Agathomerus pulcher Lacordaire

Figs 1, 2

Agathomerus pulcher Lacordaire 1845: 675.

Agathomerus batesi Baly, 1859: 199 syn. nov.

Agathomerus superbus Pic, 1916: 20 syn. nov.

Agathomerus bichito Monrós, 1945: 144 syn. nov.

Megalopus injunctus Pic, 1938: 16 .

Type material examined.

Holotype. Agathomerus batesi Baly (designated here) (Fig. 2 A, D). ♀, pinned. Original label: “ Agathomerus batesi Baly, Lga // type ” (NHMUK) . Syntype. Agathomerus superbus Pic (designated here) (Fig. 2 B, E). Sex?, Glued on cardboard. Original label: “ Agathomerus // superfus pic // TYPE // Type // Chachamayo, Pérou, Coll. Le Moult // illegible ” (MNHN) . Holotype. Agathomerus bichito Monrós (Fig. 2 C, F). ♀, Glued on cardboard. Original label: “ Argentina, Salta, Urundel, Feb., 944, Coll. Monrós // Agathomerus pulcher ssp., bichito mihi, F. Monrós det. 1948 // Holotipo de A. bichito, Monrós // Type NO. 65228, U. S. N. M. // F. Monrós Collection, 1959 // USNMENT, QR 00911326 ” (NMNH) .

Other material examined.

♂, pinned. Original label: “ Perou Chanchamayo, Ch O Schunke // F. Monrós ES Collection, 1959 ”, (NMNH) . ♀. Original label: Pucallpa, Loreto, Peru, Nov. 9, 1946, alt 600 ft (NY) . ♂. Original label: “ Amazones, Tarapote, M. de Mathan, 4 e trimestre 1885 // Museum Paris Coll. M Pic ”, (MNHN) . ♀. Original label: “ Amazonas, Brazil, Benjamin Constant, Rio Javary, March 1942 // August Rabaut Collector (AMNH) ; ♀. Same data as preceding “ Feb. 15 - Mar. 15, 1942 ” (AMNH) . ♀, pinned, with genitalia in a separate microvial. Original label: “ Peru ” // Agathomerus pulcher Lac. Det. A. S. Konstantinov, 2014 ” (NMNH) . ♀, pinned. Original label: “ Prov. del Sara, Cent. Bolivia, 450 m, 1909, J. Steinbach // F. Monrós Collection, 1959 ” (NMNH) . ♂, pinned, with genitalia in a separate microvial. Original label: “ R. A. Salta Pocitos, I 852, Coll. A. Martínez ”, (NMNH) . ♂, pinned. Original label: “ Rurreaabaque Rio Beni Bólivia, W M Mann // F. Monrós Collection, 1959 ” (NMNH) . ♀, pinned. Original label: “ Peru: Dpt. Cuzco, Prov. Quispicanchis, Quincemil, 6-11 - X- 1976, Robert Gordon ” (NMNH) . ♂ / ♀, pinned, with genitalia in a separate microvial. Original label: “ S 1 a. Paulo d Olivenca, M. de Mathan, Juin Juillet 1883 ” (MNHN) . ♂, pinned. Original label: “ Pérou, Moyobamba, M. de Mathan, 1888 ” (MNHN) . ♂, pinned, with genitalia in a separate microvial. Original label: “ Pérou Tarapoto, Mai à Aout, 1886, M. de Mathan ” (MNHN) . ♀, pinned. Original label: “ Bolivie, Prov. Cochabamba, P. Germain, 1889 ” (MNHN) . ♀. Original label: “ Bolij // Jacoby Coll 1909-28 a ” (NHMUK) .

Diagnosis.

Agathomerus pulcher differs from other species by the following combination of character states: interocular region (Figs 1 F, 2 I) with a group of fine punctures and erect pubescence; metatrochanter with one tooth (Fig. 1 I); elytra with two types of punctures (Fig. 1 C), anterior region and apex coarsely and sparsely punctate, and posterior region partially and finely punctate.

Redescription.

Length 10–12 mm, width 3.8–4.8 mm. Head (Fig. 1 F, I) black or yellow; mouthparts yellow; antennae bicolored, antennomeres I – IV black, V – XI black and yellow or last three yellow; pronotum yellowish orange, disc sometimes blue or purple (Figs 1 H, 2 G). Elytra (Figs 1 A, B, 2 A – C, G, H) yellow or orange with iridescent blue or purple stripes of variable shape and length, one near base and one subapical. Prosternum yellow, meso- and metathorax black or yellow; coxae generally yellow. Femora mostly yellow, with black maculae dorsally. Abdomen black, with black pubescence.

Head (Figs 1 F, 2 I). Occiput sparsely punctate or impunctate, interocular region with group of fine points and erect pubescence; ocular canthi surface concave; antennal awning short, not prolonged onto canthi; antennae long (Fig. 1 A, B), last four antennomeres surpassing posterior edge of pronotum. Scape as long as antennomere III, II twice as long as III, III 1.2 times longer than V, IV as long as V, V as long as wide, V – X wider than long; XI bullet-shaped; last maxillary palpomeres subconical, apex blunt.

Thorax. Pronotum (Fig. 1 H) broader than long, subrectangular, base wider than anterior margin, disc convex, sparsely and shallowly punctate (as on head), anterior portion with clearly defined groove, anterior angles coarsely punctate, lateral margins weakly rounded and glabrous, posterior portion of disc with lateral depressions, posterior margin bisinuate and edged by ridge, posterior lateral angles prominent and with apex rounded. Scutellum (Fig. 1 G) flush with elytral surface, coarsely punctate, subtriangular, apex rounded; elytra (Fig. 1 A) laterally subparallel, epipleura with rounded edge; humeri rounded, projecting anterolaterally; disc convex, surface with two types of punctures (Fig. 1 C), anterior region and apex coarsely and sparsely punctate, and posterior region partially and finely punctate. Metaepisternum (Fig. 1 D) with anterior portion coarsely punctate and pubescent, rest impunctate and glabrous; metaventrite convex, shallowly punctate and pubescent; metatrochanter with one tooth (Fig. 1 I); pro- and mesofemur slender and elongate, metafemur robust and reniform (Fig. 1 B); tibiae curved; metatibiae strongly curved, surface with four faces; dorsal face convex, with longitudinal carina, ventral face glabrous except pubescent on apical region.

Abdomen. Tergite I with two sclerotized regions, tergite II with three sclerotized regions (Fig. 1 J); pygidium with apex rounded (Fig. 1 J); last abdominal ventrite sparsely punctate, with decumbent pubescence, apex subtruncate. Aedeagus with median lobe (Fig. 1 N) strongly sclerotized, narrowing medially, apical region concave, with apex apiculate and deflected. Tegmen (Fig. 1 O) slightly sclerotized; parameres with apex pubescent, emarginate and with rounded medial notch; tegmen ring lanceolate, roof slender, 0.8 times shorter than parameres.

Female. Femora fusiform, tibiae swollen near apex; last abdominal ventrite with apex emarginate, pygidium with apex rounded. Spermatheca (Fig. 1 P) hook-shaped, proximal part of spermathecal capsule with velum short, hook-shaped, terminal portion coiled and notably long, cecum rounded.

Distribution.

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, and Peru (Rodríguez-Mirón 2018).

Remarks.

The color pattern in Agathomerus pulcher exhibits a high degree of polymorphism (Fig. 2), and because of its wide distribution, specimens from different regions were considered to belong to different species.

After reviewing the specimens from Francisco Monrós’ collection deposited in the NMNH, GRM observed label annotations that Monrós considered A. bichito and A. pulcher as synonyms. On the other hand, he considered other specimens as different subspecies because of the variation in their coloration. However, these observations were never published.

The type specimen of Agathomerus pulcher was collected in Mexico (Lacordaire, 1845), although the exact locality is not specified; for many years this species was considered restricted to this country. However, after the present study, A. pulcher is now considered a species with a wide distribution, from Mexico to Argentina. It should be noted that after reviewing main collections from different countries, no specimens of A. pulcher from Mexico were found, which calls into question its presence in this country.