Phelister semotus, Caterino & Tishechkin, 2020

Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2020, Recognition and revision of the Phelister blairi group (Histeridae, Histerinae, Exosternini), ZooKeys 1001, pp. 1-154 : 1

51. Phelister semotus sp. nov. Figs 2F , 33C, D , 34G, H , Map 17

Type material.

Holotype male: "Costa Rica, Prov. Puntarenas, Golfito, Pque Nal Corcovado, Est Agujas, Cerro Rincón, 745m 13 FEB 2000 A. Azofeifa, L-S 275500 522000 [8.53, -83.41], #56525" / "INB0003078905 INBIOCRI COSTA RICA" (INBIO). Paratypes (145): Belize: Cayo, Las Cuevas Res. Sta. (16.73, -88.98), May 1996, EXO-03536 (NHMUK, 1ex.); Costa Rica: Alajuela, Sector San Ramon (10.1, -84.5), 620 m, 3/12/94-3/13/94, D. Garcia, INBIO CRI001 749708 (INBIO, 1ex.); Guanacaste, Est. Pitilla, 9 km S. de Santa Cecilia (10.99, -85.4), 700 m, May 1995, P. Rios, C. Moraga, INBIO CRI002 427108 (INBIO, 1ex.); Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva, 3.2 km SE Puerto Viejo (10.4, -84), 100 m, 1/28/92-3/17/92, FIT, W. Bell (SEMC, 12ex.); Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva (10.4333, -84.0167), 6/19-29/98, FIT, C. Carlton & A. Tishechkin (LSAM, 14ex.); Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva (10.4333, -84.0167), 50-150 m, 3/5/01-3/8/01, FIT, E. Riley, EXO-03525 (TAMU, 1ex.); Heredia, Est. Magsasay, P.N. Braulio Carrillo (10.4, -84.05), 200 m, January 1991, M. Barrelier, INBIO CRI000 064294 (INBIO, 1ex.); Limon, Sector Cerro Cocori, Fca. de E. Rojas (10.6, -83.72), 150 m, May 1993 (INBIO, 2ex.); Limon, Sector Cerro Cocori, Fca. de E. Rojas (10.6, -83.72), 150 m, January 1993, INBIO CRI001 404993 (INBIO, 1ex.); Puntarenas, Est. Biol. Las Alturas, Coto Brus (8.95, -82.8667), 1550 m, 3/25/02-3/30/02, FIT, A. Cline & A. Tishechkin, EXO-03505 (LSAM, 1ex.); Puntarenas, Est. Biol. Las Alturas, Coto Brus (8.95, -82.8667), 1600 m, 3/30/02-4/7/02, FIT, A. Tishechkin (LSAM, 8ex.); Puntarenas, Est. Biol. Las Cruces, Coto Brus (8.7833, -82.95), 1100 m, 3/22/02-4/1/02, FIT, A. Tishechkin (LSAM, 10ex.); Puntarenas, Est. Biol. Las Cruces, Coto Brus (8.7833, -82.95), 1000 m, 4/1/02-4/8/02, FIT, A. Cline & A. Tishechkin (LSAM, 3ex.); Puntarenas, Est. Biol. Las Cruces, Coto Brus (8.7833, -82.95), 100 m, 4/8/02-4/10/02, FIT, A. Tishechkin, EXO-03517 (AKTC, 1ex.); Puntarenas, Est. Biol. Las Cruces (8.7857, -82.9697), 1330 m, 5/28/04-5/31/04, FIT, J. Ashe, Z. Falin, I. Hinojosa, (SEMC, 6ex.); Puntarenas, Est. Quebrada Bonita, R.B. Carara (9.83, -85), 50 m, March 1994, R. Guzman, INBIO CRI001 752753 (INBIO, 1ex.); Puntarenas, Est. Quebrada Bonita, R.B. Carara (9.83, -85), 100 m, February 1995, R. Guzman, INBIO CRI002 194055 (INBIO, 1ex.); Puntarenas, Pque Nal Corcovado, Est Agujas, Golfito, Cerro Rincon (8.53, -83.41), 745 m, 2/11/00, A. Azofeifa, INB0003120274 (INBIO, 1ex.); Puntarenas, Pque Nal Corcovado, Est Agujas, Golfito, Cerro Rincon (8.53, -83.41), 745 m, 2/12/00, A. Azofeifa, (INBIO, 2ex.); Puntarenas, Pque Nal Corcovado, Est Agujas, Golfito, Cerro Rincon (8.53, -83.41), 745 m, 2/13/00, A. Azofeifa, (INBIO, 3ex.); Puntarenas, San Vito, Las Cruces (8.8, -83), 1200 m, 7/1/82-7/30/82, FIT, B. Gill (AKTC, 3ex.); Honduras: Atlantida, Lancetilla Bot. Grd., Tela (15.7667, -87.45), 10 m, 6/23/94, FIT, J. Ashe & R. Brooks, EXO-03537 (SEMC, 1ex.); Atlantida, 15km. W La Ceiba (15.8, -86.9), 6/15/96-6/19/96, FIT, tropical rainforest, R. Lehman (TAMU, 21ex.); Atlantida, 15km. W La Ceiba (15.8, -86.9), 175 m, 7/9/96-7/30/96, Malaise trap, tropical rainforest, R. Lehman (TAMU, 29ex.); Nicaragua: Costa Caribe Norte, P.N. Cerro Saslaya (13.77005 -84.98072), 310 m, 5/7/11, mature wet forest, sifted leaf litter, LLAMA collectors (CSCA, 1ex.); Matagalpa, 6 km N Matagalpa, Selva Negra (12.9998, -85.9088), 1250 m, 5/18/02-5/22/02, FIT, forest, S. Peck, EXO-03535 (CMNC, 1ex.); Matagalpa, 6 km N Matagalpa, Selva Negra Hotel, Bavaria Trail (12.9998, -85.9088), 1240 m, 5/18/02-5/21/02, FIT, R. Brooks, Z. Falin, S. Chatzimanolis, SM0558829 (SEMC, 1ex.); Panama: Canal Zone, Canal Zonel: Is. Barro Colorado (9.2, -79.8), 4/2/75-4/6/75, Pseudobombax flower fall Snyder-Molino 2, A. Bolton, EXO-03534 (FMNH, 1ex.); Chiriqui, Hartmann’s Finca, 4 km N Sta. Clara (8.75, -82.8), 1500 m, 6/30/82-7/13/82, FIT, B. Gill (AKTC, 3ex.); Colon, P.N. San Lorenzo, Achiote (9.2, -79.9833), 250 m, 1/10/08-1/25/08, FIT, A. Mercado, EXO-03532 (AKTC, 1ex.); Colon, San Lorenzo Forest, STRI crane site (9.2833, -79.9667), 5/11/04-5/25/04, FIT, A. Tishechkin (AKTC, 7ex.); Panama, Chepo-Charti Rd. (9.28, -79.1), 400 m, June 1982, FIT, B. Gill (CNCI, 6ex.); Panama, Nusagandi, Ina Igar (trail) (9.33, -79), 5/18/93-5/21/93, FIT, primary forest, E. Riley, EXO-03526 (TAMU, 1ex.).

Other material.

Mexico: Chiapas, Ocozocuatla, Laguna Belgica, Sendero Montana (16.8778, -93.454), 1080 m, 7/8/03, oak forest litter, R. Anderson, SM0476858 (SEMC, 1ex.).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.42-1.73 mm (avg. 1.58 mm); width: 1.14-1.42 mm (avg. 1.30 mm). This species is very similar to the preceding, differing principally in the following characters: supraorbital stria nearly complete; prescutellar impression small, elongate oval, may be acuminate anteriorly, little larger than scutellum; pronotal disk rarely with few secondary punctures at sides; elytral striation rather variable, outer subhumeral stria generally absent, though apical and occasionally basal fragments may be visible, inner absent, stria one usually strongly abbreviated from apex, striae two and three complete, 4th represented by apical and sometimes basal fragments, sometimes complete, 5th present in apical 1/5 and usually as short basal arch, sutural stria present in apical 2/3; mesometaventral stria arched forward to basal 1/2 of mesoventrite, at sides continued by divergent lateral metaventral stria, which ends in middle of lateral portion of metaventrite; mesotibia with rather robust marginal spines; metatibiae slender, with few marginal spines mainly in apical 1/2. Male: aedeagus narrowing abruptly behind midpoint; medioventral process situated ~ 1/4 from base of tegmen; median lobe thin, slightly> 1/2 tegmen length.

Etymology.

This species name, semotus, refers to its being far or isolated, geographically, from most of the other species in this subgroup.

Distribution.

This is one of only a few species in the larger P. blairi group that occurs in Central America, ranging from Chiapas, Mexico to Panama.

Remarks.

This species has a small oval prescutellar impression, a complete 3rd stria, and a narrow arch at the base of the 5th elytral stria, but lacks an outer subhumeral stria. Otherwise it is very similar to others in this group. One individual (female, excluded from type series) from Chiapas has a strong basal elytral arch from the suture to the base of the 4th stria, but significant differences beyond this aren’t evident.

Figures

Figure 2. Images of selected characters A SEM of pronotum of Phelister geminus, showing prescutellar impression and annulate median pronotal glands B SEM of pronotum of P. erwini, showing prescutellar impression and annulate median pronotal glands C SEM of pronotum of Phelister sculpturatus, showing prescutellar impression and annulate median pronotal glands D head of P. geminus, showing depressed frons and epistoma, and emarginate labrum E pronotum of P. uncinatus, showing non-annulate median pronotal gland openings F pronotum of P. semotus, showing non-annulate median pronotal gland openings G protibia of P. geminus, showing ' scalloped' protibial margin.

Map 17. Collecting records for Phelister curvipes (upright black triangle), P. vilavelha (black hexagon), P. rio (white circle), P. semotus (stars), P. uncinatus (black squares), and P. inscriptus (inverted white triangles).

Figure 33. A, B Phelister rio: A dorsal habitus B ventral habitus C, D P. semotus: C dorsal habitus D ventral habitus E, F P. uncinatus: E dorsal habitus F ventral habitus G, H P. inscriptus: G dorsal habitus H ventral habitus.

Figure 34. Male genitalia A-F Phelister rio: A tergite 8 B sternite 8 C tergites 9 & 10 D sternite 9 E aedeagus, dorsal F aedeagus, lateral G, H P. semotus: G aedeagus, dorsal H tegmen, lateral I, J P. uncinatus: I aedeagus, dorsal J tegmen, lateral.