Agathidium grandidentatum Miller and Wheeler, 2005

MILLER, KELLY B. & WHEELER, QUENTIN D., 2005, Slime-Mold Beetles Of The Genus Agathidium Panzer In North And Central America, Part Ii. Coleoptera: Leiodidae, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2005 (291), pp. 1-167 : 114-115

Agathidium grandidentatum Miller and Wheeler , new species Figures 141 , 252, 253 , 364

TYPE MATERIAL: Holotype, Ƌ in CMNC labeled ‘‘ MEXICO: Guerrero: 5.6 km SW Filo de Caballo R.S.Anderson 92­013 17­ VII­1992 /alder forest, Berlese litter and twigs. Elev. 2310 m / HOLOTYPE Agathidium grandidentatum Miller and Wheeler, 2003 [red label with black line border]’’.

TYPE LOCALITY: Mexico, Guerrero, 5.6 km SW Filo de Caballo, 2310 m.

DIAGNOSIS: This species can be distinguished from most species in this subgroup by the very large, acutely pointed male metafemoral tooth (fig. 141). The gula is unmodified. The male genitalia are relatively simple (figs. 252, 253). The lateral sulcus on the median lobe for reception of the lateral lobes is relatively indistinct compared with other members of the subgroup, though the lateral lobes are prominently sinuate (fig. 252). This species is extremely similar to A. sejunctum but specimens are smaller, are not generally iridescent dorsally, have the mesosternal carina entire, and exhibit some differences in shape of the male genitalia. In A. sejunctum there is a prominent dorsal lobelike carinae alongside which is a large fovea in which fit the lateral lobes (fig. 249). This is much less distinct in A. grandidentatum (fig. 252).

DESCRIPTION: Body small (TBL = 2.00– 2.32 mm), broad, robust, rounded (PNW/ TBL = 0.44–0.46), strongly contractile.

Head and pronotum red­brown to piceous; elytra red­brown to piceous, not iridescent; venter yellow to red­brown; antennae, palpi, and legs yellow.

Head broad (MDL/OHW = 0.53–0.70), dorsal surface flattened, dorsoventrally compressed; with very fine punctures, each with a short, very fine seta, surface between punctures shiny, very lightly microreticulate; frontoclypeal suture obsolete medially; eyes compressed dorsoventrally; gula flat to slightly convex; antennomere ratios: length I: II:III = 1.4:1.0:1.3, width VII:VIII:IX = 1.0: 1.0:2.2. Pronotum very large, broad (PNL/ PNW = 0.73–0.84), strongly convex, anterolateral lobes strongly produced, lateral margin broadly curved, not angulate; with fine, sparse punctures, each with a short, very fine seta, surface between punctures shiny, smooth. Elytra broad, lateral margins strongly rounded, apically rounded (SEL/ELW = 0.87–0.98); punctation and surface similar to pronotum; sutural stria present in apical onefourth of elytron. Flight wings strongly reduced to absent. Mesosternum moderately broad, not declivitous; medial carina well developed. Metasternum narrow (MTL/MTW = 0.11–0.19), slightly concave medially, distinctly dorsally sloped anteriorly; oblique femoral carinae moderately well developed, meeting medially in low, but prominent carina.

Male tarsi 5­5­4; pro­ and mesobasotarsomeres distinctly laterally expanded, protarsomeres slightly more, with moderate field of ventral spatulate setae; mandibles not modified; metafemur moderately broad, with very large, flat, acutely pointed tooth subapically on posterior margin (fig. 141); metasternal fovea large, transverse with large, dense brush of long fine setae. Median lobe in lateral aspect slender, moderately long, strongly curved basally, apical portion slender, distinctly flexed dorsad, apex abruptly curved ventrad, sharply pointed (fig. 252); in ventral aspect moderately broad, slightly expanded medially, apical portion evenly narrowed to pointed apex (fig. 251); operculum narrow, slightly tapered apically, apex distinctly and broadly emarginate (fig. 251); lateral lobes moderately broad, long, curved basally, slightly expanded and slightly sinuate apically, apices rounded with 2 stout setae (fig. 253).

Female tarsi 5­4­4.

ETYMOLOGY: This species is named from the Latin words grandis, meaning ‘‘large’’, and dentatus, meaning ‘‘tooth’’, for the large tooth on the metafemur of males of this species.

DISTRIBUTION: This species has been collected only from Guerrero (fig. 364).

PARATYPES: MEXICO: Guerrero: 15.0 km SW Filo de Caballo , 16 Jul 1992, 2500 m, wet oak forest litter, Berlese, RS Anderson (13, CNCI) ; 10.3 km SW Filo de Caballo , 13 Jul 1992, 2700 m, wet oak­pine­fir forest, leaf log litter, Berlese, R Anderson (75, CNCI) .

DISCUSSION: This species has been collect­ ed from leaf and log litter from wet oak, pine, and fir forest at 2500–2700 m elevation.

Agathidium andersoni Miller and Wheeler ,

Figures

Figs. 118–144. Agathidium concinnum­ and A. oniscoides­group species, left male metafemur, ventral aspect: 118, A. concinnum. 119, A. kimberlae. 120, A. vaderi. 121, A. bituberculum. 122, A. oedema. 123, A. gomezae. 124, A. hidalgoense. 125, A. skoliosternum. 126, A. erythromelas. 127, A. rhamphastes. 128, A. megoniscoides. 129, A. grumum. 130, A. triangularum. 131, A. lobosternum. 132, A. potosii. 133, A. popocatepetlae. 134, A. hyle. 135, A. stenomma. 136, A. tribulosum. 137, A. tribulograndum. 138, A. invisitatum. 139, A. multidentatum. 140, A. sejunctum. 141, A. grandidentatum. 142, A. andersoni. 143, A. disgregum. 144, A. oaxacaense. Bars = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 232–260. Agathidium oniscoides­group species, aedeagus: 232–235, A. tribulosum: 232, ventral; 233, median lobe, apex, ventral; 234, median lobe, lateral; 235, left lateral lobe, lateral. 236–239, A. tribulograndum: 236, ventral; 237, median lobe, apex, ventral; 238, median lobe, lateral; 239, left lateral lobe, lateral. 240–243, A. invisitatum: 240, ventral; 241, median lobe, apex, ventral; 242, median lobe, lateral; 243, left lateral lobe, lateral. 244–247, A. multidentatum: 244, ventral; 245, median lobe,

Figs. 363, 364. Geographic distribution of Agathidium oniscoides­group species: 363, A. popocatepetlae = -; A. potosii = •; A. stenomma = *; A. tribulosum = ^. 364, A. hyle = *; A. grandidentatum = O; A. multidentatum = •; A. sejunctum = ^; A. tribulograndum = •.