Moriosomus Motschulsky, 1855

Erwin, Terry L. & Moore, Wendy, 2007, Taxonomic review of the Neotropical genus Moriosomus Motschulsky (Insecta: Coleoptera, Carabidae, Morionini) with notes on the way of life of the species, Zootaxa 1438, pp. 49-63 : 52

Moriosomus Motschulsky, 1855

Type species: Moriosomus sylvestris Motschulsky, 1855:19 , original monotypy.

Type locality: Obispo, Panamá.

Proposed English vernacular name. Robust carabid beetles.

Diagnosis. Mentum tooth without medial notch. Body robust, pronotum and elytra convex, pronotum with lateral margins rounded anteriorly, posteriorly with short distinct sinuation near hind angle ( Figs. 2–4 ).

Description. Size medium for tribe and family, ABL = 11.5 to 17.2 mm, SBL = 11.3 to 17 mm, TW = 4.0 to 5.8 mm. Luster: Surface shiny. Head: Antennae with scape glabrous, antennomeres 2–3 with ring of setae at apex, antennomere 4 sparsely setiferous in apical 2/3; antennomeres 5–11 densely setose on lateral margins, sparsely setiferous along midline; labial palpus with penultimate palpomere bisetose, other palpomeres glabrous. Pterothorax: Scutellum small; elytra convex; humerus moderately prominent with small dentiform projection; parascutellar interneur absent; intervals convex. Legs: Hind legs arched, otherwise normal for Morionini. Male with biseriate white squamo-setae ventrally on tarsomeres 1–3 of forelegs. Abdomen: Abdomen with sterna III–VI glabrous other than a pair of ambulatory setae on each; sternum VII with a latching device on the lateral dorsal margin (as noted in Allen 1968 for Morion ). Male genitalia ( Figs. 5–7 ): Phallus anopic; in dorsoventral aspect ( Figs. 5 a–b, 7a–b) broad, basal bulb crested, dorsal surface extensively membranous, apex more or less broadly subtruncate; laterally ( Figs. 5 c–7c), with shaft curved ventrad, apical portion narrowed and bent sharply. Endophallus with or without patches of microtrichia. Parameres ( Figs. 5 b–7b) glabrous, left wider than right, latter more or less digitiform. Female reproductive tract ( Fig. 8 ): Spermathecal gland and associated diverticula attach at the base of the spermatheca; gonocoxite-2 as long as gonocoxite-1, narrow and with acute apex, otherwise similar to Morion monilicornis Latreille (see Liebherr and Will, 1998, Fig. 41).

Geographic distribution. The geographical range of this genus extends in Lower Middle America from Nicaragua to Panamá, and in northwestern South America from Colombia southward to Perú ( Fig. 1 ). Both South American species are known from the cis-Andean highlands above 1500m, whereas the Central American species is found only below 1100m.

Notes. Date of the first description of Moriosomus is cited by many previous authors as 1864. However, Motschulsky first described the type species, M. sylvestris , in 1855 at which time he included that species in the new genus Moriosomus (see Appendix for details).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map of Lower Middle America, the West Indies and northwestern South America in the Western Hemisphere, featuring the known distribution of Moriosomus Motschulsky.

FIGURE 2. Moriosomus motschulskyi, Erwin & Moore, new species, male, ADP 108774, habitus, ABL = 14.5 mm.

FIGURE 3. Moriosomus seticollis Straneo, male, ADP 108773, habitus, ABL = 13.5 mm.

FIGURE 4. Moriosomus sylvestris Motschulsky, male, ADP 007358, habitus, ABL = 12.8 mm.

FIGURE 5. Moriosomus motschulskyi Erwin & Moore, new species, ADP 108774. Male genitalia, including phallus, endophallus, and parameres – (a) dorsal aspect, (b) ventral aspect, and (c) left lateral aspect. Legend: bb— basal bulb; bo—basal opening; c—crest of basal bulb; s—shaft; o—ostium; rp—right paramere; lp—left paramere.

FIGURE 6. Moriosomus seticollis Straneo, ADP 108773. Male genitalia, including phallus, endophallus, and parameres – (a) dorsal aspect, (b) ventral aspect, and (c) left lateral aspect.

FIGURE 7. Moriosomus sylvestris Motschulsky, ADP 003301. Male genitalia, including phallus, endophallus, and parameres – (a) dorsal aspect, (b) ventral aspect, and (c) left lateral aspect.

FIGURE 8. Moriosomus seticollis Straneo. Ventral view of female reproductive tract. bc = bursa copulatrix; co = common oviduct; sp = spermatheca; sg = spermatheca appended gland; sgd = spermatheca gland duct diverticula; gc 1 = gonocoxite- 1; gc 2 = gonocoxite- 2.