Glaresis texana Gordon, 1970

Gordon, Robert D. & Hanley, Guy A., 2014, Systematic revision of American Glaresidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), Insecta Mundi 2014 (333), pp. 1-91 : 34-35

Glaresis texana Gordon

Glaresis texana Gordon 1970: 506

Description. Male. Length 2.8 mm, width 1.6 mm; body form short, robust, widened from elytral base to apical 1/3 ( Fig. 21A ). Color yellowish brown. Head with clypeal surface and frons densely rugose, impunctate, with small, irregular, dense tubercles, setae short, barely evident; vertex without basal carina, surface rugose, with scattered tubercles. Clypeal apex weakly emarginate, with small tubercles, appearing dentate, lateral angles feebly oblique, acute ( Fig. 21B ). Mandible pair symmetrical; mesal tooth strong; lateral prominence strong, pronounced; outer margin abruptly rounded. Pronotum with deep, long, transverse fovea in anterior 1/4 extended completely across pronotum, small, slightly transverse fovea on each side of middle in anterior 1/2, wide, deep fovea on each side medially near lateral margin, deep central furrow extended from base to transverse furrow; surface densely rugose, with irregular, mostly vertical, dense seta-bearing carinae, setae decumbent, nearly as long as carinae ( Fig. 21C ). Anterior and lateral pronotal margins not bordered, all margins crenulate. Elytra with surface feebly shiny, densely microreticulate; all striae distinctly, weakly carinate, carinae widely interrupted adjacent to space between interval punctures, each carinal segment bearing an apical seta about 2/3 length of segment; intervals with deep, slightly rectangular punctures. Metasternum long, surface dull, finely, densely microreticulate, not tuberculate medially, laterally with some elongate, oblique, setaebearing ridges, median area slightly depressed, with faint trace of carina extended anteriorly from apical keel; metasternal groove weak, distinct, inner margin rounded, outer margin ridged ( Fig. 21D ). Lateral protibial teeth unevenly spaced, basal two teeth close together. Mesotibia with 4 short, widely spaced spines laterally, tibial apex projecting and apically acute ( Fig. 21D ). Posterior metatrochanteral margin lacking teeth, feebly serrate, posterosuperior metatrochanteral surface with 1 tooth. Metafemoral surface with widely scattered, elongate, setae-bearing tubercles, microreticulate, dull throughout; width to length ratio 1.0:1.5, with broad flange on anterior margin; posterosuperior margin without teeth ( Fig. 21G ). Metatibia broadly triangular, surface entirely microreticulate, without large posteromedian lateral projection, lateral margin with series of small, regular teeth from base to apex, an irregular row of coarse tubercles extended from base nearly to apex medially, inner margin smooth, pubescent ( Fig. 21F ). Apical margin of male 5th abdominal ventrite truncate. Genitalia long, basal piece longer than parameres, proximal end curved; median lobe shorter than parameres, twice as wide at middle as paramere, slightly curved upward in apical 1/3, apex somewhat acute in ventral view; paramere straight in lateral view, narrow, flatttened, straight, tapered from base to bluntly rounded apex ( Fig. 21E ).

Female. Apical margin of 5th abdominal ventrite broadly emarginate medially.

Variation. Length 2.8 to 3.3 mm, width 1.6 to 1.9 mm. Color pale yellowish brown to dark yellowish brown. Clypeal apex weakly to strongly emarginate medially.

Type locality. Texas, Del Rio.

Type depository. CNIC

Temporal distribution. April-August.

Geographical distribution. UNITED STATES. Kansas: Meade Co., Meade. Texas: Brewster Co., Big Bend National Park, Oak Spring; Culberson Co., Pine Springs; Menard Co., Menard; Randall Co., Palo Duro State Park; Val Verde Co., Langtry; Val Verde Co., Del Rio; Val Verde Co., Seminole Canyon SP. ( CAS) ( FSCA) ( MJPC) ( RCCC) ( TAMU) ( USNM).

Remarks. This species is distinguished from other members of the group by lack of metatibial posteromedian lateral projection; lack of apical metatrochanteral teeth; and small, flat male genitalia. The mesotibial figure shows only 3 lateral spines because 1 has been broken off.

All specimens except those from Culberson Co., Menard Co. and Randall Co. were taken in the Rio Grande valley. The Palo Duro Canyon, Texas, and Meade Co., Kansas, localities are particularly disjunct, an indication that G. texana may occur in other specialized habitats far north of the type locality.

Figures

Figures 21A-21G. Glaresis texana Gordon. A) Habitus view. B) Clypeus and head surface. C) Pronotal surface and elytra. D) Metasternum and mesotibia. E) Male genitalia. F) Metaleg, dorsal view. G) Metaleg, ventral view.