Gymnetina cretacea sundbergi Warner and Ratcliffe, 2011

Ratcliffe, Brett C. & Warner, William B., 2011, A revision of the genus Gymnetina Casey, 1915 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini), Insecta Mundi 2011 (173), pp. 1-28 : 11-13

Gymnetina cretacea sundbergi Warner and Ratcliffe , new subspecies

( Fig. 15-19 , 32 )

Type Material. Holotype male, labeled “ USA. NM: Dona Ana Co., Aguirre Springs, Nat’l Rec Area, D. W. Sundberg Coll//reared from larva coll’d VII- 2000 in rotten hollow of oak tree” and with our red holotype label. Allotype female labeled “N Mex DonaAna Co, Aguirre Spr. Rec. Area-Organ Mts, campground area, 8 Sept 1985 ” and with our red allotype label.

Paratypes labeled as follows: “NM, Dona Ana Co., Aguirre Springs, NRA 4 Jul 01, D. W. Sundberg” (1 male); “N.Mex: DonaAnaCo, Organ Mts, Aguirre Spgs. 23-VII-81, Olsen, Thomas” (1 male); “Aguirre Springs, ex pupa, 12-VI-09” (1 male); “NM, Dona Ana Co.,, Aguirre Springs, 13-14 Jul 96, D. W. Sundberg” (1 male, 2 females); “NM, Dona Ana Co., Dripping Springs Rec. Area, 12 Jul ’01, Sundberg & Wolfe” (1 partial male); “Dona Ana Co., Aguirre Springs, NM, July 10, 2009, D. W. Sundberg” (1 male); “Dona Ana Co., Aguirre Springs, NM, larva collcted. July 99, emrged. June 2000, D. W. Sundberg” (1 male); “Dona Ana Co., Aguirre Springs, NM, reared from larva, emrg’d June 2009, D. W. Sundberg” (1 male); “NM: Dona Ana Co., Aguirre Springs, June 26, 1997, D. W. Sundberg, ex pupal case” (1 male); “Dona Ana Co., Aguirre Springs, NM, emrged July 2001, D. W. Sundberg” (1 male); “NM: Dona Ana Co., Aguirre Sprgs., June 26, 1997, D.W. Sundberg, ex. pupal case” (1 male); “Dona Ana Co., Aguirre Sprgs., NM, emrged. July 2001, D.W. Sundberg” (2 males); “Dona Ana Co., Aguirre Sprgs., NM, July 10, 2009, D.W. Sundberg” (1 female). All paratypes with our yellow paratype label.

Holotype deposited at UNSM . Allotype and one male paratype deposited at WBWC. Remaining paratypes deposited at UAIC, DWSC, RMBC, and BCRC .

Holotype. Male. Length 22.0 mm; width across humeri 11.1 mm. Color black, shiny. Pronotum on lateral margin in anterior third with slender, broken, cretaceous band. Mesepimeron black, without cretaceous spot. Metepisternum and adjoining part of metasternum completely cretaceous ( Fig. 16 ). Elytra each with 2 large, nearly round cretaceous spots just behind middle ( Fig. 15 ). Pygidium with large, suboval, cretaceous spot on each side ( Fig. 18 ). Sternites 1-4 each with small, cretaceous spot on posterolateral margin. Metacoxa without cretaceous spots. Legs and venter black. Head: Lateral margins strongly elevated. Surface densely punctate; punctures moderate to large, glabrous (setae abraded away?). Occiput smooth, shiny. Frons with weak, longitudinal swelling. Clypeus with apex broadly subtruncate, strongly reflexed (weakly bilobed in anterior view), sides distinctly constricted just before antennal insertion. Interocular width equals 4.7 transverse eye diameters. Antenna with 10 segments, club subequal in length to antennomeres 1-7. Pronotum: Surface with punctures moderate in density and size. Mesepimeron dorsally with mostly dense, large, setigerous punctures; setae short, black. Elytra: Surface punctate; punctures moderately dense, moderately large to large, many ocellate; sides near lateral margins and apical angles finely rugose. Apical umbone pronounced. Apices subacutely produced. Pygidium: Surface concentrically rugulopunctate, setigerous; setae dense, short, black. In lateral view, surface in males flat except near subapex where convex. Venter: Setae black. Mesometasternal process flat on ventral surface, apex narrowly rounded, anterior face oblique at about 45 o to longitudinal axis of body. Abdominal sternites each with sparse, small to moderately sized punctures. Legs: Protibia slender, presumably tridentate but basal tooth obsolete. Parameres: In ventral view, base of each paramere lacking small, basally projecting tooth ( Fig. 19 ).

Allotype. Female. Length 23.1 mm; width across humeri 12.8 mm. As holotype except in the following respects: Pronotum black, lacking cretaceous band. Metepisternum cretaceous except at center base and adjoining part of metasternum where black. Elytral cretaceous spot near left margin with 3 small, ancillary spots; large spot near right margin with 1 small, ancillary spot. Pygidium black, lacking cretaceous spots. Sternites 1-3 each with small cretaceous spot on posterolateral margin. Head: Interocular width equals 4.4 transverse eye diameters. Antenna with 10 segments, club slightly longer than antennomeres 2-7. Elytra: Surface punctate; punctures moderately dense, mostly large, many ocellate, glabrous, becoming denser on sides. Pygidium: In lateral view, surface weakly convex. Venter: Abdominal sternites each with moderately large, crescent-shaped punctures, punctures denser near lateral margins. Legs: Protibia broader, tridentate, teeth subequally spaced.

Variation. Males (13 paratypes). Length 18.7-24.9 mm; width across humeri 10.3-12.8 mm. As holotype except in the following respects: Color: Pronotum on lateral margin in anterior half with slender, short, cretaceous band in 2 specimens, totally black on remaining specimens. Metepisternum and adjoining part of metasternum completely cretaceous in 12 specimens, metasternum lacking any cretaceous mark in 1 specimen. Pygidium with small, cretaceous spot on each side in 11 specimens (spots very small in 6 of these) and lacking spots in other 2 specimens. Sternites 1-4 each with small, cretaceous spot in 11 specimens, 2 others with spot on sternites 1-3. Head: Frons as holotype in 9 specimens, with longitudinal swelling obsolete in 1 specimen. Interocular width equals 5.5-6.0 transverse eye diameters. Pronotum: Surface with punctures moderate to moderately dense. Elytra: Surface punctate; punctures moderately dense, moderately large to large, many ocellate, becoming denser on sides. Venter: Abdominal sternites each with sparse to moderately dense (especially on sides) punctures. Legs: Protibia as holotype in 2 specimens (basal tooth obsolete), with only apical tooth in 5 specimens (basal 2 teeth absent), and with 3 teeth in 3 specimens.

Females (3 paratypes). Length 19.4-24.5 mm; width across humeri 10.2-13.4 mm. As allotype except in the following respects: Color: Metepisternum entirely cretaceous in 2 specimens and cretaceous with small, black spot in other. Sternites 1-4 each with small, cretaceous spot on lateral margin. Head: Interocular width equals 5.0 transverse eye diameters.

Etymology. We take great pleasure in naming this subspecies in honor of Dan Sundberg, who collected most of the specimens.

Distribution ( Fig. 32 ). Gymnetis cretacea sundbergi is found only in the Organ Mountains at the southern end of the San Andres mountain chain in south central New Mexico. This mountain habitat is surrounded by a sea of desert that isolates this population from any other. 18 specimens examined from BCRC, DWSC, RMBC, UAIC, UNSM, WBWC.

UNITED STATES (18): NEW MEXICO (18): Doa Ana Co. (18): Aguirre Springs National Recreation Area, Dripping Springs Recreation Area.

Temporal Distribution. June (5), July (12), September (1).

Diagnosis. This “eastern” population of G. cretacea is characterized by reduced maculation on the pronotum, mesepimeron, pygidium, and metacoxae and by its isolation in the Organ Mountains in Doña Ana County, NM.

Biology. Six specimens were reared from larvae or pupae taken in the rotten hollow of oak trees (label data). Gymnetina cretacea cretacea , G. cretacea sundbergi , G. howdeni , and G. salicis have all been collected from rotten tree holes, thus suggesting that Gymnetina species are tree hole breeders.

Figures

Figure 32. Distribution map for Gymnetina species.

Figures 15-19. Gymnetina cretacea sundbergi: 15) Dorsal view, showing reduced cretaceous pattern on pronotum as well as distinctive punctation on pronotum. 16) Ventral view showing narrower apex of mesometasternal process and reduced cretaceous spots on sides of abdominal sternites. 17) Caudal view showing sculpturing and markings on pygidium. 18-19) Dorsal and ventral views, respectively, of parameres. Note absence of tooth at base of paramere on ventral side (arrow).