Elacatis immaculatus (Champion)

Pollock, Darren A., 2018, Review of the Nearctic (north of Mexico) species of Elacatis Pascoe (Coleoptera: Salpingidae: Othniinae), Zootaxa 4420 (3), pp. 301-333 : 309

Elacatis immaculatus (Champion)

( Figs 2 , 16–17 , 28 , 34 )

Othnius immaculatus Champion 1913: 168 , plate IV, fig. 13. Type locality: “ Mexico (Truqui, in Mus. Brit., ex coll. Fry)”.— Blackwelder 1945: 494.

Types. Type(s) in BMNH; Champion (1913) mentioned four specimens, and assumed that there were two males and two females (based on broader head and longer antennae). Primary type(s) were not examined for this species, but photos of types of both O. immaculatus and O. planatus were studied. Comparison of these photos with the specimens on hand indicates that the species is E. immaculatus (Champion) . Also, the original description and habitus drawing of O. immaculatus agree with the examined specimens. No lectotype was designated for Othnius immaculatus .

Diagnosis. Elytra uniformly red-brown without contrasting lighter areas ( Fig. 2 ); dorsal surface of body distinctly flattened, with relatively sparse punctation and setation.

Redescription. TL 4.0– 5.7 mm; GEW 1.1–1.7 mm; TL/GEW (n=12) 3.33–3.71.

Color. Entire body red-brown ( Fig. 2 ); antennae, mouthparts, legs, and abdominal ventrites somewhat lighter than color of head and pronotum.

Head with eyes slightly convex; dorsal punctures separated from each other by greater than diameter of single puncture; areas among punctures smooth, shining; setae golden, short, apressed, with a few scattered, longer erect setae, directed anteriorly; antennae relatively elongate (TL/AL 3.3–3.9), slightly longer in males; antennomeres 4– 8 moniliform to nearly subfiliform; antennomeres 9–10 in male longer than wide ( Fig. 16 ), in females slightly shorter than wide ( Fig. 17 ).

Pronotum. GPW/PL 1.04–1.11; disc flat to slightly concave; lateral margins evenly arcuate, widest near midlength; lateral carina with suggestions of tubercles in basal half; hind angles represented by short tubercle; punctures round, separated by 1–1.5X puncture diameter; areas among punctures smooth, shining; setae relatively short, apressed, all of a similar golden color.

Elytra. TL/EL 1.73–1.83; EL/GEW 1.88–2.13; disc flat, relatively abruptly sloping to lateral margins; punctation simple, relatively sparse, similar to pronotal punctation; setae relatively short, apressed, with few scattered, longer erect setae; all setae concolorous, gold-brown.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 28 ) with apicale elongate, ca. 1.5 x length of basale; apicale relatively slender, ca. 4X maximum width; basale subequal in length and maximum width.

Natural history. Specimens of this species were collected in/on dead sotol ( Dasylirion wheeleri S. Watson ex Rothr. ) and in association with “ Opuntia ” sp.; months of collection range from February to October.

Taxonomic notes. Several specimens have a label reading “ Othnius dasylirii Sz.”. This may have been a manuscript name of Seidlitz’s though I have been unable to find any further reference to this binomen in the literature.

Distribution ( Fig. 34 ). Southwestern United States; most specimens are known from southeastern Arizona, with a single specimen from near El Paso, Texas. The type locality of this species is in Mexico; therefore, the distribution of this species undoubtedly extends farther south of that shown in Fig. 34 .

Material examined. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Arizona. Graham Co. Galiuro Mt. [32.598738, - 110.350159], 24-25.v, Hubbard & Schwarz, ( USNM, 8). F[or]t Grant [32.622891, -109.94579] , 14.vii, Hubbard & Schwarz, ( USNM, 5). Pima Co. Santa Catalina Mountains, Molino Basin [32.3383, -110.6917] , 7.iii.1970, (FSCA, 1); 14.iii.1970, dead sotol [ Dasylirion wheeleri ], K. Stephan, (FSCA, 3); 25.ii.1972, K. Stephan, (FSCA, 1); 13.x.1974, K. Stephan, ( FSCA, 3). Pinal Co. Coronado NF, Santa Catalina Mtns, Peppersauce Canyon , 32°32’16”N / 110°43’06”W [32.537778, -110.718333] , 2.iii.2007, J.P. Gruber, at/in moist rotting bases of leaves in head of approx. 3 ft tall dead decaying Yucca sp. plant on slope, 4516 ft., ( WIRC, 1); Coronado NF, Santa Catalina Mtns, Peppersauce Canyon , 32°32’19”N / 110°43’09”W [32.538611, -110.719167] , 10.x.2011, J.P. Gruber, at/in moist rotting bases of leaves of dead decaying Dasylirion sp. plant, hillside, approx. 4765 ft., ( WIRC, 5). Santa Cruz Co. Papago Springs [31.606758, -110.632582] , 15.v.1990, N.K. & R.S. Miller, ( MTEC, 1). Texas. El Paso Co. El Paso, McKelligon Canyon [31.820732, -106.468128] , 7.8.66, Opuntia sp., (USNM, 1).

Figures

FIGURE 34. Nearctic (north of Mexico) distribution of Elacatis immaculatus (Champion) (based on specimens borrowed from U.S. and Canadian collections only); map created using www.gpsvisualizer.com.

FIGURES 1–6. Dorsal habitus of Elacatis spp. 1. Elacatis fasciatus (Bland) [“Va.”], female, TL = 5.2 mm; 2. Elacatis immaculatus (Champion) [AZ: Pinal Co.], male, TL = 4.2 mm; 3. Elacatis senecionis (Champion) [TX: La Salle Co.], male, TL = 5.1 mm; 4. Elacatis umbrosus (LeConte) dark form [AZ: Coconino Co.], male, TL = 5.5 mm; 5. Elacatis umbrosus dark form [AZ: Coconino Co.], female, TL = 5.6 mm; 6. Elacatis umbrosus light form [CA: San Bernardino Co.], male, TL = 4.8 mm.

FIGURES 15–27. Distal antennomeres of Elacatis spp. 15. Elacatis fasciatus (Bland), female; 16. Elacatis immaculatus (Champion), male; 17. Elacatis immaculatus, female; 18. Elacatis senecionis (Champion), male; 19. Elacatis senecionis, female; 20. Elacatis umbrosus (LeConte), male; 21. Elacatis umbrosus (LeConte), female; 22. Elacatis longicornis Horn, male; 23. Elacatis longicornis, female; 24. Elacatis larsoni, n. sp. (male holotype); 25. Elacatis larsoni, n. sp. (female allotype); 26. Elacatis stephani, n. sp. (male holotype); 27. Elacatis stephani, n. sp. (female allotype).

FIGURES 28–33. Tegmen of male genitalia of Elacatis spp. (note: median lobe damaged/distorted in most specimens). 28. Elacatis immaculatus (Champion); 29. Elacatis senecionis (Champion); 30. E. umbrosus (LeConte); 31. Elacatis longicornis Horn; 32. Elacatis larsoni, n. sp.; 33. Elacatis stephani, n. sp.