Agyrtodes labralis (Broun)

Seago, Ainsley E., 2009, Revision Of Agyrtodes Portevin (Coleoptera: Leiodidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 7) 63, pp. 1-73 : 53-55

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-FFD3-C07B-92AA-8315EFB09655
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Agyrtodes labralis (Broun)
status

Treatment

Agyrtodes labralis (Broun) View in CoL

(Figs. 17, 54, 74, 94, 102)

Mesocolon labralis Broun 1921: 611 View in CoL . Holotype: male, locality stated in description

as ‘‘Glenhope, Nelson’’ [ NZ: North Island] (BMNH, could not be located

by the author).

Agyrtodes monticola View in CoL auct. (not Broun 1921). Jeannel (1936) [junior subjective

synonym].

Agyrtodes labralis (Broun) View in CoL . Newton (1998:166) [synonymy with A. monticola View in CoL

rebutted; transferred to Agyrtodes View in CoL ].

Distribution. New Zealand: throughout South Island, abundant in Nelson, Buller, and Marlborough regions ( Fig. 102 View Fig ). Material examined listed in Appendix 1.

Diagnosis. Mature individuals dark brown in color, larger than all other New Zealand Agyrtodes . This species is extremely morphologically similar to A. monticola (North Island) and A. nemoralis (South Island). It can be distinguished from the first species on the basis of size and allopatry; A. labralis can be distinguished from A. nemoralis by the overall body size and coloration (large and unformly dark brown to black in A. labralis , smaller and medium-reddish brown with discal dark regions in A. nemoralis ) and by the shape of the median mesosternal carina in lateral view (low and truncate or weakly indented in A. labralis , elevated and smoothly curved in A. nemoralis ). Males of A. labralis also bear large sclerotized teeth on the interior faces of the parameres and have protarsi with the first segment broader than the tibial apex, whereas males of A. monticola and A. nemoralis lack teeth on the parameres and have first protarsomeres markedly narrower than the tibial apex.

Redescription. TBL 5 3.0 mm, EW 5 1.7 mm, PNW 5 1.5 mm, HW 5 0.7 mm. (TBL variation: 2.9–3.2 mm)

Body size large, substantially longer and wider than other New Zealand Agyrtodes species (Fig. 17). Dorsum and venter dark brown, nearly black, (rarely) lighter brown in faded specimens; dorsal vestiture of short, sleek, evenly arranged fine reddish hairs.

Head large, quadrate, reddish-brown, darker posteriorly, integument shining and finely, shallowly punctate; eyes strongly emarginate posteriorly. Epistomal suture present, without stem. Clypeus broadly ovate; labrum large, transverse, weakly sclerotized, gently emarginate at apex. Mandibles large, strongly rounded anteriorly, dens blunt with dense ventral brush of minute setae, molae narrow; left mandible with more produced subapical tooth. Maxillae with slender, fusiform, weakly sclerotized galea with membranous apical brush of spatulate setae; lacinia broad with extremely large apical spore-brush of minute, very densely packed and regularly arranged spines. Maxillary palpi slender, terminal segment acuminate, blunt-tipped, as wide basally as penultimate segment. Penultimate segment approximately 1.5 3 as long as basal width; last two segments with sparse vestiture of long, fine setae. Ligula narrowly notched medially, with two large, acuminate digitiform sensillae medially and two less tapered spine-like submarginal sensillae laterally. Labial palpi with terminal segment short, wide basally, slender and bluntly attenuate apically, entire outer surface covered with loose array of short, robust digitiform sensillae; penultimate segment broad, transverse, with single long external seta, antepenultimate segment bearing 3–4 long, slender setae.

Antennae ( Fig. 54 View Figs ) slender, club robust, segments 1–4 yellow, 5 and 6 light brown, 7–11 medium to dark reddish-brown. Segments 1 and 2 approximately equal in size, wider than subsequent four segments. Segments 3–6 of approximately equal length, segments 5–6 elongate; segment 6 more than twice as long as wide. Segment 7 broad, cylindrical at base, expanded distally; segment 8 parallel-sided, very slightly longer than wide. Segment 9 broader than 8, length and width approximately equal to 10. Segment 11 elongate, ovoid, bluntly pointed and weakly sclerotized at apex.

Pronotum large, extremely broad; integument smooth, shining, punctation shallow and extremely fine. Hind angles bluntly pointed and weakly produced posteriad; hind margin transparent only laterally, adjacent to hind angles.

Elytra broad, weakly convex, tapering smoothly in posterior half to blunt, rounded apex. Transverse strigae evenly spaced, deeply punctate; disc without longitudinal strial impressions. Scutellum dark brown, shining, with sparse vestiture of short, fine golden setae.

Hypomeron weakly concave anteriorly, strongly concave immediately posterior to coxae. Prosternum and epipleura dark reddish-brown, barely lighter than dorsum and meso- and metasterna. Mesosternum with median carina low, effaced anteriorly, obtusely pointed immediately anterior to mesocoxal separation. Mesepimera short, broad, subquadrate, broadly rounded at coxal articulation. Metasternum weakly elevated and setose medially, faintly bulging and finely strigulate laterally. Metepisterna elongate, triangular, weakly rounded anteriorly, abruptly tapering to narrow, blunt posterior point.

Abdomen with sterna III–VI normal, males with sternum VII broadly, shallowly notched, faintly produced medially, sternum VIII deeply, broadly cleft anteriorly and posteriorly.

Legs dark brown to black, proportions and armature normal. Male protarsi with first three segments broadly expanded, cordate and bearing tenent setae; basal segment as wide as tibial apex. Male mesotarsi with first segment elongate, neither expanded nor bearing tenent setae. Claws and female tarsi simple.

Male genital segment ( Fig. 74 View Figs ) large, broad at base, ovate apically, pleurites transversely strigulate, apically rounded, truncate and setose. Sternum X present as a small, apically rounded sclerite fused internally to junction of pleurites; anterior apophysis minute, tongue-shaped, short and extremely slender at base. Aedeagus ( Fig. 94 View Figs ) with median lobe long, cylindrical, gently curving ventrad; apex of penis produced, papilliform, with two subapical obtusely produced teeth; basal piece long, cylindrical. Parameres elongate, gently curving, expending past apex of median lobe, medially constricted, apically expanded into paddlelike shape; each paramere weakly hooked at apex, interior face with loose scattering of minute digitiform sensillae and large, paired triangular ‘‘teeth’’ arising perpendicular to flat surface of paramere interior. Endophallus extremely long, cylindrical, with elongate, slender tube-shaped sclerite at base, large tuft of long, fine, curving spines, single long row of very large, fang-shaped teeth spanning length of median lobe, abundant small, pointed, heavily sclerotized teeth tightly and uniformly packed throughout. Female terminalia with coxites long, stout, broadest at base, bearing three long, stiff external setae apically; styli short, slender, cylindrical, bearing robust terminal seta approximately equal in length to stylus.

Natural History. Collected on Schizopora spp. , corticoid and polypore fungi, and by window traps, pyrethrum-fogging fungusy logs and sifting leaf litter in Nothofagus , hardwood, and podocarp mixed forests.