Eunota albicauda Duran & Roman, 2021

Duran, Daniel P., Roman, Stephen J. & Huber, Ronald L., 2021, A new tiger beetle from the Gulf Coast of Texas (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae, Cicindelini), Zootaxa 5072 (1), pp. 73-80 : 75-78

Eunota albicauda Duran & Roman , n. sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4AB9D7EE-5A01-49D1-9F6D-1AA86C5A627A

Figs. 2-6 , 7A , 8A

Type material. HOLOTYPE: 1 ♀, " TEXAS: Aransas Co. / 10 mi. N. Rockport / 10.IX.1966 // G.C. GAUMER, / leg. // ON SANDY FLAT ” ( NMNH) . PARATYPES: 1 ♂ “ Date : 9.27.50 / Kingsville , Tex. / Kleberg Co. ( RLHC). Type specimens labelled : HOLOTYPE or PARATYPE, respectively.

Diagnosis. Eunota albicauda n. sp. can be distinguished from all other similar Eunota by the following combination of characters. This species has ochre-brown legs with purple and green reflections ( Figs. 2–4 ), expanded white maculations that almost completely cover the apical 25% of the elytra ( Fig 5A ) but other maculations not so expanded, elytral texture rough/dull for a Eunota , not smooth/polished between punctures ( Figs. 2 , 6A ). Areas in between punctures form ridges/wrinkles, especially in basal third of each elytron. The most likely species to be confused with E. albicauda n.sp. are E. togata and E. circumpicta , however, it is separable from both of these taxa based on multiple characters. Eunota togata has numerous setae on the genae and the clypeus, whereas E. albicauda n.sp. is glabrous in both areas. Eunota togata is densely setose on the entire surface of the pronotum, whereas E. albicauda n.sp. has sparse setae, mostly confined to marginal areas. The apical portion of the elytra of E. togata forms a lunule ( Fig 5B ), whereas it is expanded in E. albicauda n.sp. to cover the entire apical portion of the elytra ( Fig 5A ). Eunota togata elytra possess relatively shallow punctures with mostly flat intervening areas ( Fig 6B ), whereas the punctures are deeper in E. albicauda n.sp., and the intervening areas are not smooth, but contain rough ridges ( Fig 6A ). Eunota togata has shiny dark legs with purple-green reflections, whereas E. albicauda n.sp. legs are a paler ochre-brown color with purple-green reflections. Eunota circumpicta possesses a typical apical lunule ( Fig 5C ) unlike the expanded markings of E. albicauda n.sp. ( Fig 5A ). Eunota circumpicta possesses shallow elytral punctures with smooth/polished intervening areas ( Fig 6C ), in contrast to the deeper punctures and rough/ridged intervening areas of the elytra of E. albicauda n.sp.. Eunota circumpicta has shiny dark legs with purple-green reflections, whereas E. albicauda n.sp. legs are a paler ochre-brown color with purple-green reflections.

Description. Small-sized Eunota . Body ( Figs. 2–4 ) length 10.8–11.3 mm, ♀ 10.8 mm, ♂ 11.3 mm. Head noticeably wider than pronotum due to large eyes, width 3.0 mm, ♀ 3.0 mm, ♂ 3.0 mm, vertex cupreous-green; all head portions glabrous except for two supraorbital setae next to each eye. Frons slightly convex in median area, clearly delimited from clypeus, gradually blending into vertex. Frons surface with distinct longitudinal striae especially in lateral areas bordering eyes, vermiculate-striate in median area. Genae bright polished cupreous-green with deep longitudinal striae abruptly ending at border of vertex. Clypeus cupreous, blending to green and green-blue in some areas, irregularly wrinkled to finely vermiculate. Male labrum with 6 setae, ochre-yellow to pale yellow with thin dark brown to black border; male labrum unidentate ( Fig 7A ), length 0.7 mm, width 1.4 mm; female labrum tridentate ( Fig 7D ), length 0.9, width 1.5 mm. Mandibles medium-sized, ochraceous, dark testaceous along edges. Maxillary palpi mostly yellow with darker metallic reflections, apical segment dark shiny metallic green to purple. Labial palpi ivory to pale yellow, apical segment dark metallic green to violet. Antennae of normal length, reaching humerus to basal third of elytron, scape dark testaceous with metallic reflections of cupreous, gold, and violet, with a single subapical seta; pedicel dark testaceous with metallic reflections of cupreous, gold, and violet, lacking any setae; flagellum antennomeres 3–4 dark testaceous with metallic cupreous and violet reflections, with ring of apical setae and additional sparse setae throughout, antennomeres 5–11 ochre-brown, dull-textured without metallic reflections and possessing erect setae in apical rings only, covered with fine pubescence throughout.

Pronotum ( Fig. 2 ) 2.1–2.2 mm wide, ♀ 2.2 mm, ♂ 2.1 mm, length 2.0– 2.1 mm, ♀ 2.1 mm, mean ♂ 2.0 mm, slightly polished with metallic finish, cupreous green, sparse white decumbent setae present along marginal areas of dorsal surface; disc finely rugose to vermiculate with thin but distinct median line and most strongly impressed anterior and posterior sulci; notopleural sutures clearly defined, not visible from dorsal view; proepisternum ( Fig 3–4 ) polished dark bronze, setae densely covering nearly the entire surface; all other ventral segments of thorax dark testaceous with metallic blue to violet reflections, lateral areas covered in setae, median areas glabrous.

Elytra ( Fig. 2 ) elongate, 7.2–7.5 mm length, ♀ 7.2 mm, mean ♂ 7.5 mm, shape similar in both sexes, but slightly wider in female, especially toward apical third; sutural spine small, fine microserrations present on elytral apices; elytra dull cupreous green throughout, with dense metallic green punctures. Intervening areas between punctures are slightly ridged ( Fig 5A ) giving the elytra a rougher texture than other Eunota . Subsutural foveae present, but nearly indistinct due to the background punctate texture; elytral maculations present, with a wide complete marginal band, a humeral lunule, wide and rounded middle band, and a greatly enlarged apical maculation. Apical area does not form a typical lunule seen in other Eunota , but instead the region is completely unpigmented ( Fig 6A ).

Procoxae and mesocoxae dark testaceous with metallic blue to violet reflections, covered in dense setae; metacoxae dark testaceous with metallic green to violet reflections, nearly glabrous, possessing only a few setae; pro-and mesotrochanters with a single subapical seta, metatrochanters glabrous; femora pale ochre-brown with some metallic green to violet reflections, especially on the metafemora, femoral surface with rows of erect white setae dorsally and ventrally; tibiae pale ochre-brown with green to violet reflections near the apices, clothed with white setae that are sparser and shorter than those of the femora; tarsi pale ochre-brown with green to violet reflections near the apices, first three dilated protarsomeres in male with dense greyish-white setal pads.

Abdominal ventrites 1–6 dark testaceous with most surfaces covered by metallic blue, dark blue and violet reflections; dense white decumbent setae present mostly along lateral third of each ventrite. The male specimen (paratype) has a damaged abdomen and an intact aedeagus was not available for study.

Etymology. Eunota albicauda n. sp. is named for the extensive white maculated area of the posterior portion of the elytra, derived from Latin: albi - = white, -c auda = tail.

Distribution and habitat. Eunota albicauda n. sp. is currently known only from two localities along the Gulf Coast of southern Texas, “Kingsville and 10 m N. of Rockport. The only habitat information is found on the Rockport specimen label: “on sandy flat. The majority of Eunota , including the E. circumpicta group, inhabit muddy or sandy saline habitats, and this species likely does as well. Both specimens of Eunota albicauda n. sp. were collected in September, suggesting that this species may be active late in the season and may not overlap significantly with the adult phenology of other sympatric Eunota .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Eunota albicauda n. sp. dorsal habitus of holotype (female).

FIGURE 3. Eunota albicauda n. sp. lateral habitus of holotype (female).

FIGURE 4. Eunota albicauda n. sp. ventral habitus of holotype (female).

FIGURE 5. Apical 4/10th of elytra illustrating maculation patterns. A) Eunota albicauda n. sp., B) E. togata, C) E. circumpicta.

FIGURE 6. Elytral sculpturing. A) Eunota albicauda n. sp., B) E. togata, C) E. circumpicta

FIGURE 7. Labral shape of male A) Eunota albicauda n. sp., B) E. circumpicta, C) E. togata. Labral shape of female D) Eunota albicauda n. sp., E) E. circumpicta, F) E. togata.