Dirrhagofarsus brevis Otto, 2022

Otto, Robert L., 2022, A new species and new records for two other exotic species of Dirrhagofarsus Fleutiaux, 1935 (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae: Melasinae: Dirhagini) in the United States, Insecta Mundi 2022 (932), pp. 1-15 : 5-8

Dirrhagofarsus brevis Otto , new species

Fig. 15–20

Differential diagnosis. Simple elytral apices ( Fig. 15 ) as viewed laterally will distinguish D. brevis new species from D. lewisi . Presence of well-developed longitudinal carinae on the frons near the compound eyes will further distinguish the new eucnemid species from D. unicolor . The new species is very similar to D. ernae and D. modestus and can be distinguished by the longitudinal carinae positioned much closer to the compound eyes ( Fig. 14 ). Longitudinal carinae are positioned further away from the compound eyes in both D. ernae and D. modestus ( Fig. 13 ).

Type material. Male holotype: “ FLORIDA: Suwannee Co.; Suwannee River State Park ; BLT 30.389079, −83.168807; by creek trail 19–20-VI-2020; coll: J.M. Leavengood, Jr.” / “ HOLOTYPE:; Dirrhagofarsus ; brevis ♂; Otto; Det. R.L. Otto; 2020” (red printed label) ; Female allotype: “ ALABAMA: Winston County ; Bankhead National Forest , south ; of jet Slick Ford Rd & Big Bear; Branch Rd , blacklight ; N34°04.707 ″ W87°16.991 ″; Coll: J.M. Leavengood, Jr. &; E.G. Chapman 14-VIII-2020 ” / “ ALLOTYPE:; Dirrhagofarsus ; brevis ♀; Otto; Det. R.L. Otto; 2020” (yellow printed label). Holotype and allotype are deposited in FSCA .

Paratypes. 6 ♀♀, 21 ♂♂: UNITED STATES: ALABAMA : 1 ♂, “ USA: Alabama: Blount; Co.; Highland Lake ; 15.vii – 2.viii.2011; BLT; Col. T. King ” / “ Dirrhagofarsus ; ernae ; Otto, Muona & McClarin; Det. R.L. Otto; 2017” (folded; “17” handwritten on label) / “ PARATYPE: Dirrhagofarsus ; brevis ♂; Otto; Det. R.L. Otto; 2020” (yellow printed label) ( FSCA) ; 1 ♂, “ ALABAMA: Winston Co.: Bankhead Nat’l For., Reserve Rd.; off Big Bear Branch Rd , BLT; S 34.074288° W 87.285412 °; Coll. JM Leavengood, Jr. &; EG Chapman 9–14-VIII-2020 ” / “ PARATYPE: Dirrhagofarsus ; brevis ♂; Otto; Det. R.L. Otto; 2020” (yellow printed label) ( FSCA) ; 11 ♂♂, “ ALABAMA: Winston County:; Bankhead Nat’l For., Reserve Rd. ,; off Big Bear Branch Rd , BLT; S 34.074288° W 87.285412°; Coll. JM Leavengood, Jr. &; EG Chapman 9–14-VIII-2020 ” / “ PARATYPE: Dirrhagofarsus ; brevis ♂; Otto; Det. R.L. Otto; 2021” (yellow printed label) (10, BCIC; 1, JMC) ; 1 ♀, 1 ♂, “ ALABAMA: Winston County ; Bankhead National Forest , off ; Big Bear Branch Rd, blacklight; N34°04.382 ″ W87°16.255 ″; Coll. J.M. Leavengood, Jr. &; E.G. Chapman 10-VIII-2020 ” / “ PARATYPE: Dirrhagofarsus ; brevis ♂ (or ♀); Otto; Det. R.L. Otto; 2020” (yellow printed label) ( FSCA); 4 ♀♀, “ ALABAMA: Winston County ; Bankhead National Forest , south ; of jet Slick Ford Rd & Big Bear; Branch Rd, blacklight; N34°04.707 ″ W87°16.991 ″; Coll: J.M. Leavengood , Jr. &; E.G. Chapman 11-VIII-2020 ” / “ PARATYPE: Dirrhagofarsus ; brevis ♀; Otto; Det. R.L. Otto; 2020” (yellow printed label) (1, FSCA; 3, GERP) ; 2 ♂♂, “ ALABAMA: Winston County ; Bankhead National Forest , off ; Slick Ford Rd, blacklight; N34°04.319 ″ W87°14.176 ″; Coll. J.M. Leavengood, Jr. &; E.G. Chapman 13-VIII- 2020 ” / “ PARATYPE: Dirrhagofarsus ; brevis ♂; Otto; Det. R.L. Otto; 2020” (yellow printed label) ( FSCA) ; 1 ♀, “ ALABAMA: Winston County ; Bankhead National Forest , south ; of jet Slick Ford Rd & Big Bear; Branch Rd, blacklight; N34°04.707 ″ W87°16.991 ″; Coll: J.M. Leavengood, Jr. &; E.G. Chapman 14-VIII-2020 ” / “ PARA- TYPE: Dirrhagofarsus ; brevis ♀; Otto; Det. R.L. Otto; 2020” (yellow printed label) ( FSCA); FLORIDA: 3 ♂♂, [same as holotype] / “ PARATYPE: Dirrhagofarsus ; brevis ♂; Otto; Det. R.L. Otto; 2020” (yellow printed label) (1, BCIC; 2, GERP); 1♂, “ FLORIDA: Suwannee Co:; Suwannee River State Park ; BLT 30.388145, −83.16873; nr. crk. brdg. 19–20-VI-2020; coll: J.M. Leavengood, Jr.” / “ PARATYPE: Dirrhagofarsus ; brevis ♂; Otto; Det. R.L. Otto; 2020” (yellow printed label) ( GERP) ; WISCONSIN: 1♂, “WI: Outagamie Co.; along State Highway 47; N44.33004°; W−088.41487°; EABT100072B; 20 July 2011; Robert L. Otto ” / “Taken from EAB; prism trap baited; with Manuka oil; & Z3-Hexa-1-ol” / PARATYPE: Dirrhagofarsus ; brevis ♂; Otto; Det. R.L. Otto; 2020” ( GERP) . Paratypes are deposited in BCIC, FSCA, GERP and JMC.

Description. Male holotype: Length, 4.5 mm. Width, 1.0 mm. Body subcylindrical, elongate; dorsum uniformly brownish-black with infuscate very dark reddish margin of the pronotum and pronotal hind angles; scape very dark reddish-brown, pedicel brownish-black, flagellomeres I–IX brownish-black; legs including tarsi reddishbrown; head, pronotum and elytra clothed with short, recumbent yellowish setae ( Fig. 16 ). Head ( Fig. 17 ): Subspherical; integument closely punctate to rugose, dullish except the vertex; vertex with undulating, narrow belt of brownish-colored microcombs; vertex without setae; frons convex, with weak medio-longitudinal carina; pair of longitudinal carinae on frons near compound eyes well-developed, with brownish-colored microcombs; apical margin of frontoclypeal region rounded, about 2 times wider than base; mandibles stout, bidentate, densely punctate. Antenna: weakly serriform from flagellomeres I–IX, attaining at least 2/3 the length of the body; flagellomere I longer than II; flagellomeres II–IX each sub-equal, longer than wide; flagellomere IX longer than VIII. Pronotum: integument somewhat dullish, closely punctate; slightly longer than wide, with moderate, sharp hind angles; lateral sides parallel-sided at basal 3/4, arcuate anteriorly at apical 1/4; disc convex with very shallow median impression; short basal medio-longitudinal carina present; base sinuous; anterolateral pronotal ridge ( Fig. 18 ) extremely short, less than 1⁄6 the length of the pronotum, directed posteroventrally; posterolateral pronotal ridge elongate, extending more than 3/4 the length of pronotum. Scutellar shield: longer than wide, sub-triangular, shallowly punctate, setose and distally rounded. Elytra: distinctly striate at humeri and along elytral suture, absent elsewhere; interstices flattened; integument shiny, transversely rugose at basal 1/4 and very closely punctate elsewhere; specialized punctures present along lateral sides and dorsum near elytral apices. Legs: first tarsomere as long as the combined lengths of the remaining four on meso- and metatarsi; tibiae rounded in cross section; metatarsomeres I–III simple; metatarsomere IV excavated, emarginate; metatarsomere V elongate with simple claws. Venter: closely punctate, with short, recumbent yellowish setae; hypomeron with notosternal antennal grooves; metepisterna parallel-sided; metacoxal plates medially 3.0–6.0 times wider than laterally; last abdominal ventrite apically produced.

Female allotype ( Fig. 19 ): 5.0 mm long, 1.25 mm wide; habitus dark brown; antennae weakly serriform, about 1/2 of body length; flagellomere I longer than II; flagellomere II quadrate, slightly shorter than flagellomere III; flagellomeres III–VIII each slightly longer than wide, sub-equal; flagellomere IX about 1.5 times longer than VIII; lateral sides of pronotum parallel-sided, apically arcuate, longer than wide.

Aedeagus (paratype) ( Fig. 20 ): Basal piece longer than wide, spatulate, dorsally open, apically rounded; remaining parts elongate, basally narrow, laterally arcuate, widest medially; parameres very short, apically rounded, simple; secondary lateral lobes present, very short, shorter than lateral lobes; median lobe very short and basally broad, apically pointed, as long as the parameres.

Variations. Six female and 21 male paratypes were examined. Six female paratypes measured 5.0– 5.5 mm long. All female paratypes measured 1.25 mm wide. Twenty-one male paratypes measured 3.5–5.0 mm long. All male paratypes measured 1.0 mm wide. All six female paratypes are longer than and wider than the holotype. Three male paratypes are slightly longer than and just as wide as the holotype. Nine male paratypes are as long as and just as wide as the holotype. Nine male paratypes are shorter than and just as wide as the holotype. Color variability are present amongst the series. Six males and six females are uniformly dark brown, likely attributed to its slightly teneral state at the time of collection. Two males possess dark reddish-brown antennae and is uniformly dark brownish-black. One male paratype possess dark brownish-black antennae and is also uniformly dark brownish-black without the deep dark infuscate reddish coloration on the apical margin of the pronotum and pronotal hind angles compared with the holotype. Twelve male paratypes have uniformly reddish-brown antennae and are shiny dark brownish-black with an infuscate reddish coloration of the apical margin of the pronotum. Nineteen male and six female paratypes each have a very delicate medio-longitudinal carina present on the frons. Two males lack the medio-longitudinal carina on the frons. No other exoskeletal differences were observed between the paratypes and the holotype.

Distribution. This species has been taken from five locales in Alabama, two locales within the same area in Florida and a single locale in northeastern Wisconsin.

Biology. Five adults were taken from a blacklight trap within a state park in Florida. Twenty-three adults were taken from a blacklight trap in Alabama. One adult was taken from a purple prism trap baited with Manuka oil and Z3-Hexa-1-ol in Wisconsin. Larvae and pupae are unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from its very short anterolateral pronotal ridge present in the new species.

Figures

Figures 15–20. Dirrhagofarsus brevis Otto new species. 15) Male holotype, elytral apices, lateral view. 16) Male holotype, dorsal habitus. 17) Male holotype, head, frontal view. 18) Male holotype, pronotum, lateral view. 19) Female allotype, dorsal habitus. 20) Male paratype, aedeagus, dorsal view. (Scale: 15–20 = 1.0 mm.)

Figures 11–14. Dirrhagofarsus species, frontal carina. 11) Dirrhagofarsus modestus (Fleutiaux). 12) Dirrhagofarsus unicolor (Hisamatsu). 13) Dirrhagofarsus ernae Otto, Muona and McClarin. 14) Dirrhagofarsus brevis Otto, new species.