Epuraea scutellaris ( Broun, 1880 )

Jelínek, Josef, Leschen, Richard A. B. & Hájek, Jiří, 2017, Revision of Epuraea of New Zealand (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 57 (2), pp. 617-644 : 636-639

Epuraea scutellaris ( Broun, 1880)

( Figs 9–10 , 37–42 )

Omosita scutellare [sic!] Broun, 1880: 173 (original description). Omosita scutellaris: GROUVELLE (1913) : 106 (catalogue). Epuraea scutellaris: KIREJTSHUK & PAKALUK (1996) : 140. Haptoncus californicus Gillogly, 1946: 22 (original description); KIREJTSHUK & PAKALUK (1996): 140 (synonymy).

Type localities. Omosita scutellaris : ‘near Whangarei Heads’ [Northland]. Haptoncus californicus : ‘ San Marino, California’ [ USA].

Type material examined. Omosita scutellaris : LECTOTYPE: ♀ ( BMNH) designated by KIREJTSHUK & PAKALUK (1996: 140), ‘Type / H.T. [p, red-bordered circle] // 311 [p, pale bluish paper] // Parua [hw] // New Zealand / Broun Coll. / Brit.Mus. / 1922-482 [p] // Omosia / scutellare [hw, sic!] // Lectotypus [p] Epuraea / scutellaris Broun [hw] / design. [p] Kirejtshuk 1993 [hw, red label]’.

Haptoncus californicus : PARATYPE: ♀ ( NMPC), ‘ San Marino / Calif III-11-[19]42 [hw] // ♀ [hw]// orange [p] // L. R. Gillogly / Collector [p] // PARATYPE [hw, yellow label] // Haptoncus / californicus / Gillogly [hw]’.

Additional material examined. NEW ZEALAND: NORTH ISLAND: AK: Auckland, reared from mumified peaches, viii.[19]40, K. Harrow lgt., 1 spec. ( NZAC) ; Epsom , x.1911, T. Broun coll., 1 spec. ( NZAC) ; Epsom , xii.1911, T. Broun coll., 1 spec. ( NZAC) ; Epsom, 10.ix.[19]48, A.E. Brookes coll., 1 spec. ( NZAC) ; Epsom, 15.ix.[19]48, A.E. Brookes coll., 2 spec. ( NZAC) ; Mt. Roskill , 28.iii.1947, 1 spec. ( NZAC) ; Owairaka, ex decaying corn-cob, 12.v.[19]40, D. Spiller lgt., 4 spec. ( NZAC) ; Grafton Gully, ex decayed acorn, 3.v.[19]40, D. Spiller lgt., 3 spec. ( NZAC) ; Owairaka, 15.iii.[19]42, D. McKenzie lgt., 5 spec. ( NZAC) ; same data, but 29.iii.[19]42, 2 spec. ( NZAC) ; same data, but 10.iii.[19]43, 1 spec. ( NZAC) ; Owairaka, D. Spiller lgt. 12.v.[19]41, 1 spec. ( NZAC) ; same data, but 9.vi.[19]41, 2 spec. ( NZAC) ; Henderson, fleshy fungi, 10.v.[19]41, D. Spiller lgt., 2 spec. ( NZAC) ; Te Irirangi, 12.iv.[19]42, M.W.Carer lgt., 1 spec. ( NZAC) ; Orakei, compost heap, 30.iii.[19]42, D. McKenzie lgt., 11 spec. ( NZAC). GB: Gray’s Bush, Gisborne Flats , litter, 20.viii.1976, A.R. Ferguson lgt., 2 spec. ( NZAC). ND: Ruakaka, pit trap in Pennisetum clandestinum pasture (kikuyu), 4.xii.1976, C.F. Butcher lgt., 6 spec. ( NZAC). WN: N.W. Side Lake Wairarapa, beach litter, 1.ix.[19]65, J.I. Townsend lgt., 1 spec. ( NZAC). WO: Okauia, fungus, 29.xii. [19]47, A.E. Brookes lgt., 2 spec. ( NZAC). SOUTH ISLAND: MB: Pelorus Reserve , litter, 2.x.[19]63, 1 spec. ( NZAC). MC: Appleby Res Orchard, ex fermenting apples, 6.x.[19]71, W. Thomas & J.C. Watt lgt., 1 spec. ( NZAC) ; Banks Peninsula, 4 km E of Little River, Okuti Valley , 43°47.2′S, 172°49.7′E, 85 m, compost sifting, 20.ii.2016, M. Fikáček, J. Hájek & P. Hlaváč lgt., 19 spec. ( NMPC). NN: Nelson, 17.iii.[19]21, 1 spec. ( NZAC) ; Nelson, 10.viii.[19]41, E.S. Gourlay lgt., 1 spec. ( NZAC) ; Riwaka Valley , 28.i.[19]49, A.E. Brookes coll., 1 spec. ( NZAC) ; Kaihoka Lake, West Hayen , moss by bush, 28.x.[19]60, J.I. Townsend lgt., 1 spec. ( NZAC) ; Maori Pa., Cable Bay , litter, 23.vii.[19]64, J.I. Townsend lgt .; 1 spec. ( NZAC) ; Botanic Reserve , litter, 20.v.[19]66, A.C. Eyles lgt., 1 spec. ( NZAC) ; Maitai V., litter, 20.v.[19]66, A.C. Eyles lgt., 1 spec. ( NZAC) ; Ruby Bay , 15.vi.[19]68, G. Kuschel lgt., 2 spec. ( NZAC) ; Botanical Hill, 26.x.[19]68, J.I. Townsend lgt., 2 spec. ( NZAC) ; Nelson, vegetable refuse, 7.iii.1965, G. J.H. lgt., 1 spec. ( NZAC) .

Redescription. Male. Body oval, convex ( Fig. 9 ). Red-brown, pronotal disc and posterolateral area of elytra sometimes more or less infuscate, legs and antennae brown-yellow, antennal club blackish. Ventral surface more or less black, hypomera, elytral epipleura and terminal abdominal ventrites brown-yellow. Pubescence of normal length, recumbent, yellowish, rather dense and distinct.

Head across eyes narrower than anterior pronotal margin, ratio WPR3/HEAW: 1.05–1.12. Temples subangulate, converging posteriorly, not projecting behind eyes. Frons flatly convex, separated from clypeus by shallow transverse impression. Punctures of frons nearly equal in size to eye-facets, separated by less than one diameter, sometimes almost contiguous. Interspaces somewhat tuberculate, smooth and shining. Antennae nearly as long as width of head, ratio ANLE/HEAW: 0.95–1.00 ( Fig. 37 ).

Pronotum transverse, widest behind midlength (ratio WPR2/LEPR: 1.83–1.94), slightly narrowed posteriorly and, more strongly so, anteriorly (ratio WPR1/WPR2: 0.94–0.97, WPR1/ WPR3: 1.57–1.66, WPR2/WPR3: 1.52–1.65). Anterior margin in dorsal view only shallowly subarcuately emarginate, anterior angles obtusely rounded. Lateral margins broadly arcuate, narrowly explanate, nearly as wide as antennal flagellum. Basal margin truncate in middle, flatly obliquely concave laterally, posterior angles subrectangular to obtuse. Pronotal disc moderately convex, punctures well defined, equal in size to eye-facets, separated by one diameter or less, interspaces smooth and shining, at sides with obsolete traces of reticulation. Scutellar shield triangular, punctate.

Elytra widest at basal third, more strongly narrowed posteriorly than anteriorly, at apex obliquely subtruncate, reaching maximum length near suture. Ratio LELY/WELY: 0.87–0.97. Humeral angles obtuse, not prominent. Disc of elytra strongly transversely convex, lateral margins just visible simultaneously from above in their entirety, sides narrowly canaliculate.

Pygidium truncate apically with exposed tergite VIII; densely punctate, interspaces densely microreticulate, dull, setae short, semirecumbent, reaching nearly base of following ones.

Postmentum flat, trapezoidal, punctures smaller than eye-facets, separated by less than one diameter, interspaces reticulate, dull. Antennal furrows broad, well defined, converging posteriorly besides eyes, posterior to eyes curved outwards and subparallel.

Prosternum with anterior margin distinctly bordered, transversely impressed along anterior margin; punctures shallow, equal in size to eye-facets, separated by less than one diameter, interspaces reticulate, dull. Prosternal process longitudinally convex (in lateral view), its apex posterior to procoxae not depressed, angulate ( Fig. 38 ). Hypomera with indistinct punctures, reticulate, dull. Mesoventrite roof-shaped, impunctate, reticulate, prepectus completely bordered. Metaventrite flattened in middle, discrimen present in posterior two thirds. Punctures smaller than eye facets, separated by 1.0–1.5 diameters, interspaces smooth and shining. Mesocoxal lines closely bordering coxal cavities, axillary spaces not developed. Punctation of abdominal ventrite I similar to metaventrite, length of ventrites II–IV combined shorter than I, more finely and densely punctate. Hypopygium densely punctate and pubescent, rounded apically.

Metatibia at inner side abruptly dilated and dentate at its midlength ( Fig. 39 ). Tarsomeres I–III of all tarsi bilobed, tarsal claws simple.

Male genitalia as in Figs 40–41 ; apodeme of median lobe of aedeagus exceptionally broad ( Fig. 41 ).

Female. Habitus similar to male ( Fig. 10 ). Legs simple. Pygidium broadly rounded apically. Ovipositor as in Fig. 42 .

Measurements. Body length 1.8–2.3 mm, width 1.0– 1.2 mm.

Notes. By its habitus, especially the pronotum slightly narrowed posteriorly and subtruncate elytral apices, E. scutellaris resembles a small species of the Asian Epuraea reticulata species-group, but its conspicuously broad truncate terminal labial palpomere suggests its placement in the subgenus Haptoncus . The species can be distinguished from other species of Haptoncus by its convex body, obliquely subtruncate elytral tips, and the male having a peculiar metatibial modification.

Epuraea scutellaris was first recorded in New Zealand by BROUN (1880), as his new species Omosita scutellare , which was recognized as conspecific with Haptoncus californicus Gillogly, 1946 by KIREJTSHUK & PAKALUK (1996). The species was reported under the latter name from Australia and Hawaii by GILLOGLY (1982) and KIREJTSHUK & PAKALUK (1996). The synonymy of Haptoncus californicus Gillogly, 1946 with Epuraea scutellaris , first established by KIREJTSHUK & PAKALUK (1996), is supported by the figure of the characteristic male metatibia provided by GILLOGLY (1982) and material compared to one paratype of Haptoncus californicus in the NMPC. Specimens of this species have been collected from leaf litter, rotten fruit, and in compost.

Geographic distribution. North Island: AK, GB, ND, WN, WO; South Island: MB, MC, NN. Australia, California, Hawaii ( GILLOGLY 1982).

Figures

Figs 9–12. Dorsal habitus of New Zealand Epuraea species. 9 – E. scutellaris (Broun, 1880) J, Mt. Roskill (2.3 mm); 10 – E. scutellaris♀, Whangarei (2.2 mm); 11 – E. signata Broun, 1880J, Titirangi (3.4 mm); 12 – E. signata ♀, Titahi Bay (3.8 mm).

Figs 37–42.Details of Epuraea scutellaris (Broun, 1880).37 – antenna; 38 – prosternal process; 39 – male metatibia; 40 – tegmen; 41 – median lobe of aedeagus with apodeme; 42 – ovipositor. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.