Agathidium vesperpressidens Miller and Wheeler, 2005

MILLER, KELLY B. & WHEELER, QUENTIN D., 2005, Slime-Mold Beetles Of The Genus Agathidium Panzer In North And Central America, Part Ii. Coleoptera: Leiodidae, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2005 (291), pp. 1-167 : 67-68

Agathidium vesperpressidens Miller and Wheeler , new species Figures 96–98 , 104

TYPE MATERIAL: Holotype, ♀ in CASC labeled ‘‘ CALIF: Butte Co. 5 mi SE Butte Mds Cherry Hill Cpgd. V­7 thru 9­1976 Fred G. Andrews /Collected flying at dusk/ HOLO­ TYPE Agathidium vesperpressidens Miller and Wheeler, 2003 [red label with black line border]’’.

TYPE LOCALITY: USA, California, Butte Co., 5 mi NE Butte Meadows, Cherry Hill Campground.

DIAGNOSIS: This species is distinguishable by the presence of a prominent lobe medially on the ventral surface of the first visible abdominal sternite and by the shape of the male genitalia. The median lobe of the aedeagus is very robust; the apical portion consists of a broad basal portion abruptly narrowed to a long, slender spine in ventral aspect (fig. 96), and the operculum is deeply emarginate, consisting of long, parallel­sided, broadly separated rami (fig. 96). The species is most similar to A. compressidens from which it may be distinguished by the shape of the aedeagus (figs. 96–98). Also, A. compressidens is larg­ er (TBL> 2.7 mm) and occurs in eastern North American (fig. 104), whereas A. vesperpressidens is smaller (TBL <2.6 mm) and occurs in western North America (fig. 104).

DESCRIPTION: Body moderately large (TBL = 2.43–2.52 mm), broad (PNW/TBL = 0.48–0.49), robust, rounded, strongly contractile.

Head and pronotum red; elytra red, not iridescent; venter yellow to yellow­red; antennae, palpi, and legs yellow.

Head broad (MDL/OHW = 0.55–0.62), dorsal surface flattened, dorsoventrally com­ pressed; with very fine punctures, each with a short, very fine seta, surface between punctures shiny, smooth; frontoclypeal suture obsolete medially; eyes protruding and prominent, large, finely faceted; gula slightly concave, unmodified; clypeus strong excavate; antennomere ratios: length I:II:III = 1.6:1.0: 1.2, width VII:VIII:IX = 1.1:1.0:2.0. Pronotum very large, broad (PNL/PNW = 0.62– 0.63), strongly convex, anterolateral lobes strongly produced, lateral margin broadly curved, not angulate; with very fine, sparse punctures, each with a short, very fine seta, surface between punctures smooth. Elytra broad, lateral margins strongly rounded, apically rounded (SEL/ELW = 0.97–1.05); punctation similar to pronotum; sutural stria absent to faintly present only apically. Flight wings fully developed. Mesosternum broad, anterior portion longer than posterior portion; distinctly concave posteriorly, but not strongly declivitous; medial carina well developed on anterior portion. Metasternum narrow medially (MTL/MTW = 0.12–0.15), subhorizontal, slightly convex medially; oblique femoral carinae faint or absent, not meeting medially. Abdominal sternite III (first visible sternite) with prominent medial lobe.

Male tarsi 5­5­4; pro­ and mesobasotarsomeres somewhat laterally expanded, with small field of ventral spatulate setae; mandibles not modified; metafemur relatively slender, without subapical tooth on posterior margin, but with small subbasal tooth; metasternal fovea very large, prominent, round, with pencil of long, fine, dense setae, located posterad of middle of metasternum. Median lobe in lateral aspect very robust, strongly curved medially, apical portion slender, straight, apex sharply hooked dorsad, sharply pointed (fig. 97); in ventral aspect very broad, apical portion broad basally, strongly narrowed, apically a long, slender process, slightly tapering to sharply pointed apex (fig. 96); operculum large, flat, medially very deeply emarginate, emargination elongaterectangular, each ramus long, parallel­sided, apically truncate (fig. 96); lateral lobes small, slender, curved, shorter than median lobe, apically slightly expanded, each with 2 long, stout subapical setae (figs. 96, 98).

Female tarsi 5­4­4.

ETYMOLOGY: This species is named from the Latin words vesper, meaning ‘‘west’’, and pressidens, a portion of the root for compressidens , the specific name of a similar member of this species group, to signify the similarity of this species with A. compressidens and its western distribution.

DISTRIBUTION: This species has been collected from northern California (fig. 104).

PARATYPES: UNITED STATES: California: Tallac, July (1, CASC) ; Butte Co.: 5 mi NE Butte Meadows, Cherry Hill Campground , 7 May 1976, collected flying at dusk, F Andrews (1, FGAC) ; El Dorado Co.: Blodgett Forest , 27 Aug 1975, Pinus ponderosa log, Berlese, F Andrews, M Wasbauer (1, FGAC) ; Tulare Co.: Sequoia Natl Park, Huckleberry Meadow , 28 May 1984, 8000̍, R Baranowski (2, LUND) ; Sequoia Natl Park, Dorst Creek , 31 May 1984, 7000̍, R Baranowski (6, LUND) ; Sequoia Natl Park, Lost Grove , 4 Jun 1984, 7000̍, R Baranowski (1, LUND) .

DISCUSSION: This species has been collect­ ed from a ponderosa pine log and ‘‘while flying’’. Elevation records are from 7000 to 8000 ft.

Figures

Figs. 94–103. Agathidium compressidens­ and A. iota­group species, aedeagus: 94, 95, A. fenderi: 94, ventral; 95, lateral. 96–98, A. vesperpressidens: 96, ventral; 97, median lobe, lateral; 98, left lateral lobe, lateral. 99–101, A. compressidens: 99, ventral; 100, median lobe, lateral; 101, left lateral lobe, lateral. 102, 103, A. iota: 102, ventral; 103, lateral.

Fig. 104. Geographic distribution of Agathidium compressidens­group species: A. compressidens =