Philonthus figulus Erichson, 1840

Chani-Posse, Mariana, 2010, Revision of the southern South American species of Philonthus Stephens (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) 2595, Zootaxa 2595, pp. 1-70 : 27-29

Philonthus figulus Erichson, 1840

( Figs. 60–65, 149)

Philonthus figulus Erichson, 1840: 464 ; R. Sahlberg, 1847: 790 (list); Chevrolat and Fauvel, 1863: 434 (characters); Fauvel, 1877 (list); Sharp, 1885: 415 (notes); Fauvel, 1891: 115 (list); Fauvel, 1901: 86 (list); Bernhauer and Schubert, 1914: 338 (catalog); Bruch, 1915: 444 (catalog); Scheerpeltz, 1933: 1342 (catalog); Blackwelder, 1943: 409 (characters); Blackwelder, 1944: 133 (list); Herman, 2001b: 2822 (catalog); Chani-Posse, 2004: 230 (list).

Philonthus amazonicus Sharp, 1876: 165 ; Sharp, 1885: 415 (syn. of figulus ); Fauvel, 1891: 115 (syn. of figulus ); Bernhauer and Schubert, 1914: 338 (catalog; syn. of figulus ); Blackwelder, 1943: 409 (syn. of figulus ).

Diagnosis. Philonthus figulus may be identified by the eyes twice as long as temples seen from above, and the distance separating medial interocular punctures on frons about four times as large as distance separating medial punctures from lateral punctures. It differs from P. aeruginosus by the male sternum 8 deeply emarginate medio-apically.

Redescription. Length of the body 8.5–9.2 mm. Coloration. Head black; thorax castaneous-piceous; elytra piceous; abdominal segments castaneous-piceous to castaneous-brunneous at apical margins and last abdominal segments, shiny but not iridiscent; antennae castaneous-brunneous, palpi and legs brunneous.

Head about as long as to slightly longer than wide (HW/HL= 1.2–1.0) and at basal third as wide as distal third in both sexes, slightly narrower than pronotum (HW/PW= 0.84); 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 about four times as large as distance separating medial punctures from lateral punctures; infraorbital ridge present, reaching postgenal ridge. Eyes distinctly longer than temples (EL/ TL= 2.14–2.08) seen from above. Antennae with segment 1 slightly shorter than segments 2 and 3 combined, segments 2 shorter than segment 3, segments 4–10 elongate. Maxillary palpus with segment 2 not swollen, no more than twice as long as its maximum width; last segment fusiform, 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), 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 distinctly smaller than 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 arcuate.

Male genitalia. Sternum 8 deeply emarginate medio-apically. Tergum 10 wide and arcuate medio-apically ( Fig. 64), with four long subapical macrosetae and 8–10 short apical setae. Sternum 9 deeply emarginate apically, with two long subapical macrosetae and two apical setae at each side ( Fig. 60). Aedeagus with median lobe gradually narrowed from base of paramere; apex of median lobe subacute (in dorsal view) and simple in its apical fourth (in lateral view); paramere elongate and entire, leaf-like, reaching two thirds of median lobe length ( Fig. 62, 63), with two lateral rows of sensory peg setae joined at apex. Internal sac with distinctly sclerotized structures ( Fig. 62, 63).

Female genitalia. Tergum 10 acute medio-apically ( Fig. 61), with four long subapical macrosetae and four short apical setae. Second gonocoxite with 2–5 strong setae along its outer margin, and stylus with two long apical setae ( Fig. 65).

Geographical distribution. Philonthus figulus is distributed from northeastern Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay northward to Brazil, Ecuador, Panamá, Costa Rica and Cuba ( Fig. 149).

Bionomics. Blackwelder (1943) collected this species from “dung and manure, from a pile of rotting grass, from the refuse of lime and grapefruits canneries, and flying at dusk”. According to information on specimen labels, P. figulus has been collected in subtropical and palm forests with flight intercept traps and carrion traps, and also collected from cattle dung.

Type material. Lectotype (here designated), ♂, with labels: “6094”, “ Brasil. West.” (green label), “ figulus Er. ” (green label), “ SYNTYPUS Philonthus figulus Erichson, 1840 labelled by MNHUB 2006” (red label) “ Lectotype Philonthus figulus Erichson, 1840 / Des. Chani-Posse de Maus 2009 ”( MNHUB).

Notes. I designate a lectotype rather than assume that the above specimen is the holotype since in the original description by Erichson (1840) gave no information about the number of specimens examined. Therefore, it is possible that this name was based on more than one specimen ( ICZN 1999, Recommendation 73F). The lectotype agrees with the original description by Erichson (1840).

Additional material: 47 specimens (16 ♂, 15 ♀, 16 unsexed)

ARGENTINA: Chaco, P.N. Chaco, 50km NW Resistencia , 13–16.XII.1990, S & J. Peck, FMHD #90- 281, seasonal subtropical forest 90-1110, carrion trap, 3 ♂, 5 ♀, 3 specimens ( FMNH) . Misiones: P. N. Iguazu, Empalme 101, 8.XII.1990 – 6.I.1991, S & J. Peck, 206m, FMHD #90-266, palm forest, 90-95, FIT, 5 ♀, 7 specimens ( FMNH) ; 190, C. Bruch, Philonthus figulus Er. , in Bernhauer handwriting " Philonthus figulus Erichs. ", 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( MACN) . BOLIVIA: Coroico: in Bernhauer handwriting " figulus Er. ", det. Bernhauer; Chicago NHMus Bernhauer Collection, 1 specimen ( FMNH) . Mapiri: in Bernhauer handwriting " figulus Er. ", det. Bernhauer; Chicago NHMus Bernhauer Collection, 1 specimen ( FMNH) . BRAZIL: Espiritu Santo, in Bernhauer handwriting " figulus Er. " Bang Haas; Chicago NHMus Bernhauer Collection, 1 specimen ( FMNH) . Mato Grosso: Barra do tapirape, 5–23.XI.1964, B. Malkin, 2 ♂, ( FMNH) . Para: Caninde, Rio Gurupi , 7–11.IV.1963, B. Malkin, in cattle dung, 1 ♀ ( FMNH) . Santa Catharina: Klimsch , in Bernhauer handwriting " figulus Er. ", det. Bernhauer; Chicago NHMus Bernhauer Collection, 1 ♂, ( FMNH) ; Nova Teutonia, II.41, Plaumann, Field Mus. Nat. Hist., 1 ♀ ( FMNH) . Rio URUGUAY: Field Mus. Nat. Hist. 1966 A. Bierig Collection, Acc. Z. 13812, 1 ♂, ( FMNH) . COSTA RICA: Vara Blanca , 1938, Field Mus. Nat. Hist. 1966 A. Bierig Collection, Acc. Z. 13812, 1 ♂, ( FMNH) . CUBA: Sierra Bonilla , 27.XII.1929, Field Mus. Nat. Hist. 1966 A. Bierig Collection, Acc. Z. 13812, 1 ♂, ( FMNH) . ECUADOR: Santa Ines, R. Haensch S., in Bernhauer handwriting " cephalicus Brh.", " figulus Er. ", det. Bernhauer; Chicago NHMus Bernhauer Collection, 1 ♂, ( FMNH) . PANAMA: Arrusielles , VIII.1930, Field Mus. Nat. Hist. 1966 A. Bierig Collection, Acc. Z. 13812, 1 ♂, ( FMNH) . PARAGUAY: Villarica , 1939, Field Mus. Nat. Hist. 1966 A. Bierig Collection, Acc. Z. 13812, 3 ♂, 2 ♀, 1 specimen ( FMNH) ; Puerto Eliza, A. Porta, in Bernhauer handwriting " figulus Er. ", det. Bernhauer, don. Porta; Chicago NHMus Bernhauer Collection, 2 specimens ( FMNH) .