Anillinus merritti Sokolov & Carlton, 2010

Harden, Curt W. & Caterino, Michael S., 2024, Systematics and biogeography of Appalachian Anillini, and a taxonomic review of the species of South Carolina (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Trechinae, Anillini), ZooKeys 1209, pp. 69-197 : 69-197

Anillinus merritti Sokolov & Carlton, 2010

Figs 21 R , 24 P , 38 , 39 A

Anillinus merritti Sokolov & Carlton, 2010: 9.

Material examined.

Holotype male ( USNM), point mounted and dissected with genitalia in dried-out glycerin cup pinned beneath specimen.

Other material

(n = 77). USA • Georgia (new state record) • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Habersham Co.; 34.5726, - 83.5477; Jun. 1946; J. M. Valentine leg.; CMNH ; • 2 ♂, 4 ♀; Rabun Co.; Chattahoochee National Forest, ca. 1 km south of Rabun bald trailhead ; 34.9708, - 83.3032; 2 Jul. 2020; C. W. Harden leg.; buried pipe trap; CWHc ; • 1 ♀; Rabun Co.; Chattahoochee National Forest, ca. 1 km south of Rabun bald trailhead ; 34.9709, - 83.3031; 2 Jul. 2020; C. W. Harden leg.; buried pipe trap; CWHc ; • 1 ♂, 4 ♀; Rabun Co.; Chattahoochee National Forest, ca. 1 km south of Rabun bald trailhead ; 34.9711, - 83.3032; 2 Jul. 2020; C. W. Harden leg.; buried pipe trap; CWHc ; • 1 ♂; Rabun Co.; Chattahoochee National Forest, ca. 1 km south of Rabun bald trailhead ; 34.9712, - 83.3030; 2 Jul. 2020; C. W. Harden leg.; CWHc ; • 1 ♀; Rabun Co.; Chattahoochee National Forest, Rabun Bald trail ; 34.9724, - 83.3020; 29 Sep. 2019; C. W. Harden leg.; under rock; CWH- 027, CUAC 000169281 ; • 1 ♂, 4 ♀; Rabun Co.; Chattahoochee National Forest, 0.6 km south of Rabun Bald trailhead, east of Sky Valley ; 34.9736, - 83.3085; 26 Oct. 2019; C. W. Harden leg.; under rock; CWH- 041, CWH- 043 to CWH- 046, CUAC 000168372 , CUAC 000169274 to CUAC 000169277 ; • 2 ♂, 3 ♀; Rabun Co.; Chattahoochee National Forest, 0.6 km south of Rabun Bald trailhead, east of Sky Valley ; 34.9748, - 83.3059; 26 Oct. 2019; C. W. Harden leg.; under rock; CWH- 040, CWH- 042, CWH- 047, CWH- 048, CWH- 095, CUAC 000168371 , CUAC 000168373 , CUAC 000169278 to CUAC 000169280 ; • Rabun Co.; Beegum Gap ; 34.9786, - 83.3032; 11 Aug. 1970; T. C. Barr leg.; CMNH ; • North Carolina • 1 ♂; Macon Co.; Coweeta Hydrological Lab, ca. 13 mi west of Highlands ; 35.0450, - 83.4510; 22 May 1965; H. R. Steeves leg.; CMNH ; • 3 ♂, 4 ♀; Macon Co.; Turtle Pond Creek, ca 4 mi west-northwest of Highlands ; 35.06, - 83.26; 8 Aug. 1970; T. C. Barr leg.; CMNH ; • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Macon Co.; Jones Gap ; 35.0752, - 83.2883; 16 Jul. 2015; S. Myers leg.; SSM 245 and SSM 246, CUAC 000170592 and CUAC 000170593 ; • 1 ♀; Macon Co.; Jones Gap ; 35.0785, - 83.2923; 22 Jul. 2015; S. Myers leg.; SSM 174, CUAC 000169286 ; • 1 ♀; Macon Co.; Nantahala National Forest, Cliffside Vista trail ; 35.0795, - 83.2416; 2 Jul. 2020; C. W. Harden and L. M. Thompson leg.; under rock; CWH- 203, CUAC 000169284 ; • 1 ♀; Macon Co.; 4 mi northwest of Highlands ; 35.0840, - 83.2570; 19 Mar. 1976; Q. D. Wheeler leg.; litter extraction; OSUC ; • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Macon Co.; 0.6 mi northeast of Goldmine, California Ridge ; 35.10, - 83.28; 14 May 1971; T. C. Barr leg.; CMNH ; • 1 ♀; Macon Co.; Nantahala National Forest, off Wayah Road ca. 10 km from Route 64; 35.1554, - 83.5584; 3 Aug. 2020; C. W. Harden leg.; buried pipe trap; CWHc ; • 1 ♀; Macon Co.; Nantahala National Forest, off Wayah Road ca. 10 km from Route 64; 35.1556, - 83.5583; 20 Oct. 2019; C. W. Harden leg.; under rock; CWH- 055; CUAC 000169291 ; • 3 ♂, 14 ♀; Macon Co.; Nantahala National Forest, off Wayah Road ca. 10 km from Route 64; 35.1557, - 83.5583; 3 Aug. 2020; buried pipe trap or under rock; C. W. Harden leg.; CWHc ; • 2 ♂, 9 ♀; Macon Co.; Nantahala National Forest, off Wayah Road ca. 10 km from Route 64; 35.1557, - 83.5583; 4 Jun. 2021; C. W. Harden leg.; buried pipe trap ; • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Macon Co.; Nantahala National Forest, Forest Service road 1.25 mi south of Wayah Bald ; 35.1700, - 83.5810; 18 Apr. 2020; C. W. Harden leg.; under rock; CWH- 165 and CWH- 166, CUAC 000169282 and CUAC 000169283 ; • 1 ♀; Macon Co.; Nantahala National Forest, Bartram Trail, Wallace Branch, end of Ray Cove Road ; 35.1809, - 83.4336; 3 Aug. 2020; C. W. Harden leg.; under rock; CWH- 208, CUAC 000169285 ; Swain Co.; Twentymile Trail near Twentymile Creek ; 35.4800, - 83.8450; 19 Oct. 2007; I. M. Sokolov leg.; litter sifting; NCSU _ ENT 00293734 ; NCSU ; • South Carolina (new state record) • 1 ♀; Oconee Co.; Indian Camp Creek ; 34.9899, - 83.0724; 4 May 2015; S. Myers leg.; litter extraction; SSM 414, CUAC 000169287 .

Literature records.

USA • North Carolina • Macon Co.; Coweeta Hydrobiological Station, Shope Fork ; 35.0597, - 83.4532; 29 May 1983; D. S. Chandler leg.; litter extraction; LSAM .

Diagnosis.

The male genitalia are diagnostic: the median lobe is straighter than in other loweae - group species, and the apex is more elongate. The flagellum is slightly rotated dorsally; in right lateral view it is similar to that of A. loweae , but shorter; in dorsal view it is evenly curved. Female spermatheca (Fig. 21 R ) is similar in form to that of A. loweae , S-shaped with deep basal bend, and a short uncoiled spermathecal duct.

Females of this species have two distinct phenotypes: west of the Little Tennessee River, most females resemble those of A. cherokee (cf. Fig. 39 C ), whereas east of the Little Tennessee River, females have greatly narrowed humeri without angles, giving the body a striking hourglass shape (Fig. 39 A ). The two forms seem to intergrade in the vicinity of Wayah Bald in Macon Co., NC, and the DNA sequence data associate both forms with typical males of A. merritti .

Distribution.

The range of this species is similar to that of A. cherokee , but it has not yet been found in Tennessee (Fig. 38 ).

Sympatry.

At the single known SC locality, this species was collected with A. murrayae and S. dunavani .

Natural history.

This species inhabits deeper strata than the other described members of the loweae group, and should be considered endogean in habit. Evidence for this comes from seven years of extensive litter sampling within the range of A. merritti producing only four specimens, while a single year of endogean collecting (turning rocks during rain and using buried pitfall traps) yielded more than 50 specimens. The morphology of the sloped-humeri females is also considered to be associated with increased mobility through deeper soil strata ( Sokolov 2013).

Note.

The single specimen known from South Carolina is a female.

Species group incertae sedis

Anillinus sp. “ South Carolina, Wateree ”

Fig. 40 A – C

Material examined. USA • South Carolina • 2 ♀; Kershaw Co.; English Swamp, Wateree Floodland Memorial Forest ; 34.0911, - 80.6578; 27 Feb. 2010; J. F. Cornell, S. Cornell, and B. Gregory leg.; litter ex Pinus stumps; NCSU.

Diagnosis. The two female specimens of this species are unique among known eastern Anillinus females in having a sharp tooth on the posterior margin of the metafemur in the distal 1 / 3 (Fig. 40 B ). The specimens are large, ABL = 2.25 mm, dorsoventrally flattened and parallel-sided (Fig. 40 A ). Dorsal microsculpture is fully developed on the head and pronotum. The spermatheca is long, 2 - shaped in ventral aspect (Fig. 40 C ), stem narrow with an acute bend basally, abruptly enlarged at curved apex. Spermathecal duct long and not coiled. The gonocoxites are longer and narrower than in most Anillinus species.

Notes. The proper systematic placement of this species is unclear. Externally, the species is similar to members of the elongatus group, but all species in that group have a long and heavily coiled spermathecal duct, and modified metafemora are unknown in females. Several large samples of sifted wood and soil taken from large pine stumps at the known locality in April 2021 failed to produce specimens.

Figures

Figure 21. Spermathecae of Anillini species A, B Anillinus chandleri C Anillinus castaneus D Anillinus murrayae E Anillinus simplex F Anillinus dentatus G Anillinus sp. “ South Carolina, Coon Branch ” H Anillinus micamicus I Anillinus mica J Anillinus choestoea K Anillinus seneca L Anillinus montrex M Anillinus arenicollis N Anillinus jancae O Anillinus cf. nantahala P Anillinus cherokee Q Anillinus loweae R Anillinus merritti S Serranillus dunavani T Serranillus jeanneli. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.

Figure 24. Male ring sclerite, ventral aspect. A Anillinus chandleri B Anillinus castaneus C Anillinus sp. “ South Carolina, Chestnut Ridge ” D Anillinus murrayae E Anillinus simplex F Anillinus dentatus G Anillinus mica H Anillinus micamicus I Anillinus choestoea J Anillinus seneca K Anillinus arenicollis L Anillinus montrex M Anillinus jancae N Anillinus loweae O Anillinus cherokee P Anillinus merritti. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figure 38. Distribution map of langdoni - group and loweae - group species that occur in South Carolina. Data are from Harden (2024).

Figure 39. Dorsal habitus of female Anillinus in the loweae group A Anillinus merritti, sloped-humeri form (Georgia, Rabun Bald) B Anillinus loweae (Georgia, Rabun Cliffs) C Anillinus cherokee (South Carolina, Coon Branch). Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 40. Anillinus sp. “ South Carolina, Wateree. ” A dorsal habitus B left metafemora, ventral aspect (black arrow = metafemoral spine) C spermatheca within cleared abdomen. Scale bars: 1 mm (A) and 0.1 mm (B, C).