Carinisphindus purpuricephalus McHugh and Lewis

Mchugh, Joseph V. & Lewis, Corey N., 2000, Three New Species Of Carinisphindus Mchugh (Coleoptera: Sphindidae) From Bahamas, Florida And Puerto Rico, The Coleopterists Bulletin 54 (2), pp. 143-153 : 144-146

Carinisphindus purpuricephalus McHugh and Lewis , new species

Figs. 1 , 3, 5, 8, 10

Diagnosis. Pronotal punctures elongate­oval to teardrop­shaped, pronotal anterolateral angles acute, projecting anteriad. Dorsal color pattern ( Fig. 1 ) similar to C. bicolor , but head and pronotum dark purple­brown, not yellowbrown; elytral apices piceous, not grey­brown; pale transverse basal elytral band narrower.

Description. Length 1.5–1.9 mm (x 5 1.7 mm) Head and pronotum dark purple­brown; elytra with red­brown basal band extending posteriorly to ⅓ elytral length, apical ⅔ of elytra piceous ( Fig. 1 ); thoracic and abdominal sterna red­brown; legs, palpi and antennal stem lighter red­brown; antennal club darker; eyes black. Body glossy, most of exposed surfaces with dense, minutely reticulate microsculpturing. Setation sparse, short, golden, suberect. Head ( Fig. 3 ) with dorsolateral punctures elongate and fused, forming 11–13 strong longitudinal grooves beginning between antennal insertion and clypeus, extending posteriad beyond midpoint of eyes, terminating before posterior margin of head. Eyes coarsely faceted. Mandibles large, bearing one well developed apical tooth and one feeble, weakly projecting rounded subapical tooth. Labrum rectangular, dorsal surface rugulose, anterior border strongly margined; clypeus large, prominent, emarginate apically and laterally, shinier than frons, lacking reticulate microsculpturing, with small punctures evenly spaced, sparser than on head; frontoclypeal suture deeply arcuate. Antennomere III length about 33 width; IV 1.5 length of V and gradually swollen distally, V–VII submoniliform; VIII with narrow stem, abruptly inflated near midlength, wider than long; X 1.33 length of IX; IX–X forming oval compact club ( Fig. 3 ) covered in dense white pubescence. Pronotum ( Fig. 5 ) with anterolateral angles acute, projecting anteriad; median longitudinal carina well defined, carina projecting upward as small denticle opposite scutellum; lateral and posterior edges margined; punctures large, shallow, most teardrop­shaped, with distinct lateral and posterior border and gradual anterior edge. Prosternum with large dense punctation, punctures about 1 ⁄ 5 width of prosternal process between coxae; prosternal and mesosternal process with weakly emarginate apices. Mesosternum ( Fig. 8 ) with large dense irregular punctures medially, sparser punctation laterally; mesosternal process strongly reflexed; mesepisternum with one large oval puncture ⅔ width of mesepisternum. Metasternum ( Fig. 8 ) inflated, with dense irregular punctation anterolaterally, sparsely punctate to impunctate centrally, with dense row of conjoined punctures along posterior margin opposite metathoracic coxa and anterior row of 6–8 large punctures opposite mesothoracic coxa; anterior edge with broad margin opposite mesothoracic coxae, metasternal suture complete, intercoxal notch keyhole­shaped, with broadly rounded anterior region, strongly constricted mid­region, and with sides diverging posteriorly; metepisternum with sides converging anteriorly and terminating in denticle projecting anterolaterally, with a continuous longitudinal row of 7–8 large punctures, punctures nearly equal to width of metepisternum at posterior half. Scutellum small, tectiform, impunctate, transversely oval, with median longitudinal carina. Elytron with weak subhumeral depression and moderately produced humeral calli; strial interspaces weakly convex anteriorly, flattened posteriorly; punctures not darkened, epipleuron narrow, complete to distal edge of abdominal sternite IV. Abdomen with ventrites imbricate, not lying flat in same plane; ventrite I with large punctures, anterior punctures elongate­oval to teardrop­shaped; intercoxal process broad, with elongate punctures; ventrites II–V with transverse row of large depressions basally and sparse setiferous punctules distally. Pygidium with two large oval impunctate elytral binding patches separated by densely punctate hourglass­shaped region.

Male. Aedeagus not examined. Metathoracic femoral tooth small, blunt, tapering gradually from base.

Female. Coxite ( Fig. 10 ) with single rounded apical lobe, stylus subapical, elongate, about 33 long as wide, with one long apical seta about equal to length of stylus, four shorter setae in whorl near apex, and two short setae near midlength, one distal to other.

Type Series. Holotype: (♂ NMNH) with label data: ‘‘ USA: Florida: Putnam Co. Katharine Ordway Preserve 23.VIII.1998 Randall W. Lundgren. Flight­barrier trap.’’ Paratypes: (1♀, 1♂ AMNH ; 1♀, 1♂ ANIC ; 1♀, 1♂ BMNH ; 1♀, 1♀ CNCI ; 1♀ CUIC ; 1♂ FMNH ; 1♀, 1♂ FSCA ; 1♀ MCZC ; 1♀ NMNH ; 1♂ UGCA), with same data as holotype.

Other material: U.S.A., Florida: Alachua Co., 298349N, 828299W, 5.4 km NE Archer , R.W. Lundgren Coll., Flight­barrier trap in hardwood hammock, 3.VIII.1992 (1♀ FSCA) ; 14.VIII.1992 (1♂ FSCA) ; 19.VIII.1992 (1♂ NMPC) ; 24.VIII.1992 (1♂ CUIC) ; 15.V.1993 (1♀ FSCA) ; 14.VII.1993 (1♀ FSCA) ; 20.VII.1993 (2♀♀ NMNH) ; 27.VII.1993 (1♂ MCZC) ; 29.VII.1993 (1♀ MCZC) ; 30.IX.1993 (1♂ MHNG) ; 9.V.1994 (2♀♀ FMNH) ; 24.V.1994 (1♀ RWLC) ; 21.VI.1994 (1♀, 1♂ ZMPA) ; 5.VII.1994 (1♀, 1♂ UGCA) ; 18.VII.1994 (1♂ UGCA) ; 9.VIII.1994 (1♀ MTEC) ; 17.VIII.1994 (1♂ MTEC) ; 23.VIII.1994 (1♀ MHNG) ; 31.VIII.1994 (2♂♂ UGCA) ; 27.IX.1994 (2♀♀, 1♂ RWLC) ; 26.X.1994 (1♀ RWLC) ; 2.VIII.1995 (4♀♀ CMNH) ; 13.VIII.1995 (1♀ ANIC) ; 19.VIII.1995 (1♂ RWLC) ; 26.VIII.1995 (3♀♀, 1♂ UGCA) ; 3.IX.1995 (1♀ NMPC) ; 29834 ½ 9N, 828299W, 25.VII.1998, R.W. Lundgren, Malaise trap (1♂ RWLC) ; Paynes Prairie State Preserve, 26.IX.1998. R.W. Lundgren. Flight­barrier trap in hardwood swamp (1♀ FSCA). Levy Co., 4 miles southwest of Archer: ex Stemonitis sp. , 23.VII.1993, P. & L. Skelley and R. & J. McHugh colls (5♀♀, 3♂♂ UGCA) ; ex Fuligo septica , 25.VII.1993, P.E. Skelley coll. (1♀ FSCA). Liberty Co., Torreya State Park, 13.VI.1974, H.V. Weems, Jr & C.R. Artaud colls, malaise trap (2♀♀ FSCA). Monroe Co., malaise­FIT, S. & J. Peck colls: Cudjoe Key, 21.XI.85 – 26.II.86, hammock (1? SPEC) ; 29.VIII–14.XII.86, hammock (2♀♀ SPEC) ; Fat Deer K/ey, 2.VIII–16.XI.85, hardwood hammock (3♀♀ SPEC) ; 18.XI.85 – 25.II.86, hammock (1♀, 1♂ UGCA ; 1♀, 2♂♂ SPEC) ; 31.VIII–15.XII.86, hammock (1♀ SPEC) ; No Name Key, 28.VIII­13.XII.86, hammock (1♂ SPEC) ; Sugarloaf Key, 4.VIII–19.XI.85, Kitchings, hammock (1♀, 1♂ SPEC) ; 5.VIII–19.XI.85, SW1/4, S23, hardwood hammock, malaise­FIT (1♀, 3♂♂ UGCA ; 1♀, 5♂♂ SPEC), 19.XI.85 – 26.II.86, hammock (1♂, 1♀ SPEC), 29.VIII–14.XII.86 (1♀, 1♂ UGCA ; 1♀, 1♂ SPEC), 29.VIII–14.XII.86, Kitchings, for. hammock (1♀ SPEC) ; Vaca Key, Marathon, 31.VIII–15.XII.86, hammock (1♂ SPEC). Orange Co., Orlando, University of Central Florida, Sand Pine­Rosemary Scrub, malaise trap, S.M. Fullerton coll., 27.VIII.1992 (1♂ UCFC) ; 18.IX.1992 (1♂ UCFC) ; J.C. Longhurst & S.M. Fullerton colls, FIT, 3.VI.1994 (1♀ UCFC) ; 12.VII.1994 (1♂ UCFC) ; Longleaf Pine­Sand Pine­Turkey Oak, malaise trap, S.M. Fullerton coll., 3.XI.1992 (1♂ UCFC) ; 21.XI.1992 (1♀ UCFC). Putnam Co., Katharine Ordway Preserve, R.W. Lundgren, Flight­barrier trap, 31.VII.1998 (1♂ CMNC) ; 10.VIII.1998 (2♀♀, 1♂ CUIC) ; 17.VIII.1998 (4♀♀, 2♂♂ UGCA) ; 31.VIII.1998 (1♀, 1♂ BPBM ; 1♀, 1♂ ANSP ; 1♀, 1♂ CMNH ; 2♀♀ SEMC) ; 8.IX.1998 (5♀♀, 4♂♂ UGCA) ; 7.X.1998 (1♀, 1♂ CACS ; 1♀, 1♂ LACM ; 1♀, 1♂ EMEC ; 1♂ CMNC) ; 26.X.1998 (4♀♀, 4♂♂ UGCA) ; 15.XI.1998 (1♀, 1♂ ANIC) ; malaise trap, 17.VIII.1998 (1♂ MCZC).

Etymology. Latin, meaning ‘‘purple head,’’ in reference to the dark purplebrown hue of the head and pronotum.

Distribution and Habitat. This species has been collected in northwestern, central and southern Florida. The majority of material was collected from locations in or near Longleaf Pine/ Turkey Oak Hill habitat (e.g., Levy Co. and Putnam Co. sites), suggesting some ecological link. The large series of specimens from Alachua Co. was taken during an intensive sampling effort in an Upland Hardwood Hammock, dominated by Live Oaks and Laurel Oaks. This site, however, was near a transitional zone with Longleaf Pine/ Turkey Oak Hill habitat. Carinisphindus purpuricephalus may occur in neighboring states where patches of this endangered habitat remain.

Remarks. Specimens from central and northern Florida are lighter in color (castaneous) on the legs and venter than specimens from the Florida keys (dark brown).

Figures

Fig. 1. Carinisphindus purpuricephalus, female. 1) Habitus, dorsal.

Figs. 3–11. 3–4 Head, dorsal: 3) C. purpuricephalus; 4) C. geminus. 5–7, Pronotum, lateral: 5) C. purpuricephalus; 6) C. skotios; 7) C. geminus. 8–9, Mesothorax and metathorax, ventral: 8) C. purpuricephalus; 9) C. geminus. 10–11, Female coxite and stylus, left, ventral: 10) C. purpuricephalus; 11) C. geminus. Scales: Figs. 3–7 5 0.1 mm; Figs. 8–9 5 0.2 mm; Figs. 10–11 5 0.02 mm.