Discoderus beauvoisii (Dejean)

Shpeley, Danny, Hunting, Wesley & Ball, George E., 2017, A taxonomic review of the Selenophori group (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Harpalini) in the West Indies, with descriptions of new species and notes about classification and biogeography, ZooKeys 690, pp. 1-195 : 86-89

Discoderus beauvoisii (Dejean) Figs 66A, 67 A–C, 69, 70

Selenophorus beauvoisii Dejean, (1829: 98) In the Chaudoir-Oberthür Collection, 25 specimens (4, of special note) in front of the following box label: Beauvoisii/ Dej./ Antilles/ C. Dejean//. LECTOTYPE (here selected) [male symbol] // beauvoisi mihi/ pensylvanicus mihi cat./ in Amer bor D. Beauvois//; also, a male, labelled aeneocupreus , in Jamaica (details below); also, a male, piciventris, S. Dominic, Mannerheim [Dejean Coll. label name, only - see Putzeys 1878a: 47]; also, a male, xanthoxcelis aeneocupreus , S. Dominic [Dejean Coll. label name, only - see Putzeys 1878a: 47].- Gemminger and Harold 1868: 265.- LeConte 1870: 403.- Putzeys 1878a: 46.- Csiki 1932: 1196.- Darlington 1934: 105.- Blackwelder 1944: 49.- Erwin and Sims 1984: 440.- Lorenz 1998: 355.- Lorenz 2005: 376.- Peck 2005: 32.- Bousquet 2012: 1622.

Selenophorus aeneocupreus Dejean, 1829: 99. LECTOTYPE: male, labeled aeneocupreus Schrank/ in Jamaica [green paper]// Schonherr [green paper]// Putzeys 1878a: 46 [as a junior synonym of S. beauvoisii ]; Gemminger and Harold 1868: 265.- Csiki 1932: 1196.- Blackwelder 1944: 49.- Erwin and Sims 1984: 440.- Lorenz 1998: 355.- Lorenz 2005: 376.- Bousquet 2012: 1622.

Discoderus beauvoisi ; Noonan 1985a: 49.- Ball 1992: 84, 85.- Perez-Gelabert 2008: 79.

Type area.

Dejean incorrectly recorded that S. beauvoisii is from North America, and compared it to S. aeneocupreus , which he stated as being from Jamaica. LeConte (1870: 403) asserted that S. beauvoisii was not known from North America, but was common in the West Indies. In view of the above considerations, the type area of D. beauvoisii is here restricted to Jamaica, the locality specified for the lectotype of S. aeneocupreus , that name a junior synonym of S. beauvoisii .

Diagnosis.

The smaller size, greenish to bluish metallic luster of the dorsum and pale legs readily separates this species from the three other West Indian Discoderus species.

Descriptive notes.

Data for SBL in Table 1. Habitus as in Fig. 66A. Clypeus and labrum each with anterior margin moderately concave. Antennae, mouthparts and legs testaceous to slightly darker. Ventral surface rufous to dark rufo-brunneous. Pronotum and elytra with greenish to bluish metallic luster; head with less metallic luster. Antennae and mouthparts rufo-testaceous to dark rufous. Ventral surface and legs piceous. Pronotum and elytra violaceous to bluish, with hints of green; head with less metallic reflection. Head, posteriolateral surface of pronotum and elytra with mesh pattern isodiametric; pronotal disc with mesh pattern slightly transverse, sculpticells about 2 × wide as long. Elytral striae impunctate, except the standard setigerous punctures in striae 2, 5 and 7. Both males and females with four terminal setae near the posterior margin on sternum VII.

Male genitalia. Fig. 67 A–C. Apical portion of phallic median lobe moderately long, narrowly triangular, symmetrically rounded in ventral/dorsal aspects; endophallus without spines or darkened microtrichial fields; without lamina.

Ovipositor and female reproductive tract. Fig. 69A. Gonocoxite 2 (gc2) of the ovipositor is short, thick, and lateral surface broad, concave, with transverse ridges. Bursa copulatrix (bc) moderately short; spermatheca (sp) originating near base of common oviduct (co), with proximal one third attached to common oviduct; spermathecal gland duct (spgd) originating below inflated portion of spermatheca. Spermathecal gland (spg) with moderately long duct, gland sausage-like, with slight swelling of duct basad gland.

Geographical distribution.

Fig. 70. This species ranges throughout the Greater Antilles islands (Cuba to the Virgin Islands) and on Mayaguana Island of the Bahamas

Chorological affinities and relationships.

The range of this species overlaps the ranges of the three other West Indian Discoderus species. The bright metallic luster of the dorsal surface of the body shared by members of D. beauvoisii and D. cyaneopacus may indicate close relationship between these two species.

Material examined.

In addition to type material, we have seen a total of 1,875 specimens (877 males, 998 females). See Appendix for details.