittendorf; 1 male: Bethel, TX, [no collecting date]; 1 female: S. Pines, NC, VI-29-1919, A. H. Manee; 1 female: Harrisburg, PA, VII-3-1936, J. N. Knull; 2 females: Rockville, PA, V-25-1919, J. L. Knull; 1 female: Starr Co., TX, V-25-1951, D. J. and J. N. Knull; 1 female: Mont Alto, Pennsylvania, 1-VII-1931, A. Champlain; 1 female: Uvalde Co., TX VIII-4-1934, D. J. and J. N. Knull; 2 males: Brownsville, TX, V-11-1934, J. N. Knull; 1 female: Archbold Biol. Sta., Highlands Co. FL, IX-11-1958, S. W. Frost; 1 female: Yuma, AZ, [no collecting date], W. Lipe; 1 female: Benton Co., AR, VII-5-1942, M. W. Sanderson; 1 male, 2 females: Hidalgo Co., TX, VI-8-1958, D. J. and J. N. Knull; 1 female: Alpine, TX, VIII-6 (no collecting date), D. Larsen; 1 female: El Paso, TX, VI-8-1914; F. Larsen; 1 female: Texas [no data available]; 1 male, 1 female: Fedor, TX, [no collecting data], J. D. Sherman; 1 female: TX, 1918, C. V. Riley; 1 female: TX, [no collecting date], G. Wells; 2 males: TX, 1939 [no collecting date], New Hampshire, J. D. Sherman; 1 male: Lee Co., TX, [no collection date]; 1 female: Cameron Co., TX, Sabal Palm Groove Audubon Sanctuary, VI-2-6-1986, R. M. Brattain; 1 female: Warren Co., IN, VI-1970 [no collector data]; 1 male: Brooks Co., TX, 12 m, W of Rachal, V-8-1986, N. M. Downie; 1 male: Comal Co., TX, Bulverde, mv + bl, VI-1-1998, R. Turnbow; 2 females: Kinney Co., TX, 7 mi NE Brackettville, mv + bl, VI-23-2000, R. Turnbow; 1 female: Hidalgo Co., TX, Santa Ana Ref., VI-10-1975, J. E. Wappes; 1 female: Cameron Co., TX, Near Brownsville, VI-28-1989; R. L. Heitman; 1 male, 2 females: Jackson Co., MO, Raytown, VII-4-1978, G. H. Nelson; 1 female: Jackson Co., MO, Blue Springs, at UV light, G. H. Nelson; 1 male: Starr Co., TX, Falcon Heights, at lite, VI-12-1975, H. Turnbow; 1 female: Grantsburg, IN, at black light, VII-4-1964, D. Eckert; 2 males: Monroe Co., FL, Flamingo, Everglades National Park, VII-8-1977 [no collector data]; 1 female: Aransas Co., TX, Goose Island State Park, North of Aransas Pass, VI-14-1969, R. L. Heitzman; 1 female: Highlands Co., FL, Arch Biol. Sta., IX-15-1978, L. L. Lampert, Jr; 1 male: Cameron Co., TX, Brownsville, V-22-1967, W. H. Tyson: 1 female: Columbia, MO, VI-27-1966, S. Poe; 2 males: Monroe Co., FL, Big Pine Key, 19-VI-1975, J. B. Heppner; 1 female: Lancaster Co., NE, VII-19-1984, L K. Rieske; 1 male: Comanche Co., OK, Fort Sill, West Range Near Strip 15, VII-19-2006, B. Kondratieff and W. Cranshaw; 1 male, 2 females: Comanche Co., OK, Fort Sill, Quanah Range, near twin gates, VIII-2-2006, B. Kondratieff, M. Camper and J. Owens; 1 male, 2 females: Comanche Co., OK, Fort Sill, Quanah Range, Quanah Cr., IX-16-2006; 1 male: Comanche Co., OK, Fort Sill, East Range, Nat. Res. Building, VIII-2-2006, B. Kondratieff, M. Camper and J. Owens; 1 male, 8 females: Starr Co., TX, Round Mountain, [no collecting date], Riley; 1 female: Gonzalez Co., TX, Seguin, VII-16-18-1984, K. W. Vick, bl trap; 1 female: TX, Hidalgo Co., Bentsen-Rio Grande State park, VII-1-1961, R. H. Arnett Jr and E. Van Tassell; 1 female: Pima Co., AZ, Sonoran desert Mus., IX-2-1975, R. Turnbow; 2 males: Jeff Davis Co., TX, Davies Mt., St. Park, VII-18-21-1973, F. T. Hovore; 1 female: Johnson Co., TX, Cleburne, St. Park, 7-VII-1971, G. H. Nelson and Family; 2 females: Bexar Co., TX, Leon Valley, IV-4-1971, G. H. Nelson, on Prosopis chilensis ; 2 males, 2 females: FL, Myakka River State Park, VII-25-2000, funnel trap; Ford Co., TX, Highway 6 at Wichita River, VIII-3-6-1996, S. P. Holmes; 1 male, 1 female: Comal Co., TX, Bulverde, VI-21-26-1993, J. E. Wappes; 1 male: Hidalgo Co., TX, Anzulduas Park, Hg light, V-27-1986, Morris and Morris; 2 females: Hidalgo Co., TX, Bentsen- Rio Grande State Park, VIII-10-1996, D. J. Heffern; MEXICO: 1 female: Apatzingan [Michoacan], Mexico, VIII-5-1942, H. Hoogstraag; 2 males, 1 female: Jalisco, Mexico, 14 km N Guadalajara, Ruta 54, Posada San Isidro, VI-23, R. Miller and L. Stange; 1 male: Nayarit, Mexico, Rio Santiago, Las Andujas, VII-11-13-1991, E. Barrera; 2 males, 1 female: Oaxaca, Mexico, Dominguillo, 760 msnm, N 17 38 907 O 96 54 703, VIII-20-1998, S. Zaragoza.