Pseudotoglossa rufitarsis (Chaudoir)

Erwin, Terry L., 2004, The beetle family Carabidae of Costa Rica: The genera of the Cryptobatida group of subtribe Agrina, tribe Lebiini, with new species and notes on their way of life (Insecta: Coleoptera), Zootaxa 662, pp. 1-54 : 48-49

Pseudotoglossa rufitarsis (Chaudoir)

( Figs. 29 , 30 , 39 )

Otoglossa rufitarsis Chaudoir 1877:231 . Lectotype female, selected by Mateu (1961), in MHNP (Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris). Type locality. NICARAGUA. Chontales. Otoglossa coelestina Bates 1878:607 . Synonymized by Bates 1883:198.

Common name. Red­footed false­tongued carabid beetle.

Diagnosis. With the attributes of the genus as described above and head, antennal scape, prothorax, and elytra metallic blue; venter of head, thorax and legs except tarsi black with metallic blue reflections; abdomen, apical sixth of elytron and tarsi rufous; antennal flagellum and palpi infuscated. Pronotum markedly narrow, side margin beaded, not explanate, moderately sinuate anterior to hind angle, subangulate at mid­lateral setiferous pore.

Description. ( Fig. 29 ). Size medium: ABL = 6.25 to 6.92 mm, SBL = 6.0 to 6.54 mm, TW = 2.5 mm. Color: See Diagnosis. Wings grey. Luster: Very shiny. Microsculpture: Dorsal surface with very shallowly impressed isodiametric meshes. Head: Markedly broader across eyes than pronotum; frontal furrows absent except for small groove at margin of clypeus; clypeus with callus, frons convex; eyes large, hemispheric; ultimate labial palpomere slightly securiform; antennae of moderate length, reaching just posterior of humerus. Prothorax: Moderately convex, side margin narrowly beaded, subangulate at mid­lateral setiferous pore, moderately sinuate anterior to hind angle. Hind angle lobed posterior to seta. Pterothorax: Normal for Agrina, fully winged. Legs: Normal for Agrina. Abdomen: Sterna normal for Agrina, mostly glabrous, except normal paired ambulatory setae and a few very short and scattered setae on sterna 3–5; males and females with two pairs long setae on sternum 6. Male genitalia: Phallus ( Fig. 30 ) with ostium 1/3 its length, catopic; Phallus apex slightly elongate, rounded; endophallus with long flagellum, flagellum apex barbed. Parameres asymmetric, left larger that right, right small.

Way of life. Adults of this species are found by beating suspended dry leaf clumps. The known altitudinal range of this species is between 700 and 1500 meters above sea level. Adults have been obtained in the Cordillera Central in February, April, May, June, July, and November, hence they are active in both the dry and rainy seasons at middle altitudes.

Other specimens examined. COSTA RICA. 1 male, CARTAGO, 20.0 km E Turrialba, June (J.E. Wappes)( JEWC: ADP057833), 1 male, 1 female, nr Tres Equis, 09° 54' 0 N, 083° 39' 0 W, June (J.E. Wappes)( JEWC: male ADP057832, female ADP057831), 1 female, 10 km SE Turrialba, La Suiza, 09° 51' 0 N, 083° 37' 0 W, (P. Schild)( NMNH: ADP055873); 1 female, GUANACASTE, 9.0 km S Santa Cecilia, Estación Pitilla, 700 m, 10° 59' 33” N, 085° 25' 46” W, April (P. Rios, R. Blanco)( INBIO: CRI 000211427); 2 females, PUNTARENAS, Estación Las Mellizas, Finca Cafrosa, 1300 m, 08° 53' 0 N, 082° 47' 0 W, May (M. Ramirez, G. Mora)( INBIO: CR1000264581), November (CR1000079521); 2 females, Monteverde, 1500 m, 10° 18' 0 N, 084° 48' 0 W, February (R.S. Anderson)( CNC: ADP057305), Monteverde, Pension Quetzal, 1380 m, 10° 18' 0 N, 084° 48' 0 W, May (M. Jameson, B.C. Ratcliffe)( SEMC: ADP 100492); 1 female, SAN JOSÉ, 100 m N de la Plaza de Platanares, Naranjo, 800 m, 09° 12' 0 N, 083° 38' 0 W, July (R. Gonzalez)( INBIO: INB0003356216).

Geographic distribution. ( Fig. 39 ). Known from México to Panamá.

Notes. Mateu (1961) studied two specimens, one from Colombia and one from Brazil (both in the MNHP). He believed that these represented a dark form, hence a subspecies of P. rufescens (Chaudoir) and he provided the name Pseudotoglossa rufitarsis nigrescens Mateu 1961:176 . After my study of many additional specimens of this genus and all of its known species and types, I believe Mateu misidentified his two specimens; they are P. t e r ­ minalis (Chaudoir). Among the series I have studied of that species, the attributes he used are part of the variation found within that species, and its range is far more extensive than any other in the genus, extending from México to southern Brazil and Paraguay.

Figures

FIGURE 29. Pseudotoglossa rufitarsis FIGURE 31. Pseudotoglossa terminalis (Chau­ (Chaudoir), female, dorsal aspect, specimen doir), female, dorsal aspect, specimen # ADP 045466 (Cerro Punta, Panamá). # ADP 059899 (Corriente Grande, Panamá).

FIGURE 30. Phallus, dorsal, ventral, left lateral aspects of Pseudotoglossa rufitarsis (Chaudoir), specimen # ADP 057305.

FIGURE 39. Geographical distribution map of the species of Pseudotoglossa in Costa Rica: P. marginella (Bates) (solid circle,), P. obscurella (Bates) (open circle,), P. ufitarsis (Chaudoir) (open box,), P. terminalis (Chaudoir) (diamond,).