Pseudotolida syphaxi Steury and Steiner, 2020

Steury, Brent W. & Steiner, Warren E., 2020, Descriptions of Four New Species of Tumbling Flower Beetles (Coleoptera: Mordellidae) from Eastern North America, The Coleopterists Bulletin 74 (4), pp. 699-709 : 706-708

Pseudotolida syphaxi Steury and Steiner , new species

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( Figs. 9A–D )

Type Material. Holotype. Male ( USNM), labeled “Virginia, Fairfax Co., GWMP, Turkey Run Park, gulch, Malaise trap, 19–30 June 2009, D. Smith & B. Steury. ” Paratypes (n = 12). One paratype, male ( USNM), “Virginia, Fairfax Co., GWMP, Little Hunting Creek , Malaise trap, 30 July–17 August 2018, B. Steury. ” Additional paratypes, males ( GWMP), same data as USNM paratype (n = 2); same data but “ 28 June–16 July 2018 ” (n = 3); “ 16–30 July 2018 ” (n = 2); “ 30 July–17 August 2018 ” (n = 1); “ 28 July–11 August 2017, B. Steury, C. Davis, C. Acosta ” (n = 2); “ Turkey Run Park, river trail, Malaise trap, 31 July–17 August 2009, D. Smith ” (n = 1) .

Description. Holotype, male. Body length 3.3 mm to tip of elytra, 4.2 mm to tip of pygidium. Dorsal habitus robust; head black; labrum yellowish; pronotum black with rufous edging on base of midbasal lobe, basal corners and lateral edges; elytra pale rufous, with paler humeral angle. Ventral habitus black with rufous edging basally on all ventrites. Front and middle legs yellowish, hind legs pale brown. Pygidium black, somewhat stout, 2.2× length of hypopygidium. Pubescence dorsally and ventrally recumbent, pale, slightly shorter on head than on elytra and pronotum. Eyes small, oval, entire, with many short, erect hairs, temple absent. Antennae ( Fig. 9C ) with antennomeres all yellowish, setose with recumbent, anteriorly directed setae and a few erect setae near the apex of each antennomere, reaching to base of pronotum, antennomeres 3 and 4 the shortest and subequal, 1 and 2 the widest, 5 one-third longer than 4 and subequal to 2, 5–11 slightly lengthening toward apex, 11 the longest. Terminal maxillary palpomeres pale brown, globular, malleiform with slightly concave apex ( Fig. 9D ). Pronotum broadest just before the base, the midbasal lobe convex, lateral margins slightly concave near base. Scutellar shield black with rufous anterior central area, small and triangular, the apex rounded. Elytra together 1.9 times as long as broad, broadest at basal third, gradually narrowing apically, narrower at base than pronotum. Legs: Metatibia with two spines, the inner one longest, half the length of metatarsomere 1, the outer spine half the length of the inner one; one subapical and three lateral subequal ridges, the second slightly more oblique than, and thus converging at the hind margin with, the first; metatarsomere 1 with three slightly oblique ridges and three black spinules anterior to the proximal ridge, metatarsomere 2 with one ridge; pro- and mesotarsomeres 4 short and deeply emarginate.

Probable Females. Differing from males in having scalene triangular terminal maxillary palpomeres, slightly shorter antennomeres 5–11, and a less prominent or absent pale humeral angle, the elytra thus more uniformly rufous colored. Specimens (n = 9, GWMP): All labeled “ Virginia, Fairfax Co., GWMP” and “Little Hunting Creek, Malaise trap, 17–28 July 2017, B. Steury, C. Davis, C. Acosta ” (n = 1); same data except “28 July–11 August” (n = 2); same data except “ 28 June–16 July 2018, B. Steury ” (n = 2), same data except “16–30 July” (n = 1); “30 July–17 August” (n = 3).

Diagnosis. Pseudotolida syphaxi has elytral and ventral coloration similar to Pseudotolida knausi ( Liljeblad, 1945) (a species only reported from Cedar City, Utah, at an elevation of 1,950 m), but differs from that species in the paler head and pronotum, having an additional metatibial ridge, one less ridge on metatarsomere 3, and the shape of the male terminal maxillary palpomeres. A key to Pseudotolida Ermisch, 1950 of the world was provided by Franciscolo (1982). Females were associated by their presence in the same Malaise traps at Little Hunting Creek that captured males.

Variation. Pronotum sometimes all black or the rufous edging more extensive; elytra with the midlateral and apical sutural margins and apical half of the elytra darkened to various extents (making the pale humeral angle more obvious); scutellar shield sometimes all black; anterior metatibial ridge sometimes weaker than the two below, metatarsomere 1 with or without a fourth obvious but weaker anterior ridge, the angle of convergence of the first and second ridges variable, sometimes more parallel.

Etymology. Pseudotolida syphaxi is named in honor of Stephen Syphax, former Chief of Resources for National Capital Parks East, for his devotion to the protection of the natural and cultural resources of the National Capital Region.

Biology. Pseudotolida syphaxi is currently known from 13 male and nine female specimens collected in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain physiographic provinces of Virginia. In the Piedmont it was found in mature upland forest dominated by broadleaved hardwoods, especially tulip poplar ( Liriodendron tulipifera L.; Magnoliaceae ), sugar maple ( Acer saccharum Marshall ; Sapindaceae ), oaks ( Quercus sp. ), and hickory ( Carya sp. ). The site overlooks the Potomac Gorge and has a diverse spring ephemeral flora. On the Coastal Plain it was found in mature forest dominated by broadleaved hardwoods, especially oaks ( Quercus sp. ), hickory ( Carya sp. ), and American beech ( Fagus grandifolia ), with some Virginia pine ( Pinus virginiana Mill. ) and a strongly ericaceous understory dominated by blueberry and deerberry ( Vaccinium spp. ) and huckleberry ( Gaylussacia sp. ) located approximately 20 m from a narrow band of shrubby marsh along the bank of a large creek. It was collected in Malaise traps set during 19 June–17 August.

Comments. Two genera of North American Mordellidae possess malleiform terminal maxillary palpomeres in males, Mordellochroa Emery, 1876 and Pseudotolida . Pseudotolida syphaxi has the body size, narrowly emarginate pro- and mesotarsomeres 4, and long, oblique, somewhat converging metatibial ridges as in Pseudotolida ; however, its eyes are small, oval, and entire (unemarginated), which is more similar to the eyes of Mordellochroa . Further study is needed to better understand the relationship of the one North American species of Mordellochroa to the four species of Pseudotolida .

Figures

Fig. 9. Pseudotolida syphaxi, new species, holotype, male. A) Dorsal, B) Lateral, C) Antenna, D) Terminal maxillary palpomeres. Virginia, Fairfax County, Turkey Run Park, gulch, Malaise trap, 19–30 June 2009, D. Smith and B. Steury. Length 3.5 mm to tip of elytra, 4.2 mm to tip of pygidium.