Psylliodes appalachianus, Konstantinov, Alexander & Tishechkin, Alexey, 2004

Konstantinov, Alexander & Tishechkin, Alexey, 2004, The First Nearctic Leaf Litter Flea Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, The Coleopterists Bulletin 58 (1), pp. 71-76 : 73-75

Psylliodes appalachianus new species

( Figs. 1–12 )

Description. Body 2.37– 2.16 mm long and 1.40– 1.24 mm wide. Dorsum and head black, shiny with bright bronze luster. Pronotum more greenish than elytron. Antennomeres 5 to 10 and metatibia dark brown. Rest of legs and antenna dark yellow.

9) spermatheca; 10) eighth and ninth abdominal tergites; 11) tignum; 12) vaginal palpi.

Head ( Figs. 2, 3 ) with supracallinal, midfrontal and suprafrontal sulci absent. Orbital, supraorbital and supraantennal sulci well developed, situated close to eye and antennal socket. Antennal calli not developed, not separated from vertex and not elevated above vertex. Frontal ridge merges with antennal calli, wide between antennal sockets, narrowing towards clypeus. Frontal ridge with row of relatively short setae. Anterofrontal ridge relatively narrow, laterally as high as in middle, with row of relatively short setae. Facial part normally long. Vertex and frons evenly convex in lateral view. Clypeus with row of setae. Labrum with 6 setiferous pores. Second antennomere slightly longer than third. Fourth antennomere slightly longer than second, longer than third and nearly as long as fifth.

Pronotum ( Fig. 1 ) with width/length ratio 1.15, posteriorly wider than anteriorly. Pronotum slightly swollen anteriorly (as in many flightless Psylliodes in Caucasus). Lateral margin narrowly explanate. Explanation anteriorly as wide as posteriorly. Anterolateral callosity long, straight, nearly perpendicular, acute posteriorly. Posterolateral callosity not protruding laterally. Punctures small, well developed, slightly elongate, sparse.

Elytron without humeral callus, with maximum width slightly above middle. Lateral margin visible along whole elytron disappearing before apex. Apical side straight, apex narrowly rounded. Punctures arranged in striae. Interspaces with small, well developed punctures.

Metatibia wide, curved in lateral view, dorsally narrow and flat, 1.8 as long as first metatarsomere. Metatibial spur short. First metatarsomere attached to median side of tibia. Third metatarsomere solid distally. Claw simple.

Median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs. 4 –6) slightly narrowing distally, strongly curved in lateral view. Apex without denticle, slightly swollen in lateral view. Ventral side with membranous window. Border of window sharp basally. Surface of window covered with longitudinal wrinkles.

Apical abdominal tergite with well-developed groove in middle ( Fig. 8 ). Ninth abdominal tergite well-developed with two lateral areas of sclerotization ( Fig. 10 ). Spermatheca with receptacle much longer than pump. Internal and external sides of receptacle convex. Receptacle moderately cylindrical, with maximum width near middle. Pump narrow, short, rounded at apex. Horizontal part of pump much longer than vertical, much shorter than receptacle, forming acute angle with vertical part. Duct making large loop away from receptacle, pointing away from receptacle ( Fig. 9 ). Tignum straight, widening anteriorly and posteriorly (arrow shaped) ( Fig. 11 ). Vaginal palpus completely sclerotized posteriorly. Anterior sclerotization very narrow ( Fig. 12 ).

Discussion. There are only eight species of the genus Psylliodes known to occur in North America (Wilcox 1975). Psylliodes appalachianus can be easily distinguished from all of them based on the absence of wings and humeral calli. Other features which are helpful to distinguish P. appalachianus are as follows: apex of the median lobe of the aedeagus without denticle, slightly swollen in lateral view; ventral side of median lobe with well developed membranous window bordered sharply, especially basally.

Type Material. Holotype #. Labels : 1) USA: Great Smoky Nat. P. North Carolina, Haywood Co. Chestnut Branch Trail, 740 m, 1.VIII.2001, 35.459340N 83.079240W, leaf litter Berlese, leg. A. Tishechkin; 2 ) Holotype Psylliodes appalachianus sp. nov. des. A. Konstantinov and A. Tishechkin, 2002 ( USNM) . Paratypes with the same labels as holotype (2 # LSAM, 2 # USNM, 1 # GSPC) . Paratypes. Labels : 1) U.S.A., TN, Sevier Co GSMNP, Chimney Picnic Area Nature Tr., 35.389450N 83.29960W, elev. 891 m; 2) Flight intercept trap 26 June–1 July 2001, C. Carlton, V. Moseley, A. Tishechkin; 3 ) Paratype Psylliodes appalachianus sp. nov. des. A. Konstantinov and A. Tishechkin, 2002 (1 # LSAM, 1 #, 1 $ USNM) . Paratype. Labels : 1) U.S.A., TN, Sevier Co GSMNP, Porters Crk. Trail, 35.409130N 83.239520W; 2) elev. 870 m, 18.X.2001, old growth berlese, A. Tishechkin, A. Cline; 3 ) Paratype Psylliodes appalachianus sp. nov. des. A. Konstantinov and A. Tishechkin, 2002 (1 # LSAM) .

Figures

Fig. 1. Psylliodes appalachianus habitus, dorsal view.

Figs. 2–5. Psylliodes appalachianus. 2) Head, frontal view. 3) head and part of pronotum, lateral view. 4–6) Median lobe of aedeagus; 4) ventral; 5) lateral and 6) dorsal view.

Figs. 7–12. Psylliodes appalachianus. 7) Abdomen, ventral view; 8) apical abdominal tergite;