Lycoperdinella subcaeca Champion

Arriaga-Varela, Emmanuel, Tomaszewska, Wioletta, Huo, Lizhi & Seidel, Matthias, 2018, On Neotropical Merophysiinae with descriptions of a new genus and new species (Coleoptera, Endomychidae), ZooKeys 736, pp. 1-41 : 5-7

Lycoperdinella subcaeca Champion Figs 2, 4 a–b, 5, 21

Lycoperdinella subcaeca Champion, 1913: 115. Type locality: Guatemala. - Shockley et al. 2009a: 69; Robertson et al. 2015: 766.

Differential diagnosis.

Lycoperdinella subcaeca is similar to L. boliviensis in its body shape, color and vestiture, however L. subcaeca can be separated from that species by having the pronotum more elongate (0.80 times as long as broad), eyes reduced to six facets only (in both type specimens studied), mentum somewhat pentagonal (sharply produced anteriorly in the middle of apical margin), the abdominal ventrite 1 longer than the mesoventrite and the hind wings absent.

Redescription.

Length 1.39 mm, width 0.66 mm, height 0.47 mm; body elongate-oval, moderately convex, 2.11 times as long as wide, 2.96 times as long as high (Figs 2 a–c, 4a, b). Surfaces shiny; sparsely covered with long, decumbent, golden setae. Color homogeneously reddish brown.

Head with interocular distance 0.83 times as wide as head including eyes. Eyes very small, composed of six facets (Fig. 5a). Antenna rather short and slender (Fig. 5c), 0.83 times as long as head and pronotum combined; scape 1.52 times longer than wide, 1.09 times as long as pedicel; pedicel 1.88 times longer than wide; antennomere 3, 1.50 times longer than wide, 0.66 times as long as pedicel; antennomeres 4-8 getting very gradually shorter and wider towards antennomere 9, which is 0.98 times wider than long and 0.64 times as long as pedicel; terminal antennomere inflated, asymmetrical, 2.03 times as long at longer margin than pedicel, its longest margin 1.30 times longer than shorter lateral one and 1.18 times as long as apical margin; apical margin truncate. Mentum subquadrate with lateral margins weakly rounded and anterior margin sharply produced anteriorly at mid-line (Fig. 5a).

Pronotum weakly transverse (Fig. 5b), 0.80 times as long as wide, 1.50 times wider than head, 1.06 times wider at widest part than at base, widest at about anterior third, weakly convex; front angles very weakly produced, rounded, lateral margins almost rounded in anterior third, then converging to posterior angles, comparatively widely bordered with edges distinctly crenulate; hind angles weakly obtuse, rounded at tips. Posterior half of disc with a vaguely defined triangular impression. Longitudinal sulci distinctly convergent anteriorly, extending from base to almost half length of pronotum; well defined transverse sulcus connecting deep pores and weakly marked basal transverse depression provided with large punctures (Fig. 5e); area between transverse sulci/depressions weakly convex; posterior margin weakly lobed at mid-line. Prosternal process widely separates front coxae, widest at mid length.

Elytra 0.94 mm long, 1.42 times longer than wide; 2.19 times as long as and 1.22 times as wide as pronotum; widest at basal fourth then continuously distinctly converging to rounded apex; with hooked tooth present anterolateral corner. Hind wings absent.

Legs moderately long. Femora very narrow at base, strongly widened at apical half. Tibiae narrow, straight, continuously widened towards their apices. Metatibia very narrow, 0.34 times as long as elytra. Metatarsus moderately long, 0.6 times as long as metatibia.

Abdomen (Figs 2d, 5g) with ventrite 1 slightly shorter than metaventrite and as long as three following ventrites combined. Ventrite 5 arcuate at apex.

Female genitalia (Fig. 2e) with narrow coxites rounded at their apices; spermatheca distinctly two-chambered, chambers rounded; accessory gland small, elongate.

Male unknown.

Type material.

Lectotype of Lycoperdinella subcaeca Champion, female, GUATEMALA, "Livingston, 65, Guat./ H.S. Barber Collector/ U.S. Nat. Mus. 1913-253, det. Champion/ Lycoperdinella subcaeca Ch./ Co-type" (BMNH). Paralectotype of Lycoperdinella subcaeca Champion, Guatemala, "Livingston, 65, Guat./ Barber & Schwarz Coll./ Type no. 21530, USNM/ Lycoperdinella subcaeca Ch., type" (USNM) [examined on photos].

Distribution.

Central America: Guatemala (Fig. 21).

Comments.

This species was listed by Shockley et al. (2009a) as present also in Costa Rica. However, due to a lack of any specimens accessible for examination from this country during our extensive study, a question mark is added in the distribution map for this species in Costa Rica.

Champion (1913) clearly indicated that his original description of L. subcaeca was based on two specimens from Guatemala. One left in 'U.S. Nat. Mus.' and the second specimen was 'presented to the British Museum’. As the lectotype we have chosen and designated a specimen available for direct study (borrowed to WT from the NHM). The syntype from USNM, examined on photos becomes a paralectotype.