Blapstinus humilis Casey

Steiner, Warren E. & Jr, 2006, New species of darkling beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from San Salvador Island, Bahamas, Zootaxa 1158, pp. 1-38 : 36

Blapstinus humilis Casey , new status

In making identifications of species of Blapstinus from the Bahamas, comparisons among southern Florida species and many specimens from Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands were warranted. Dissections of male aedeagi were done. The type specimens of B. humilis Casey (1890) and recent conspecific specimens from Florida appear to match Bahamian specimens (Great Exuma and San Salvador). I am provisionally using the name in this study. It should be noted at present that the same species, based on comparisons made among dissected specimens, also occurs in Cuba, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and Hispaniola and probably involves some synonymy under an older name, plus synonymy of more recent names, e.g., B. dominicus Marcuzzi (1962) . The Central American species described by Champion (1885) could also be involved, as other tenebrionid species have been shown to have a wide circum­Caribbean distribution.

Blapstinus humilis Casey , however, was placed in synonymy under B. fuscus Casey , from Texas, by Davis (1970, unpublished thesis). This was recognized (and so validated) in a checklist of Florida beetles ( Peck and Thomas 1998). With examination of Casey’s type material, however, I believe that Davis was incorrect in this decision. He made a dissection of the aedeagus of Casey’s only male specimen of B. humilis labeled “Fla.” but did not dissect any of the type series of B. fuscus . He illustrated the aedeagus of the Texas form but did not compare it to the Florida type. The first of nine Casey specimens of B. fuscus , labeled as lectotype by Davis, has now been dissected and compared among all examples mentioned above, plus other abundant material from eastern Texas. The two populations appear too distinct to be considered as one species: In the Texas specimens, aedeagi have parameres more broad with sides gradually curved from base to apex; body surfaces have noticeably more conspicuous setae, and antennae are consistently longer, than in Florida specimens. The latter have parameres narrow, with sides parallel in the basal 3/4ths, and the general body outline is relatively more parallel­sided than the elongate­oval form of the Texas specimens. Therefore, while the two taxa may be part of a large circum­caribbean complex, B. humilis should be brought out of synonymy and recognized as a valid species until further revision of this difficult group can be carried out.