Hyboptera auxilidora Erwin, 2004

Erwin, Terry L. & Henry, Shasta C., 2017, Hyboptera Chaudoir, 1872 of the Cryptobatida group of subtribe Agrina: A taxonomic revision with notes on their ways of life (Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini), ZooKeys 714, pp. 61-127 : 98

Hyboptera auxilidora Erwin, 2004 Maria’s humps-backed beetle Figs 6B , 11

Hyboptera auxilidora Erwin, 2004: 35.

Holotype.

Male. USA. Texas, Hidalgo County, nr. Mission, Bentson Rio Grande State Park, 26.176°N, 98.385°W, 38m, 18 July 1981 (WE Steiner)(NMNH: ADP007623).

Derivation of specific epithet.

The specific epithet, auxiliadora, is an eponym based on the middle name of María Auxiliadora Sanchez, who for many years was responsible for the welfare of participating visiting taxonomists at INBio and its facilities and who made life easy therein while we undertook our studies of the rich Costa Rican fauna and flora.

Proposed English vernacular name.

Maria’s humps-backed beetle.

Diagnosis.

With the attributes of the genus and tuberculata species group as described above and adults with only dark non-metallic markings on the pronotal disc, venter substantially infuscated, pronotum with discal rugae etched at an angle aimed medio-posteriorly, or somewhat chaotically; elytron with sutural margin at apical sixth pale, not black, if brownish not contrasting with background color, and elytra just posterior to scutellum with a V-shaped pale area encompassing the sutures and first intervals. Elytron broad with markedly arcuate lateral margin.

Description.

(Fig. 6B ). Size: See Appendix 1. Length (SBL) long for genus, ABL = 5.06-5.93 mm, SBL = 4.39-4.98 mm, TW = 2.42-3.28 mm.

Color: See diagnosis, above.

Luster: Shiny, not metallic.

Microsculpture: Mostly isodiametric or stretched, shallowly impressed, cells somewhat stretched around elytral tubercles.

Head: Rugae moderately coarse, mostly chaotic. Eye markedly large, sub-hemispheric, evenly rounded anteriorly, subtly more prolonged posteriorly. Antenna short, barely reaching humerus. Labrum rectangulate, shallowly bilobed, anterior margin slightly emarginate. Neck transversely rugose.

Prothorax: Pronotum markedly broad, disc centrally depressed along midline with dense arcuate rugae directed anteriorly in apical half, posteriorly in posterior half of disc. Lateral margins broadly explanate and subtly produced at lateral seta, but not acute medially then straight to obtuse hind angle, base medially slightly produced and rounded posteriorly.

Pterothorax: Normal for Agrina , fully winged. Elytron interval 3 with 10 discal unisetiferous tubercles and interval 5 with 9(8) discal unisetiferous tubercles, interval 3 with one such tubercle near apex, other intervals moderately convex, side margin broadly explanate laterally at middle third. Elytron moderately broad and short, moderately narrower than the pronotum at the broadest part, apex truncate, slightly rounded with distal corner broadly and obtusely rounded, disc not significantly convex, basal third slightly depressed. All interneurs well-impressed.

Legs: Femur dorso-ventrally moderately depressed, tibia coequal in length, more depressed; tarsus less than half the length of the tibia, fourth tarsomere markedly bilobed and with tarsal pad of setae.

Abdomen: Sparsely setiferous; normal ambulatory setae on sterna 3-5; female with two pairs of ambulatory setae on sternum 6, medial pair of setae less than the length of lateral pair; males with only the lateral pair of longer setae.

Male genitalia: Phallus (see fig. 20 in Erwin, 2004) with ostium 1/4 length, catopic and apex short and evenly rounded, endophallus with flagellum, flagellum not barbed. Parameres asymmetric, right very small, left very large.

Female genitalia: Not investigated, likely similar to that of H. lucida (Fig. 8 ).

Dispersal potential.

These beetles are macropterous and capable in flight. They are moderately swift and agile runners. Specimes have been collected from light traps (white and UV light) and Malaise traps.

Way of life.

Adults are found in July in lowlands (10-240 m.a.s.l.) in terra firme forests. The holotype was collected by W. Steiner from under bark of the tree Celtis levigata Willd. Vogt collected another individual from under the web tent of a psocid colony ( Psocoptera ). Adults have been obtained in March, April, May, July, August, and September; hence they are active in both the dry and rainy seasons in the lowlands on both sides of the Cordillera Central.

Other specimens examined.

Costa Rica, Guanacaste, P.N. Guanacaste, 30 km N Liberia, Finca Jenny , 10.8655°N, 85.5735°W, 240m, 14-21 August 1993 (E Araya)(INBIO: ADP007640, female); Limón, Rio Reventazon, Ebene, Hamburg Farm , 10.4149°N, 83.7506°W, 50m, 6 November 1925 (F Nevermann)(NMNH: ADP007947, female) ; Puntarenas, P.N. Carara, Estacion Quebrada Bonita , 9.7737°N, 84.6122°W, 100m, 17 March - 30 April ---- (P Campos)(INBIO: ADP007639, male) . Honduras, Atlantida, Tela , 15.719°N, 87.458°W, 85m, 15 May 1995 (R Cave)(NMNH: ADP135859, female) . México, Veracruz, 3.58 km NE Catemaco, Lake Catemaco , 18.444 N, 95.078 W, 355m, 23 August 1967 (GE Ball, TL Erwin, et al.)(UASM: ADP007621, female). Panamá, Canal Zone, Barro Colorado Nature Monument, Barro Colorado Island , Barro Colorado Research Station, Mess Hall , 9.1652°N, 79.8368°W, 70m, 19 February 1975 (TL Erwin, JL Lawrence)(NMNH: ADP027570, male) ; Cocle, El Valle , 8.603°N, 80.152°W, 829m, 26 May 1983 (WE Steiner)(NMNH: ADP135861, ADP135863, males, ADP135865, ADP005801, females) . USA, Texas, southeast Hidalgo County, 1 December 1946 (GB Vogt)(NMNH: ADP007638, female), Bentson Rio Grande State Park, Mission , 26.176°N, 98.385°W, 38m, 16 July 1975 (CA Triplehorn)(OSU: ADP007622, female), Sabal Palm Grove Sanctuary, nr. Southmost, 25.8419°N, 97.4247°W, 8m, 1 May 1979 (R.Turnbow)(UASM: ADP007620, male) .

Geographic distribution

(Fig. 11 ). This species is currently known only from the type locality and nearby areas in Texas, and from Panamá, and in between those extremes only from México, Honduras, and Costa Rica. It likely is to be found in other Central American countries with further sampling.

Figures

Figure 6. Digital Photo-illustration. Habitus, dorsal aspect. A Hyboptera apollonia Erwin, male, ADP 007944 B Hyboptera auxilidora Erwin, male, ADP 007622.

Figure 8. Digital Photo-illustration, female reproductive system dorsal and ventral aspects. Hyboptera lucida Henry & Erwin sp. n., ADP 148100. Legend, bc, bursa copulatrix; sg, spermathecal gland; sgd, spermathecal gland duct; sp, spermatheca. Dorsal aspect; lt, laterotergite; gc 1, gonocoxite 1; gc 2, gonocoxite 2, des, dorsal ensiform seta, b, base of gonocoxite 2; bl, blade of gonocoxite 2. Scale line = 0.25 mm.

Figure 11. Distribution map for known localities of Hyboptera species.