Thyreocephalus puncticeps Sharp, 1885

Márquez, Juan & Asiain, Julieta, 2016, Taxonomy of the Mexican species of Thyreocephalus Guérin-Méneville (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Xantholinini), Zootaxa 4169 (2), pp. 251-285 : 264-265

Thyreocephalus puncticeps Sharp, 1885

( Figs. 3 a, b, 5e, 6a, c, 10a, 11f, 12a)

Thyreocephalus puncticeps Sharp, 1885: 501

Thyreocephalus puncticeps Smetana, 1977: 349

Diagnosis. This species is most similar to T. arizonicus and T. halffteri by the dense umbilicate punctures on the dorsal surface of the head. It is distinguished from both species by the longer head, that is less convex at eye level, denser umbilicate punctation on the ventral surface of the head ( Figs. 3 a, b), apical teeth on the labrum slightly less developed ( Fig. 5 e), neck with two cavities, that in some specimens are connected by an anterior fine suture ( Fig. 3 a), ventral surface of the body darker than any other species of the puncticeps group and the biggest aedeagus, with short parameres, which has a small basal tooth ( Figs. 10 a, 11f).

Discussion. This species shows a considerably wide distribution in Mexico and can coexist with several species of this group, increasing the possibility of confusion. As shown in Table 3, the characters indicated by Sharp (1885) about the possible sexual dimorphism were not observed in our analysis of a more numerous series of specimens and, because at that time neither T. arizonicus nor T. halffteri were known, the species that this author mentioned as the most similar was T. rufipennis . Even though this work has provided more information for the identification of T. puncticeps , it still is necessary to observe the aedeagus because the identification of female specimens is complicated when several species of the puncticeps group are still unknown. Smetana (1977) designed the lectotype of T. puncticeps , distinguished it from T. rufipennis and T. halffteri , and also provided an illustration of their aedeagus, which was very useful for the identification of the species. However, we here provide our own observation of the aedeagus.

Natural history. The species has been collected in several substrates, mainly at soil level of the forest where it searches for prey.

Distribution ( Fig. 12 a). Species endemic from Mexico, recorded in the states of Colima, Estado de México, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Sonora and Zacatecas ( Table 2 ) ( Sharp 1885, Navarrete- Heredia et al. 2002, Márquez 2006). We have not studied specimens from Colima, Estado de México and Michoacán. With exception of the record from Michoacán (of the type series), records for Colima and Estado de México need verification, due to the morphological similarity with T. arizonicus and T. halffteri .

Type material ( Smetana, 1977). Lectotype (female): " Thyreocephalus puncticeps Type. D. S. Uruapan. Mexico. Flohr. (on the plate with beetle)/ Type (round label with red margin)/ Uruapan, Mexico. Flohr./ B.C.A. Col. I.2 Thyreocephalus puncticeps, Sharp. / Sharp Coll. 1905.-313./ Lectotype Thyreocephalus puncticeps Sharp, A. Smetana des. 1977". (BMNH).

Additional material examined. "Mexico: Guerrero, Sierra del Alquitrán , ex hongos, 20-VI-1990, L. Delgado col." (1♀, JLNH) ; "Mexico: Jalisco, Autlán, Puerto Los Mazos , 9-XII-1995, K. Esparza col." (1♂, CZUG) ; "Mexico: Jalisco, Autlán, Puerto de los Mazos , bosque mesófilo de montaña, ex hongos, 25-VII-1994, D. Pérez col." (1♀, CZUG) ; "Mexico: Jalisco, Autlán, Puerto de los Mazos , bosque de encino, ex hojarasca, 8-VII- 1996, J. Márquez col." (1♀, MZFC) ; "Mexico: Jalisco, Mascota , Cerro la Mona Km. 107 Carr. Ameca-Mascota, bosque de encino-pino, 1435 m, 20°27’N, 104°45’W, ex roca, 12-VII-2004, J. Cortés-Aguilar y V. Flores cols." (1♂, JLNH) ; "Mexico: Jalisco, Mixtlán, Cerro Chato , Carr. Ameca Mascota Km. 48, 20°28’51.2”N, 104°22’31.2”O, bosque de encino-pino, 1780 m, 14-X-2003, M. Vásquez col." (1♀, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: " 20°28’57.3”N, 104’22”35.6”W, 1710 m., ex tronco, 5-VI-2004, M. Vázquez y Cortés-Aguilar cols. " (1♀, JLNH); " Mexico : Jalisco, San Sebastián del Oeste, camino a La Bufa , desviación a Santa Ana , bosque de pino, 1850 m, ex excremento, 10-VII-1997, J. L. Navarrete col." (1♂, CZUG) ; "Mexico: Jalisco, Tequila, Volcán de Tequila , bosque de encino-pino, 1950 m, NTP-80, 7-IX a 16-X-1994, G. A. Quirozy J. L. Navarrete cols." (2♂, CZUG) ; "Mexico: Jalisco, Tequila, Volcán de Tequila , bosque de encino—bosque mesófilo de montaña, 1800 m, ex hojarasca, 24-VI-1995, H. Fierros col." (3♀, CZUG) ; "Mexico: Jalisco, Zapopan, Los Guayabos , bosque de pino-encino perturbado, 1800 m, NTP-80 pulpo, 15-X a 23-XI-1994, G. A. Quirozy J. L. Navarrete cols." (1♂, CZUG) ; same data as previous, except: "ex hojarasca, 4-VIII-1994, D. Pérez col." (1♀, CZUG) ; same data as previous, except: "bosque de encino, ex hojarasca, 20-VI-1997, H. E. Fierros col." (1♀, CZUG); " Mexico : Jalisco, Zapopan, Nextipac, Las Agujas , CUCByA, 9-X-1993, G. A. Quiroz col." (1♀, CZUG) ; sole data: "1929" (1♂, CNIN); " Mexico : Morelos, Tlayacapan , San José de los Laureles , bosque mesófilo de montaña, 1768 m, ex tronco en descomposición, 14-VIII-1993, G. A. Quirozy J. L. Navarrete cols." (4♂, CZUG) ; same data as previous, except: " 14-VII-1993 " (2♀, CZUG) ; same data as previous, except: "ex excremento" (1♀, CZUG) ; same data as previous, except: "ex hojarasca, # 1147, 19-X-1991, G. A. Quiroz, J. L. Navarrete y J. Márquez cols." (1♂, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: "recolectado como pupa". (1♀, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: "ex bajo corteza, # 690, 29-VI-1991, G. A. Quirozy J. L. Navarrete cols." (1♂, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: "ex Lyophyllum decastes II, # 673" (1♂, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: "ex bajo tronco en el suelo, 05-V-1990, J. L. Navarrete col." (1♂, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: "ex Lactarius indigo IV, # 532, 08-IX-1990, col. J. L. Navarrete. " (1♀, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: "ex NTP-80 A, # 542, 5-VIII a 8-IX- 1 990, J. L. Navarrete y G. A. Quiroz cols." (1♀, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: "NTP-80 A, # 447, 30-VI a 5-VIII- 1990 " (1♀, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: "ex Albatrellus cristatus II, # 436, 05-VIII-1990 " (1♀, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: "ex hojarasca, 5-V-1990 " (1♀, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: "ex Russula IIIA, # 798, 22-VII-1991, J. L. Navarrete y G. A. Quiroz cols." (1♂, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: "ex hojarasca, # 934, 24-VIII-1991 " (1♀, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: "ex ecremento, # 924, 25-VIII-1991 " (1♀, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: "ex bajo tronco, # 995, 14-IX-1991 " (1♀, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: "ex coprotrampa humana, # 1096, 16-IX-1991 " (1♂, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: "ex excremento, # 1163, 19-X-1991, J. L. Navarrete, G. A. Quirozy J. Márquez cols." (1♂, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: "ex suelo, # 1216, 12-I-1992, J. L. Navarrete, G. A. Quirozy J. Márquez col." (1♂, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: "ex tronco caído, 27-XI-1993, J. Márquez col." (1♀, MZFC) ; same data as previous, except: "bosque mesófilo de montaña perturbado, en planta, 14-VI-1999, J. Márquez col." (1♀, MZFC); " Mexico : Morelos, Tlayacapan , zonas 4 y 5, bajo roca, 1-II-1997, J. Márquez, col." (1♂, CC-UAEH) ; same data as previous, except: " 1-III-1997 " (1♀, CC-UAEH); " Mexico : Morelos, Tlayacapan , San José de los Laureles , N 18° 58.637´, W 99° 00.802´, bosque de pino-encino, 2156 m, en excremento caballar, 16-I-2000, J. Márquez y J. Asiain cols." (1♂, CC-UAEH). " Mexico : Morelos, Tlayacapan, camino a Santa Catarina , zona 4, selva baja caducifolia, en hojarasca, 9-VI-1996, J. Márquez col." (1♀, MZFC) ; "Mexico: Morelos, Chamilpa , U.A.E. M., 25-VI- 1988, 1850 m, AB-224, A. Burgos S. col." (1♀, JLNH) ; "Mexico: Morelos, Cuernavaca, Colonia del Bosque , bosque de pino-encino, en excremento vacuno, 23-VII-1995, J. Márquez col." (1♂, MZFC) ; "Mexico: Nayarit, Tepic , km 22 a 50, 8-VII- 1982, Harry Brailovsky col." (1♀, CNIN) ; "Mexico: Oaxaca, km 164.5 carretera Oaxaca—Sola de Vega, Puerto Escondido , 1800 msnm, 1 a 2-VIII-1991, ex Russula IIIB, # 913, J. L. Navarrete, J. A. Quirozy L. Delgado cols." (2♂, JLNH) ; "Mexico: Oaxaca, Sola de Vega, Puerto Escondido , ex hojarasca, # 906, 12-VIII-1991, J. L. Navarrete, J. A. Quirozy L. Delgado cols." (1♂, JLNH) ; "Mexico: Oaxaca, km 164.5 carretera 131 Oaxaca— Puerto Escondido , 1800–2000 m, 24 a 28-VI-1995, A. Pérez, A. Soria y J. Blackaller cols." (1♂, CNIN) ; "Mexico: Oaxaca, Ixtlán de Juárez, km 152 a Tuxtepec , N 17° 20.623´, W 96° 30.92´, bosque de pino-encino, 1923 m, en tronco caído, 16-XI-1999, J. Márquez col." (1♂, MZFC) ; "Mexico: Sonora, Yecora, Cabañas , 28°22’45.5”N, 108°54’58.1”W, bosque de pino, 1650 m, ex excremento, 9-VIII-2000, G. A. Quirozy J. L. Navarrete cols." (1♂, JLNH) ; "Mexico: Zacatecas, Teúl de González, Camino a Milpillas , Arroyo patitos, 21°21’05.2”N, 103°34’00.1”W, bosque de encino Juniperus, 1698 m , 31-I-2004, V. Gómez y E. López " (1♂, JLNH) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Thyreocephalus puncticeps: a) dorsal view of the head and pronotum; b) ventral view of the head (mandibles excluded). Thyreocephalus rufipennis: c) dorsal view of the head and pronotum; d) ventral view of the head (mandibles excluded). Scale = 2 mm.

FIGURE 5. Dorsal view of the labrum of: a) Thyreocephalus unicolor, b) T. sp. aff. subtilis, c) T. jalapaensis, d) T. scutellaris, e) T. puncticeps, g) T. rufipennis, h) T. halffteri, i) T. arizonicus.

FIGURE 10. Ventral view of the aedeagus of: a) Thyreocephalus puncticeps, b) T. arizonicus (" wrinkled " variation), c) T. arizonicus (normal). Scale = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 12. Geographic distribution and individual track of: a) T. puncticeps (black squares) and T. unicolor (black circles); b) T. arizonicus (gray squares), T. jalapaensis (black circles) and T. rufipennis (white circles).