Anthonaeus bajaensis Cline and Audisio

Cline, Andrew R. & Audisio, Paolo, 2010, Revision of the New World Short-Winged Flower Beetles (Coleoptera: Kateretidae). Part I. Generic Review and Revision of Anthonaeus Horn, 1879, The Coleopterists Bulletin 64 (3), pp. 173-186 : 182-184

Anthonaeus bajaensis Cline and Audisio , new species

Type Specimens. HOLOTYPE ♂ ( UCB) MEX: Baja Calif. Norte; 7 mi. SE Maneadero ; 100′ el. III-25-1973 /collected by; J.A. Powell /[red label] HOLOTYPE; Anthonaeus ; bajaensis; Cline & Audisio des. 2009. PARATYPES 1♂ ( ARCC) , 7♀ (2 ARCC, 5 UCB) with same data as holotype, except yellow paratype labels . PARATYPE 1♀ ( CSCA) MEX: Baja Calif. N. 21; mi. N Chapala III- 28;-1973 Ex flower; Yucca peninsularis ; J. Doyen / [yellow label] PARATYPE; Anthonaeus ; bajaensis; Cline & Audisio des. 2009. PARATYPE 2♀ ( UCB, ARCC) MEX: Baja Calif. Norte; Jaraguay Summit, 22; mi. NW Rancho Chapala; 2600′ el. J.A .

Powell; Yucca peninsularis ; III-27-73/[yellow label] PARATYPE; Anthonaeus ; bajaensis; Cline & Audisio des. 2009. PARATYPE 1♀ ( UCB) MEX: Baja Calif. Norte; 21 mi. NW Rancho; Chapala 2500′ el.; III-27/28-1975; Szerlip & J.A. Powell/[yellow label] PARATYPE; Anthonaeus ; bajaensis; Cline & Audisio des. 2009.

Diagnosis. Differs from A. agavensis in the following combination of characters: body overall more robust with darker body coloration; head more broadly triangular, W:L never>1.7:1.0; anterior margin of pronotum straight not concave medially; metasternum more strongly transverse with W:L always>2.8:1.0; terminal abdominal tergite and ventrite more densely punctate; ventral surface of pro-, meso-, and metasterna alutaceous to granular and less shining; protibial armature less developed along lateral margin; apex of pygidium in females more broadly rounded; relatively narrower aedeagal parameres, elongate rather than tapering shape of tegminal medial grooves, origination of setae from inner tegminal margin, median lobe in lateral view more robust and with deeper apical notch; ovipositor gonocoxites more developed laterally; terminal gonostyloid appendages larger and possessing two rather than three primary setae. This species is also only known to occur on Y. peninsularis in Baja California.

Description. Length 4.0– 4.2 mm, width 1.9– 2.0 mm ( Fig. 7 ). Body color dark reddish or orangebrown, elytra sometimes lighter than rest of body. Some lowland specimens with elytra somewhat lighter than rest of body; all specimens from higher elevations unicolorous. Head broadly triangular (W:L = 1.6:1.0); punctures circular, interspaces smooth to granular with microreticulations laterally and ∼ 1–2 puncture diameters apart. Antennae elongate, subequal to length of head and threefourths of pronotum combined; club oblong; club ∼ 0.3 length of segments 1–8 combined; terminal antennomere with apical half conical and bluntly acuminate. Mentum moderately punctate, punctures similar to those on head, interspaces completely granular and separated by 0.5–1.0 puncture diameter. Submentum and gula less densely punctate than mentum, interspaces alutaeous to granular with microreticulations laterally, punctures separated by ∼ 1–2 puncture diameters.

Pronotum moderately transverse (W:L = 1.7:1.0), widest near middle, flattened or somewhat concave in lateral view. Anterior angles distinct, rounded, obtuse. Posterior angles indistinct, broadly rounded. Lateral and posterior margins narrowly explanate, lateral margins broadly arcuate to posterior margin. Anterior margin truncate to slightly shallowly concave. Posterior margin straight. Pronotal punctures dense, similar in size and shape to those on head, interspaces granular to alutaceous, moderately Meso- and metatibiae similarly shaped, pegs somewhat longer and also more numerous along apical half of lateral margin.

Visible abdominal ventrite 1 subequal to ventrites 2–3 combined. Visible abdominal ventrites 2–3 equal in length, both slightly shorter than ventrite 1. Ventrite 4 elongate, length subequal to ventrites 1–3 combined. Hypopygidium with posterior margin broadly convex, apex deeply densely punctate. Pygidium with posterior margin broadly convex almost truncate, apex deeply densely punctate.

Male genitalia well sclerotized. Tegmen with parameres narrowly rounded apically ( Fig. 8F ). Abdominal sternite 8, i.e. spiculum gastrale, with anterior angles projecting more laterad ( Fig. 8D ). Median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view with deep apical notch ( Fig. 8B ). Female genitalia moderately sclerotized. Gonocoxites moderately long, adjacent along most of inner margin; tapered basally and apically; 3 primary setae present along apico-lateral margin; apical styli well-developed and robust with 2 primary setae present ( Fig. 9B ). Spermatheca not observed.

shining, punctures separated by ∼ 0.5–1.0 puncture diameter. Prosternum relatively elongate, ∼ 1.5× longer than prosternal process. Apex of prosternal broadly evenly convex in ventral view. Prosternal punctures similar to those on mentum, interspaces mostly alutaceous to granular with some microreticulation present throughout, punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameters. Mesonotum with punctures similarly shaped as those on pronotum, ∼ 0.5–1.0 puncture diameter apart. Mesosternum flattened, at same level as metaventrite, truncate posteriorly for reception of metaventrite; punctures faintly impressed, similar to those on prosternum, separated by 1–2 puncture diameters. Metaventrite transverse (W:L = 2.9:1.0); metasternal discrimen incomplete in anterior 0.33; posterior margin shallowly notched for reception of first visible abdominal ventrite; punctures more deeply impressed than those on mesosternum, separated by 1–2 puncture diameters, surface sculpturing smooth to granular. Elytral punctures similar to those on pronotum, deeply impressed, interspaces finely alutaceous to granular, moderately shining, punctures separated by ∼ 1 puncture diameter.

Protibiae greatly expanded in apical half; apical half of lateral margin with 2–3 short pegs present, entire apical margin with blunt short pegs present.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a derivation of the type locality.

Biology. All specimens were collected in late March, which coincides with the early emergence and flowering of Hesperoyucca in Baja California. Larvae have yet been collected for this species, but adults with biological data indicate they have been collected only from H.peninsularis inflorescences.

Notes. The holotype male has the genitalia and terminal two visible abdominal segments disarticulated and placed underneath the specimen in a glycerin vial.

Figures

Fig. 7. Dorsal habitus of Anthonaeus bajaensis, female paratype.

Fig. 8. Male genitalia.Lateral view of median lobe of aedeagus of A) Anthonaeus agavensis and B) Anthonaeus bajaensis. Ventral view of spiculum gastrale, i.e. abdominal ventrite 8 of C) A. agavensis and D) A. bajaensis. Ventral view of tegmen of E) A. agavensis and F) A. bajaensis.

Fig. 9. Female genitalia. Ventral view of ovipositor of A) Anthonaeus agavensis and B) Anthonaeus bajaensis, C) Ventral view of spermatheca of A. agavensis.