Nesocyrtosoma larseni Hopp and Ivie

Hopp, Katie J. & Ivie, Michael A., 2009, A Revision Of The West Indian Genus Nesocyrtosoma Marcuzzi (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 8) 63, pp. 1-138 : 50-51

Nesocyrtosoma larseni Hopp and Ivie , New Species

( Figs. 57 , 169–172 , 267 , 288 )

Type Material. HOLOTYPE: Male. DOM. REP.: Prov.; Barahona , nr. Filipinas,; Larimar Mine : 26-VI-7-; VII-1992: Woodruff and Skelley, at light. ( FSCA) . PARATYPES (12 specimens): 3 specimens with the same label data as holotype (1 FSCA, 2 WIBF). DOMINICAN. REP.: Prov.; Barahona , nr. Filipinas; Larimar Mine ; 20–26-VI-;1992; R. E. Woodruff and; P. E. Skelley, at night. (1 FSCA). DOM. REP.: Prov. Pedernales; 14km N Cabo Rojo, 150m; 19AUG1988, thorn scrub-; trop.dry forest, M. A. Ivie; K. Philips and K. A. Johnson. (3 WIBF). DOMINICAN REPUBLIC; Pedernales Prov., 25 km N; of Cabo Rojo 10 July 2004; 18u 06.7699N, 71u 37.2459W; 679 meters- Day Collecting; Steven W. Lingafelter. (1 NMNH). DOM. REP.: Prov. La Altagracia; P.N.del Este, Boca de Yuma; entrance, 05 AUG 1999; 18u 21.9049N, 68u 37.0879W; M. A. Ivie, beating at night. (1 WIBF). Cayamas; 12. 2 Cuba/ E. A. Schwarz; Collector. (1 NMNH). CUBA: Cardenas, Gundlach 703. (1 IESC). Cayamas; 6. 1 Cuba/ E .

A. Schwarz; Collector. (1 NMNH). 1178/ Cuba; Poey Coll./ Tenebrionites. (1 ANSP).

Diagnosis. This species is similar to N. teresitae , but can be distinguished from that species and all other species by the dorsal surface of the pronotum having the antero-lateral surface raised and with large, deeply impressed punctures ( Fig. 171 ), distinct punctures on the hypomeron ( Fig. 27 ), elytral strial punctures evenly spaced and impressed throughout ( Fig. 169 ), antennomeres 7–10 enlarged, and absence of a ventral ocular depression.

Description (male). 5.0– 6.5 mm long, 3.0– 3.5 mm wide. Body elongate, slightly convex ( Figs. 169, 170 ). Shining black; antennae, mouthparts, and tarsi ferrugineous. Head moderately punctate dorsally; largest punctures subequal to a single eye facet, moderately impressed; extremely short golden seta emerging from each puncture. Antenna clavate; antennomeres 7–10 transverse, forming a loose, elongate club; apical antennomere subcircular; antennomeres 7–11 with stellate sensoria. Mentum with acute median keel raised anteriorly to a point ( Figs. 10, 12 ); ventral portion of eye reaching subgenal sulcus ( Fig. 9 ); postgena without distinct punctures. Dorsal surface of pronotum densely punctate; punctures separated by 0.5–1.5 diameters; punctures range in size from smaller to larger than a single eye facet. Pronotal marginal bead complete laterally, anterior and posterior margins with marginal bead effaced medially; anterior angles of pronotum acute, moderately produced and apically narrowly rounded; lateral edge of pronotum sinuate at base; pronotum with anterolateral surface raised ( Fig. 171 ). Hypomeron with distinct punctures ( Fig. 27 ). Prosternal process apically rounded with distinct marginal grooves opposite coxae not joined apically ( Fig. 172 ). Elytral striae not impressed, present as rows of medium, elongate punctures separated by 0.5–1.0 3 diameter; punctures becoming more elongate towards lateral and apical portion of elytron; elytral interstriae weakly convex, densely punctate; scutellary striae 4–6 punctures long; scutellum triangular, normal ( Figs. 169, 171 ). Mesoventrite thin antero-posteriorly, V-shaped, receiving prosternal process; metaventrite subequal to anteropostero length of mesocoxa ( Fig. 172 ). Metathoracic wing fully developed. Legs short, punctate; femora reaching beyond edge of elytron; tibia straight; metatibia with apical ventral tooth vestigial ( Fig. 57 ). Abdominal depressions on 4th and 5th ventrites present as moderately impressed pits ( Fig. 75 ); intercoxal process of first ventrite broadly triangular apically; ventral surface densely punctate; punctures weakly impressed ( Fig. 172 ).

Female. Identical to male, except metatibia lacking ventral apical tooth.

Biology. This species has been collected at light, beating at night, in tropical dry forest thorn scrub, and during the day by beating. This species likely flies as it has been collected at light and has flight wings.

Distribution. This species is found on Cuba and Hispaniola and is the only species of Nesocyrtosoma to occur on two islands. In Cuba, it has only been collected in Cayamas in Cienfuegos Province ( Figs. 258 , 267 ). It has been taken in three different provinces of the Dominican Republic; Barahona Province (at the Larimar Mine), Pedernales Province (between 14 and 25 km north of Cabo Rojo), and La Altagracia Province (Parque Nacional del Este Boca de Yuma) ( Figs. 260 , 267 ).

Etymology. This species is named for Kirk J. Larsen, KJH’s undergraduate advisor at Luther College, in acknowledgement for sparking and facilitating KJH’s interest in entomology and for his continued encouragement and support.

Figures

Figs. 50–61. Male metatibia of the Purple species-group species. 50) Nesocyrtosoma basilense; 51) N. dolosum; 52) N. purpureum; 53) N. crenulatum; 54) N. otus; 55) N. darlingtoni; 56) N. mutabile; 57) N. larseni; 58) N. parallelum; 59) N. cristalense; 60) N. cuprosum; 61) N. elongatum.

Figs. 169–176. 169–172: Nesocyrtosoma larseni. 169) Habitus, dorsal; 170) Habitus, lateral; 171) Pronotum; 172) Thoracic sterna. 173–176: Nesocyrtosoma parallelum. 173) Habitus, dorsal; 174) Habitus, lateral; 175) Pronotum; 176) Thoracic sterna.

Figs. 265–267. Nesocyrtosoma species distribution maps. 265) Distributions of N. gebieni, N. hispaniolae, N. neibaense, N. inflatum, N. skelleyi, and N. nearnsi; 266) Distributions of N. mutabile, N. garridoi, N. guerreroi, and N. cubanense; 267) Distributions of N. larseni and N. cuprosum.

Figs. 281–292. Illustrations of male genitalia in dorsal and lateral view of the Purple species-group species. 281) Nesocyrtosoma basilense; 282) N. dolosum; 283) N. purpureum; 284) N. crenulatum; 285) N. otus; 286) N. darlingtoni; 287) N. mutabile; 288) N. larseni; 289) N. parallelum; 290) N. cristalense; 291) N. cuprosum; 292) N. elongatum.

Figs. 23–28. Characters of the pronotum, hypomeron and prosternal process. 23) Nesocyrtosoma bestiola pronotum with anterior marginal bead effaced, lateral marginal bead complete, and posterior margin absent; 24) Nesocyrtosoma inflatum pronotum with anterior and posterior marginal beads effaced medially and lateral marginal bead complete; 25) Nesocyrtosoma lacrima pronotum with anterior marginal bead absent, lateral marginal bead complete, and posterior marginal bead absent; 26) Strongylium atrum pronotum with anterior and posterior marginal bead complete and lateral marginal bead absent; 27) Nesocyrtosoma cubanense hypomeron with marginal bead and distinct punctures; 28) Cnodalon viride prosternal process apically narrowly rounded, nearly to a point.

Figs. 10–18. 10–13: Ventral portion of head. 10) Nesocyrtosoma guerreroi ocular depression; 11) Nesocyrtosoma bankense ocular depression; 12) Nesocyrtosoma virens distinct postgenal punctures; 13) Nesocyrtosoma otus median keel of mentum broad. 14–18: Antenna. 14) Nesocyrtosoma crenulatum with antennomeres 10 and 11 with stellate sensoria; 15) Nesocyrtosoma guerreroi with antenna clavate, apical six antennomeres enlarged to form club; 16) Nesocyrtosoma crenulatum with antenna moderately clavate, apical six antennomeres enlarged to form club; 17) Nesocyrtosoma inflatum with antenna weakly clavate, nearly filiform, apical six antennomeres enlarged to form club; 18) Strongylium atrum with filiform antenna.

Figs. 5–9. 5–7: Mandible of Nesocyrtosoma hispaniolae. 5) View from back; 6) View from side; 7) View from front. 8–9: Ventral portion of eye. 8) Nesocyrtosoma lacrima with ventral portion of eye not reaching the subgenal sulcus; 9) Nesocyrtosoma darlingtoni with ventral portion of eye reaching the subgenal sulcus.

Figs. 74–76. Abdominal characters. 74) Nesocyrtosoma inflatum with abdominal depressions on 4th and 5th ventrites reduced to indistinct slits (AbS 5 abdominal slits); 75) Nesocyrtosoma otus with abdominal depressions on 4th and 5th ventrites present as impressed pits (AbP 5 abdominal pits); 76) Nesocyrtosoma skelleyi with first visible abdominal ventrite with a nipple at the apex.

Figs. 258–259. Maps of provinces of Cuba. 258) Provinces of Cuba from 1976 to present; 259) Provinces of Cuba prior to 1976.

Fig. 260. Map of the provinces of the Dominican Republic.