Glyptasida Casey 1912

Lockwood, Stephanie A. & Pollock, Darren A., 2009, A review of the genus Glyptasida Casey (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Asidini), Zootaxa 2023, pp. 1-27 : 5-7

Glyptasida Casey 1912

Glyptasida Casey 1912:95 ; Leng 1920:224; Wilke 1922:269; Bradley 1930:185, 322; Gebien 1937:704 –705; Blackwelder 1945:516; Pallister 1954:18; Papp 1961:85; Arnett 1968:651, 673; Brown 1971:19, 27, Fig. 20 ; Broadus 1974:16, 21, Fig. 12 ; Blackwelder and Arnett 1975:R73.22; Lavigne 1980:39,41; Bousquet 1991:254; Poole and Gentili 1996:435; Stapp 1997a:353; Stapp 1997b:304; Arnett 2000:467; Fagerlund 2000:36; Aalbu et al. 2002:488; NMGF 2008; Quinn 2005; NAU 2006.

Type species: Pelecyphorus sordidus LeConte. Fixation : Casey (1912:75) by original designation.

Derivation of generic name: The name Glyptasida , derived from the Greek glyptos - meaning carved ( Brown 1991:371) and asida derived from the Old-world generic name Asida , alludes to the “carved-like” texture of the elytra and that the members resemble the genus Asida . Individuals of Glyptasida have been informally called “carved darkling beetles” ( Quinn 2005).

Diagnosis. With general features of Asidini (sensu Aalbu et al. 2002) and the following unique combination of characteristics: Ligula small, hidden under apical margin of mentum; maxillary palpi sexually dimorphic; width of pronotum at basal angles at least 1/5 greater than width of elytra at humeri; base of pronotum broadly bisinuate.

Description. Body form. Ovate to ovate-elongate ( Figs. 1, 2, 3 ); GHW 2.5–4.4 mm; GPW 4.7–9.6 mm; GEW 7.2–13.2 mm; HL 1.9–4.1 mm; PL 3.3–5.5 mm; EL 7.1–18.7 mm; TL 15.3–27.0 mm; Ratio of GPW/ GEW 0.50–0.95; Ratio TL/GEW 1.3–2.5.

Color. Black, shining to dull; individuals can appear brown due to dirt and debris between the elytral costae.

Head. Trapezoidal, slightly wider than long, widest in front of eyes, slightly concave where clypeus and frons are fused medially ( Fig. 14 ); frons extended laterally in front of eyes; head covered with setae; antennae inserted ventrally under frons; eyes longitudinal, long and narrow, oriented vertically ( Fig. 16 ).

Antenna. Clavate, moderately thick, of 11 antennomeres, setose from scape; antennomere 3 longest; antennomere 10 distinctly wider than long; antennomere eleven conical and distinctly smaller than antennomere 10, antennomere 10 with fine sensory setal patches extending laterally, forming two separate patches (on some individual antennae, one patch may be separated to form three total patches) ( Fig. 15 ); antennomere 11 with circular patch of sensory setae with several long setae extending distally ( Fig. 15 ).

Mouthparts. Labrum dorsally punctate with short discal setae; apical edge with two patches of setae directed medially. Mandibles large with only medial edges covered by labrum, evenly arcuate to apex ( Fig. 17 ); mandibles punctate and covered with setae on dorsolateral surface; mola large, subquadrate, anterior edge evenly arcuate, convex from posterior to anterior edge. Two-segmented cardo about one-half length of the stipes, cardo inverted triangular; stipes elongate, two segmented, inner segment not sclerotized; lacinia and galea fringed with dense setae; galea with proximally curved convexly shaped setae, galea narrowed distally; lacinia with setae along medial margin; palpifer present, hinged to allow movement of maxillary palp; palpus of three articles with long setae; palpomere 1 large, concave, allowing for reception of apical palpomere, about one-half length of apical palpomere; palpomere 2 small, about one-third length of apical palpomere, concave, allowing for reception of apical palpomere; palpomere 1 width about twice as wide as apical palpomere; apical palpomere flattened, with extra fine sensory setae distally. Mentum twice as wide as long, widest medially, lateral edges sinuate basally, covered with setae dorsally, apical edge bisinuate, concave medially; ligula not visible behind mentum, ligula about twice as wide as long with anterior edge deeply emarginated, apicolateral corner rounded with one long seta; labial palpi three-segmented; palpomere three widest medially; palpomere two with several long setae; palpomere three with several long setae medially and very fine sensilla apically.

Prothorax. Pronotum large, about 1.75 wider than long (GPW/PL 1.0–2.1) ( Figs. 1, 2, 3 ); variable in shape from evenly arcuate to basally sinuate, lateral margins equally arcuate or basally sinuate; prominent hind angles present or absent; lateral edges may have serrations, from just a few to entire edge covered; discal punctures small ( Fig. 11 ) or large ( Fig. 10 ), bearing a hair protruding over the puncture, hairs directed from anterior to posterior. Prosternum trapezoidal, convex, widest posteriorly; anterior margin with long setae, projected anteriorly around head, covered with setiferous punctures, setae projected posteriorly; prosternal process large, widest medially, projected ventrally; coxal cavities closed, circular with medial concavity. Proepisternum impunctate to sparsely punctate, sparsely covered with setae.

Pterothorax. Apterous. Mesosternum hexagonal in shape with well developed mesosternal process, concave laterally with prosternal process projecting ventrally, anterolateral margins straight, posterior lateral margins sinuate, covered with long setae, dense near margins; mesosternal process concave medially between closed coxal cavities. Mesoepisternum subquadrate, lateral margins straight, anterior margin concave, posterior margin convex, impunctate, sparsely covered with short setae. Mesoepimeron rectangular, narrow, anterior lateral angle acute, flared anteriorly; surface impunctate, sparsely covered with short setae. Metasternum elongate laterally, narrowest between meso- and meta-coxal openings; anterior margin convex, posterior margin concave, lateral anterior angles acute. Metepisternum impunctate, sparsely covered with setae, separated from metasternum by a fold. Mesosternum and metasternum meet to form tear drop shape middle coxal cavities, metasternum and abdomen meet to form teardrop-shaped hind coxal cavities.

Elytra. Elytra fused, oblong-oval, convex, widest near midlength, Ratio of EL/GEW 0.6–1.7 ( Figs. 1, 2, 3 ); posteriorly subarcuate, with colliculate microsculpturing ( Figs. 12, 13 ); two elevated longitudinal costae present ( Figs. 4, 6 ), reduced in one species ( Fig. 5 ); elevated transverse sinuous rugose lines between the costae and margins, reduced in one species; setae present, with ( Fig. 12 ) or without nodes ( Fig. 13 ) (raised circular areas), setae may be dense (in some specimens); epipleural fold narrow from base to apex.

Legs. Front, middle, and hind legs similar, slender and long; all surfaces with setae; tarsomere arrangement 5-5-4; tarsal claw arcuate; tibial spurs 2-2-2, proximal, slightly arcuate; femur enlarged distally; tibia acutely pointed at apex. Coxa globose and projecting, covered with setiferous punctures; trochanter rectitriangular, covered with setiferous punctures. Mesotrochantin not visible.

Abdomen. Five ventrites, covered with setae; defensive glands absent; visible membrane along hind margin of ventrites 3 and 4.

Male genitalia. Aedeagus with tegmen inverted (ventral) ( Fig. 22 ); setae extended laterally from the apex of the apicale; tegmen greatly narrowed toward the apex; apicale distinctly narrower than the basale. Median lobe elongate, narrow; rounded ( Fig. 20 ) or flared ( Fig. 24 ) basally.

Female genitalia. Ovipositor elongate ( Fig. 27 ); styli small, stylus with small depression with sensilla; internal tract ovate with oviduct extending laterally before the tract narrows; spermatheca extending from the apex, with multiple branches; accessory gland branching off just before the spermatheca ( Fig. 26 ).

Sexual Dimorphism. Male apical maxillary palpomere enlarged, scalene with proximal angle acute ( Fig. 18 ); female apical maxillary palpomere smaller and right-triangular ( Fig. 19 ).

Figures

FIGURES 18 – 27. Sexual Dimorphism of G. sordida: 18) Male maxillary palp (outline). 19) Female maxillary palp (outline). Scale bar = 1 mm (18, 19). Male Genitalia of Glyptasida spp.: 21, 25) Median lobe, ventral view; scale bar = 1 mm. 20, 24) Median lobe, lateral view; scale bar = 1 mm. 22) Tegmen, ventral view; scale bar = 1 mm. 23) Tegmen, lateral view; scale bar = 1 mm. Images of G. sordida (20, 21, 22, 23), G. rugosissima (24, 25). Ap = Apicale; Ba = Basale. Female Genitalia of G. sordida: 26) Genital tract; scale bar = 1 mm. 27) Ovipositor, ventral view; scale bar = 1 mm. Ba = Baculi; Co = coxite; Dp = depression; Mg = Medial groove; Ov = Oviduct; SAG = Spermathecal accessory gland; Sp = spermatheca; Va = Vagina; Val = Valvifer; Vu = Vulva.

FIGURES 10 – 13. Discal pronotal punctures: 10) G. sordida. 11) G. aegra. Scale bar = 100 µm (10, 11). Elytral microsculpturing: 12) G. sordida (showing nodes at base of setae). 13) G. aegra (without nodes at base of setae). Scale bar = 30 µm (12, 13).

FIGURES 1 – 9. Habitus. Dorsal view: 1, 2, 3) Posterior view: 4, 5, 6) Lateral view: 7, 8, 9) Images of G. sordida (1, 4, 7); total length = 18.0 mm. Images of G. aegra (2, 5, 8); total length = 20.6 mm. Images of G. rugosissima (3, 6, 9); total length = 19.3 mm.

FIGURES 14 – 17. Head Structures of G. sordida: 14) Anterior view of head. Scale bars = 300 µm (14, 16). 15) Antennomeres 10 and 11; scale bar = 60 µm. 16) Dorsolateral view of eye. 17) Right mandible, dorsal view; scale bar = 200 µm.