Apiomerus floridensis Berniker & Szerlip, 2011

Berniker, Lily, Szerlip, Sigurd, Forero, Dimitri & Weirauch, Christiane, 2011, 2949, Zootaxa 2949, pp. 1-113 : 20

Apiomerus floridensis Berniker & Szerlip , sp. nov. Figs 1–16, Map 2

Type data: Holotype: 1 ♂; [ USA: Florida: Monroe Co.:] Stock Island [24.57217 ° N 81.74081 ° W] / 27 Dec 1954, H. V. Weems, Jr. Coll. / R. E. Hussey det. 1956 / Apiomerus floridensis Szerlip Det. by S. L. Szerlip 1977 / Univ. Calif. Insect Survey Specimen # 127932 / FSCA / HOLOTYPE ♂ Apiomerus floridensis n. sp. Berniker & Szerlip Det. by: Berniker & Szerlip 2011 / ( UCR _ ENT 00011477 ) ( FSCA) .

Diagnosis: Recognized by the red and black pronotum, red legs with the apical half of the fore and mid tibiae black ( Fig. 1E), and male genitalia with the posterior margin of the dorsal phallothecal sclerite pointed in dorsal view, the dorsolateral lobes divided into proximal and distal portions with the proximal portion semi-circular and the distal portion elongated ( Fig. 1E).

Description: Male: Medium-sized, total length 12.5–14.2 mm. COLORATION: HEAD: Black. THORAX: Anterior pronotal lobe black, sometimes with anterior portion red or entirely red, posterior pronotal lobe black, red, or black with anterior band of red, margin of posterior pronotal lobe yellow to red, scutellum black with yellow or red margin, thoracic pleura black with an orange or red circle on supracoxal lobes, corium red, fore and mid legs red with apical half of tibia black, hind leg red with apex of tibia black. ABDOMEN: Black, with yellow stripes ventrally, connexivum pale yellow to red, pygophore black and red ( Figs 1E, 16D). STRUCTURE: HEAD: about as long as pronotum, about 4 times width of eye, eye in dorsal view about 1/4 of head length. THORAX: pronotum 1.3 times wider than long, anterolateral angle truncate, disc of anterior lobe with paired greatly convex lobes, posterior margin straight. ABDOMEN: pygophore about 1/4 length of abdomen, median pygophore process U-shaped in caudal view, ramus longer than base width ( Figs 2E, 3E, 4E, 5E). GENITALIA: distal portion of tergite 9 with setae on anterior margin, posterior margin of dorsal phallothecal sclerite pointed in dorsal view ( Fig. 8A), apex in dorsal view narrow, less than half the width of dorsal phallothecal sclerite, endosomal struts fused at base and apex, or almost fused at apex, but not medially, dorsolateral lobes divided into proximal and distal portion, proximal lobe semi-circular, distal lobe entire, elongated ( Fig. 8B), median basal sclerotization pyramid shaped ( Fig. 8B), distal dorsal lobe with two parallel rows of strong denticles ( Figs 6E, 7E).

Female: Total length 13.9–16.2 mm. STRUCTURE: ABDOMEN: syntergite 9/10 with distal margin slightly emarginate ( Fig. 11E). GENITALIA: gonapophysis 8 with two distinct sclerotizations ( Fig. 15E), bursa copulatrix with two narrow, transverse sclerotized folds ( Fig. 14E).

Etymology: Named for its distribution throughout the Florida peninsula.

Biology: Apiomerus floridensis has been collected during all months of the year at elevations ranging from sea level up to 36 m. They have been caught while feeding on honey bees and Chauliognathus sp. ( Coleoptera : Cantharidae ) ( UCR _ENT 00011561 and 00021060), and found on the following plants: Ambrosia artemisiifolia (Asteraceae) , Bidens sp. (Asteraceae) , Citrus paradise (Rutaceae) , Citrus sinensis (Rutaceae) , Croton punctatus (Euphorbiaceae) , Melaleuca sp. (Myrtaceae) , Melilotus alha (Fabaceae) , Psidium sp. (Myrtaceae) , Pterocaulon undulatum (Asteraceae) , Quercus sp. (Fagaceae) , Rosmarinus officinalis (Lamiaceae) , Serenoa repens (Arecaceae) and grasses. Specimens have been trapped in dung, ethanol/turpentine and insect flight traps.

Distribution: Florida peninsula from Duval County south into the keys.

Discussion: The color of the pronotum of A. floridensis varies in the amount of red and black on the anterior and posterior lobes, but all individuals can be recognized by the color pattern of the legs and the red corium. Some individuals superficially resemble A. spissipes , though the two do not overlap in their ranges. The only other member of the crassipes group found in peninsular Florida is A. crassipes (see A. crassipes distribution), and the two are easily distinguishable by color patterns ( Figs 1, 16).

Material examined: See Appendix; 312 specimens examined.