Philonthus aeruginosus Nordmann, 1837

Chani-Posse, Mariana, 2010, Revision of the southern South American species of Philonthus Stephens (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) 2595, Zootaxa 2595, pp. 1-70 : 11-12

Philonthus aeruginosus Nordmann, 1837

(Figs. 10, 16–20, 147)

Philonthus aeruginosus Nordmann, 1837: 95 ; Erichson, 1840: 469 (characters); Bernhauer and Schubert, 1914: 327 (catalog); Bruch, 1915: 444 (catalog); Scheerpeltz, 1933: 1331 (catalog); Blackwelder, 1944: 132 (list); Frank, 1982: 38 (list); Herman, 2001b: 2741 (catalog); Chani-Posse, 2004: 230 (list).

Diagnosis. Philonthus aeruginosus may be identified by the antennal segments 4–10 elongate, the eyes longer than temples seen from above, and the iridescent abdomen. It differs from P. figulus by the male sternum 8 moderately emarginate medio-apically.

Redescription. Length of the body 6.8–7.0 mm. Coloration. Head castaneous- piceous; thorax and elytra castaneous-piceous to castaneous-brunneous; abdominal segments castaneous-piceous, distinctly iridiscent; antennae castaneous-piceous to castaneous-brunneous, palpi and legs brunneous.

Head about as long as wide (HW/HL= 1.1–1.0) (Fig. 10) and at basal third as wide as distal third in both sexes, distinctly narrower than pronotum (HW/PW= 0.71–0.67); dorsal surface coarsely and moderately punctate, with three to four postocular punctures and three to four epicranial punctures; distance separating medial interocular punctures on frons more than three times as large as distance separating medial punctures from lateral punctures; infraorbital ridge present, extending not far beyond postgenal ridge. Eyes moderately to distinctly longer than temples (EL/TL= 1.48–1.23) seen from above (Fig. 10). Antennae with segment 1 slightly shorter than segments 2 and 3 combined, segments 2 shorter than segment 3, segments 4–10 elongate (Fig. 10). Maxillary palpus with segment 2 not swollen, more than twice as long as its maximum width; last segment about 1.5 times longer than segment 3. Submentum about 1.5 times as long as mentum. Labial palpus with last segment 1.4–1.8 times as long as preceding segment. Neck more than 0.5 times as wide as head at widest point (NW/HW= 0.7).

Pronotum about as long as wide (PW/PL= 1.09–0.96) (Fig. 10), distinctly narrowed anteriad; dorsal surface of pronotum with two rows of punctures, each with five punctures. Hypomeron not visible in lateral view. Basisternum with medial longitudinal carina moderately developed, bulbous. Metasternum with circummesocoxal ridge broadly rounded medially. Elytra at sides moderately to distinctly longer than pronotum at midline (EtL/PL=1.4–1.2), distinctly longer than elytra along suture (EtL/Etl= 1.8–1.6); transverse distance between punctures about as large as to distinctly smaller than diameters of punctures. Both front and middle tarsi as long as front and middle tibiae; first segment of hind tarsus as long as segments 2 and 3 combined, and longer than last segment (S1/S5= 1.4). Abdominal terga moderately punctuate at basal area, distance separating punctures as large as diameters of punctures; terga 2 and 3 with elevated area between basal lines impunctuate, posterior basal line straight medially. Male sternum 7 with apical margin straight. Tergum 8 in both sexes with posterior margin truncate.

Male genitalia. Sternum 8 moderately emarginate medio-apically. Tergum 10 wide and subacute medioapically ( Fig. 16), with two long subapical macrosetae and 2–6 apical setae. Sternum 9 deeply emarginate apically, two long subapical macrosetae and one apical setae at each side. Aedeagus with median lobe gradually narrowed from base of paramere; apex of median lobe moderately elongate (in dorsal view) and simple in its apical fourth (in lateral view); paramere elongate and entire, leaf-like, reaching four fifths of median lobe length, with two lateral rows of sensory peg setae joined at apex ( Figs. 17–19). Internal sac with no distinctly sclerotized structures.

Female genitalia. Tergum 10 similar to that of male, with 3–4 apical setae. Second gonocoxite with 2–5 strong setae along its outer margin, and stylus with two long apical setae ( Fig. 20).

Geographical distribution. Philonthus aeruginosus is distributed from central Argentina, Chile (one locality) and Uruguay northward to Brazil and British Guiana ( Fig. 147). Erichson (1840) also cites this species from Colombia.

Bionomics. According to information on labels, Philonthus aeruginous was found in litter near streams, rotting fruit and in association with wasp nests like Polybia scutellaris (White 1841) (common name: “camuatí” or “camoatí”). Frank (1982) cites this species as parasitized by Laboulbeniales (Fungi, Ascomycetes).

Type material. Lectotype (here designated), ♂, with labels: “6107” (white label), “Hist.-Coll. ( Coleoptera ) Nr. 6107/ Philonthus aeruginosus Nordm. Brasil / Sello / Zool. Mus. Berlin” (green label), “ aeruginosus Nordm. Brasil. Sell.” (blue label), “ SYNTYPUS Philonthus aeruginosus Nordmann, 1837 / labeled by MNHUB 2009” (red label), “ Lectotype Philonthus aeruginosus Nordmann, 1837 / Des. Chani- Posse de Maus 2009 ” ( MNHUB). Paralectotypes: 4 ♀ with same green and red labels as the lectotype, and “ Paralectotype Philonthus aeruginosus Nordmann, 1837 / Des. Chani-Posse de Maus 2009 ”. Two of them with additional labels: “6107” (white label), “ Brasilien Sello” (blue label), “ Philonthus aeruginosus Nordm. ” (white label).

Notes. Although a male is mentioned in the original description, there is no indication that only one specimen was examined by Nordmann (1837). All the five specimens listed above agree with the original description and considered to have been syntypes prior to the present lectotype designation.

Additional material: 115 specimens (19 ♂, 17 ♀, 79 unsexed).

ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires: Palermo, 87, C.Girardo, 1 specimen ( MACN); 190, C. Bruch, 5 specimens ( MACN); 12.1897/ 17.IX. 1902 / 10.11.1905 / 25.11.1905 / 15.X.1908, C. Bruch, Philonthus aeruginosus Er. , 2 specimens ( FMNH), 3 specimens ( MACN), 6 specimens ( MLPA), 1 specimen ( NMPC); 1939, Viana, Field Mus. Nat. Hist. 1966 A. Bierig Collection, Acc. Z. 13812, 1 ♂ ( FMNH); 15.10.1909, C. Bruch, Steph., 1 specimen ( MACN); 26.VIII. 1902, de un nido de camuati, 1 specimen ( MACN); J. Bosq. Col., aeruginosus Nordm. , 1 specimen ( MLPA); Richter, Bernhauer determ., 330, Philonthus ferialis Erichs. , 4 specimens ( MLPA); ferialis det. Bernh., aeruginosus det. Bernhauer, Chicago, M. Bernhauer Collection, 5 specimens ( FMNH); figulus det. Bernh., M. Bernhauer Collection, 1 specimen ( FMNH), aeruginosus det. Bernhauer, Chicago, M. Bernhauer Collection, 1 specimen ( FMNH); 1939, Viana, Field Mus. Nat. Hist. 1966 A. Bierig Collection, Acc. Z. 13812, 1 ♂ ( FMNH). Córdoba: 2 km S Mina Clavero, Nov. 24, 1995, L. Herman, 930m, 2900, 6 specimens ( AMNH). Corrientes: S. Tome, 11. 926, naranja agria corrompida, 1 specimen ( MACN). Jujuy: Rd. From Calilegua to Valle Grande, XI-12-1995, L. Herman, 1160m, leaf litter in arroyo, 1 specimen ( AMNH). Misiones: Iguazu, 10-927, 1 specimen ( MACN); Loreto, Dr. A. Ogloblin, Philonthus longicornis Steph. 1 specimen ( MACN). Salta: 3 km W Baños, XI-19-1995, Lee Herman, 790m, 2883, leaf litter, 1 specimen ( AMNH). Tucumán: Concepción, Dec. 5, 1971, Lee Herman, in label " Catamarca ", sic., 6 ♂, 7 ♀, 3 specimens ( AMNH). BRAZIL: Mato Grosso: Corumba, Bang Haas, aeruginosus det. Bernhauer, Chicago, M. Bernhauer Collection, 1 specimen ( FMNH). Rio Grande do Sul: September, Bruno Pohl, Blackwelder collection, 6 ♂, 7 ♀, 15 specimens ( AMNH); Philonthus sp. det. A. Smetana 1994, 1 specimen ( AMNH); ferialis det. Bernh., aeruginosus det. Bernhauer, Chicago, M. Bernhauer Collection, 2 specimens ( FMNH). Santa Catharina: N. Teutonia, Plaumann, Chicago, M. Bernhauer Collection, 3 ♂, 2 ♀ ( FMNH). Santos, J. Metz, aeruginosus det. Bernhauer, Chicago, M. Bernhauer Collection, var. Mus. Germ., 1 specimen ( FMNH). Sao Paulo: Mraz LGT, Bang Haas, Museo Pragense, Chicago NHMus Bernhauer Collection, 1 ♀, 2 specimens ( FMNH). Ypiranga: Luderw. Leg., Museo Pragense, Chicago NHMus Bernhauer Collection, 1 specimen ( FMNH). BRITISH GUIANA: Essequibo: Moraballi Creek, IX. 1929, Oxf. Univ. Expedn. 1929-485, Philonthus aeruginosus Nordm. , 1 specimen ( FMNH). CHILE: Los Angeles, Feb 49, C. Porter, 2 specimens ( MACN). PARAGUAY: Villarica: August 1939, F. Schade, Blackwelder collection, 1 specimen ( AMNH). URUGUAY: Montevideo: Prado, 9.11.34, Philonthus longicornis Steph. , 4965, 36, 1 specimen ( MLPA); J. Tremoleras, Philonthus aeruginosus Ndm., M. Bernhauer det. 1 specimen ( MLPA); Tremoleras don., aeruginosus det. Bernhauer, Chicago, M. Bernhauer Collection, 2 specimens ( FMNH); Rio Negro, Arroyo Negro, 15 km S. Paysandú: January 1–6, 1963, R. G. Van Gelder, 2 ♂, 2 specimens ( AMNH).