Agyrtodes monticola (Broun)

Seago, Ainsley E., 2009, Revision Of Agyrtodes Portevin (Coleoptera: Leiodidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 7) 63, pp. 1-73 : 55-57

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1649/0010-065x-63.sp7.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B58B2216-0CFA-41C6-8141-7024E65ECF85
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039887BA-FFD1-C075-92D1-8315EC3A95B4
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Agyrtodes monticola (Broun)
status

Treatment

Agyrtodes monticola (Broun) View in CoL

(Figs. 18, 55, 75, 95, 102)

Choleva monticola Broun 1893: 1434 View in CoL . Holotype: male. ‘‘ Mt. Pirongia ,’’ [ NZ: North Island] (BMNH).

Agyrtodes monticola (Broun) View in CoL . Jeannel (1936: 107) [transferred to Agyrtodes View in CoL ]; Szymczakowski (1966: 18, 1973: 94).

Ragytes luteipes Portevin 1914: 196 View in CoL . Holotype: male. ‘‘ Nouvelle-Zélande.’’ (Stated in description to be in ‘‘Deuts. Ent. Nat. Mus.,’’ now the Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Müncheberg); Jeannel (1936: 107) [junior subjective synonym of A. monticola View in CoL ].

Agyrtodes disparatus Szymczakowski 1973: 94 View in CoL . Holotype: male, four paratypes. ‘‘ Western Hills , Whangarei’ ’ (Crowson collection, not in BMNH). New synonymy.

Choleva nemoralis View in CoL auct. (not Broun 1909). Jeannel (1936: 107) [subjective synonym of A. monticola (Broun) View in CoL ] Newton (1998) [synonymy with A. monticola View in CoL rebutted].

Mesocolon labralis View in CoL auct. (not Broun 1921). Jeannel (1936: 107) [subjective synonym of A. monticola (Broun) View in CoL ]; Newton (1998: 166) [synonymy with A. monticola View in CoL rebutted].

Taxonomic Note. This species was originally described as Choleva monticola View in CoL by

Broun (1893), redescribed by Portevin (1914) as Ragytes luteipes , and transferred

to Agyrtodes by Jeannel (1936), who simultaneously synonymized Choleva

monticola Broun, Choleva nemoralis Broun , and Mesocolon labralis Broun with A.

monticola. The latter two were resurrected as valid species by Newton (1998)

based on examination of Broun syntypes in BMNH .

Sczymczakowski described A. disparatus after C. nemoralis and M. labralis had

been synonymized by Jeannel (1936) with A. monticola , but before A. nemoralis

and A. labralis had been resurrected by Newton (1998). From the text and

illustrations of his description (including an illustration of genitalia identical to

those of A. monticola ) it is clear that the specimens on which Sczymczakowski

based his description were in fact A. monticola (in the current sense), and that the

supposed specimens of ‘‘ A. monticola ’’ which he used for comparison were in fact

A. labralis (in the current sense). Male and female identified as A. disparatus in

NZAC and FMNH were examined and found to display no significant external or

internal differences from A. monticola . Therefore A. disparatus is here designated

a junior subjective synonym of A. monticola (Broun) sensu Newton (1998) .

Distribution. New Zealand: Northern North Island ( Fig. 102 View Fig ). Material

examined listed in Appendix 1.

Diagnosis. Agyrtodes monticola can be distinguished from the superficially

similar A. labralis ( NZ: South Island) by the latter’s much larger size (3 mm),

dark brown to black coloration, and large, sclerotized teeth on the internal faces

of the paramere apices. Agyrtodes monticola can also be distinguished from both

A. labralis and A. nemoralis by the shape of the eighth antennal segment, which is

transverse to globular in A. monticola and quadrate to elongate in the other

species. Agyrtodes hunuensis is roughly sympatric with A. monticola , and can be

distinguished by its lack of an epistomal suture, elongate, parallel-sided antennal

segments 6 and 8, and long, flattened, apically rounded parameres. Agyrtodes

hunuensis also has much more conspicuously expanded male protarsi, the first of which is wider than the tibial apex.

Redescription. TBL 5 2.3 mm, EW 5 1.5 mm, PNW 5 1.3 mm, HW 5 0.6 mm. (TBL variation: 2.2 mm – 2.4 mm)

Body size medium-large, broadly oval in dorsal view; coloration uniformly deep brown, dark but never black (Fig. 18). Dense, sleek dorsal vestiture of recumbent light reddish-brown hairs.

Head broad, quadrate, rounded posteriorly; eyes large, hemispherical, with pronounced posterior emargination. Epistomal suture present, without stem. Clypeus small, ovate; labrum large, as long and wide as clypeus, faintly bilobed with weak median emargination. Mandibles large, robust, with obtuse subapical tooth on left mandible and well-developed prosthecae. Maxillae with slender, tapering galea with weakly sclerotized apical brush of short hairs; lacinia extremely broad, with wide apical spore-brush of densely packed, minute setae. Maxillary palpi with terminal segment slender, acuminate, with truncate apex; penultimate segment subquadrate, apex scarcely wider than base of terminal segment. Ligula with two median anterior and two lateral submarginal digitiform sensillae, the median setae curving outward. Labial palpi with terminal segments short, swollen at base, weakly tapered distally, with large cluster of minute digitiform sensillae on outer faces; penultimate segments short, transverse, without long setae.

Antennae ( Fig. 55 View Figs ) robust, segments 1–2 yellow, 3–6 and 8 light brown, segments 7 and 9–11 medium to dark brown. First two segments broader than segments 3–6, segment 1 cylindrical, segment 2 slightly narrower than first, weakly inflated medially. Segments 3–6 of sequentially decreasing length and increasing breadth, segment 5 markedly longer than 6; segment 6 short, cylindrical. Segment 7 broad, subequal to 9 in length, cylindrical at base, expanded distally; segment 8 transverse to globular. Segment 9 broader than 8, longer than 10, slightly shorter than 11; segment 10 longer than wide, expanded distally. Segment 11 elongate, narrow, bluntly pointed and weakly sclerotized at apex.

Pronotum broad, lateral margins straight, sloping inward anteriorly; hind angles pointed, weakly acute, produced posterolaterad. Anterior margin faintly trilobed, tightly enclosing posterior region of head. Hind margin very narrowly transparent.

Elytral integument medium to deep brown, matte, with well-defined transverse strigae and no trace of longitudinal strial impressions. Elytra broad, weakly convex, bluntly pointed behind. Scutellum small, medium to dark brown.

Hypomeron lighter brown than dorsum, extremely concave posterior to procoxae. Mesosternum with low, distinct median carina, obtusely produced immediately anterior to mesocoxal separation, not effaced anteriorly. Mesepimera broad, subquadrate, acutely pointed anteriorly, broadly rounded at coxal articulation. Metasternum with subtle median setose bulge, flat to concave laterally, with confused strigulae and shallow punctures at setal insertions. Metepisternum long, lanceolate, rounded anteriorly, smoothly tapering and acuminate posteriorly.

Abdominal sterna III–VI normal. Male sternum VII convex, complete, produced but not emarginate distally; sternum VIII almost completely divided medially, connate only at anterior margin.

Legs of normal proportions and armature. Male protarsi very weakly expanded, first two protarsomeres 1–2 ovoid, longer than wide, segment 3 subquadrate; all with small, dense pads of tenent setae ventrally and (when combined) shorter than segment 5. Male mesotarsi simple, not expanded and lacking tenent setae. Claws and female tarsi simple.

Male genital segment ( Fig. 75 View Figs ) narrow, subcylindrical, bluntly pointed at apex, pleurites rounded with both long and short setae at apices; anterior apophysis short, very slender, tongue-shaped, weakly constricted at base. Aedeagus ( Fig. 95 View Figs ) with median lobe and basal piece long, cylindrical, apically flattened and curved ventrad; apex of penis produced, papilliform, with two obtusely produced subapical teeth. Parameres elongate, extending well below apex of median lobe, constricted and sinuous in basal half, expanded into bladelike shape, flattened, not hooked at apex; interior faces of paramere apices with sparse, slender setae arranged longitudinally, no large sclerotized teeth. Endophallus long, heavily armed with single row of large, pointed, scale-shaped teeth and broad patch of minute, hyaline spines throughout, with three large, robust asymmetrical sclerites, basal tuft of long, heavily sclerotized setae, and large patch of small spines. Female genitalia relatively short, each coxite approximately twice as long as stylus and bearing 4–5 long, curving setae; stylus slender, cylindrical, with terminal seta slightly shorter than coxite.

Natural History. Collected on Ganoderma conk, Schizopora paradoxa , and Auricuaria polytrichia, and by pyrethrin-fogging fungusy logs in hardwoodpodocarp forest.

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Class	Insecta
Order	Coleoptera
Family	Leiodidae
Genus	Agyrtodes