Zeadolopus atratus Peck and Cook, 2014

Peck, Stewart B. & Cook, Joyce, 2014, A review of the small carrion beetles and the round fungus beetles of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Leiodidae), with descriptions of two new genera and 61 new species., Insecta Mundi 2014 (397), pp. 1-76 : 23-24

Zeadolopus atratus Peck and Cook , new species

Figure 39

Diagnostic description. Body strongly convex. Length 1.6–2.3 mm; greatest width 1.1–1.6 mm. Dark reddish brown to black, appendages dark reddish brown; shining, with faint reticulate microsculpture. Head with moderately fine, irregularly spaced punctation. Antennal club robust. Eyes large. Pronotum finely, sparsely punctate; sides rounded, posterior angles roundly obtuse. Elytral striae weakly impressed; strial punctures coarse, dense; interstriae minutely, sparsely punctate. Flight wings fully developed. Vertical face of mesosternum broad, convex, not medially carinate. Metasternum finely, irregularly punctate medially; coarsely, densely punctate laterally. In both sexes, posterior margins of meso- and metafemur concave, not expanded; mesotibia evenly widened from base to apex, strongly spinose; metatibia narrower, strongly spinose. Pale setae of ventral face of pro- and mesotarsi more conspicuous in males. Median lobe of aedeagus ( Fig. 39 ) broad, parallel-sided, curved dorsoventrally; paired apices with acute tips inwardly curved. Parameres moderately slender, reaching apex of median lobe, each bearing 2 apical setae. Inverted internal sac with median tube subtended apically by paired shorter rods that are recurved basally. Spermatheca of two connected spheres.

Type material. Holotype, male, with the following label data: “ CUBA: Santiago Prov. / Gran Piedra, Isabelica / 7–17.XII.95, 1100m / elfin forest FITs/ S. Peck, 95-84” ( SBPC) . Paratypes (20) have the following label data: same data as holotype (19, SBPC) ; same data as holotype except: Met. Radar, 6–17.XII.95, 95-76 (1, SBPC) .

Distribution. Known only from Cuba.

Remarks. Because of the geographic proximity of south Florida and Cuba, it might be expected that the species of the two areas might be closely related. However, comparison of Z. atratus n. sp. of Cuba with the species of Zeadolopus of south Florida ( Peck and Cook 2013b) showed no close affinity.

Etymology. The epithet atratus (Latin, dressed in black) refers to the dark coloration of this species.

Figures

Figures 37–43. Aedeagi, dorsal view, of Zeadolopus. 37) Z. bahamensis. 38) Z. caymanensis. 39) Z. atratus. 40) Z. cubensis. 41) Z. flavidus. 42) Z. lucidus. 43) Z. pusillus. Scale line = 0.30 mm.