Eusphalerum carolinensis Zanetti, 2014

Zanetti, Adriano, 2014, Taxonomic revision of North American Eusphalerum Kraatz, 1857 (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Omaliinae), Insecta Mundi 2014 (379), pp. 1-80 : 32-33

Eusphalerum carolinensis Zanetti n. sp.

Material examined (71 specimens)

Holotype m Wayah Bald 5300 Macon Co., N. C. VI-20-1957 W.R.M. Mason / CNC / Eusphalerum carolinensis n.sp. det. A. Zanetti 2012 / HOLOTYPUS (CNC).

Paratypes. USA. Kentucky 1 f Rowan Co Morehead Cave Run Lk (24 km SW) Fagus forest 14.05/ 20.08.1983 leg. S. & J. Peck (CNC) ; 1 m 1 f Rowan Co Morehead 25.05.1975 leg. Watrous (FMNH) ; Missouri 1 f Jefferson Co Pevely 7.05.? leg. S.W. Bock (CNC) ; North Carolina 1 m Balsam 12.07.1959 leg. W. Rosenberg (FMNH) ; 1 f Jackson Co Blue Rdg. Pkw. mi.457 4460' 12.06.1967 leg. G.W. Byers (KSEM) ; 1 f Jackson Co Cashiers (6 km S) 975 m 20.06.1986 leg. A. Smetana (CNC) ; 5 mm 3 ff Macon Co Wayah Bold 5300' 20.06.1957 leg. W.R.M. Mason (CNC) ; 1 m Boone 14.05.1973 leg. J.S. Ashe (KSEM) ; 1 f Cove Creek 17.06.1963 leg. K. Stephan (FMNH) ; 2 mm Highlands 1.06.1957 leg. H.F. Howden (CNC) ; 7 mm 4 ff Macon Co Wayah Bald 5300' 20.06.1957 leg. Mason (CNC) ; Ohio 2 mm 1 f Hocking Co Conckles Hollow St. Pk. 1.05.1974 leg. D. Chandler (FMNH) ; 20 mm 6 ff Vinton Co Ratcliffburg , 5 mi N litter along stream 15.05.1977 leg. Watrous (FMNH) ; 2 mm 1 f Hocking Co Lancaster , 7 mi S 31.05 .1975 leg. Watrous (FMNH) ; 1 f Hocking Co 3 mi W 33 on 116 31.05.1975 leg. Watrous (FMNH) ; Pennsylvania 1 m Somerset Co Kantner , 1 mi S Berlese, forest litter 10.06.1976 leg. Watrous (FMNH) ; Tennessee 1 m Sevier Co Greenbrier Cove, Ramsey Cascade Trail 3900 under bark Aesculus 18/ 23.05.1972 leg. A. Newton (FMNH) ; 1 m Sevier Co Gatlinburg Cherokee Orchard at dung, horse 16/ 22.05.1972 leg. A. Newton (FMNH) ; Virginia 5 ff Pembroke (12 km E) Mtn. Lk. Biol Stn 3820' sweeping mountain ash 11.06.1982 leg. Bousquet & Davies (CNC) ;

Measurements. head length: 0.27-0.31; head width: 0.55-0.59; pronotal length: 0.49-0.57; pronotal width: 0.75-0.88; elytral length: 1.25-1.64; elytral width: 1.16-1.51; length (clypeus to apex of elytra): 2.07-2.47; total length: 2.5-2.8.

Etymology. The name is from North Carolina, the state from which part of typical specimens come.

Description. Habitus as in Fig. 86 . Head, pronotum, and elytra yellowish, elytra somewhat paler, neck somewhat darkened; abdomen brown in male and yellowish in female, prosternum and metasternum yellowish; legs, antennae, and mouthparts entirely yellowish.

Head with prominent eyes, postocular carina absent, temples short, strongly convergent caudad, medial margin of eyes microsculptured without longitudinal wrinkles. Head rather flat, postantennal depressions very superficial, tentorial pits small but well impressed. Neck scarcely separated from the head. Punctation dense, superficial, ground with isodiametric microsculpture. Antennae thin and scarcely elongate, antennomere 1 and 2 ovoid, 3 twice as long as wide, 4-5 longer than wide, 6 subquadrate, 7-10 wider than long, 11 twice as long as wide, ovoid at base and conical at apex.

Pronotum transverse (ratio width/length = 1.6), convex, widest at middle, anterior margin narrower than posterior, lateral margins rounded in anterior half, rounded in middle, and strongly convergent caudad in almost straight lines, posterior angles marked and obtuse ( Fig. 87 ). Punctation rather dense and incised, sometimes sparser in the middle, ground with isodiametric microsculpture, pubescence very short, scarcely visible, depressions near posterior angles scarcely impressed.

Elytra wide (ratio length from scutellum to apex / combined width of elytra = 1.0 in male), strongly widened towards apex, rounded at apex in male, prolonged as in Fig. 88 in female, punctation denser and stronger than on pronotum, confluent on glossy ground, pubescence very short, almost invisible.

Abdomen glossy, microscutured, pubescence decumbent.

Sternite VII of the male triangularly emarginate in the middle as in Fig. 90 .

Tibiae straight, not modified, tarsomere 5 of posterior tarsi shorter than 1-4 together.

Aedeagus as in Fig. 89 .

Accessory sclerites of female as in Fig. 91 , spermatheca as in Fig. 92 .

Comparative notes. Eusphalerum carolinensis is distinct from the other species of the convexum group by the shape of lateral margins of pronotum (convergent caudad in the posterior half) and by the form of the female elytra (less prolonged at the suture). The shape of the posterior margin of the male abdominal sternite VII, triangularly emarginate in the middle, and of the aedeagus, with parameres strongly widened at apex, are characteristic.

Distribution. UNITED STATES: Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia (Map 1).

Natural history. Specimens were collected between 1000 and 1600 m, the only known host plant is Sorbus sp. (Rosaceae) as mountain ash. The adults were found mostly between May and July.

Figures

Figures 74-92. Eusphalerum convexum. 74) Habitus (male). 75) Head and pronotum. 76) Elytra of the female. 77) Aedeagus. 78) Male sternite VII. 79) Female accessory sclerites. 80) Spermatheca. E. fraternum. 81) Habitus (male). 82) Aedeagus. 83) Male sternite VII. 84) Female accessory sclerites. 85) Spermatheca. E. carolinensis. 86) Habitus (male). 87) Head and pronotum. 88) Elytra of the female. 89) Aedeagus. 90) Male sternite VII. 91) Female accessory sclerites. 92) Spermatheca. Scale of photos = 1 mm, scale A (Fig. 77, 78, 79, 82, 83, 84, 89, 90, 91) = 0.3 mm, scale B (Fig. 80, 85, 92) = 0.1 mm, scale C (Fig. 76, 88) = 1 mm; scale D (Fig. 75, 87) = 0.5 mm.