Asydates rufiventris Casey, 1895

Mayor, Adriean J. & Gimmel, Matthew L., 2019, Revision of the Soft-Winged Flower Beetles of the Genus Asydates Casey, 1895 (Coleoptera: Melyridae: Dasytinae: Listrini), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 17) 73, pp. 1-71 : 11-14

3. Asydates rufiventris Casey, 1895

( Figs. 2A–B , 7E–F , 10E–F , 14E–F , 20A , 21C , 23B , 25A–B , 28C , 35A–B , 37A , 39 , 42 )

Asydates rufiventris Casey 1895: 464–465 . Syntypes, 4 females, from “Tehachapi, Cal.”, NMNH types 37303, examined. Fall 1901: 24, 125; Leng 1920: 146 (catalog); Pic 1937: 90 (catalog); Blaisdell 1938: 20; Mayor 2002: 295; Mawdsley 2002a: 123, 124, 126, figs. 1, 2, table 1.

Type Material. Four females as follows, all deposited in NMNH: lectotype ♀ ( Fig. 42 ), herein designated: “Cal. [white printed label] //Casey \bequest \1925 [white printed label] //rufiventris-4 \ PARATYPE USNM \37307 [red printed and hand written label] // LECTOTYPE / Asydates / rufiventris / Casey, 1895 /des. Mayor & Gimmel 2019 [red printed label]”; paralectotype ♀, herein designated “Cal. [white printed label] //Casey\bequest \1925 [white printed label] //TYPE USNM \37307 [red printed and hand written label] //Dimetylhydantoin \formaldehyd \Water soluble [white printed label] // Asydates \rufiventris \Csy [white hand written label] // PARALECTOTYPE / Asydates / rufiventris / Casey, 1895 /des. Mayor & Gimmel 2019 [yellow printed label]”; paralectotype ♀, herein designated, “Cal. [white printed label] //Casey \bequest \1925 [white printed label] //rufiventris-2 \ PARATYPE USNM \37307 [red printed and hand written label] // PARALECTOTYPE / Asydates / rufiventris / Casey, 1895 /des. Mayor & Gimmel 2019 [yellow printed label]”; paralectotype ♀, herein designated, “Cal.[white printed label] //Casey \bequest \1925 [white printed label] //rufiventris-3 \ PARATYPE USNM \37307 [red printed and hand written label] // PARALECTOTYPE / Asydates / rufiventris / Casey, 1895 /des. Mayor & Gimmel 2019 [yellow printed label]”.

Diagnosis. The elytral fringe with dense setae not widely spaced, median lobe of the aedeagus strongly narrowed apically, with a shallow, ushaped notch in dorsal view, and female ventrite 5 sparsely covered with pale, whitish setae distinguish A. rufiventris from other species of Asydates .

Redescription. Body broad, moderately robust, suboval ( Figs. 2A , 7E ), slightly flattened in female ( Figs. 2B , 7F ), shiny; microsculpture sparse, inconspicuous on head, pronotum, and elytra. Length 2.6 mm (2.2–3.0 mm, n = 20); width 1.0 mm (0.9–1.2 mm, n = 20). Head, pronotum, and elytra black; elytral apices and legs in both sexes, female ventrites, and male ventrite 5 orange; antennomeres darker, reddish brown. Pubescence reclining, pale, whitish to golden; pronotal and elytral setal fringe short, dense. Punctation with punctures fine, indistinct on head, pronotum, and elytra. Head: Large, short, typically narrower than pronotum in both sexes, eyes bulging ( Fig. 10E–F ); male head 1.40 (1.32–1.57, n = 10), female head 1.58 (1.47–1.69, n = 10) times wider than interocular distance. Antennomeres 5–10 weakly serrate; male antennae short, reaching to near middle of pronotum posteriorly, female antennae shorter. Thorax: Pronotum 0.79 (0.75–0.84, n = 20) times as long as wide, widest at middle ( Fig. 14E–F ); lateral edges converging anteriorly, slightly constricted before anterior margin; anterior and posterior angles obsolete, broadly rounded. Elytra elongate, broadly oval, elytron 3.83 (3.38–4.29, n = 20) times as long as wide, at humeri slightly wider than pronotum; elytral margins broadly explanate, epipleuron broad to near apex, most pronounced in female; apical margin broadly rounded to sutural angle, angle not or only slightly produced posteriorly, margin serrate in both sexes. All tibiae with fine, white setae along external margin; pro- and mesotibiae with short, stout spines sparsely arranged along external margin, inconspicuous in both sexes. Abdomen: Male ventrite 1 with indistinct median patch of white setae. Pygidium unmodified in male ( Fig. 21C ), with shallow median emargination in female; spiculum gastrale as in Fig. 23B . Female ventrite 5 evenly covered with short, sparse, pale setae ( Fig. 20A ). Median lobe of aedeagus a bowed tube with region beyond dorsal orifice elongate and slightly upturned in lateral view ( Fig. 25A ), in dorsoventral view, with wide, flat apical region strongly narrowed apically, extreme apex flared, distinctly emarginate at tip ( Fig. 25B ); tegmen of aedeagus relatively elongate, with distinct constriction at base of ring ( Fig. 28C ).

Host Plant Associations. Adults of A. rufiventris have been collected from the flowers of plants in the families Asteraceae [ Haplopappus sp. (5), Lepidospartum squamatum (1), Stephanomeria pauciflora (181) ( Fig. 35A ), and S. virgata (78)], Loasaceae [ Mentzelia laevicaulis (7)], and Polygonaceae [ Eriogonum fasciculatum (14), E. nudum (10), and E. umbellatum (31)]. Adults of A. cf. rufiventris were photographed on Stephanomeria cichoriacea ( Fig. 35B ).

Seasonal Distribution. 8 July to 12 September ( Fig. 39 ).

Geographic Distribution. Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains in Kern County south to the Transverse Ranges of Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, California ( Fig. 37A ).

Material Examined. Records reported here are based on the examination of 338 specimens. USA: CALIFORNIA: Kern County: Caliente Bodfish Rd. , 2 mi. N Caliente, July 8, 1973, L. J. Orsak (2♂♂, 2♀♀, EMEC) ; Oak Creek Rd. , W of Mojave, N35°03’05.9”, W118°19’47.2”, 1 Sept. 2016, A. J. Mayor, collected beating flowers of Stephanomeria pauciflora (1♀, UCRC) ; Tehachapi (1♀ lectotype, 3 ♀♀ paralectotypes, NMNH) ; Tehachapi, Wickham , Wickham Collection 1933 (2♀♀, NMNH) ; Tehachapi Mts., Antelope Cyn. , 4,800 -5,200 ft. elev., 12-IX-1975, Adriean J. Mayor collector, collected on Haplopappus (3♂♂, 2♀♀, UCRC) ; same except Elev. 6,000 ft., 17 July 1976, Adriean J. Mayor collector, collected on Eriogonum nudum (5♂♂, 5♀♀, UCRC) ; Los Angeles County: Big Pines Hwy., 0.2 mi. E. of Camp Big Pines , el. 1,808 m, N34°23’57.1”, W117°44’0.2”, 30 July 2017, A. J. Mayor, collected beating flowers of Eriogonum umbellatum (16♂♂, 15♀♀, UCRC) ; Bob’ s Gap on Bob’ s Gap Rd. , 4.0 mi. SE of Hwy. 138, elev. 1,200 m, N34°27’17.6”, W117°48’50.4”, 28 July 2016, A. J. Mayor, Collected on flowers of Stephanomeria pauciflora (31♂♂, 29♀♀, UCRC, 1♂, 1♀, SBMNH) ; same except 7 Sept 2016 (16♂♂, 10♀♀, UCRC) ; Bob’ s Gap Rd. , 3.3 mi. SE of Hwy. 138, elev. 1,156 m, N34°27’46.1”, W117°49’11.3”, 28 July 2016, A. J. Mayor, collected on flowers of Stephanomeria pauciflora (14♂♂, 22♀♀, UCRC) ; same except N. of Bob’ s Gap , elev. 1,176 m, N34°27’31.6”, W117°48’54.7”, 7 Sept. 2016, A. J. Mayor, collected on flowers of Stephanomeria pauciflora (11♂♂, 14♀♀, UCRC) ; same except W of Bob’ s Gap , elev. 1,182 m, N34°26’57.2”, W117°49’52.3”, 7 Sept. 2016, A. J. Mayor, collected beating flowers of Stephanomeria pauciflora (16♂♂, 12♀♀, UCRC, 1♂, 1♀, SBMNH) ; Bob’ s Gap, Holcomb Ridge Road , 34.45216°, -117.81268°, 1,220 m, 22 July 2017, ex Eriogonum fasciculatum , M. & L. Gimmel, ML219 (4♂♂, 2♀♀, SBMNH) ; Mt. Wilson , 7- 20-40, G. P. Mackenzie (1♀, UCRC) ; Pallett Creek Rd., W. of Big Rock Creek , elev. 1087 m, N34°27’33.9”, W117°52’12.6”, 7 Sept. 2016, A. J. Mayor, collected beating flowers of Stephanomeria pauciflora (1♀, UCRC) ; Angeles National Forest, San Antonio Creek , 34.2215°, -117.6656°, 23 June 2007, leg. Caterino & Chatzimanolis (1♀, SBMNH) ; San Antonio Canyon / Timberlake Coll. , Aug. 26, ‘20/ on Lepidospartum (1♀, UCRC) ; San Antonio Canyon on Mt. Baldy Rd. , elev. 1,146 m, N34°13.107’, W117°40.251’, 21 July 2015, A. J. Mayor, collected beating flowers of Stephanomeria virgata (2♂♂, 8♀♀, UCRC) ; same except collected beating flowers of Mentzelia laevicaulis (3♂♂, 2♀♀, UCRC, 1♂, 1♀, SBMNH) ; same except elev. 1,100 m, N34°12.972’, W117°40.401’, collected beating flowers of Stephanomeria virgata (1♀, UCRC) ; same except elev. 1,163 m, N34°13’16.2”, W117°40’05.3”, 9 August 2016, A. J. Mayor, collected beating flowers of Stephanomeria virgata (15♂♂, 14♀♀, UCRC, 1♂, 1♀, SBMNH) ; San Dimas Canyon Rd. , above dam, elev. 511 m, N34°9’42.8”, W117°46’6.9”, 14 July 2018, A. J. Mayor, collected beating flowers of Eriogonum fasciculatum (1♀, UCRC) ; San Gabriel Mts., Barley Flats , 4,500 ft. (1♀, UCRC) ; same except [34.278, -118.075], 4,500 ft, 27 August 1939, leg. F.W. Furry (1♀, LACM) ; N. San Gabriel Canyon Rd., S. of Crystal Lake Rd. , el. 1,218 m, N34°17’58.2”, W117°50’31.6”, 13 August 2016, A. J. Mayor, collected beating flowers of Stephanomeria virgata (18♂♂, 18♀♀, UCRC) ; San Bernardino County: Camp Baldy, Aug. 24, ’20, Mt. San Antonio ab.[ove] 4,700 ft., Timberlake Coll., on Eriogonum fasciculatum (3♂♂, 4♀♀, UCRC) .

Remarks. Casey (1895) listed the type locality for A. rufiventris as “ California (Santa Barbara)”. However, Casey used locality codes on his specimen labels, and the four female syntypes of A. rufiventris are labeled “Cal.”, which is the locality code for Tehachapi, California. In the A. rufiventris syntypes unit tray at the USNM is the following handwritten note: “Label symbol on these specimens (Cal.) = Tehachapi, Cal., & not Santa Barbara whose symbol is Cal /. It appears that Casey confused these 2 localities, as in Trichochrous suffusus ”. Extensive field collections corroborate that A. rufiventris is absent from the Santa Barbara area but present in the Tehachapi area, and it is clear that the type locality for A. rufiventris is Tehachapi, California. Based on the record from “ 2 mi. N. Caliente”, A. rufiventris may occur farther north at mid-elevations of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

There is a closely related species, A. chumash , whose distribution includes the Santa Ynez Mountains portion of the western Transverse Ranges above Santa Barbara. Because of the potential confusion regarding the type locality of A. rufiventris (Santa Barbara vs. Tehachapi, see discussion above), one of the female specimens in the syntype series is designated as lectotype, and the remaining three as paralectotypes. Females of the two species can be distinguished; see discussion under Remarks for A. chumash . A female best displaying the diagnostic ventrite character of the species was selected to be the lectotype to minimize confusion about the identity of A. rufiventris .

Casey (1995) mentioned a male type and that the species was described from four specimens. However, Casey was apparently mistaken, as the four specimens in the USNM type series are all clearly females. Casey, therefore, mistakenly believed both sexes have a “rufous” abdomen, which undoubtedly suggested to him the specific epithet rufiventris for this species.

Asydates rufiventris is most closely related to A. chumash and A. tongva . See Remarks under A. chumash for a discussion of the characters differentiating these three species.

Figures

Fig. 2. Asydates species, dorsal habitus. A. rufiventris: A) Male, B) Female. A. chumash: C) Male, D) Female. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 7. Asydates species, lateral habitus. A. grandiceps: A) Male, B) Female. A. kumeyaay: C) Male, D) Female. A. rufiventris: E) Male, F) Female. A. chumash: G) Male, H) Female. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 10. Asydates species, frontal view. A. grandiceps: A) Male, B) Female. A. kumeyaay: C) Male, D) Female.

Fig. 14. Asydates species, pronota. A. grandiceps: A) Male, B) Female. A. kumeyaay: C) Male, D) Female. A.

Fig. 20. Asydates “flat-tip” species, female ventrite 5 showing variably developed glabrous area. A) A. rufiventris, B) A. chumash, C) Asydates tongva.

Fig. 21. Asydates species, male pygidium and attached abdominal sternite VIII, ventral view. A) A. grandiceps, B) A. kumeyaay, C) A. rufiventris, D) A. chumash. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 23. Asydates species, spiculum gastrale. A) A. grandiceps, B) A. rufiventris, C) A. irwini. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 25. Asydates species, median lobe of aedeagus, right lateral and ventral views, respectively. A–B) A. rufiventris, CA: Los Angeles Co.: Mount Baldy Road, C–D) A. chumash, CA: Kern Co.: Mount Pinos, E–F) A. tongva, CA: San Bernardino Co.: Middle Fork Lytle Creek. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 28. Asydates species, tegmen of aedeagus (apex directed upward). A) A. grandiceps, CA: San Bernardino Co.: Lone Pine Canyon, B) A. kumeyaay, Mexico: Baja California: Agua Caliente, C) A. rufiventris, CA: Los Angeles Co.: Mount Baldy Road, D) A. chumash, CA: Kern Co.: Mount Pinos, E) A. tongva, CA: San Bernardino Co.: Middle Fork Lytle Creek, F) A. irwini, CA: San Bernardino Co.: south of Lucerne Valley on Highway 18. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 35. Live Asydates species on flower hosts. A) A. rufiventris pair on flower head of Stephanomeria pauciflora, CA: Los Angeles County: Bob’s Gap. Photograph taken 28 July 2016 by Adriean J. Mayor. B) A. cf. rufiventris congregating on flower head of Stephanomeria cichoriacea, CA: Kern County: Tejon Ranch. Photograph© taken 8 September 2014 by Neal Kramer. C) A. irwini male on flower head of S. pauciflora, CA: San Bernardino County: Afton Canyon. Photograph taken 7 October 2014 by John Doyen.

Fig. 37. Distribution of Asydates species. A) Localities of examined specimens of A. rufiventris (black dots), A. chumash (green squares), and A. tongva (yellow stars), B) Localities of examined specimens of A. irwini (black dots), A. washoe (yellow stars), A. shoshone (red triangles), and A. phantasma (blue squares).

Fig. 39. Seasonalities of adult Asydates species, by month, based on collection records in the Material Examined sections.

Fig. 42. Asydates rufiventris, lectotype female, dorsal, left lateral, and ventral habitus and labels. Deposited in NMNH.