Euscelus aureolus (Gyllenhal)

Hamilton, Robert W., 2007, Euscelus species of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Attelabidae), Zootaxa 1495 (1), pp. 1-34 : 20-21

Euscelus aureolus (Gyllenhal)

( Figs. 10 , 57–60)

Attelabus aureolus Gyllenhal, 1833

Emphyleuscelus cubensis Janczyk, 1960

Type locality: Cuba

Type data: Holotype male with the following labels: Male symbol [white, square-shaped]; Typus [long, red, rectangular]; Cuba, Germar [hand written, white square-shaped]; Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet, Stockholm, loan no. 61202]. Paratype male with the following labels: Male symbol [small, white, rectangular]; Paratypus [long, red, rectangular]; A. aureolus Dej. , Cuba, Schapp [handwritten, large, white, rectangular]; Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet, Stockholm, loan no. 61302].

Type holder: Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet , Stockholm, Sweden ( SMNH)

Specimen data: BAHAMA ISLANDS: 1 female, Andros Isl., Mangrove Cay, 6-vii-1924, CE Olsen; 4 males & 3 females, B.W. I., South Bimini Isl., Aug. 18, 1951, C & P Vaurie; 2 males & 1 female [same as previous except Aug. 21, 1951]; 1 male [same as previous except Aug.16–20, 1951]; 2 males & 1 female, B.W. I., South Bimini Isl., vi-10-1950, Cazier & Rindge; 1 male [same as previous except vi-8-1950]; 1 female, [same as previous except vi-7-1950]; 2 males, B. W. I., South Bimini Isl., June 1951, M Cazier, C & P Vaurie collectors; 1 female, B.W.I., Gun Cay, June 1951 ( AMNH). 2 males & 1 female, New Prov. Is., Clifton, 22 Sept. 1975, CW & LB O’Brien ( CWOB). CUBA: 1 male, 7 k North of Vinales, Sept. 16–22, ‘13; 1 female, Guantanamo, San Carlos Est., 4–8.x‘13; 1 male, Cristo Ornte, 3-x-‘13; 1 female, 5 k S. of Pinar Rio, Sept. 12– 23 ‘13; 1 female, San Vincente, 6–10-vii-1956, C & P Vaurie; 1 female, [P. R.] San Vincente, 25–28-vii-1956, C & P Vaurie; 1 male & 1 female, Chririco Oriente Prov.[?], 2-vii-1955, AF Archer ( AMNH). 1 female, Soledad, 8-vi-1925, Geo. Salt ( BMNH). 1 female, [no other data], Dr. Wilson ( CWOB). 1 male & 1 female, Cuba, Prov. Pinar Del Rio, La Coloma, vi-65, DPT Zool., UF Parana ( DZUP). 4 males, Cayamas, Baker, ( SEMC). 1 male, Cuba, West Indies, America ( UMRM). 1 male & 1 female, 12 mi N of Santiago, on sugar cane, 3-viii- 1917, H Morrison; 1 male, Cayamas, 16-2-[?], EA Senwarz; 1 male [same as previous except 12-2-[?]; 1 male [same as previous except 14-2-[?]; 2 males [same as previous except 16-1-[?]; 1 male [same as previous except 13-3-[?]; 1 male & 1 female, Est. Cent. Agr. de Cuba, 24-x-1915, Santiago Vegas; 2 males & 1 female, Baracoa, ix-1901, A Busck; 1 male [same as previous except viii-1901]; 1 male, Royo Colorado, 8-ix-1924, HLS; 1 male, Cristo, W. Mann; 1 male, Cayamas, 17-iv-1905; 1 female, no data, Wickham; 1 male, Mariano Habana [?], 12-vi-1932, Colin & EC Zimmerman; 1 male, Cayamas, 17-iv-1905, G. Dimmack; 1 male, Central Jaroni, 4-v-1930, feeding on Psidium sp. , LC Scaramuzza; 1 male, Mariano Habana, 12-vi-1932, Collin & E C Zimmerman; 1 female, San Vincente, Pinar del Rio, 1996, NLH Krauss; 1 male, Baragua, 14-i-1928, taken on Terminalia sp. , LC Scaramuzza; 2 males & 2 females, Cayamas, 28-1[?]; 3 males [same as previous except 25-1[?]; 1 male [same as previous except 17-1[?], EA Schwarz]; 1 female [same as previous except 4- 2[?] ( USNM). DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: 2 females, Pedernales, 23.5 km N Cabo Rojo, 540 m, viii-1990, L Masner; 1 male & 1 female, La Vega, 1.4–6 km E Manabao, 5-vi-1994, R Turnbow ( CMNC). 1 female, La Vega, 1 km N Tireo Arriba, 24-v-1992, R Turnbow; 1 male, La Vega, 22.5 km S Jarabacoa, 24-v-1992, R Turnbow ( RHTC). 1 male, La Vega Prov., 4-ix-1967, LH Rolston ( TAMC). HAITI: 1 male, Port de Paix, v- 1959, EC & GM Leonard; 11 males & 5 females, attelabid from sea grape, Bayeux [?], 16-ix-1925, WA Hoffman ( USNM). PUERTO RICO: 1 female, Porto Rico [sic], West Indies, America ( UMRM).

Description: Color: Reddish-brown; elytra, ventrals, middle and hind legs paler; antennae brownishblack; elytra with whitish spots. Size range: Male (n = 59) 2.9 x 1.3 mm to 4.5 x 2.0 mm; Female (n = 39) 2.9 x 1.3 mm to 4.3 x 2.0 mm. Head elongate, sub-conical, widest at base, narrowed from base to eyes, smooth, shiny, with very minute punctures; frons wide, more than ½ as wide as rostral base; with wide shallow median channel. Rostrum short, about ½ as long as head, widened beyond antennal insertions, apex about ½ wider than rostral base, with minute punctures. Antennae elongate, longer than head and rostrum together; scape and funicle segment 1 subequal, ovo-globose; funicle segments 2–4 slender, clavate; 3 slightly longer than 2; 4 slightly longer than 3; segment 5 clavate, subequal in length to segment 2 or 3; segment 6 short, about ½ as long as segment 4; segment 7 conical, apically widened, subequal in length to segment 3; club like in texture; basal and middle club segments subequal; terminal segment slightly longer, acuminate. Pronotum wider than long, smooth, shiny; with very minute scattered punctures; with weakly defined transverse median groove; with bluntly pointed projection at postero-lateral margin; anterior collar band like, weakly set off; basal carinae band like, nearly subequal; posterior carina slightly narrower. Scutellum large, sub-triangular, smooth, shiny, at base about 1/3 wider than long, very minutely punctured; sides weakly sinuate; posterior margin broadly rounded. Elytra longer than wide, slightly narrowed from humeri to apices; strial punctures minute; rows indistinct; intervals smooth, shiny, without punctures; scutellar area strongly raised; with three whitish colored spots on each elytron; one large irregular spot near scutellum; one spot laterally at humeri; one oval postero-lateral spot just behind middle of elytra; sometimes spot near scutellum and humeral spot fused; humeri weakly angulate. Abdominal ventrites with thin median setosity; posterior ventrites more setose.

Femoral sexual dimorphism: The profemur in males is armed with two projections. The disti-ventral projection is small and pointed and the mid-ventral projection is larger, bent upward and inward and with the tip pointed and darkly pigmented. A weakly defined setose sensillum is present ventrally near the base of the mid-ventral projection. The profemur of the female is armed only with a very small pointed disti-ventral projection.

Distribution: The species is recorded from the Bahama Islands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Puerto Rico.

Comments: A small species with dark antennae, reddish-brown pronotum and a pale elytra bearing six whitish spots. The spot pattern is like that of E. sexmaculatus but E. aureolus lacks the pronotal stripes and is a smaller species. The male has a unique postero-lateral pronotal projection that is lacking in the female. The tibial apices E. aureolus and E. dominicanus n. sp. appear to be uni-uncinate in both sexes but the inner uncus in females is very small and difficult to see.

Host plant: It is reported as taken from Terminalia sp. and as feeding on Psidium sp.

Figures

FIGURES 9–12. Male genitalia of West Indies Euscelus species, 64 X: a) tegmen, dorsal view b) median lobe with endophallic sac and transfer apparatus in repose, ventral view c) same as previous, dorsal view 9) Euscelus sexmaculatus, Puerto Rico, Mayaguez 10) Euscelus aureolus, Cuba, Baracoa 11) Euscelus haitensis, Dominican Republic, Azua 12) Euscelus dominicanus, Dominican Republic, La Vega.