Araeodontia peninsularis (Schaeffer, 1904)

Burke, Alan & Zolnerowich, Gregory, 2017, A taxonomic revision of the subfamily Tillinae Leach sensu lato (Coleoptera, Cleridae) in the New World, ZooKeys 179, pp. 75-157 : 86-87

Araeodontia peninsularis (Schaeffer, 1904) Figs 1C, 6E, 8A, 16 A–D, 18C

Synonyms.

Cymatodera peninsularis . Schaeffer, 1904, Jour. New York Ent. Soc., vol. 12, p 214. Wolcott 1910, Field Museum of Natural History, zool. Ser., vol. 7, no. 10, p. 34; 1921, Proc. U.S. Natl. Mus., vol. 59, p. 286. Chapin 1949, Smithsonian Misc. Coll., vol. 111, no. 4, p. 9. Barr 1950b, Proc. California Acad. Of Sci., ser. 4, vol. 24, no. 12, p. 496.

Type material not examined.

Type locality.

Mexico, San Felipe, Baja California Sur, Cape region. Type depository: National Museum of Natural History (USNM).

Distribution.

USA: AZ, CA, NM; Mexico: Baja California, Sinaloa, Sonora.

Differential diagnosis.

Araeodontia peninsularis is most similar to A. picta . Differences in the size and position of the maculae on the elytral disc will help to distinguish these species. The anterior pair of testaceous maculae on the elytral disc of A. peninsularis reach the epipleural fold and these spots are more closely approximate to the anterior margin on the anterior half of the elytral disc (Fig. 1C). The elytral disc of A. picta possesses two maculae that do not reach the epipleural fold, and these spots are more distant from the anterior margin on the anterior half of the elytral disc (Fig. 1D). Additionally, antennomeres 3-10 on A. peninsularis are shorter in length than those found on A. picta .

Redescription.

Male. Form: Body somewhat slender, somewhat elongate. Color: Head, pronotum, thorax, abdomen, mouthparts and legs testaceous to light brown, elytra brown to dark brown; mandibles in lateral view brown with posterior half black; two irregular, testaceous maculae on each elytron, the first located on the anterior half, reaching middle third of elytral disc, and the second maculae adjacent to epipleural apex (Fig. 1C).

Head: Feebly vested by semi-erect setae; surface weakly punctate; frons bi-impressed; eyes large, bulging, coarsely faceted; antennae extending to anterior third of elytra; third antennomere about 1.5 × the length of second antennomere; antennomeres 3-10 about the same length; antennomeres 4-10 robust; eleventh antennomere robust, subacuminate, slightly longer than tenth antennomere (Fig. 8A).

Thorax: Pronotum punctate; somewhat rugose laterally, disc smooth; vested by stiff semi-erect seta interspersed with fine, recumbent setae; broadest at middle; disc flat, moderately impressed in front of middle, more strongly constricted behind middle, subbasal tumescence absent. Mesoventrite very finely vested, smooth. Metaventrite smooth, convex, puncticulate, covered with fine, semi-recumbent and recumbent setae. Scutellum subquadrate, notched posteriorly.

Legs: Femora rugulose; finely punctate; vested with short, recumbent setae intermixed with long, semi-erect setae. Tibiae longitudinally rugose; rather punctate; vested with short, recumbent setae intermixed with semi-erect setae.

Elytra: Humeri indicated; sides subparallel, widest behind middle; base wider than pronotum; disc flattened apically; apices subtriangular, feebly dehiscent; disc convex, vestiture on elytral disc composed of stiff, abundant, semi-erect setae intermixed with less numerous, stiff, semi-recumbent setae and some erect setae scattered throughout elytral disc; sculpturing consisting of deep punctations arranged in regular striae that gradually reduce in size on posterior third and do not reach elytral apex; interstices smooth, 2.5 to 3.0 × the width of punctuation at anterior margin.

Abdomen: Ventrites 1-4 rugulose, feebly vested with short, recumbent setae; indistinctly, finely punctate. First visible ventrite about twice the length of second ventrite; ventrite 2-4 subquadrate, short, smooth, feebly vested with fine recumbent setae. Fifth visible ventrite reduced, convex, lateral margins subparallel, posterior margin broadly, deeply emarginate. Sixth visible ventrite subquadrate, surface somewhat concave medially, convex laterally; slightly punctate, lateral margins oblique; posterior margin broadly, shallowly emarginate, emargination V-shaped, posterolateral angles rounded (Fig. 16B). Fifth tergite convex; finely punctate, rugulose, lateral margins subparallel, posterior margin broadly, shallowly, feebly, emarginate. Sixth tergite subtriangular; surface convex; longer than broad; finely punctate; scarcely vested with some short, recumbent setae; lateral margins oblique; posterior margin narrowly, very shallowly emarginate; hind angles rounded (Fig. 16A). Posterior margin of sixth tergite partially produced ventrally, fully covering sixth visible ventrite.

Aedeagus: Phallobasic apodeme present; phallus with copulatory piece rounded apically; phallic plate devoid of denticles; intraspicular plate present, somewhat elongate; phallobasic apodeme long, conspicuously expanded distally; phallobase trigonal; parameres free; tegmen complete, fully covering phallus; parameres pointed anteriorly; endophallic struts long, as long as the length of tegmen; endophallic struts slender distally (Fig. 18C).

Sexual dimorphism: Females of this species can be distinguished from males based on the structure of the last abdominal segment. Females have the lateral and posterior margins of the sixth tergite and the sixth visible ventrite broadly rounded, forming a single semicircular margin (Fig. 16 C–D). Males have the sixth tergite and the sixth visible ventrite subquadrate in shape, and the posterior margin narrowly, shallowly emarginate, the emargination observed in the sixth visible ventrite is somewhat deeper than in the sixth tergite (Fig. 16 A–B). Remaining characters are similar for both sexes.

Material examined.

2 females: Baboquivari Mts. AZ, Baboquivari Canyon, VII-17-1949, F. Werner and W. Nutting; 2 males, 3 females: Tucson, AZ, VIII-5-1935, Bryant; 1 male, 2 females: Hualpai Mts. AZ, VII-4-19, D. J. Knull and J. N. Knull; 1 male, 1 female: Tucson AZ, VII-12-19, Knull and J. N. Knull; 1 male: Santa Rita Mts., AZ, VII-13, [Compared with Type], Knull and J. N. Knull; 1 male, 1 female: Carlsbad, NM, VII-27, Knull and J. N. Knull; 1 male, 1 female: Globe, AZ., V-1939, D. K. Duncan; 1 male, 1 female: Globe, AZ, VII-20-1939, Parker; 2 males: Tucson, AZ, VIII-10-1939, Bryant; 2 females: Pima Co., AZ, Sabina Canyon, VII-17-1973, E. Giesbert; 1 male: Baboquivari Mts., AZ, sweeping slash, in desert, VII-31-1950, R. H. Arnett; 1 male, 3 females: Pima Co., AZ, 1 mi S of Kits Peak rd., IX-10-1974, J. M. Cicero; 1 female: Sta. Catalina Mts., AZ, Mouth of Bear Cn., VII-3-1961, Werner and Nutting; 2 males: foothills Sta. Catalina Mts., AZ, VII-2-1975, K. Stephan; 1 female: Riverside Co. CA, Palm Desert, V-15-1970, A. Mayor; 2 males: Riverside Co., CA, Deep Cyn. Des. Res. Center Sec. 17, R6E, T6S, 116°22'36"W, 33°36'19"N, 10-year Malaise trap study, VI-24-27-1980, J. D. Pinto and S. I. Frommer; 2 males, 3 females: Santa Cruz Co., AZ, Madera Cyn. 4880 ft., VII-23-1963, V. L. Vesterby; 1 female: Pima Co., AZ., Sabino Cyn., VI-25-1963, F. D. Parker and L. A. Stange; 2 males, 1 female: San Diego Co., CA, 6 mi E Banner, VII-13-1963, T. Bolton; 1 male: Baboquivari Mts. AZ., Baboquivari Cyn., VII-17-1949; 2 females: Mohave Co., AZ, Mohave Valley, VI-10-1980; 1 female: Globe, AZ, [September], D. K. Duncan; 2 males: Baboquivari Mts. AZ, Brown Cyn., VIII-4-1961, U. V. lt., W. Nutting; 1 female: Pima Co. AZ, IBP site, Sta. Rita Range Res., UV trap, VIII-31-1973, W. Nutting; 1 female: Pima Co., AZ, Sta. Rita Ranch, VII, R. Lenczy; 2 males: 3 females: Pima Co., AZ, Organ Pipe Natl. Mon., VI-14-1952, M. Cazier and R. Schrammel; 1 male, 2 females: Pima Co., AZ, 15 mi E. Tucson, 2600 ft., VIII-18-1950, T. Cohn, P. Boone and M. Cazier; 2 males: Hidalgo Co., NM, Cienega Ranch N Rodeo, VII-12-1948, C. Vaurie and P. Vaurie; 1 male, 2 females: San Carlos, AZ, VIII-13-1933, Parker; 2 males, 1 female: Globe, AZ, VIII-3-1933, Parker; 1 female: Coyote Mts. AZ., VIII-4-7-1916, 31°50'N 111°29'W 35000 ft., 2 males: Tucson, AZ, AC. 5409, Palm, no collector data; 1 male, 1 female: Baboguivari Mts., AZ, Near Kits Peak, VIII-7-9-1916, 32°00'N 111°36'W ~3600; 2 males: Globe, AZ, D. K. Duncan. MEXICO. 1 male, 2 females: Sonora, Mexico, Tastiota, VII-18-1952, C. Vaurie and P. Vaurie; 2 females: Sinaloa, Mexico, 16 miles SW Guamuchi, VI-16-1961, F. D. Parker.