Sableta infulata Casey, 1910

Ashe, James S. & Gusarov, Vladimir I., 2004, Review of the genus Sableta Casey, 1910 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Athetini), Zootaxa 745, pp. 1-15 : 8-11

Sableta infulata Casey, 1910

( Figs. 1–26)

Sableta (s. str.) infulata Casey, 1910: 107 .

Atheta (Sableta) infulata: Fenyes, 1920: 221 (as valid species). Atheta (Sableta) infulata: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 666 (as valid species). Atheta (Sableta) infulata: Moore & Legner, 1975: 363 (as valid species). Sableta infulata: Seevers, 1978: 261 (as valid species).

Sableta infulata: Ashe, 2000: 370 (as valid species).

Holotype: Male, with labels as follows: “Miss.[issippi, Vicksburg]”; hand written label “ Sableta infulata Csy. ”; red label “ TYPE USNM 39134”; “Casey bequest 1925”; “ Holotypus, Sableta infulata Casey, V. I. Gusarov rev. 2000” ( NMNH). The apical abdominal segments of the holotype are dissected; the permanent preparation of the dissected segments and genitalia are preserved in dimethylhydantoin formaldehyde resin on a slide pinned beneath the beetle. Casey (1910, p. 108) states specifically that he only has a single specimen of this species; that specimen is therefore the holotype.

Additional material. UNITED STATES: Illinois: Jackson Co: 4.0 mi E Grand Tower, 24 October 1982, J. S. Ashe, ex Bjerkendera sp. (2 KSEM, in alcohol); Indiana: “Smith Sta.[tion]”, 22 August 1942, C. H. Seevers, ex fungus (ɗ FMNH); Kansas: Douglas Co.: Bridenthal Ecological Preserve, 3.2 mi N. Baldwin City, 270 m, 12 October 1996, ex fungus­covered logs (4 KSEM); same locality and collector, 18 October 1995, ex Pleurotus sp. (3 KSEM); same locality, date and collector, ex Grifola frondosa (22 KSEM, in alcohol); same locality, 18 September 1999, V. I. Gusarov (3ΨΨ, ZMUN); Michigan: Berrien Co.: Warren Woods, 3.2 km E Lakeview, 6 October 1982, J. S. Ashe, ex Ischnoderma fulginosum (4 KSEM); North Carolina: Montgomery Co.: Uwharrie Nat’l. Forest, 7.7 km W. Uwharrie Forest Rd 576, near Badin Lake, 17 August 1989, J. S. and A. K. Ashe, ex Pleurotus ostreatus (10, 2 on microslides, KSEM); same locality, date and collectors, ex Laetiporus sulfureus (1 KSEM); Rockingham Co.: Reidsville, 19 August 1989, J. S. Ashe, ex misc. mushrooms (1 KSEM); South Carolina: undetermined locality and date, 1990, G. Moulton (1 KSEM); Tennessee: Sevier Co.: Great Smoky Mtns. Natl. Pk., Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area, 546 m, 35.68089°N, 83.64945°W, 18 July 2003, J. S. Ashe, # GSMNP 1A03 0 21, ex Daedalea sp. (2 KSEM, in alcohol); Great Smoky Mtns. Natl. Pk., Laurel Falls Old Growth Forest, 1006 m, 35.68070°N, 83.860455°W, 19 July 2003, J. S. Ashe, # GSMNP 1A03 0 31, ex Ganoderma tsugae (4 KSEM, in alcohol); Great Smoky Mtns. Natl. Pk., Greenbrier Area, Porter’s Creek Trail, 762 m, 35.67864°N, 83.89842°W, 20 July 2003, J. S. Ashe, # GSMNP 1A03 0 32, ex Pleurotus ostreatus (6, KSEM, in alcohol).

Diagnosis. Sableta infulata is the only described species remaining in the genus Sableta . It is similar to examined undescribed species of Sableta in the body proportions and color but differs in the shape of the genitalia.

Description. Length 2.0–2.2 mm. Color pattern distinctive ( Fig. 1); head light brown to brown, slightly darker than pronotum in most specimens; antenna light brown to brown; pronotum light brown to brown; elytra dark brown to blackish with outer basal angles flavate to light brown, dark brown to blackish color extended along suture to scutellum in most, extent of light color on external basal angles varying among specimens, from limited to external basal angles in some, up to ½ of elytra light in others (most with about 1/3 of elytra with flavate/light brown color); mesosternum light brown to flavate; metasternum dark brown, some specimens with extreme antero­lateral angles and apical margin light brown to flavate; abdomen flavate, tergum V with middle of apical margin clouded with brown in some specimens, segment VI black to dark brown with middle of sternum VI lighter in color than tergum VI in most specimens, tergum VIII black to dark brown (medium brown in a few specimens) with base and baso­lateral areas flavate; sternum VIII flavate to light brown with apical margin darker brown in some specimens; lateral processes of tergum IX brown in some specimens. Integument moderately glossy.

Antenna ( Fig. 7 ) with article 4 subquadrate, articles 5–6 subquadrate or slightly transverse, 7 slightly transverse, 8–10 transverse, article 11 longer than articles 9 and 10 combined. Head, pronotum and elytra with inconspicuous, weakly reticulate to obsolete reticulate microsculpture; with fine punctation, distance between punctures equal to 1–2 times their diameter.

Abdominal terga III–VIII with fine transverse microsculpture; distance between punctures equal to 2–4 times their diameter on terga III–V and 3–6 times on terga VI–VII.

Secondary sexual characteristics: Male with very small tubercle in middle of tergum VII near posterior margin, tubercle reduced or absent in a few; posterior margin of tergum VIII with a strong spine on each side and a broad, subtruncate lobe medially, apex of medial lobe broadly and shallowly emarginate ( Fig. 14 ). Posterior margin of male sternum VIII slightly produced into broad triangular lobe ( Fig. 13 ).

Aedeagus: Paramere as in Fig. 16 . Median lobe as in Figs. 17–23 , 25–26 , long and tubular, athetine bridge broad and completely fused ( Fig. 19 , AB) so that apical lobe forms a long sclerotized tube. Copulatory piece ( Figs. 22 , 25–26 ) elongate and weakly sclerotized. Medial lamellae as in Figs. 21–23 , 25–26 .

Spermatheca: As in Fig. 24 ; distal end of spermatheca bent towards spermathecal gland.

Habitat. Adults are found on lignicolous gilled and polypore mushrooms. We have seen specimens collected from Pleurotus ostreatus, Bjerkendera sp., Ischnoderma fulginosum , Laetiporus sulfureus , Grifola frondosa , Ganoderma tsugae , Daedalea sp., undetermined rotting polypore mushrooms and fungus­covered logs. Fungal names were taken from specimen labels. The larval habitat is not known.

Distribution. Sableta infulata is widely distributed in the eastern United States. We have seen specimens from Michigan, Illinois, Kansas, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Mississippi.

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 11. Sableta infulata Casey. 7 — right antenna; 8 — right maxilla, ventral aspect; 9 — right galea, dorsal aspect; 10 — right lacinia, dorsal aspect; 11 — prementum. Scale bar 0.1 mm (8 – 11), 0.2 mm (7).

FIGURES 12 – 16. Sableta infulata Casey. 12 — meso­ and metathorax, ventral aspect; 13 — male abdominal sternum VIII; 14 — male abdominal tergum VIII; 15 — abdominal tergum X; 16 — paramere. Scale bar 0.2 mm (13 – 16), 0.4 mm (12).

FIGURES 17 – 24. Sableta infulata Casey. 17 — aedeagus, median lobe with retracted internal sac, parameral aspect; 18 — apex of median lobe, parameral aspect; 19 — median lobe with retracted internal sac, lateral aspect; 20 — apex of median lobe, lateral aspect; 21 — apex of median lobe with retracted internal sac, parameral aspect; 22 — apex of median lobe with retracted internal sac, abparameral aspect; 23 — apex of median lobe with retracted internal sac, lateral aspect; 24 — spermatheca. AB — athetine bridge; CP — copulatory piece; ML — medial lamellae. Scale bar 0.1 mm (18, 20 – 24), 0.2 mm (17, 19).

FIGURES 25 – 26. Sableta infulata Casey. 25 — apex of median lobe with everted internal sac, parameral aspect; 26 — apex of median lobe with everted internal sac, lateral aspect. CP — copulatory piece; ML — medial lamellae. Scale bar 0.1 mm.