Myrmedonota jaliscensis, Santiago-Jimenez, Quiyari J., 2014

Santiago-Jimenez, Quiyari J., 2014, Two new species of Myrmedonota Cameron (Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae) from Mexico, ZooKeys 464, pp. 49-62 : 53-58

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Staphylinidae

Myrmedonota jaliscensis sp. n. Figures 2, 11-18, 19

Type locality.

Mexico, Jalisco: Chapala, 4 Km. Ajijic–Chapala, 20°17'48.8"N, 103°12'55.5"W, dry deciduous forest ( Acacia sp.), flight interception trap, 17.IX.2004, S. Gámez, A. López and Q. Santiago leg.

Type material.

Holotype male, pinned. Original label: “MÉXICO: Jalisco, Chapala, 4 Km. Ajijic–Chapala. 15-17.IX.2004. Huizache, 1,620 m, 20°17'48.8"N, 103°12'55.5"W, ex. trampa de intercepción de vuelo. S. Gámez, A. López y Q. Santiago ”/“ MUZ-UV-COL-00000603 ”/” HOLOTYPE Myrmedonota jaliscensis Santiago-Jiménez, 2014" [red label].

Other material.

Paratypes, same data as holotype (15 males, 5 females MUZ-UV, IEXA).

Description.

Body length: 2.6-3.0 mm. Most of body black to dark brown; anterior edge of elytra, abdominal segments III–IV, and legs (except apical half of meso- and metafemur darker) yellowish brown. Densely pubescent on head, pronotum and elytra; dorsal surface of abdomen almost glabrous, densely pubescent on ventral surface of abdomen.

Head: Transverse, with or without impression on disc; without protuberance or carinae. Antennal articles 1-3 brown, 4-11 black, but tip of 11 is brown. Antennomeres 1-3 very elongate, 4-10 elongate, and 11 very elongate.

Mouthparts: Labrum: with 8 setae on each side of the midline; most of the setae on anterior half; with more than 30 (around 32-37) sensory pores on each side of the midline; sensillae on apical margin of epipharynx, arranged in a pattern of anterior or α -sensilla, medial or β–sensilla, posterior or γ–sensilla, and lateral or ε–sensilla, one on each side of the midline (see Ashe 1984, Santiago-Jiménez 2010); apico-medial margin of epipharynx not modified to setose or spinose process; basal region of epipharynx with six pores more or less in one transverse row; medial region of epipharynx with around 30-32 pores in an irregular array; mesal region of epipharynx without a multiporose sensory structure on each side of midline; with several pores (around 8) on mesolateral region. Mandibles: asymmetrical; right mandible with medial tooth on dorsal position; left mandible without tooth; without incisor tooth; with serration between apex and medial area of mandibles; with large velvety patch, wider than half of mandible base, composed of small denticles; prostheca with short hairs along entire length, except base, which has a ctenidium; prosthecal hairs not bifurcated on medial area. Maxilla: with a row of seven spines and two rows of large setae contiguous with the apical spines on apical third of the lacinia, between two rows of setae there is a glabrous area; the two rows of setae continue with numerous setae on middle third of the lacinia; scarcely distributed setae present on basal third of the lacinia; with pseudopores on cardo. Labium: with a short ligula and divided to near the base; with a small pair of setulae on each lobe of the ligula (one very short on the apex); without medial spines. Prementum with two medial setae, insertions widely separated; medial pseudopore field present; lateral pseudopore field composed of one setose pore, and two asetose pores; with setae on aboral margin of hypoglossa, adoral margin with setae too. Mentum without microsculpture on surface; with scarce pores on mentum (around 20-22 pores on each side of midline), more densely toward the apex.

Thorax: Pronotum transverse, wider on anterior third; surface finely punctured, moderately dense; without reticulate microsculpture; setae moderately dense on surface; with 4 macrosetae along lateral margins, 3 macrosetae on each side of the midline, 2 macrosetae between lateral and medial macrosetae distributed on anterior half. Scutellum with reticulate microsculpture, moderately covered with short setae. Elytra slightly wider on apical area; surface finely punctured, moderately dense; without reticulate microsculpture; covered moderately with setae; with 8 macrosetae: 3 on lateral margin, 3 on mesal area, and 2 in diagonal closer to inner border. Hind wings well developed, flabellum with 15 spines (one female had only 10 spines). Mesocoxal acetabula completely margined posteriorly. Mesocoxal cavities moderately separated (approx. 0.16 mm) by meso- and metaventral processes; mesoventral process short (approx. 0.17 mm) with apex truncated; metaventral process medium-sized (approx. 0.56 mm), marginate and with apex acuminate; isthmus distinctly present (approx. 0.07 mm). Legs short, tarsal formula 4 –5– 5, every leg with an empodium, one seta on empodium and a pair of tarsal claws, each claw with a subbasal tooth.

Abdomen: Subparallel-sided, narrower than elytra, wider around segments IV–V; surface smooth, tergites III–VII almost glabrous, but with a row of 3 macrosetae along posterior margins on each side of the midline of every segment and one macroseta closer to the meso-lateral region; tergite VIII (Figs 11-12) with 5 macrosetae on each side of midline; tergite IX with 4 macrosetae on each side of midline; tergite X with 4 macrosetae on each side of midline. Other conspicuous characters are: tergites III–VI with basal impression; sternite IV with a central and transverse reservoir sac; without glands in basal region; without striae or cuticle vesicles on anterocentral region; without spiracles in basal region; without transversal cuticular impressions in basal region; without pseudopores in basal region.

Secondary sexual structures: sternite VII of male without external gland in basal region. Tergite VIII of male (Fig. 11) with posterior margin truncate and crenate (around 6 denticles), and one lateral protrusion on each side of the midline. Tergite VIII of female (Fig. 12) is not crenate and it has a lateral protrusion. Sternite VIII of male and female as illustrated in Figures 13 and 14, respectively.

Aedeagus: Median lobe pear-shaped (Figs 15-16); with internal sac of median lobe with many spinules; medial lobe with short, well defined compressor fig; apical lobe curved to the ventral side (visible in lateral view), and pointed; basal ridge convex. Paramere as in Fig. 17; anterodorsal margin of paramerite with prominent sensory pores present beneath the velar sac; hinge zone of paramerite faint, extended from dorsal surface to near articulation between condylite and paramerite; apical process of paramerite clearly articulated anterior to edge of velum; condylite with a line of sensory pores; velum short (less than one half of the length of the paramere). Apical lobe with 3 macrosetae visible.

Spermatheca: Basal bulb simple, rounded at base; tube S–shaped; internal tube of neck with denticles; without accessory gland (Fig. 18).

Remarks.

Myrmedonota jaliscensis is 3 mm or less in size and is easy to distinguish from other species: from Myrmedonota heliantha because the proximal end of the spermatheca is not curved over itself; from Myrmedonota lewisi because the abdomen is bicolored; from Myrmedonota shimmerale because the spermatheca is S–shaped; and finally, from Myrmedonota aidani because tergites II–IV are yellowish with a dark spot on medial area of tergites III–IV, and the differently shaped spermatheca.

Etymology.

The name makes reference to the state of Jalisco, Mexico, where the specimens were collected.

Habitat.

Unknown. The adult specimens were collected with interception flight traps. The larval habitat is not known.

Distribution.

Myrmedonota jaliscensis sp. n. is only known from the type locality around Lake Chapala in Jalisco state, Mexico (Fig. 19). This locality is 1,620 m above sea level, where it is common to find Acacia sp. trees, the common name of which is Huizache.