Hippeutister plaumanni Reichensperger, 1936

Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2008, A review of Hippeutister Reichensperger with new species from California and Costa Rica (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Hetaeriinae), Zootaxa 1895, pp. 39-52 : 47-49

Hippeutister plaumanni Reichensperger, 1936

( Figs. 1 E, 6G)

Hippeutister plaumanni Reichensperger, 1936: 226 . Lectotype female, hereby designated: "F. Plaumann, Nova Teutonia Brasilien, 7.35[July 1935]"/" Solenopsis saevissima "/" TYPUS "/" Hippeutister plaumanni Reichensp. "/"LECTO- TYPE Hippeutister plaumanni Reichensperger M. Caterino & A. Tishechkin des. 2008", FIMAK; Paralectotype, probably female: same data as lectotype, FIMAK.

Diagnosis: L: 2.74; W: 2.40; E/Pn L: 1.59; E/Pn W: 2.85; Pn W/L: 0.79; E L/W: 0.70; Pr/Py: 1.00; Sterna: 0.75, 0.28, 0.69; Tibiae: 0.72, 0.78, 0.87 (n=1). H. plaumanni and H. amabilis appear very similar, and as the latter is known from no extant specimens, a confident diagnosis separating these two is difficult to make. Both appear to be completely glabrous, like only H. manicatus , but they are much less strongly convex, and easily separated from it. The pronotum, elytra, frons and venter of H. amabilis are illustrated as densely though finely punctate, and are described as 'rather sparsely, finely punctate' (pronotum) or 'finely, rather shallowly, though not sparsely punctate' (elytra). Wenzel further describes the punctation of the pronotum as 'finely ocellate' under high magnification, though he offers some disclaimer that the punctation is 'not [..] quite so obvious on the sides of the pronotum [..] as shown in the figure'. In all cases, the punctation of H. plaumanni is so fine as to be almost invisible, except in the shared vague depressions along the elytral suture, and small groups of conspicuous punctures along the median metasternal suture, and these differences are probably real and diagnostic. The mesoventrite of H. plaumanni is rather more bluntly than acutely triangular in front, and is strongly depressed ( Fig. 6 G). As in H. manicatus , the median-most pair of prosternal striae is strongly abbreviated from the base.

Distribution: This species is only known from topotypical material, from Nova Teutonia, in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil as a guest of Solenopsis saevissima (Smith) .

Material examined: five specimens (excluding type material), all collected by F. Plaumann in Nova Teutonia, one on July 30, 1952, one on August 3, 1952 (both FMNH), and two on August 9, 1953 ( FMNH and USMN).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal habitus photographs and drawing. A. Hippeutister californicus, n. sp. B. H. solisi n. sp. C. H. castaneus (Lewis). D. H. manicatus (Lewis). E. H. plaumanni Reichensperger. F. H. amabilis (Wenzel) (scanned from original).

FIGURE 6. Ventral SEM photographs showing sterna. A, B. Hippeutister californicus. C. H. solisi, D, E. H. castaneus. F. H. manicatus. G. H. plaumanni.