Laemophloeus biguttatus (Say)

Thomas, Michael C., 2015, A review of New World Laemophloeus Dejean (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae): 3. Nearctic species, Insecta Mundi 2015 (450), pp. 1-35 : 5-7

Laemophloeus biguttatus (Say)

Fig. 3,4 , 9 , 20-24

Cucujus biguttatus Say, 1827: 267

Laemophloeus biguttatus, Smith 1851: 5

Cucujus bisignatus Guerin, 1844: 205 ; synonymy by Smith 1851: 5

Laemophloeus californicus Casey, 1916: 122 , new synonym Types: Of Cucujus biguttatus Say : The type [s] of this species has not been located and probably was destroyed with most of Say’s collection. However, some Say specimens survive in the Museum of Comparative Zoology ( Mawdsley 1993), including “...7 undetermined specimens” according to Mawdsley (1993). Only one of these is a laemophloeid (Philip Perkins, in litt.); a photograph of that specimen revealed it to be a member of the genus Cryptolestes Ganglbauer , not Laemophloeus . Two specimens identified as Laemophloeus biguttatus in the Melsheimer collection at the MCZ were also examined. One, labeled: [blue paper disc] / “Ziegler”/ bigutta tus S. Pa.” / “biguttatus”, actually is Laemophloeus fasciatus Melsheimer. The second specimen, labeled simply: “Melsh.”, is missing the head and pronotum. It is a specimen of L. biguttatus (Say) .

Aggravating the problem of identifying an authentic Say specimen is the fact that Say (1927) did not note the number of specimens before him, except to write that it is “a common insect,” nor did he record a type locality. Since there are several superficially similar species in North America, it seems advisable to designate a neotype to affix this name to a specimen. I here designate the first specimen ( Fig. 21-22 ) in the series in the LeConte collection held by the MCZ as the neotype of Cucujus biguttatus Say. It bears the following labels: [pink disk] [indicating “Middle States”]/” L. biguttatus Say bisignatus Guér. ”/ “NEO- TYPE Cucujus biguttatus Say, 1825: 267 ”.

Of Laemophloeus californicus Casey : a single male specimen bearing the following label data: “Cal.”/ ”Casey bequest 1925"/” TYPE USNM 49158 "/” californicus Csy. ” [hindbody only; dissected]. Casey (1916) examined only a single specimen, which was without precise locality data .

Diagnosis. Similar to L. shastanus , and L. apache in its dark color dorsally, dense punctation, pale elytral maculae, and dorsal pubescence. It usually can be distinguished from the other pubescent species by its elytral maculae, which can be larger or smaller but almost always distinctly circular ( Fig. 3-4 ). The male genitalia offer distinctive characters in cases where coloration is ambiguous. In L. biguttatus , the basal plates are angulate laterally ( Fig. 24 ); only the basal primary setae on the parameres are present ( Fig. 23 ); a patch of fine setae is located laterally near the base of each paramere ( Fig. 23 ); and the apex of the median lobe is much more attenuate ( Fig. 23 ) than that of other Nearctic species. Laemophloeus fasciatus may be confused with L. biguttatus , but it has no dorsal pubescence and the elytral maculae are differently shaped. Length, 1.9mm - 3.3mm.

Distribution. Almost all of North America, except the Pacific Northwest, into northern Mexico.

Specimens examined. 1,101 from the following collections: BYUC, CDFA, FSCA, MCZC, TAMU, UAIC, UGAC.

CANADA: ONTARIO: Kent Co.: Tilbury; Lambton Co.: Grand Bend.

MEXICO: NUEVO LEON: Monterey ; SAN LUIS POTOSÍ: Hwy. 80, 4mi. E Ciudad del Maiz .

USA: ALABAMA: Dale Co.: Level Plains ; Jefferson Co.: Rocky Ridge ; Vestavia ; Walker Co.: Jasper ; ARIZONA: Apache Co.: Chuaka Mts., Wagon Wheel Forest Camp ; Cochise Co.: Santa Rita Mts. , Gardner Canyon ; Coconino Co.: Oak Creek Canyon ; Gila Co.: Globe ; Santa Cruz Co.: Mowry ; Pajarito Mts. , Peña Blanca Canyon ; Santa Rita Mts. , Madera Canyon ; unknown county “Rice, AZ”; Yavapai Co.: Sycamore Ck., Rd. 708 SE Cp. Verde ; ARKANSAS: Garland Co.: Jessieville ; Ouachita National Forest , Camp Clearfork ; Johnson Co.: Ozone ; Polk Co.: Mena; Pulaski Co.: Little Rock ;

CALIFORNIA: Mono Co.: Origin: USA: Texas, Denton Intercepted: Long Valley Inspection Station, California; Orange Co.: Ortega Hwy.; Trabuco Canyon; San Bernardino Co.: Blythe Insp. St. [Arkansas]; Lytle Creek; Mill Creek, 14mi. NE Redlands; San Diego Co.: Poway; San Fernando Co,: Oak Glen; Stanislaus Co.: La Grange; Tulare Co.: [county only]; Ventura Co.: Ojai; DELAWARE: Kent Co.:. 5mi. N Dinahs Corner; Rising Sun; FLORIDA: “Apalachicola N. F. [spans more than one county]; “Osceola N. F.” [spans more than one county]; Alachua Co.: 2.5mi. SW Archer; Archer; [county only]; Gainesville; Columbia Co.: O’Leno State Park; Dixie Co.: 3.5mi. N Old Town; 4.2mi. N Old Town; 4mi. N Old Town; Duval Co.: Jacksonville; Franklin Co.: St. George Island; Hernando Co.: Withlacoochee State Forest, Richloam Tract; Highlands Co.: Lake Placid, Archbold Biological Station; Indian River Co. Oslo area; Jackson Co.: Florida Caverns State Park; Lee Co.: Fort Myers; Levy Co.:. 2mi. W Alachua Co. line Rt. 24; 3.8mi. W Archer; 3mi. W Archer; Manatee Springs State Park; Seahorse Key; W of Archer; Liberty Co.: Torreya State Park; Marion Co.: Ocala National Forest, 2mi. W Grassy Pond; Ocala; SE of Lake Kerr; Silver River State Park; Village of Rainbow Springs; Okaloosa Co.: 4.5mi. N Holt; Orange Co.: Orlando; Polk Co.: Peace River, 5mi. S Ft. Meade; Winter Haven; Putnam: 2.5mi. NE Florahome; [county only]; Interlachen, Paris Rd.; Santa Rosa Co.: 1 mi. N Holley, St. Rd. 87; Bone Creek, 2 mi. N Holt; Sarasota Co.: Laurel; Myakka River State Park; Seminole Co.: Econ Wilderness Area; St. Johns Co.: I-95 at US1; Sumter Co. Lake Panasofkee; Volusia Co.: [county only]; Wakulla Co.: Panacea; GEORGIA: “Oconee N. F.” [spans more than one county]; Bartow Co.: Cartersville; Charlton Co.: Okeefenokee National Wildlife Refuge; Chatham Co.: 10mi. S Savannah; Clarke Co.: 3mi. N Athens; nr. Brooklyn Creek; Whitehall State Forest; Emanuel Co.: Ohoopee Dunes Natural Area; Fulton Co.: Atlanta; Green Co.: [county only]; Lowndes Co.: Rt. 7 at I-75; Lumpkin Co.: Dahlonega; MacIntosh Co.: Sapelo Is,; Meriwether Co.: Greenville; Warm Springs; Putnam Co.: [county only]; Walker Co.: Lookout Mountain; ILLINOIS: Clark Co.: Rocky Branch Creek N of Clarksville; Macon Co.: NW side of Decatur; INDIANA: Allen Co.: New Haven; Brown Co.: [county only]; Crawford Co.: Grantsburg; Floyd Co.: New Albany; Jasper Co.: Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area, Teft Savanna; Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area; Marion Co.: Indianapolis; Monroe Co.: Bloomington; Pulaski Co.: [county only]; Tippecanoe Co.: [county only]; Lafayette; W Lafayette, McCormick Woods; Vanderburgh Co.: Hovey; IOWA: Johnson Co.: Iowa City; KANSAS: Atchison Co.: Atchison; KENTUCKY: Knox Co.: Barbourville; LOUISIANA: “Kisatchie N. F.” (spans more than one parish); Natchitoches Par.: Kisatchie Ranger Distr., Custis Campground; Rapides Par.: Woodworth Alexander State Forest; Webster Par,: Lake Bistineau St. Pk.; West Feliciana Par.: Feliciana Preserve; MARYLAND: Anne Arundel Co.: 1mi. NW Bristol; Annapolis; Edgewater; Point Lookout; Baltimore Co.: Baltimore; Butler; Hebbville; Dorchester Co.: Cambridge; Montgomery Co.: Takoma Park; Prince George’s Co.: Beltsville; Bladensburg; Cedarville; College Park; [county only]; Somerset Co.: Princess Anne; Shelltown; Talbot Co.: Seth State Forest; MISSOURI: Carter Co.: 2.1mi. N jct. hwys. 60 and 67; Greene Co.: 10 mi. E Springfield; Jackson Co.: Raytown; Randolph Co.: 1mi. E Moberly; Reynolds Co.: hwy. 72, 3.2mi. SE Bunker; Taney Co.: 2mi. W Ridgedale; NEW HAMP- SHIRE: Strafford Co.: Dover; Durham; NEW JERSEY: Gloucester Co.: Paulsboro; NEW YORK: Nassau Co.: Roslyn; NORTH CAROLINA: “Nantahala N. F.” [spans more than one county]; Catawba Co.: Hog Hill; Onslow Co.: Onslow Beach; Union Co.: [county only]; Wake Co.: [county only]; Raleigh; OHIO: Franklin Co.: [county only]; OKLAHOMA: Latimer Co.: 3.5 mi. W Red Oak; 5mi. W Red Oak; [county only]; Red Oak; SW of Red Oak; PENNSYLVANIA: Allegheny Co.: Pittsburgh; Bucks Co. Quakertown; SOUTH CAROLINA: “Sumter N. F.” [spans more than one county]; Horry Co.: Myrtle Beach; Pickens Co.: Dovehaven; Sumter Co. Sumter; TENNESSEE: Chester Co.: Henderson; Shelby Co.: Memphis; TEXAS: Anderson Co.: Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area; Salmon; Angelina Co. : Angelina Nat. For. , ca. 4 mi. SE Zavalla; Bandera Co.: Lost Maples St. Pk; Bastrop Co.: Bastrop St. Pk.; Stengl Ranch, 9.5 km. N Smithville; Brazoria Co.: Kelly’s Pond. Sam Houston Nat. For.; Stubblefield Lake, Sam Houston Nat. For.; Brazos. Co.: College Station, Lick Creek St Pk.; College Station; Brewster Co.: 9 mi. W Alpine; Caldwell Co.: ca. 5 mi. E McMahan; Erath Co.: Stephenville; Freestone Co.: Old Spring Seat Church nr. Donie; Hardin Co.: Grayburg; Hays Co.: 6 mi. NW Dripping Springs; Hill Co.: Lake Whitney State Park; Kerr Co.: 6.5 mi. SW Hunt, 1960'; Kerrville; King Co.: Vidor; Lamar Co.: Camp Maxey; Leon Co.: 5 mi. N Flynn; Montgomery Co.: Conroe; The Woodlands; Robertson Co.: 5 mi. SW Hearne; 8 mi. E Hearne; Robertson Co.: Mill Creek headwater, 6 mi. SE New Baden; Sabine Co.: 9 mi. E Hemphill, “Beech Bottom”; Mill Creek Cove, “Beech Bottom,” 8.8mi. NE Hemphill; San Patricio Co.: Welder Wildlife Refuge; Smith Co.: Tyler St. Pk.; Travis Co.: Austin, Brackenridge Field Lab; Wood Co.: 3 mi,. N Hawkins; VIRGINIA: Buckingham Co.: [county only]; Fairfax Co.: Falls Church.

Discussion. This is the most widely distributed and most frequently collected North American species of Laemophloeus . It occurs completely across the U.S. in the South, but is replaced in the Pacific Northwest by L. shastanus , beginning at about the latitude of San Francisco (37 oN).

Figures

Figure 9. Laemophloeus biguttatus, male habitus.

Figures 1-7. Variation in Laemophloeus elytral fasciae. 1-2) L. megacephalus. 3-4) L. biguttatus. 5-6) L. fervidus (5, Arkansas; 6, paratype of L. woodruffi, Florida). 7) L. fasciatus.

Figures 20-24. Laemophloeus biguttatus. 20) Head and pronotum. 21) Habitus, neotype. 22) Neotype, labels. 23) Parameres. 24) Aedeagus.