Brachygluta (Brachygluta) mormon Bowman, 1934

Chandler, Donald S., Sabella, Giorgio & Bückle, Christoph, 2015, A revision of the Nearctic species of Brachygluta Thomson, 1859 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Zootaxa 3928 (1), pp. 1-91 : 76-77

29. Brachygluta (Brachygluta) mormon Bowman, 1934

( Figs 34 , 43 B)

Brachygluta mormon Bowman, 1934: 142 . Type locality: Salt Lake City, Utah. Type depository: CMNH; Lectotype designated below. Poole & Gentili 1996: 380. Chandler 1997: 56.

Material examined, 191 specimens. USA: Arizona: Yavapai Co.: Kirkland, VII-14-1970, J.E. May, UV trap ( UAIC, 1). County unknown: Grand Can(yon), VII-4-1904 ( MCZC, H.C. Fall Collection, 6). California: Inyo Co. : Panamint Mts., IV-1891, Koebele ( CASC, 36; FMNH, 2). Panamint V(alley) ( CASC, 48). Panamint Valley, IV- 1891, Koebele ( CASC, 4; USNM, 11). Panamint Mountains, IV-1982, Koebele ( USNM, 26). Surprise Canyon, V- 6-1966, Irwin & Cavagnaro ( UCDC, 2). Nevada: Lincoln Co.: Alamo, VII-10-1958, F.D. Parker ( UCDC, 1); VII- 13-1958 ( UCDC, 1). New Mexico: Only state on label: “N.M.” ( CMNH, 1). Texas: El Paso Co.: El Paso, II-27- 1889 ( MCZC, H.C. Fall Collection, 1); II-21-1889 ( MCZC, H.C. Fall Collection, 1); II-19-1889 ( MCZC, H.C. Fall Collection, 1). Utah: Cache Co.: Logan, VII-4-1960, G.F. Knowlton ( DSCC, 1). Juab Co.: Mills, V-31-1993, B.F. & J.L. Carr, Lot 9 ( DSCC, 2). Salt Lake Co.: Salt Lake ( CMNH, 3 types); VI-14, Hubbard & Schwarz ( USNM, 4); VI-25, Hubbard & Schwarz ( USNM, 7); ( USNM, 1, female, ID not confirmed). Salt Lake City ( MNHN, 1). Tooele Co.: Black Pond, Dugway Proving Ground, V-27-2003, R.W. Baumann & R.L. Johnson ( BYUC, 1). Utah Co.: American Fork Canyon, VI-21, Hubbard & Schwarz ( USNM, 1). Goshen Pond, III-23-1968, D.L. Hayes ( BYUC, 1); IV-9-1968, T.L. Pay ( BYUC, 1); IV-27-1968, R.E. Coombs, under rock ( DSCC, 1); IV-29-1967, W. Clark, under rock ( TAMU, 3). Goshen Springs, II-20-1967, W. Clark ( TAMU, 2). Provo, III-14-1965, J. Leetham ( BYUC, 1). Utah Lake, VI-19, Hubbard & Schwarz ( USNM, 2); VI-20, Hubbard & Schwarz ( USNM, 2). Utah Lake, west shore, V-23-1979, S.L. Wood & S.M. Clark ( BYUC, 2). Utah Lake shore, II-14-1966, D. Nichols ( BYUC, 1). West edge Utah Lake, IV-17-1965, W.J. Despain ( BYUC, 3); IV-17-1965, D.G. Gray ( DSCC, 1; CUIC, 1). West shore Utah Lake, IV-16-1965, J. Leetham ( BYUC, 2). West Utah Lake, IV-17-1965, S.L. Wood ( BYUC, 3). Only state on label: “Utah” ( CMNH, 1; FMNH, 1); Brendel ( DSCC, 2).

Description. BODY: Length 1.68–1.92 mm; orange-brown, to some brown with orange-brown elytra; head and pronotum with setae short, curved and suberect, on rest of body longer and decumbent to appressed. Head: surface smooth, shining, punctures indistinct. Antennomeres III-VII longer than wide, VIII–IX transverse, VIII barely so (distinctly so in female), X transverse, VIII about two-thirds width of IX ( Fig. 34 C). Setose area of median vertexal fovea as wide as those of lateral foveae. Pronotum: surface smooth, shining, punctures indistinct. Setose area of median antebasal fovea about two-thirds size of those of lateral antebasal foveae. Elytra: with faint microreticulation, punctures indistinct, discal stria extending to about four-fifths of elytral length. Abdomen: tergite 1 disc smooth, shining, punctures indistinct. Basal striae of tergite 1 about one-third paratergal length in males (one-half length in one male), about one-fifth in females, separated at base by one-half tergite width; setal brush between bases of striae distinct and thicker in males, indistinct and sparse in females.

MALE: Antennae and trochanters not modified. Metaventrite with anteriorly rounded patch of denser setae in depressed area between bases of metacoxae, patch extending to middle of sternum. Tergite 1 slightly emarginate at middle, setae along apical margin longer and denser in area of emargination, in lateral view tergite 1 gently curving ventrally so that apical portion protrudes above base of tergite 2; tergite 2 semicircularly impressed from base, about three-fifths tergite width, impression not quite reaching apex of tergite 2, arcuate tubercle at base of tergite 2 ventral to emargination of tergite 1 and not visible in dorsal view ( Figs 34 A–B); in lateral view disc of tergite 1 rising to apex, distinct drop from apex of 1 to flat tergite 2. Abdominal ventrites broadly rounded. Metatibiae thin, narrow at base, gradually widened to near apex, mesal margin of apical fourth with brush present ( Fig. 34 D). Aedeagus 0.36 mm long; with dorsal plate irregularly triangular; parameres with distinct preapical constriction, with three thick setae on lateral margin at basal angle of constriction, flattened hyaline seta near mesal margin, thickened to middle and aciculate; internal sac with three thick spines, one curved ( Fig. 34 E).

FEMALE: Lacking tergal modifications; antennomeres VIII–IX slightly shorter than in male; otherwise similar to male.

Collecting data. Taken beneath rocks by a pond. Collected from February through July.

Distribution ( Fig. 43 B). Present in high deserts from eastern California to northern Utah and southern New Mexico.

Comments. This species is similar to B. mayo and shares the form of the male tergites. The dorsal plate of the aedeagus is triangular in B. mormon and the impression of tergite 2 is more transverse with the posterior margin nearly straight. In B. mayo the dorsal plate of the aedeagus is broadly rounded, and the posterior margin of the impression on tergite two is clearly semicircular. Antennomere X is transverse for B. mormon , while it is about as long as wide for B. mayo .

In his description of this species Bowman (1934) stated there were seven females in the type series, and that males were unknown. However, the type series consists of two species, both with males present. Since one of the species ( B. foveata ) is already described, a Lectotype male was selected from the other species in the series. Lectotype male, here designated: // Salt Lake, Ut./ [light green label] Henry Ulke Beetle Coll. CMNH Acc. No. 1648/ [red label] LECTOTYPE Brachygluta mormon Bowman ♂ ‘13, des. DSChandler//. Three syntypes are members of this species, and two bear the data label “Salt Lake, Ut.,” while the other is simply labeled “Utah.” Three other syntypes have a “Utah” label, and are a male and two females of Brachygluta foveata . One of the females of B. foveata has a label with “ Brachygluta mormon Bowman TYPE ” handwritten in pencil. This type designation was never published and is not valid. Since the note is attached to one of the females of B. foveata , this unpublished selection of Bowman is here noted but not followed. All six specimens are now labeled as paralectotypes of B. mormon .

Figures

FIGURE 34. Brachygluta mormon Bowman. A: Abdomen, dorsal view (California, Inyo Co.). B: Abdomen, caudal view (California, Inyo Co.). C: Right antenna (California, Inyo Co.). D: Left metatibia, anterior view (California, Inyo Co.). E: Aedeagus (Utah).

FIGURE 43. Distribution map of Brachygluta mormon species-group. A: Brachygluta kiowa Sabella. B: Brachygluta mormon Bowman. C: Brachygluta mayo Sabella. (Red dot: material examined, green dot: only state on label).