Gomezzuritus alternatus ( Fairmaire, 1856 ) Kazantsev Michal Motyka & Bocak, 2023

Kazantsev, Sergey V., Motyka, Michal & Bocak, Ladislav, 2023, European net-winged beetles of the Pyropterus clade, with the description of Gomezzuritus gen. nov. (Coleoptera: Lycidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 888, pp. 159-174 : 163-167

Gomezzuritus alternatus ( Fairmaire, 1856) comb. nov.

Figs 1A–B , 2–3 , 4A–E

Dictyopterus alternatus – Fairmaire 1856: 531.

Dictyoptera alternata – Kleine 1942: 48.

Dictyopterus decipiens – Marseul 1875: 62.

Benibotarus alternatus – Bocak & Bocakova 1987: 114.

Diagnosis

The larva of Gomezzuritus alternatus is similar to that of G. longicornis reported by Kazantsev & Zaitsev (2021). It differs in the darker coloration, noticeably larger alveoles of the cuticle, and more distinct, light median membrane on abdominal tergite 9 ( Fig. 3 ).

Material examined

SPAIN • 14 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀; Asturias, Las Agüeras , 35 km SW of Oviedo; 28 May 2022; D. Kusy, M. Motyka and L. Bocak leg.; LMBC • 4 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, 6 larvae (various instars); Asturias, 25 km SW of Oviedo, Caranga de Abajo ; 30 May 2022; D. Kusy, M. Motyka and L. Bocak leg.; LMBC • 3 ♂♂; Galicia, A Fonsagrada ; 10 May 2019; A. Ocampo leg.; LMBC • 1 ♂; Cádiz, Grazalema ; 10–17 May 1979; J. Jelinek leg.; NMPC • 1 spec.; Northern Spain, Curenco ; Korb leg.; ZMBC (no exact data) .

PORTUGAL • 2 specs; Coimbra, Serra do Buçaco ; 1924; F. Hanus leg.; NMPC • 1 spec.; Algarve, Serra de Monchique ; 24 Mar. 1967; R. Constantin leg.; RCSL .

Redescription

Adult (male)

BODY. Elongated, dorso-ventrally flattened ( Fig 1B–C ).

HEAD. Transverse, slightly exposed from pronotum. Eyes moderately large, spherical. Labial palps short, their ultimate palpomere widened; maxillary palps slender, their ultimate palpomere elongate, almost parallel-sided, flattened distally.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, relatively long, slender, antennomeres only slightly flattened; pedicel (antennomere 2) subequal in length to antennomere 3 and noticeably shorter than antennomere 4 subequal and subsequent antennomeres; pubescence on antennomeres 3–11 short and erect ( Figs 1B–C ; 2G ).

PRONOTUM. Transverse, triangularly produced anteriorly, almost straight at sides, with complete oval median areole and solid transverse lateral carinae; posterior angles small, acute ( Figs 1B–C ; 2A–B ).

SCUTELLUM. Elongate, almost parallel-sided, triangularly emarginate at apex ( Fig. 1B ).

WINGS. Elytra elongate, flattened, with three distinct costae on the dorsal surface, with double rows of cells in their interstices; elytral pubescence relatively short and decumbent ( Figs 1B ; 2D ). Metathoracic wings fully developed.

LEGS. Slender; hind trochanters relatively short, acute at posterior angles, femora and tibiae straight, subequal in length, slightly widening distally; tarsomeres 1–4 slightly widened; claws simple ( Fig. 2C ).

ABDOMEN. With triangularly incised penultimate ventrite.

Female

Similar to male, but pubescence on antennomeres 3–11 decumbent.

Larva (3 rd instar)

MEASUREMENTS. Length: 12.5 mm; width (at dorsum): 2.2 mm.

BODY. Elongate, sub-cylindrical, slightly tapering anteriorly and posteriorly. Sclerites light to dark brown, membranes yellowish white. Cuticle alveolate, with relatively large uniform alveoles ( Fig. 3A–K ).

HEAD. Strongly transverse, dorsally with semi-circular anterior margin; head capsule open ventrally; lateral sclerites not fused to cranium, but approximate anteriorly, with two anterior setae; dorsal cranial plate with pair of broadly separated setae at anterior margin, pair of large setae at disk and pair of setae at fronto-lateral corners; ventral plate broad, heart-shaped, with two anterior setae near lateral margin. Stemmata absent.

ANTENNA. Located fronto-laterally, relatively small, retractable, antennomere 1 (alternatively can be designated as an antennifer) short, circular sclerite; terminal antennomere elongate, ca 1.5 × as long as wide, with relatively large apical membranous bilobed slit and two short distal setae ( Fig. 3D–F ). Mandibles short, with approximate bases, relatively robust ( Fig. 3B, D–F ). Galea elongate, almost attaining apex of palpomere 2, basally fused with palpiger, located, with respect to palps, intero-dorsally, with several setae. Maxillary palps three-segmented; palpiger well developed, transverse, ca 1.5 × as wide as long, subequal in length to palpomeres 1 and 2 taken together, with numerous small apical and lateral setae; palpomeres 1 and 2 of approximately equal length, but palpomere 1 noticeably wider than palpomere 2; palpomere 3 conspicuously narrower than palpomere 2 and subequal in length to palpomeres 1 and 2. Labial palps minute; prementum narrow, not divided by median suture; palps twosegmented; ligula absent ( Fig. 3B, D–F ).

THORAX. Thoracic terga similar to abdominal ones, with transverse sclerites divided medially into two parts by narrow membrane ( Fig. 3I ). Thoracic pleura consisting of two roundish sclerites, anterior epipleurite and posterior hypopleurite; in prothorax epipleurite absent, hypopleurite semi-fused to tergum. Mesothoracic epipleurite with relatively large, annular-biforous functional spiracle; metathoracic epipleurite with minute non-functional spiracle ( Fig. 3A, C ). Sternal sclerites small, heart-shaped, with two relatively short discal setae ( Fig. 3A, C ). Coxa about as long as wide; trochanter prominent, about as long and half as wide as femur. Coxa, trochanter, and femur with two relatively long setae each; tibia with numerous short setae. Claws elongate, shorter than tibiae ( Fig. 3A, J ).

ABDOMEN. Abdominal terga 1–8 transverse, sub-rectangular, with rounded corners, divided medially into two parts by membrane. Tergite 9 moderately transverse, ca 1.3 × as wides as long, narrowed and rounded posteriorly, with median notch, divided medially by conspicuous light membrane, with six setae at posterior edge, two dorsally and four ventrally. Abdominal pleura consisting of two elongate sub-rectangular sclerites, larger epipleurite (more dorsal) and smaller sternopleurite (more ventral). Abdominal spiracles, present in segments 1–8, functional, annular-biforous, located in middle of dorsal half, far from dorsal edge of epipleurite; abdominal spiracle of segment 1 relatively large, like mesothoracic spiracle ( Fig. 3A, C ). Sternites transverse, sub-rectangular, with slightly rounded corners and pair of setae at posterior margin ( Fig. 3H ). Abdominal segment 10 tubular, located at ca 35° to axis of segment 9 ( Fig. 3A, C, H ).

Distribution

Portugal, NW Spain, and the Pyrenees ( France and Spain).

Biology

The species is poorly represented in major European museum collections, but it is quite common in the mountain forests of Portugal (the whole country) and western and northern Spain (Galicia, Cantabria, Asturias, Basque Country, and the Pyrenees; only a few reports are known from Castile and Leon and from Madrid province; Fig. 1F ; www.inaturalist.org [accessed 25 Jun. 2022]). Adults occur from late March to mid-June, commonly sitting on herb and fern leaves, flying in late afternoon or early evening hours or when disturbed ( Fig. 4D ). We collected most specimens in old pine forests in lower mountain elevations in the Asturias province ( Fig. 4F ). The larvae were collected from moist red-rotten pine wood in the place where adults were common ( Fig. 4C–D ). Red-rotten wood ( Fig. 4C, E ) was repeatedly found to be a preferred substrate, as for the larvae of the closely related Pyropterus nigroruber . Larvae of different ages aggregating in a group were found as has been observed in other lycids ( Bocak & Matsuda 2003).

Figures

Fig. 1. Phylogenetic relationships of pyropterine genera and their closest relatives (modified from Motyka et al. in press). B–E. The general appearance of Western Palaearctic Dictyopterini Houlbert, 1922. B–C. Benibotarus alternatus (Fairmaire, 1856), ♂. D. B. longicornis (Reiche, 1878), ♂. E. B. rubripes (Pic, 1897), ♂. F. Distribution of Benibotarus Kôno, 1932 in the Western Palaearctic region. Nomenclature follows the placement of species before taxonomic changes discussed in the present study. The northern part of the range of B. taygetanus (Pic, 1905) is not shown (see Bocakova & Bocak 1987; Kazantsev 2012a).

Fig. 2. Gomezzuritus alternatus (Fairmaire, 1856) comb. nov., ♂, dissected (LMBC), from Asturias, Las Agüeras, 35 km SW of Oviedo. A. Head, frontal view. B. Head, ventral view. C. Metathoracic leg. D. Elytron. E. Meso- and metathorax, ventral view. F. Ditto, dorsal view. G. Pronotum. H. Hind wing. I–K. Male genitalia. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 3. Gomezzuritus alternatus (Fairmaire, 1856), larva 3rd instar (LMBC), Asturias, 25 km SW of Oviedo, Caranga de Abajo. A. General appearance, lateral view. B. Head, pro- and mesothorax, ventral view. C. General appearance, lateral view after the treatment by KOH. D–F. Head, ventral, lateral, and dorsal view. G, H. Terminal abdominal segments, dorsal and ventral view. I, J. Head, thorax, and abdominal segment 1, dorsal, ventral view. K. Abdominal spiracle in segment 1. Scale bars: A–J = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 4. Gomezzuritus alternatus (Fairmaire, 1856). A, D. Adults in nature, Spain, Asturias, Las Agüeras, 35 km SW of Oviedo. B. Adults in nature, Spain, Las Agüeras. C, E. Larva 3rd instar in nature, Caranga de Abajo. F. Spain, Caranga de Abajo, habitat with common occurrence of G. alternatus (Fairmaire, 1856) comb. nov. Photographs: M. Motyke (A, D); L. Bocak (B–C, E–F).