Agrodes elegans Nordmann, 1837

Asiain, Julieta, Márquez, Juan & Morrone, Juan J., 2007, Phylogenetic systematics of the genera Plochionocerus Dejean and Agrodes Nordmann (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Xantholinini), Zootaxa 1584, pp. 1-53 : 47-49

Agrodes elegans Nordmann, 1837

( Fig. 3 )

Agrodes elegans Nordmann, 1837:162 ; Erichson, 1839: 303 (subgenus of Sterculia ); Herman, 2001: 3744 ( Plochionocerus ).

Agrodes longicornis Sharp, 1885: 467 ; Bernhauer & Schubert, 1914: 315 (subgenus Sterculia ); Herman, 2001: 3745 ( Plochionocerus ), syn. nov.

Sterculia melancholica Schubert, 1911: 13 ; Herman, 2001: 3745 ( Plochionocerus ), syn. nov.

Type material (3 specimens). Holotype of Agrodes elegans , female: “5798 / Holotypus Agrodes elegans Nordmann, 1837 labelled by MNHUB 2006 / elegans Nordm. Para ind. Sieb.” ( ZMHB, Ψ). Holotype of Agrodes longicornis , male: “ Agrodes longicornis . Type. D. S. Chontales. NICARAGUA. Belt. (specimen on card) / Type / Sp. Figured. / Nicaragua. T. Belt. / B. C. A. Col. I. 2. Agrodes longicornis, Sharp. / Sharp Coll. 1905–313. / Holotype ” ( BMNH, ɗ). Holotype of Sterculia melancholica , female: “Chanchamayo Peru. 200 m / Type / melancholica m. / Holotypus Sterculia melancholica Schubert, 1911 labelled by MNHUB 2006” ( ZMHB, Ψ).

Additional material (35 specimens). BOLIVIA: no locality data, Fassl ( FMNH, ɗ); Coroico, 1800 m, X–XII.1906, Goulopp ( BMNH, 1?; FMNH, Ψ); no locality data, D. Sharp ( BMNH, Ψ). BRAZIL: Para, Caninde, Río Gurupi, 4–5.II.1963, B. Malkin, forest sweep ( FMNH, Ψ); Para, Aldeia Coraci, 12 km W of Caninde, R. Gurupi, 16–24.IV.1963, B. Malkin, forest sweep ( FMNH, ɗ); Rio Uatuma, Amazonas, I.1944, W. Praetorius ( AMNH, ɗ). COLOMBIA: Bogota ( BMNH, Ψ); no locality data, W. E. Pratt ( FMNH, 2ΨΨ); Villavicencio, Meta, 3.IV.1965, J. A. Ramos ( USNM, 1?). COSTA RICA: Guanacaste, Cacao Biological Station, 1050 m, 10º55’38”, 85º27’7”W, 10.VII.2000, J. Ashe, R. Brooks & Z. Falin, ex: treefall litter ( SEMC, Ψ); Alajuela, Peñas Blancas, 800–870 m, 19.V.1989, J. Ashe, R. Brooks & R. Leschen ( SEMC, ɗ); Prov. Puntarenas, Buenos Aires, Estación Altamira, Sendero a Casa Coca, 1700 m, 9–26.V.2001, O. Alemán, LS 331750 574400 ( INBC, Ψ); Prov. Guanacaste, Est. Cacao, Lado SO Vol. Cacao, P. N. Guan., LN 323300, 375700, 1000–1400 m, 21–29.V.1992, F. A. Quesada ( INBC, ɗ); Prov. Cartago, M. N. Guayabo, Turialba, LN 570000 217400, 1100 m, 21.VI.1994, J. F. Corrales ( INBC, ɗ). ECUADOR: no locality data, Buckley ( FMNH, ɗ); Pastaza, Mera, 1200 m, 30.VI.1971, B. Malkin, beaten ex dry foliage and debris ( FMNH, ɗ, Ψ); Sarayacu, 1879, Buckley ( BMNH, Ψ); Jarugui ( BMNH, Ψ); no locality data ( BMNH, ɗ). PANAMA: Chiriqui ( IRSNB, 1?); Darién, Cana Biological Station, Serranía de Pirra, 950 m, 7º45’18”N, 77º41’6”W, 6.VI.1996, J. Ashe & R. Brooks, ex: fungusy log-tree fall litter ( SEMC, ɗ); PERU: Cuzco Depto., Consuelo, Manu rd. km 165, 5.X.1982, L. E. Watrous & G. Mazurek, ex rotten palm ( FMNH, Ψ; CC-UAEH, ɗ); idem, except: 3.X.1982 ( FMNH, ɗ); idem, except: 10.X.1982, beating dead branches ( FMNH, ɗ); idem, except: 7.X.1982 ( FMNH, ɗ); idem, except: 2.X.1982, ex leaf litter ( FMNH, Ψ); idem, except: 6–7.X.1982, flight intercept trap ( FMNH, ɗ); idem, except: 7.X.1982, ex litter under crown of felled tree ( FMNH, 2ɗɗ, 1?); Chanchamayo, 1500 m, Heyno ( FMNH, ɗ).

Diagnosis. Total length 20.0– 24.1 mm; body metallic violet-blue or green; head dorsally and ventrally flat ( Fig. 10 ), or slightly convex dorsally; antennomeres 4–10 quadrate or subquadrate; apical antennomere in males moderately longer than wide (1.38–1.50 times) and shorter than antennomeres 9+10 combined (0.82– 0.92 times their length; Fig. 23 ); mandibles with basal external channel; head slightly wider than pronotum (1.11–1.22 times); pronotum slightly elongate (104–1.12 times as long as wide), posterior area with two slightly visible, depressed areas, upper line of pronotal hypomeron absent ( Fig. 66 ); elytra almost as long as pronotum (1.00–1.06 times); aedeagus ovate, small (3.8–4.0 mm) and asymmetrical, with parameres moderately long (0.45 times as long as the total length of median lobe), and internal sac with slightly conspicuous microsculpture ( Fig. 76 ).

Variation. The majority of the specimens are metallic blue with green reflections, but some specimens are completely metallic green. The head of one female specimen is conspicuously wider below the eyes. Male specimens from Costa Rica and Nicaragua have an aedeagus longer than the specimen from Panama (2.1 mm); however, its shape, proportions and remaining characters are not different.

Comparative notes. Based on the revision of the holotypes, P. longicornis ( Sharp, 1885) and P. melancholicus ( Schubert, 1911) are junior synonymies of A. elegans Nordmann, 1837 . The description of this species under three synonyms ( P. elegans , P. longicornis and P. melancholicus ) is due to variation in color and length. Plochionocerus elegans is similar to P. conicicollis , the main differences are discussed in the Comparative notes of that species.

Geographical distribution. Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia (first national records), Nicaragua, Brazil, and Peru ( Herman, 2001).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Habitus, dorsal view: 1, Plochionocerus simplicicollis; 2, P. s p l e n d e n s; 3, Agrodes elegans; 4, Renda fimetaria; 5, Philonthus testaceipennis; 6, Homalolinus flavipennis. Scale bar 3 mm.

FIGURES 9 – 16. Lateral view of head: 9, Philonthus testaceipennis; 10, Agrodes elegans; 11, Plochionocerus discedens; 12, P. gracilis; 13, P. humeralis; 14, P. m a rq u e z i; 15, P. simplicicollis; 16, Renda flagellicornis.

FIGURES 20 – 31. Antennae: 20, Philonthus testaceipennis; 21, Renda flagellicornis; 22, Agrodes conicicollis; 23, A. elegans; 24, Plochionocerus gracilis; 25, P. humeralis; 26, P. i g n e u s; 27, P. m a rq u e z i; 28, P. puncticeps; 29, P. re t i c u - laris; 30, P. s p l e n d e n s; 31, P. transversalis.

FIGURES 63 – 66. Lateral view of pronotal hypomeron: 63, Plochionocerus simplicicollis; 64, Renda spp.; 65, Agrodes conicicollis; 66, A. elegans.

FIGURES 69 – 78. Ventral (left) and lateral (right) view of aedeagus: 69, Philonthus testaceipennis; 70, Homalolinus flavipennis; 71, Thyreocephalus puncticeps; 72, Renda fimetaria; 73, R. flagellicornis; 74, R. leprieuri; 75, Agrodes conicicollis; 76, A. elegans; 77, Plochionocerus ashei; 78, P. discedens. Scale bar 1 mm.