Achilia angularis Jeannel, 1962

Kurbatov, Sergey A., Cuccodoro, Giulio & Sabella, Giorgio, 2021, A revision of the Chilean Brachyglutini - Part 7. Revision of Achilia Reitter, 1890: A. cosmoptera species group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 128 (1), pp. 135-156 : 137-138

Achilia angularis Jeannel, 1962

Figs 8-12, 15 , 21 , 24, 30, 32 , 33-36 , 64

Achilia angularis Jeannel, 1962: 426 , 430, figs 198 (head and antenna of male), 199 (aedeagus).

Achilia nahuelbutae Franz, 1996: 115 , fig. 62 (aedeagus) syn. nov.

Type material (2 ex.): CENTRAL CHILE: Región Bío Bío: Ñuble Prov.: MNHN; 1 ♂ (holotype of A. angularis ); labels verbatim “ Holotype / Chile; Chillan / Achillia angularis (handwritten by Jeannel)”. – Región Araucanía: Malleco Prov.: NHMW; 1 ♂ (lectotype of A. nahuelbutae , here designated); labels verbatim “ Lectotype / Cordillera; Nahuelbuta; lg. H. Franz / Achillia nahuelbutae m. (handwritten by Franz) / Achilia nahuelbutae Franz, 1996 = Achilia angulari s Jeannel 1962; det. Sabella, Cuccodoro & Kurbatov 2019 ” .

Additional material examined (244 ex.): SOUTHERN ARGENTINA: Neuquén Prov.: MNHN; 1 ♂; San Martín de los Andes ; 15.IV.1959; C. Delamare. – CENTRAL CHILE: Región Araucanía: Cautín Prov.: FMNH (FMHD# 96-239); 1 ♂ and 2 ♀; Villarica National Park , Volcán Villarica, road to sky center ; 39° 22.48’S 71° 58.30’W; 1180 m; 26.XII.1996; Nothofagus dombeyi forest w/ Chusquea, Berlese , leaf & log litter; A. Newton & M. Thayer 980. – MHNG; 1 ♂; Villarica National Park, Volcán Villarica , 10 km S Pucón; 900 m; 15.XII.1984 / 10. II.1985; Nothofagus grove on ash; S. & J. Peck. – PCVB; 1 ♂; Pucón, Volcán Villarica ; 1300 m; 23.XI.2004; Bergwald; K. Renner. – UNHC; 3 ♂; Volcán Villarica; 1250 m; site 653 ; 15- 29.XII.1982; Nothofagus dombeyi pumilio forest w/ Chusquea , Berlese, leaf & log litter, forest floor; A. Newton & M. Thayer. – PCTS; 1 ♂; Palguin , 39,43°S 71,79°W; 05.XII.2013; litter layer. – MHNG; 5 ♂ and 17 ♀; Huerquehue National Park ; 800-900 m; station 16a ; 22-24.XII.1980; forest litter; D. Agosti & D. Burckhardt. – FMNH ( FMHD# 96-232 ); 1 ♂; Conguillío National Park , 4.0 km E Laguna Captrén guard sta.; 38° 38.98’S 71° 39.77’W; 1255 m; 23.XII.1996; Nothofagus dombeyi forest, Berlese, flood debris along stream; A. Newton & M. Thayer. – Malleco Prov. – MHNG; 1 ♂; Cordillera Nahuelbuta ; H. Franz. – NHMW; 6 ♂ (2 identified as A. nahuelbutae ) and 39 ♀; same data. – MHNG; 3 ♂; Nahuelbuta National Park, 40 km W Angol ; 1200-1500 m; 19.XII.1984 / 17. II.1985; Nothofagus-Araucaria; for FIT; S. & J. Peck. – MHNG; 8 ♂; Nahuelbuta National Park , 45 km W Angol; 1400 m; 09.XII.1984 / 16.II.1985; Nothofagus - Araucaria forest, car trap; S. & J. Peck. – FMNH ( FMHD P#85-13 ); 1 ♂; same locality; 09.XII.1984; Nothofagus - Araucaria forest, Berlese, litter; S. & J. Peck. – JEBC; 2 ♂; National Park, Nahuelbuta (entrance) ; 37° 49.555’S 72° 58.008’ W; III.2001; soil; J. E. Barriga-Tuñón. – JEBC; 1 ♂; National Park, Nahuelbuta ; 36° 52’ 34’’S 71° 28’ 3’’W; 06.XII.2008; fogging lenga Nothofagus obliqua ; J. E. Barriga-Tuñón. – JEBC; 1 ♂ and 2 ♀; Arauco, National Park Nahuelbuta , Pichinahuel ; 37° 47’S 73° 00’W; 1200 m; 22.IX.2001; Berlese trap, Araucaria araucana ; J. E. Barriga-Tuñón. – FMNH ( FMHD #2002-041 ); 2 ♂ and 7 ♀; Nahuelbuta National Park , E of Guarderia Pichinahuel; 37° 48.20’S 73° 01.41’W; 1290 m; 05-24.XII.2002; Araucaria- Nothofagus dombeyi with Chusquea bamboo, flight intercept trap; A. Newton, M. Thayer, A. Solodovnikov; D. J. Clarke & M. Chani 1054. – MHNG; 2 ♂ and 2 ♀; same data. – FMNH (FMHD #2002-042); 1 ♀; same data but carrion trap (octopus); M. Thayer & A. Newton 1054. – FMNH (FMHD #2002-054); 6 ♂ and 52 ♀; Nahuelbuta National Park , Comallín area, between Guardería and picnic area; 37° 48.33’S 73° 00.98’W; 1200 m; 06.XII.2002; Nothofagus-Araucaria -bamboo, sun-extracted, sifted litter; A. Solodovnikov. – MHNG; 3 ♂ and 6 ♀; same data. – FMNH (FMHD #2002-053); 1 ♂ and 21 ♀; same data but pitfall traps (10); A. Solodovnikov. – MHNG; 1 ♂ and 3 ♀; same data. – FMNH (FMHD #96-219); 2 ♂; Nahuelbuta National Park , Comallín , 8.2 km NW Los Portones entrance; area; 37° 48.21’S 73° 00.89’W; 1260 m; 21.XII.1996 / 07. II.1997; Nothofagus spp. Araucaria araucana forest, flight intercept trap; A. Newton & M. Thayer 974. – MHNG; 2 ♂; same data. – FMNH (FMHD #96-221); 2 ♂; same data but 21.XII.1996; leaf & log litter. – MHNG; 1 ♂; same data. – FMNH (FMHD #96-222); 2 ♂; Nahuelbuta National Park , 4.5 km W Los Portones entrance; 37° 49.25’S 72° 59.82’W; 1300 m; 21.XII.1996 / 07.II.1997; Nothofagus spp. emergent Araucaria araucana , Chusquea understory, flight intercept trap; A. Newton & M. Thayer 975. – MHNG; 1 ♂; same data. – FMNH (FMHD #96-224); 1 ♂ and 3 ♀; same data but 21.XII.1996; Berlese, leaf & log litter. – FMNH (FMHD #97-48); 3 ♂ and 8 ♀; Nahuelbuta National Park , 2.3 km W Los Portones entrance; 37° 49.32’S 72° 58.73’W; 1190 m; 07.II.1997; Nothofagus spp. forest (evergreen and deciduous), Berlese, leaf & log litter; A. Newton & M. Thayer, 1010. – FMNH (FMHD #2002-051); 1 ♂ and 1 ♀; Nahuelbuta National Park , Comallín , 8.2 km NW Los Portones entrance area; 37° 48.10’S 73° 00.93’W; 1210 m; 06.XII.2002; Nothofagus antarctica w/ Araucaria & Chusquea bamboo, sun-extracted, leaf & log litter; A. Solodovnikov 1058. – FMNH (FMHD #2002-052); 3 ♀; same data but 06-08. XII.2002; pitfall trap (10). – FMNH (FMHD #2002-056); 3 ♂; Nahuelbuta National Park , 2.3 km W Los Portones entrance; 37° 49.41’S 72° 58.95’W; 1150 m; 07-25.XII.2002; Nothofagus dombeyi + antarctica , mostly open understory, flight intercept trap; A. Newton & M. Thayer 1057. – MHNG; 2 ♂; same data. – FMNH (FMHD #2002-045); 1 ♂; Nahuelbuta National Park , road to Piedra del Águila; 37° 49.29’S 73° 01.90’W; 1360 m; 06-24.XII.2002; Nothofagus dombeyi & pumilio, large Araucaria , bamboo + shrub understory, flight intercept trap; M. Thayer, A. Newton, A. Solodovnikov, D. J. Clarke & M. Chani 1055. – FMNH (FMHD #2002-048); 1 ♂ and 4 ♀; Nahuelbuta National Park , Vic Pehuenco (Centro Visitantes); 37° 49.06’S 73° 00.47’W; 1130 m; 06-25.XII.2002; Nothofagus sp. (decid.), w/shrubby understory, no bamboo, flight intercept trap; M. Thayer, A. Newton, A. Solodovnikov, D. J. Clarke & M. Chani 1056.

Description: Body 1.35-1.65 mm long, reddish with darkened head and abdomen; antennae and legs reddish; palpi yellowish.

Male: Head as in Figs 33-36 , subrectangular with slightly convex occipital region; frons and frontal lobe punctate; transverse frontal sulcus narrow and shallow, limited to the area posterior to antennal tubercles; temporal angles prolonged as spiniform process directed upwards. Antennae ( Fig. 21 ) with scape distinctly longer than wide; pedicel slightly longer than wide; antennomere III slightly wider than long; antennomeres IV-VIII wider than long; antennomere IX wider than VIII and wider than long, with some tubercles and setae; antennomere X distinctly wider than long and wider than IX, with some tubercles and setae; antennomere XI moderately elongate, longer than VIII-X combined. Metaventrite with very shallow mediobasal impression. First abdominal sternite slightly raised and flattened at middle. Profemora ( Fig. 15 ) enlarged and densely pubescent; protibiae ( Fig. 24 ) with distal half swollen and densely pubescent, with acute apical spine; mesotibiae ( Fig. 30 ) with distal half slightly bulging, with group of dense setae near basal third of medial margin, medial margin indented and ending as subapical spine; metatibiae ( Fig. 32 ) with medial margin expanded on basal third as pubescent lamina and ending with very short subapical spine. Aedeagus ( Fig. 8 ) 0.25-0.26 mm long, with ovoidal dorsal plate; dorsal longitudinal struts divergent. Parameres relatively wide with one seta on short outer lobe; apical portion of parameres recurved anteriorly, bearing one ventral medial seta. Copulatory pieces consisting of two subequal sclerites basally recurved and more robust, and apically pointed with some short subapical spines; these sclerites associated with two lateral sclerites variable in shape and forming apically two or three spines ( Figs 8-12 ).

Female: Similar to male except head not modified; antennae shorter; eyes smaller; metaventrite, abdominal sternites, and legs unmodified.

Collecting data: Collected from December to April; found in different types of forests of Nothofagus spp. , sometimes with Araucaria araucana and Chusquea at elevations ranging from 800 m to 1500 m. Most of the material come from sifted samples of leaf and log litter; some specimens were collected with pitfall traps, and several males have also been collected by flight intercept traps, and car netting.

Distribution: Achilia angularis is known from Southern Argentina (Neuquén Prov.) and Central Chile (Araucanía and Bío Bío Regións) ( Fig. 64 : squares edged in blue).

Comments: In a previous article ( Sabella et al., 2017: 123) we claimed to have examined the type series of Achilia nahuelbutae Franz, 1996 housed in the NHMW, which included three different species of Achilia and one specimen of the tribe Euplectini ; all 56 specimens are labeled as “Cordillera Nahuelbuta / lg. H. Franz.”. In the original description Franz (1996: 115) mentions a holotype male and 39 paratypes, but in Franz’s collection none of the specimens examined bear holotype or paratypes labels, and only 3 males – the only specimens dissected and pinned with the aedeagus preparation – have an identification label handwritten by Franz “ Achillia nahuelbutae m.”. Among these three males, which are very similar both in exoskeletal morphology and the shape of the aedeagus, we designate one as the lectotype of A. nahuelbutae Franz, 1996 . The comparison between this lectotype of A. nahuelbutae Franz, 1966 and the holotype of A. angularis Jeannel, 1962 showed that they are conspecific, and therefore we place Achilia nahuelbutae Franz, 1996 as a junior synonym of A. angularis Jeannel, 1962 (syn. nov.). The remaining 54 specimens, excluding the member of Euplectini , belong to A. angularis (3 male and 30 females), to A. jeanneli Sabella, Cuccodoro & Kurbatov, 2019 (1 male and 15 females), to A. pachycera Jeannel, 1963 (3 females), and to A. bicornis Jeannel, 1962 (2 females).

The males of A. angularis are easily distinguished from those of the other species of the A. cosmoptera group by the shape of the head ( Figs 33-36 ), antennae ( Fig. 21 ), profemora ( Fig. 15 ), protibiae ( Fig. 24 ), mesotibiae ( Fig. 30 ), metabiae ( Fig. 32 ), and aedeagus ( Fig. 8 ). The females of A. angularis strongly resemble those of A. quarantena n. sp.; for characters to distinguish females of these two species see the “Comments” section of the latter species.

Figures

Figs 7-15. Aedeagi (7, 8, 13), their internal sacs (9-12), and profemora (14, 15)of Achilia. (7, 14) A. quarantena. (8-12, 15)A. angularis, specimens from Malleco, Nahuelbuta National Park. (10) A. angularis, type from Chillan. (13) A. pandemica.

Figs 16-22. Male antennae of Achilia. (16) A. covidia. (17) A. blanchardi. (18) A. bifrons. (19) A. temporalis. (20) A. pandemica. (21) A. angularis. (22) A. quarantena.

Figs 23-32. Male protibiae (23-25), mesotibiae (26-31) and metatibiae (32) of Achilia. (23, 28) A. elfridae. (24, 30, 32) A. angularis. (25, 31) A. quarantena. (26) A. covidia. (27) A. blanchardi. (29) A. pandemica.

Figs 33-36. Achilia angularis. Male head in (33) dorsal, (34) lateral, (35) semifrontal, and (36) frontal views. Scale bar = 200 μm.

Fig. 64. Distribution map of Achilia cosmoptera group. (¤ squares edged in blue) A. angularis. (l red circles) A. elfridae. (r triangles edged in blue) A. melanocephala. (š circles edged in green) A. pandemica. (« fuchsia stars) A. quarantena n. sp. (J green squares) A. temporalis.