Bolitogyrus ashei 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 : 37-38

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Staphylinidae

Bolitogyrus ashei Brunke sp. n. Figs 1E, 6E, 12B, 19 A–C, 23N, 26K, 29C (map)

Type locality.

COSTA RICA: Cartago, Tapantí National Park

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (SEMC): Costa Rica, Cartago, P.N. Tapanti, 1150 m, 9°45'41"N, 83°47'5"W [sic!] [W], 18 JUL 2000, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, Z. Falin, CR1ABF00 165, ex: fogging fungus covered log [white printed label] / SM0203484 [white barcode label] / Holotype, Bolitogyrus ashei Brunke, sp. n. [red printed label].

Material excluded from type series.COSTA RICA:Heredia, 16 km SSE La Virgen, 1050-1150 m, ex. malaise, 21.II to 9.III.2001, ALAS-INBIO, 11/M/13/033, 1 ♀ (PTC).

Diagnosis.

Within the Bullatus Lineage: easily distinguished by the brightly colored, metallic purple to green elytra and completely orange-red abdomen (Fig. 1E).

Description.

Measurements ♂ (n=1): HW/HL 1.64; PW/PL 1.45; EW/EL 1.26; ESut/PL 0.83; PW/HW 1.17; forebody length 4.3 mm.

Measurements ♀ (n=1): HW/HL 1.55; PW/PL 1.48; EW/EL 1.16; ESut/PL 1.00; PW/HW 1.03; forebody length 4.8 mm.

Coloration: Head dark dorsally with metallic green reflection, with orange-red base, ventral surface dark reddish, or head completely orange-red; pronotum completely orange-red, scutellum orange-red contrasting with darker elytra that has a metallic bluish-green or purple reflection, ventral surface of pterothorax reddish, abdomen completely orange-red, maxillary and labial palpi pale reddish-brown, segment II of maxillary palpi darkened apically or not, segment III darkened, antennomeres I–VI pale reddish-brown, III–V darkened apically, VII–XI dark brown; procoxa entirely pale, orange and slightly darker than profemur (male) or yellow, concolorous with profemur (female), all femora darkened dorsally, pro- and mesofemur with dark apical band, metafemur with long apical dark band, completely reaching apex (male) or nearly so (female), tibia completely dark brown, contrasting with light yellow-brown tarsus.

Head with median frontal impression present as shallow, ‘X’ shaped impression contiguous with anterior margin of central protuberance; frons relatively smooth, glossy with several coarse, asetose punctures; disc with relatively weak central protuberance, poorly defined, especially posteriad, central protuberance smooth, glossy with several, sparsely distributed, fine asetose punctures; base of head with weakly pronounced posterior protuberances, surface with scattered, fine asetose punctures; microsculpture absent dorsally except as well-developed, fine lines on temples.

Pronotum distinctly transverse; disc impunctate, lateral areas explanate (female) to deeply explanate (male), with shallow, asetose punctures; protuberance distinct in lateral view, less pronounced in female, with one puncture in dorsal row (i.e. only marginal puncture); scutellum with several poorly to well-impressed, usually contiguous punctures; elytra weakly transverse, suture slightly shorter to equal in length to pronotum at midline; surface without microsculpture, uneven, with protuberances; setose punctures with setae relatively long and erect, distinct from overall surface sculpture in lateral view.

Abdominal tergites with sparse, long and black setae, III–VI impressed at base; disc of tergites III–VI impunctate medially, this area becoming smaller on successive tergites; sternites III–V with basal transverse line sharply projected posteriad at middle; abdominal sternites with fine, poorly defined microsculpture, interspaces about as wide as lines or narrower.

Median lobe in lateral view curved slightly ventrad, constricted in apical third, apical portion subparallel to broadly rounded apex (Fig. 19B); median lobe in parameral view subparallel, with strongly asymmetrical apical portion, minutely notched at broad, truncate apex (Fig. 19A); paramere in parameral view slightly divided apically and with median suture, strongly constricted at midlength and dilated in strongly asymmetrical, apical portion (Fig. 19A); paramere slightly longer than median lobe; peg setae arranged in a pair of lateral, elongate, but dissimilar groups, generally becoming wider at base and at apex (Fig. 19C). Male sternite VII shallowly but distinctly emarginate, with glabrous area apicomedially, this area not flattened; male sternite VIII with transverse basal line complete, with shallowly emarginate apex, impressed and glabrous in small triangular area near emargination; male sternite IX distinctly asymmetrical at base, with relatively shallow but distinct emargination at apex (Fig. 23N).

Female tergite broad with truncate, barely concave apex, short and about half as long as laterotergal sclerites (Fig. 26K); female laterotergal sclerites slightly expanded at base and overlapping with tergite X (Fig. 26K).

Distribution.

Figure 29C. Known from Cartago and Heredia state in Costa Rica.

Bionomics.

The male holotype was fogged from a fungus-covered log in July, at 1150 m and the female specimen was collected in a Malaise trap during February-March at a similar elevation.

Etymology.

It is our pleasure to dedicate one of the most spectacular species of Bolitogyrus to the late Dr. James Stephen ( “Steve”) Ashe (1947-2005). The Bolitogyrus material from the University of Kansas (SEMC) insect collection has proven critical to the present revision, and Steve was the driving force behind and co-collector of the majority of these specimens. His passion for Staphylinidae , including Bolitogyrus is remembered in Lingafelter et al. (2006).

Comments.

Bolitogyrus ashei cannot be confused with any other member of the Bullatus Lineage. The female specimen was not included in the type series as it differs in coloration (completely orange head, purple elytra) and was collected on the Caribbean side of the continental divide in Costa Rica. As both specimens were collected at relatively low elevations (1050-1150 m), they may each represent allopatric species on either side of the continental divide. Additional specimens, especially males, are needed to re-evaluate this hypothesis.