Bolitogyrus pulchrus Brunke

Brunke, Adam J. & Solodovnikov, Alexey, 2014, A revision of the Neotropical species of Bolitogyrus Chevrolat, a geographically disjunct lineage of Staphylinini (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), ZooKeys 423, pp. 1-113 : 27-28

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Staphylinidae

Bolitogyrus pulchrus Brunke sp. n. Figs 1C, 5E, 16 A–B, 23C, 26D, 29C (map)

Type locality.

Costa Rica, San José, San Gerardo de Dota, Finca los Chacón, 9.5489, -83.8106 [co-ordinates from INBIO database].

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (INBIO): COSTA RICA, Prov. San José, Dota, Savegre, Finca los Chacón, 2151m, 30 JUN - 1 JUL 2002, R. González, ‘Libre’. [=hand collected], L_S_388700_484200 #70747 / INB0003522884, INBIOCRI COSTA RICA [INBIO barcode label] / Holotype, Bolitogyrus pulchrus , Des. A. Brunke [red label].

Material excluded from type series: PANAMA: Chiriqui Prov., La Fortuna, "Hydro Trail", 8°42'N, 82°14'W, 1150 m, 23-V- 9 VI 1995, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, #156, ex: flight intercept trap [white printed label], SM0037993, KUNHM-ENT, 1 ♀ (SEMC).

Diagnosis.

Head without central protuberance; antenna and legs (except for coxa and base of antennomere II) dark brown (Fig. 5E); entire or apical half of abdominal segment VIII and entire genital segment dark, contrasting with pale segments III–V; abdominal sternites with fine transverse microsculpture, interspaces about as wide as lines (Fig. 13D); female procoxa completely pale, contrasting with rest of leg; arms of paramere divergent and with fields of peg setae extended basad (Fig. 16 A–B); female tergite X with raised disc contiguous with base but converging strongly toward apex (Fig. 26D); female gonocoxite not distinctly swollen at base.

Description.

Measurements ♂ (n=1): HW/HL 1.43; PW/PL 1.37; EW/EL 1.37; ESut/PL 0.86; PW/HW 1.20; forebody length 5.1 mm.

Measurements ♀ (n=1): HW/HL 1.40; PW/PL 1.41; EW/EL 1.29; ESut/PL 0.79; PW/HW 1.14; forebody length 5.3 mm.

Similar to Bolitogyrus buphthalmus and differing only in the following: head and pronotum reddish orange with bronze metallic reflection (female specimen) or head dark with bluish-purple metallic reflection, pronotum with bright violet metallic reflection and margins broadly reddish (holotype); elytra with bluish-purple to violet metallic reflection and with extreme base reddish; abdominal segments III–V reddish, VI reddish (male holotype) or red with dark base (female specimen), VII reddish with dark apex (male holotype) or reddish (female specimen), VIII reddish with dark apex (female specimen) or entirely dark (male holotype), genital segment dark; all antennomeres dark brown, base of II dark red; legs not distinctly bicolored: coxa light reddish-brown and remainder of leg entirely dark brown; median frontal impression weak; head with punctation finer than in Bolitogyrus buphthalmus ; last segment of labial palpus distinctly setose, setae more numerous and longer than in Bolitogyrus buphthalmus ; pronotum with pair of depressions but without distinct protuberance in lateral view; male sternite VII with impressed, apical triangular area about as long as half the length of sternite; median lobe in lateral view recurved dorsad (c.f. Fig. 15F); paramere with divergent arms, distinctly more parallel sided in basal half, peg setae fields extended basad (Fig. 16 A–B); male sternite IX similar to Bolitogyrus buphthalmus but with shallower and wider emargination and smaller base (Fig. 23C); female tergite X with raised disc contiguous with base but converging strongly toward apex, apex evenly formed to a point, not produced (Fig. 26D).

Distribution.

Figure 29C. Known from the Talamanca Cordillera in Costa Rica and in adjacent Panama ( Chiriquí province).

Bionomics.

This species has been collected in May and June/July at 1150 and 2150 m from a flight intercept trap and by hand collecting. Nothing is known about this species’ habitat preferences.

Etymology.

The species epithet means ‘beautiful’ in Latin and refers to the striking combination of metallic purple and non-metallic red in this taxon.

Comments.

Bolitogyrus pulchrus is most similar in habitus to Bolitogyrus fulgidus but can be distinguished by the dark antennae and abdominal apex, the more uneven elytral disc and the differently shaped female tergite X. The female specimen is from a much lower elevation on the Caribbean slope of the Panamanian portion of the Talamancas and differs from the male holotype in abdominal and head coloration. Both specimens share a dark genital segment and the unique, entirely dark antennae and legs. However, the female specimen is excluded from the type series as it may represent another undescribed species closely related to Bolitogyrus pulchrus .