Smilax pilosa ( Fabricius, 1787 )

Chatzimanolis, Stylianos, 2016, A revision of the myrmecophilous genus Smilax Laporte (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae), Zootaxa 4162 (2), pp. 283-303 : 296-299

Smilax pilosa ( Fabricius, 1787)

( Figs. 2 , 8 , 12 , 14 , 17–23 , 31–32, 34)

Staphylinus pilosus Fabricius, 1787: 220 .

Smilax americana Laporte, 1835: 117

Cordylaspis tuberculatus Nordmann 1837: 17 .

Cordylaspis pilosa (Fabricius) ; Erichson 1839: 342.

Cordylaspis americana (Laporte) ; Erichson 1839: 342 [synonym of pilosa ]. Cordylaspis tuberculatus Nordmann ; Erichson 1839: 342 [synonym of pilosa ]. Smilax cyanea Wasmann, 1902: 267 , [described as variety of pilosa ], new synonymy. Cordylaspis cyanea (Wasmann) ; Scheerpeltz 1936: 492 [as valid species]. Smilax pilosa (Fabricius) ; Blackwelder, 1952: 107.

Type material. Lectotype for Staphylinus pilosus , here designated: male, with labels as follows: “ pilosus ” / “TYPE” / “Lectotype Staphylinus pilosus Fabricius des. Chatzimanolis 2016 ” / “ Smilax pilosa ( Fabricius, 1787) det. Chatzimanolis 2016 ”. Fabricius stated in the original description that the specimen was from “Cajennae”, which is the modern day French Guiana. In the collection of ZMUC as of 2016 but the Fabricius collection will be relocated in Kiel, Germany in the near future.

The specimen designated by Laporte as the type of S. americana is considered lost (for details on Laporte’s collection see Evenhuis 2012).

Holotype of Cordylaspis tuberculatus : female with labels as follows: “5872” / “Surinam, xxxx [illegible word] S.” / “Typus tuberculata Nordmann ” / “ pilosus F.” / “Orig. F. Er. 47,342” / “ Cordylaspis Nordmann Staphylinus F.” / “ Cordylaspis pilosa Fabr. ” / “ Smilax pilosa det. Chatzimanolis 2010”. In the collection of ZHMB. The type locality was listed as “Sumatra” in both Nordmann (1837) and Herman (2001) and of course considered erroneous as early as 1839 ( Erichson 1839). However, the second label associated with the specimen reads “Surinam”. While I do not know if this is an original label, it is possible that Nordmann did not read the word correctly, or simply that “Sumatra” was a lapsus calami.

Lectotype of Smilax cyanea , here designated: female with labels as follows: “b. Atta sexdens, A. Goeldi, 1900 ” / “Colonia alpina (Rio d. Janeiro)” / “ Smilax pilosus F. var. cyanea , Typus” / “Lectotype Smilax cyanea Wasmann des. Chatzimanolis 2016 ” / “ Smilax pilosa ( Fabricius, 1787) det. Chatzimanolis 2016 ”. In the collection of NHME.

Additional Material. BOLIVIA: Beni: Prov. Vaca Diez, 2.5km NW of Tumichucua , 11.viii.1990, FIT, P. Parrillo & P. Bettella (1 ♀ FMNH) ; Santa Cruz: Sara, J. Steinbach (1 ♂, 1 ♀ ZMHB) ; BRAZIL: Alagoas: Sao Miguel dos Campos, iv.1984, F. Oliveira (1 ♀ CMNH) ; Amapá: Portoplanton , ix.1975, K. Lenko (1 ♀ CNC) ; Amazonas: Tapajos (1 ♀ BMNH) ; Uypizanga [Uypiranga] Rio Negro, 14km from Manaus , 100m, xii.1941, A. Rabaut (1 ♀ AMNH) ; Bahia: Chapada (1 ♂, 3 ♀ CMNH; 1 ♂ FMNH) ; same locality, UTCI 000008934 (1 ♂ UTCI); Encruzilhada , 960m, xi.1972, M. Alvarenga (1 ♀ AMNH); same locality and collector, 980m, xi.1973 (1 ♀ AMNH) ; unknown locality (1 ♂ BMNH; 1 ♂ NMW); Espírito Santo: Santa Teresa (1 ♀ FMNH) ; Villa de Alegre, A. Heyne (1 ♀ ZMHB); unknown locality, Schubert (1 ♀ ZMHB); unknown locality, J. Zikan (1 ♀ FMNH); unknown locality, 2.vi. [19]20 (1 ♀ FMNH); unknown locality (1 ♂; 2 ♀ BMNH); Goiás: Jataí , xi.1972 F. Oliveira (1 ♂, 1♀ AMNH) ; Mato Grosso: Sinop , ii.1976, O. Roppa (1 ♂ CNC) ; same locality, x.1976, M. Alvarenga (2 ♂ CNC) ; same locality and collector, x.1975 (1 ♀ CNC) ; same locality and collector, x.1974 (1 ♀ AMNH) ; Três Lagoas , i.1968, F. Lane (1 ♂ CNC); Mato Grosso do Sul : Miranda, 36km NE Refugio Eco. Caiman, Pousada Baiazinha , 19°57’24’’S 56°14’6’’W, 19.iv.1999, D. Brzoska, SM0187778 (1 ♀ SEMC) ; Minas Gerais: Pouso Alegre, 1905, Fleming (1 ♀ FMNH) ; Santa Vitória , ii.1970, F. M. Oliveira (1 ♀ AMNH) ; unknown locality (1 ♂ CNC; 1 ♀ BMNH); Pará: Belém, Utinga Park , 27–28.iii.1970, J. & B. Campbell (1 ♂ CNC) ; Jacareacanga , xii.1968, M. Alvarenga (1 ♀ AMNH) ; Óbidos , 1904–1905, Goeldi (1 ♀ FMNH) ; Santarém , vii.1919, S. M. Klages (1 ♂ CMNH) ; same locality and collector, UTCI 000011533 (1 ♀ UTCI) ; unknown locality (1 ♂ BMNH); Paraná: Virmond (1 ♀ ZMHB) ; Rio de Janeiro: Corcovado , 600m, 19.xii.1926, F. Ohs (1 ♀ ZMHB) ; Nova Friburgo, W. Schaufaß (1 ♂, 1♀ ZMHB); Rio de Janeiro, i.1977, M. Alvarenga (1 ♂ CNC) ; same locality (1 ♂ BMNH) ; São Paulo: Americana , ii.1924 (1 ♀ FMNH) ; Santos , 29.x. [18]93 (1 ♀ MNW) ; São Paulo, in Atta (1 ♀ AMNH; 1 ♂, 2♀ FMNH) ; same locality (2 ♀ NMW; 1 ♀ FMNH) ; Teodoro Sampaio , xi.1985, malaise trap, F. Oliveira (1 ♀ CMNH) ; same locality, xi.1977, M. Alvarenga (1 ♂, 2 ♀ CNC) ; Tibirisa on Rio Paraná, 20–24.x.1926, F. Ohs (2 ♀ ZMHB) ; unknown locality (1 ♂ AMNH; 1 ♀ BMNH); COLOMBIA: Antioquia: Rionegro , 500m, Fassl, SM 0045560 (1 ♀ SEMC) ; Caquetá: San Vicente del Caguán Santa Rosa , 600m, 1°37’N 75°37’W, Malaise trap, 22.vii–4.viii.2000, F. Ruales, SM0548988 (1 ♀ SEMC) ; Cesar: Peeblo Bello , Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, 1100m, 11–17.vi.1968, sweeping, B. Malin (1 ♂ FMNH) ; Magdalena: unknown locality, 1500m, Fassl (1 ♀ FMNH) ; Meta: Sierra de La Macarena Cabaña Cerrillo National Park, 3°21’N 73°56’W, Malaise trap, 4– 17.i.2003, A. herrera & W. Villalba, SM0628677 (1 ♀ SEMC) ; Nariño: Barbacoas , 40m, 3.x.1990, M. Cooper (1 ♂ BMNH)0 unknown locality , 400m, Fassl (1 ♀ FMNH); Putumayo: Villa Garzon , 400m, 30.viii.1984, M. Cooper (1 ♂ BMNH) ; COSTA RICA: Alajuela: A.C.A.San Ramón, Reserva Biol . Alberto Brenes, Rio San Lorencito , 850m, 19–26.iii.1999, R. Zúñiga, INB 0003025775 (1 ♂ ZMUC) ; same locality, 19–27.iii.1999, W. Arana, INB 0003034885 (1 ♀ ZMUC) ; same locality, 20.vi–5.vii.1999, J. Rodriguez, INB 0003057414 (1 ♂ ZMUC) ; Ciruelas , 28.vii. [19] 40m Marin (1 ♀ FMNH) ; Cartago: Turrialba , 30.v.1962, H. Ruckes (1 ♀ AMNH) ; Guanacaste : Guanacaste National Park, Maritza Biological Station , 10.viii.1992, D. Brzoska, SM0045563 (1 ♀ SEMC) ; Santa Rosa National Park , 12.xii.1978 - 10.i.1979, D. Janzen, INBIOCRI002613119 (1 ♀ ZMUC); Heredia: Est. El Celbo Brauilo Carrillo N. P., 400–600m, x.1989, R. Aguilar & M. Zumbado, INBIOCRI000056504 (1 ♂ ZMUC) ; La Selva , 3.2km SE Puerto Viejo, 100m, 1.ii.1992, FIT, W. Bell, SM0045561 (1 ♀ SEMC) ; same locality, 18.ii.1980, H. A. Howden (1 ♀ CNC) ; same locality, 18.v.1993, J. & A. Ashe, in Atta column, SM0045564 (1 ♀ SEMC) ; same locality, 11.vii. 1993, H. Hespenheide, SM0156255 (1 ♀ SEMC) ; same locality, 2–15.vi.1996, FIT, R. Hanley, SM0091523 (1 ♀ SEMC) ; same locality and collector, 4–15.vi.1996, FIT, SM0088321 (1 ♀ SEMC) ; same locality, 4-15.vi.1996, S. Haase-Statz & R. Hanley, FIT (1 ♀ SEMC) ; same locality, 8–11.vi.2001, FIT, S. Chatzimanolis, SM0265472 (1 ♀ SEMC) ; same locality and collector, 11– 14.vi.2001, FIT, SM0265604 (1 ♂ UTCI) ; same locality, collector and date, Chatzimanolis DNA voucher, SC-222, extraction date 24.xi.2010, UTCI 000005942 (1 ♂ UTCI) ; same locality and collector, 11.vii.2001, Chatzimanolis DNA voucher, SC-12, extraction date 12.vi.2008, UTCI 000000853 (1 ♀ UTCI) ; Puntarenas: Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula , 10–100m, 23–27.iii.1982, D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBIOCRI001688304 (1 ♀ ZMUC); Lepanto R. , 300-400m, 3.x.2003, in Atta midden,W. Porras, INB0003767955, INB0003767956 (1 ♂, 1 ♀ ZMUC); San José: Puriscal, ix.[19]39, Marin (1 ♂ FMNH) ; unknown province: unknown locality, Hoffmann (1 ♀ ZMHB); unknown locality, V. Patten (1 ♀ BMNH); unknown locality (2 ♂, 3 ♀ BMNH); ECUADOR: Carchi: Hojal , 8km NW Chical, 1100m, 25.vii.1983, J. Rawlins & S. Thompson (1 ♀ CMNH) ; Pichincha: 47km Santo Domingo, Rio Palenque Station , 250m, 17–25.ii.1979, Malaise trap, L. Ling (1 ♀ CNC) ; same locality, collector and date, blacklight (1 ♀ CNC); FRENCH GUIANA: 18.4km SSE Roura , 240m, 4°36’38’’N 52°13’25’’W, 29.v– 10.vii.1997, FIT, J. Ashe & R. Brooks, SM0100669, SM0100672 (2 ♀ SEMC); Réserve Trésor, 225m, 4°36’37.6’’N 52°16’44.5’’W, window trap, xi.2009, Stéphane Brule (1 ♀ BMNH); unknown locality (1 ♂ BMNH); GUYANA: Region 4: Mallali, Schubert (1 ♂, 1 ♀ ZMHB) ; Region 6: Oronoque & New River Heads, 1938, H. Beddington (1 ♀ BMNH) ; Region 7: Bartica, Schubert (1 ♀ ZMHB); same locality, iv.1957, E. A. J. Duffy (1 ♀ BMNH) ; same locality, F. C. Bewditch collection (1 ♂ MCZ); Ikuribisi, x.1948 – iii.1949, D. Atkinson (1 ♂ BMNH); NICARAGUA: Chontales: unknown locality, T. Belt (2 ♂, 1 ♀ BMNH) ; unknown locality, Jansen (2 ♂, 2 ♀ BMNH; 1 ♀ FMNH); unknown locality (1 ♂ BMNH); unknown department: unknown locality (2 ♀ BMNH); PANAMA : Bocas del Toro: Rio Changena , 465m, 27.ix.1961, G. Fairchild (1 ♀ MCZ) ; Chiriqui : David, Champion (1 ♂ FMNH) ; same locality, vii.[19]30 (1 ♀ FMNH) ; V. de Chiriqui, 2[000]– 3000ft., Champion (1 ♀ BMNH) ; Coclé: 7.2km NE El Copé , 730m, 8°42’N 80°35’W, 20.vi.1995, J. Ashe & R. Brooks, SM0006388 (1 ♀ SEMC) ; Guna Yala: San Blas Nusagandi Reserve , 9°21’N 78° 59’W, 350m, 16–17.v.1995, FIT, J. Ashe, SM0006097 (1 ♀ SEMC) ; Panamá: El Llano-Carti Rd. , 400m, vii.1982, B. Gill (1 ♀ CNC) ; PARAGUAY: Amambay: Cerro Cora National Park , 5–9.xii.1991, U. Dreschel, SM0045562 (1 ♀ SEMC); Asunción: Jardin Botanico , 250m, 9.i.1990, M. Cooper (1 ♂ BMNH) ; SURINAME: Saramacca: Reynolds Camp, Tibiti River , 20– 22.i.1972, F. Scott (1 ♂ CNC) ; TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Trinidad: Arima Valley, 24.vi.1981, in Atta cephalotes midden pile, R. Mendez (1 ♀ AMNH); Arima-Blanchiseusse Rd. milestone 7.5 (1 ♂, 1 ♀ BMNH) ; Guanapo Valley , 15.vii.1990, in Atta sp. midden, R. Mendez (4 ♂, 3 ♀ AMNH) ; 6.5mi Post, Maracas Bay, 27.viii.1969, H. A. Howden (2 ♀ CNC); St. George Co., Simla Research Station , 267m, Arima Valley, N. range, 10°41’34’’N 61°17’22’’W, FIT, premontane tropical rainforest, A. Ramsdale (1 ♀ FMNH) ; VENEZUELA: Carabobo: Valencia, F. Kummerow S.V. (1 ♂ ZMHB) ; unknown state: unknown locality (1 ♂ BMNH).

Diagnosis. Among species of Smilax with metallic dark blue-brown pronotum, S. pilosa is more similar to S. lynchi than to S. deneinephyto , however, due to the similar coloration of the head and pronotum, S. pilosa may be mistaken for S. deneinephyto . Smilax lynchi and S. pilosa have a more rounded head than S. deneinephyto (posterior angles sharper in S. deneinephyto ) and the disc of their pronotum is more concave than the disc of the pronotum of S. deneinephyto , which is more explanate. Smilax pilosa can be distinguished from S. lynchi based on the coloration of the head ( Figs. 7–8 ; reddish-brown in S. lynchi , metallic dark blue in S. pilosa ), the coloration of the pronotum ( Figs. 11–12 ; lateral sides of pronotum reddish-brown in S. lynchi , metallic dark blue in S. pilosa ), and the shape of aedeagus (paramere appears more concave in lateral view in S. lynchi than in S. pilosa , although this character may not be immediately obvious with just a handful of specimens).

Description. Body length 11.1–17.9 mm. Coloration of head and pronotum metallic dark blue-brown. Mouthparts (except mandibles dark brown) and antennae reddish-brown. Ventral surface of head and pronotum dark brown. Elytra dark brown. Legs and abdomen brown except segments VII–VIII orange.

Head ( Fig. 8 ) transverse, with rounded angles, width: length ratio = 1.57, widest near middle. Head with medium-sized punctures distributed evenly on lateral sides, distance between punctures approximately equal to width of punctures; punctures somewhat sparser medially. Neck with few small punctures and micropunctures. Pronotum: head width ratio = 1.31. Pronotum ( Fig. 12 ) transverse, width: length ratio = 1.26. Pronotum disc concave, appearing like dome. Pronotum on lateral sides with small, shallow dense punctures; distance between punctures equal to width of puncture. Punctures becoming larger, deeper and scarcer near midline; midline with no punctures but with shallow depression visible as thin line. Pronotum on lateral sides with additional two rows of deep umbilicate punctures giving rise to long macrosetae. Elytra with numerous small shallow uniform punctures; with additional rows (approximately 5 per elytron) of large slightly raised umbilicate punctures giving rise to long macrosetae.

Secondary sexual structures. Males ( Fig. 14 ) with broad shallow U-shaped emargination on posterior border of sternite VII; posterior border of sternite VIII with shallow V-shaped emargination. Females with no apparent secondary sexual structures.

Aedeagus as in Figs. 31–32; in dorsal view paramere converging to rounded tip; paramere shorter and narrower than median lobe; in lateral view paramere straight to slightly concave; without sensory spinules; paramere with rounded ventral projection. Median lobe in dorsal view wide, parallel-sided, converging to broad straight apex; in lateral view becoming narrower and elongate near apex.

Distribution. Widely distributed from Nicaragua to Paraguay in nests/refuse piles of Atta cephalotes and A. sexdens .

DNA data. Sequence data are available at GenBank for several genes, including COI ( KF178726 ), wingless ( KF178742 ), topoisomerase I ( KF178756 ), 28S rDNA (KF1787771), arginine kinase ( KF178801 ) and CAD ( KF178833 ). All of these sequences were used in Chatzimanolis (2014).

Remarks. 1. Several specimens were observed having mites on them. 2. Due to the large sample size of specimens for S. pilosa , it was easy to observe measurable differences in the size of the head with males having a typically larger head than females. 3. Bierig apparently recognized in his collection (now in FMNH) several subspecies of S. pilosa but he never published any of these.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Habitus photographs of Smilax Laporte. 1. Smilax deneinephyto Chatzimanolis, total length = 18.5 mm. 2. Smilax pilosa (F.), total length = 16.6 mm.

FIGURES 5 – 8. Head of Smilax Laporte. 5. Smilax deneinephyto Chatzimanolis. 6. Smilax kuntzeni (Scheerpeltz). 7. Smilax lynchi (Bruch). 8. Smilax pilosa (F.). Not to scale.

FIGURES 9 – 12. Pronotum of Smilax Laporte. 9. Smilax deneinephyto Chatzimanolis. 10. Smilax kuntzeni (Scheerpeltz). 11. Smilax lynchi (Bruch). 12. Smilax pilosa (F.). Not to scale.

FIGURES 13 – 16. Abdominal sternites VII – VIII of Smilax Laporte. 13. Smilax deneinephyto Chatzimanolis. 14. Smilax pilosa (F.). 15. Smilax kuntzeni (Scheerpeltz). 16. Smilax lynchi (Bruch). Not to scale.

FIGURES 17 – 23. Smilax pilosa (F.). 17. Dorsal view of right mandible, scale bar = 1 mm. 18. Ventral view of left mandible, scale bar = 1 mm. 19. Left maxilla, scale bar = 0.58 mm. 20. Hypopharynx with right labial palp, scale bar = 0.48 mm. 21. Antenna, scale bar = 1.1 mm. 22. Ventral view of protibia and protarsus, scale bar = 0.95 mm. 23. Prosternum, scale bar = 1.3 mm.