Tinotus refusus Hanley

Hanley, Rodney S., 2002, A New Species Of Mexican Tinotus From The Refuse Piles Of Atta Ants, Including An Annotated World Catalog Of Tinotus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Aleocharini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 56 (4), pp. 453-471 : 454

Tinotus refusus Hanley , new species

Figs. 1–7

Type Series. Holotype, male, MÉXICO: San Luis Potosi, El Santo Falls , 12 km NW El Naranjo, 26 July 1990, 400 m, J. S. Ashe, K. J. Ahn, R. Leschen, #232, ex. Atta sp. refuse pile ( KSEM) . Paratypes, 8 males, 8 females from the type locality (16­ KSEM) , 1 female, San Luis Potosi, El Santo Falls , 12 km NW El Naranjo, 5 July 1990, 400 m, J. S. Ashe, K. J. Ahn, R. Leschen, #27, ex. Atta refuse pile ( KSEM) .

Derivation of Name. The specific epithet, refusus , is an adjective identifying the peculiar habitat where the type series was collected.

Diagnosis. Along with Tinotus eidmanni , this is the only described species of Tinotus with eyes shorter than the lengths of the temples and each elytron as wide as long. This species differs from T. eidmanni by having completely piceous antennae (the antennae of T. eidmanni have segments 1–4 reddishbrown, segments 5–11 dark brown, and the outer apex of the terminal segments bright brown), a less robust abdomen, the area of greatest width of the abdomen is subequal to the maximum width of the elytra (the area of greatest width of the abdomen of T. eidmanni is greater than the maximum width of the elytra), and the wings not as fully developed, not reaching the apex of the abdomen when extended posteriorly (the wings of T. eidmanni are fully developed).

Description. Body length 1.7–2.2 mm. Head piceous to black, pronotum brown to dark brown, elytra and abdomen brown. Body covered throughout with moderately long pile of yellow microsetae; integument reticulate, moderately glossy. Head with eyes small, length about 0.3 times length of temples, pubescence directed anteriorly towards midline. Antennae short, reaching almost basal third of pronotum when extended posteriorly, widest part at segments 6–11 ( Fig. 1 ). Pronotum quadrate to slightly transverse, pubescence evenly distributed, primarly directed towards outer apical angles. Elytra broad, each elytron quadrate, apical margin broadly sinuate, evenly pubescent ( Fig. 2 ), with pubescence directed toward apico­lateral angles. Wings small, reaching near middle of abdomen when extended posteriorly. Mesosternum with prominent transverse medial carina ( Fig. 3 ). Male tergum VIII pubescent with numerous heavy spines near outer apical angles ( Fig. 4 ). Aedeagus ( Fig. 5 ), paramere ( Fig. 6 ), spermatheca ( Fig. 7 ) as depicted.

Notes. Adults were collected from a large refuse pile of an Atta sp. ant colony. The sampled refuse pile was about a meter tall and contained a wide variety of immature and adult insects (J. S. Ashe, pers. comm.,). It is likely that T. refusus is specific to this habitat since no other specimens were collected in the surrounding area using various hand and trap sampling techniques. In addition, the reduction in size of the eyes, elytra, and wings suggest a lack of mobility, especially through flight. Dispersal of T. refusus may be accomplished by the beetles following the pheromone trails of the host ants as demonstrated by Moser (1964) for the myrmecophilous cockroach Attaphilia fungicola Wheeler, also from Atta colonies.

Figures

Figs. 1–7. Tinotus refusus Hanley. 1) Right antenna,?; 2) left elytron,?; 3) mesothoracic region, ventral view,?; 4) abdominal tergum VIII,?; 5) median lobe of aedeagus, lateral view; 6) paramere, lateral view; 7) spermatheca.