Craniotus triplehorni Aalbu, Smith, and Sanchez Piñero, 2015

Aalbu, Rolf L., Smith, Aaron D. & Piñero, Francisco Sanchez, 2015, A Revision of Craniotus Leconte (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Pimeliinae: Asidini), with Descriptions of New Insular Species from Mexico and Notes on Distribution and Biology, The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 14) 69, pp. 93-100 : 95-96

Craniotus triplehorni Aalbu, Smith, and Sanchez Piñero , new species

( Figs. 3–4 )

Description. Holotype female. Length 11.0 mm, width 5.1 mm. Integument reddish black, luster slightly shiny ( Figs. 3–4 , 13 ). Body elongate, bi-ovate, inflated, apterous. Head: Moderately deflexed, widest anterior to eyes, vertex convex; surface densely, deeply punctate; distance between punctures about equal to puncture diameter, moderate in size, deeply perforate in form, each puncture bearing a seta. Setae moderately long, black, approximately equal in length to length of clypeus anteriorly, shorter, yellowish, recumbent posteriorly; clypeus broadly bilobed; labrum produced, quadrate, convex; frons with genae strongly produced laterally above antennal insertions, lateral apex acute, depressed medially between lateral projections at clypeal suture; eyes globose, dorsoventrally transverse, dorsal surface slightly larger, surface strongly convex, anteriomedial border straight to very slightly concave; mentum large, both anteriorly and posteriorly concave, twice as broad as long, surface punctate, punctures deep, sparse, each bearing 1 long, black seta; ligula strongly bilobed, anterior recurved upward; maxillary palpus approximately equal in length to first 3 antennomeres; ratio of segment lengths 15:25:35:45; antennae long and slender, apical antennomeres reaching elytra, 11 th antennomere broadly attached to 10 th; ratio of antennomere lengths 45:30:55:35:35:35:20:20:20:20:15. Pronotum: Narrower than elytra, subquadrate, slightly arcuate laterally, moderately inflated ( Fig. 4 ); anterior and posterior margins nearly straight, apical angles acutely produced, lateral margins with large,branched, apically serrate projection; laterally with few (4) connate projections, longer anteriorly, each bearing 1 moderately long, erect seta; surface deeply punctate, punctures moderate in size, separated by puncture diameter, each bearing 1 short yellow, posteriorly appressed seta, irregularly interspaced with few, longer setae. Scutellum: Visible, triangular. Elytra: Convex, inflated, surface strongly punctate-striate, punctures set in uneven striae on disc, laterally becoming more confused; punctures contiguous, large in size, form impressed near lateral margins, deeply perforate centrally, intervals bearing rows of short, black, posteriorly recumbent setae approximately equal to puncture diameter in length, subspatulate in shape, few longer, black, erect setae present on posterior lateral margins; epipleura remaining narrow from apex to base. Venter: Prosternal process convex between procoxae, mesosternum not excavate; mesotrochantin hidden; metacoxae separated by about 1.5X distance of mesocoxae; intercoxal process of abdomen truncate; apex of meso- and metasternum impressed; Sterna decreasing in length posteriorly, slightly convex; surface of thoracic pleura punctate, punctures as on pronotum; thoracic and abdominal sternal surfaces with smaller, perforate punctures each bearing a short fine seta; sternal ratios (anterior to posterior midline) 27:22:16:8:16. Legs: Moderate in length, slender, not inflated; leg ratios (femur:tibia) pro - 35:45, meso- 40:47, meta-50:68; tibiae and tarsi densely setose, femora sparsely setose; tarsi with ventral surface bearing numerous, short, stiff, black setae. Tarsomere length ratios as follows (base to apex): protarsus 20:13:11:11:30; mesotarsus 20:11:11:10:31; metatarsus 45:20:12:32. Genitalia: Paraprocts nearly 4 times as long as coxites; coxites strongly sclerotized acutely to apex, flattened, subconcave dorsally; gonostyle visible as single short setae, positioned ventrolaterally in subapical concave cavity.

Allotype Male. Similar to female, slightly smaller, length 13.6 mm, width 6.3 mm.

Type Specimens. H O L O T Y P E: f e m a l e, MEXICO, Baja Calif. Isla Ventana , XII-29-98, F. Sanchez-Pinero col. [deposited in CASC]: ALLO- TYPE: male , MEXICO, Baja Calif. Isla Coronadito XII-28- 98 F. Sanchez-Pinero col. [deposited in the Rolf L. Aalbu Collection, El Dorado Hills, California ( RLAC)]. PARATYPES : MEXICO, Baja Calif. Isla Cerraja XII-28- 98 F. Sanchez-Pinero col. (5), RLAC ; MEXICO, Baja Calif. Isla Flecha XII-28- 98 F. Sanchez-Pinero col. (4), RLAC ; MEXICO, Baja Calif. Isla Coronadito XII-28- 98 F. Sanchez-Pinero col. (12), RLAC ; MEXICO, Baja Calif. Isla Jorobado III-10/ V-11-99 EGPT Rolf L. Aalbu col (15), RLAC ; MEXICO, Baja Cal. N Llave Is., Bahia de Los Angeles 5-iii-1996, F.S.Pinero (3), OSUC ; MEXICO, Baja Calif. Isla Llave , III-10/ V-10-99 EGPT Rolf. L. Aalbu col. (16), ( RLAC) ; MEXICO, Baja Calif. Isla Pescadero , III-9-99 Rolf L. Aalbu col. (10) ( RLAC) ; MEXICO, Baja Calif. Isla Smith (Coronado), XII-28- 98 F. Sanchez-Pinero col. (5), RLAC ; MEXICO, Baja Calif. Isla Ventana , XII-29-98, F. Sanchez-Pinero col. (2), RLAC ; MEXICO, Baja Calif. Mainland near Isla Pescadero III-12-99 Rolf L. Aalbu col. (5), RLAC .

Distribution. This species is restricted to a number of geographically close islands in the Bahia de Los Angeles, Gulf of California ( Figs. 13–14 ). It is also found on the mainland on an isolated elevated promontory, directly south of these islands. This unnamed area, with capes Punta Rosa and Punta Que Malo, was likely insular until recent times ( Fig. 14 ). Craniotus pubescens , found on the rest of the mainland around Bahia de Los Angeles, is not found on either the islands or the adjacent promontory.

Diagnosis. Craniotus triplehorni can be easily separated from other Craniotus species by the less globose pronotum with lateral margins bearing only a few (4) lateral connate projections and the fine, unevenly scattered elytral punctures.

Etymology. This species is named for Charles (Chuck) Triplehorn, a prominent worker in Tenebrionidae and a great mentor to many students of systematic entomology.

Figures

Figs. 3–4. Craniotus triplehorni, Holotype female, habitus. 3) Dorsal view; 4) Lateral view.

Fig. 13. Craniotus species, distribution map. Blue pentagrams = C. mardecortesi. Green circles = C. triplehorni. Red triangles = C. pubescens.

Fig. 14. Craniotus species, distribution around Bahia de los Angeles. Red square = C. pubescens. Green circles = C. mardecortesi.