Aphelocerus coalitus, OPITZ, 2005

OPITZ, WESTON, 2005, Classification, Natural History, And Evolution Of The Genus Aphelocerus Kirsch (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2005 (293), pp. 1-128 : 30-32

DESCRIPTION OF APHELOCERUS SPECIES COALITUS GROUP Aphelocerus leucomelas (Chevrolat)

Figures 29, 30 , 54 , 126, 127 , 190 , 255 ,

257, 259 ; map 3

Tillus leucomelas Chevrolat, 1874: 281 . Lectotype female. Here designated. ‘‘Mexico’’, herein type locality restricted to Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico (MNHN). (Specimen point mounted; sex label affixed to paper point, white, machine printed; locality­species identification label, green mounted on white card, cursive; Paris Museum repository label, white with green marking; MNHN repository label, white, machine printed; lectotype label, red, machine printed; identification label, white, machine printed.) Gorham, 1882: 162. Corporaal, 1942: 137; 1950: 147.

DIAGNOSIS: These beetles are easily distinguished from other aphelocerans of the coal­ itus species group by their large size (about 10 mm) and by the often present short, longitudinal and obliquely arranged streaks of white setae on the elytral disc (figs. 29, 30). A. leucomelas (Chevrolat) specimens without white elytral setal streaks may be distinguished from superficially similar specimens of A. coalitus , n.sp. by the absence of decumbent white setae in individuals of A. leucomelas (Chevrolat) which are densely distributed throughout the elytral disc in specimens of A. coalitus , n.sp.

DESCRIPTION: Size: Length 8.9–10.1 mm; width 3.1–4.2 mm. Integument: Black, with streaks of white setae on elytral disc. Vestiture: With tuft of white setae on lower sides of pronotum, metepisternum, and elytral suture; cranium sparsely setose; pronotum densely vested with proclinate setae; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely matted with white setae; midelytron usually vested with five, variously developed, obliquely arranged streaks of white setae, setal streaks increase in length from those near suture to those near epipleuron, streak near epipleuron very long; elytral disc also vested with stout verical and short reclinate black setae; dense vestiture of setae on pterothorax, abdomen, and legs predominantly white. Head: Width across eyes equal to width across greatest width of pronotum; finely sparsely punctate; interocular depressions particularly deep; frontal umbo prominent; eyes oblong, moderately convex; antenna as in figure 54. Thorax: Pronotum elongate (47:51), narrower than width of elytra across humeri (47:63), densely finely punctate, side margins moderately arcuate, subapical depression very shallow; elytra with asetiferous and setiferous punctations and moderately convex in posterior half, depth of humerus 24, greatest depth in posterior half 30, humerus projecting. Abdomen: Male pygidium somewhat trigonal (as in fig. 101), female pygidium broad scutiform. Male internal reproductive organs (fig. 190): Two pairs of accessory glands; lateral gland uniramous, coiled distally and diverticulated basally; medial gland biramous, slender. Male genitalia: Aedeagus moderately sclerotized; parameres (fig. 126) well developed; ventral sinus half longer than dorsal sinus; phallic plicae (fig. 127) particularily well developed. Female genitalia: Dorsal lamina trilobed, ventral lamina unilobed.

VARIATIONS: The antennal club is less robust in specimens from Costa Rica, the elytra are nearly brunneus in one specimen from Comayagua, Honduras, and the definition and number of white setal streaks on the elytral disc vary. The streaks are absent in some specimens from Guatemala, Honduras, and all available specimens from Costa Rica. The specimen from El Progreso, collected by J. E. Wappes, differed in that the lower sides of the pronotum lack a definitive white setal tuft. For the present, I ascribe this difference to represent intraspecific variation.

NATURAL HISTORY: From Mexico, specimens were collected during May , June, and July ; from Guatemala during June and July (690–762 m) ; from Honduras during May and June, (609–850 m) ; and from Costa Rica during April, May, and June (70–600 m). J. Rifkind and P. Gum collected one specimen at 1067 m by beating burned vegetation in a pine and oak forest. They collected another specimen with light in Belize, during June at 290 m in a riparian habitat surrounded by hardwoods .

DISTRIBUTION (map 3): This Central American species ranges from Mexico to Costa Rica.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: I examined 22 specimens from: Mexico: Veracruz: 3.3 km SE San Andres Tuxtla , 9­VII­1963 ; 8 km E Veracruz, 12–25­VII­1964, E. Fisher, D. Verity ; San Luis Potosi: El Salto, 9­VI­1966, J. B. Karren, at blacklight ; Quintana Roo: 18–24 km S San Felipe Carr. Pte. , 21­IV–1­I­1984, J. E. Wappes, feeding on blossoms of woody plant ; Chiapas: 2 km W Chicoasen , 30­V­ 1987, thorn forest, B. Ratcliffe & M. Jameson ; Hwy. 199, 10 km S Palenque, San Manuel Rd. , 30­V­1987, D. A. Rider, E. G. Riley, collected at mercury vapor & blacklight ; Parque Aguacero , 20 –23­VI­1987, J. E. Wappes. Guatemala: El Progreso: 10–12 km N Estn. de la Virgen, 2000–2500 m, 3­VI­ 1991, J. E. Wappes ; 8 km N La Estancia , 3­ VI­1991, E. Giesbert ; Baja Verapaz: 58.3 km S. Purulha, 690 m, F. Genier, hand collected ; Zacapa: Rd. to San Lorenzo, 549 m, 30­IV– 4­VI, E. Giesbert. Belize. Honduras: Francisco Morazan: Cortes: P. N. Agua Azul Meambar., mv 1 bl, 30­IV­1995, R. Turnbow ; La Paz: La Paz, 23­VI­1979, J. A. Chemsak, M. Michelbacher, W. W. Middlekauff ; Comayagua: 29­IV­1979, E. Giesbert ; Copan: Ruinas de Copan, 22–23­VI­1978, E. Giesbert, El Paraiso. Costa Rica: Cartago: Turrialba, Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñansa ( CATIE), 23­VI­1996, F. Hovore ; 19–21­IV­1981, E. Giesbert; Guanacaste: Estacion Los Almendros, P. N. Guanacaste, 300 m, 3–30­IV­1994, E. Lopez ; Est. Maritzas, oeste del Volcan Orosi , 600 m, VI­1990 ; R. Blanco: Limon. Specimens are deposited in: CASC, CDAE, CMNC, EMUS, FSCA, INBC, JEWC, JNRC, LSUC, NMNH, UNSM, RHTC, and WOPC .

REMARKS: There are several seemingly disjunct populations of this species ranging from southeastern Mexico to Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica. The specimens from Costa Rica do not have white 28 setae on the elytral disc, a setal development also found on one specimen from Guatemala. All of the other northern specimens examined have longitudinal 28 setal streaks, albeit variable in size and form. The aedeagus is virtually identical in all males examined. The homogeneity of male genitalia and the variation of the 28 setal streaks in the northern specimens suggest that the somewhat disjunct populations of this species are conspecific.

Figures

Figs. 29–32. Habitus views. 29–30. Aphelocerus leucomelas (29, dorsal view; 30, lateral view). 31. A. coalitus, lateral view. 32. A. bufustis, lateral view.

Figs. 47–61. Habitus view and antennas. 47. Aphelocerus formicoides (habitus, lateral view). 48– 61. Antennas. 48. A. ciliaris. 49. A. inconstans. 50. A. domus. 51. A. echinatus. 52. A. bispineus. 53. A. citimus. 54. A. leucomelas. 55. A. coalitus. 56. A. inbatus. 57. A. coactus. 58. A. nitidus. 59. A. lividus. 60. A. cornuatus. 61. A. acutus.

Figs. 121–138. Tegmina or phalli. 121. Aphelocerus inconstans, tegmen. 122. A. inconstans, tegmen. 123. A. citimus, tegmen. 124. A. argus, tegmen. 125. A. echinatus, tegmen. 126–127. A. leucomelas (126, tegmen; 127, phallus). 128–129. A. coalitus (128, tegmen; 129, phallus). 130. A. acutus, tegmen. 131. A. lividus, tegmen. 132. A. irroratus, tegmen. 133. A. acutus, tegmen. 134. A. arenatus, tegmen. 135–136. A. sagittarius tegmina (135, ventral view; 136, lateral view). 137. A. sculptillus, tegmen. 138. A. protenus, tegmen.

Figs. 184–192. Internal reproductive organs. 184–186. Aphelocerus inconstans. 184–185, male (184, accessory glands, testis, and ejaculatory duct; 185, base of medial accessory gland; 186, base of lateral accessory gland). 187–189. A. myrmecoides. 187–188, male (187, accessory glands, testis, and ejaculatory duct; 188, medial accessory gland). 189. Female. 190. A. leucomelas, male. 191. A. discapillus, male. 192. A. cheliferous male.

Figs. 248–255. Pronota, pygidium, sixth visible abdominal sternum, tarsal claws. 248. Aphelocerus. cohibilis, pronotum (dorsal view). 249. A. chondrus (dorsal view). 250. A. improcerus, pronotum (dorsal view). 251. A. protenus, pronotum (dorsal view). 252–253. A. vietus, male (252, pygidium; 253, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 254. A. patulus, female pygidium. 255a. A. leucomelas, tarsal claws. 255b. A. bispineus habitus. 255c. A. ciliaris habitus.

Fig. 257–260. Elytral vestiture. 257. Aphelocerus leucomelas. 258. A. chiriqui. 259. A. leucomelas. 260. A. ciliaris.