Dorcadion pusillum ochrolineatum, Dascălu, 2018

Dascălu, Maria-Magdalena, 2018, The subspecific structure of Dorcadion (Cribridorcadion) pusillum Küster (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) with description of two new subspecies from Romania, Zootaxa 4442 (1), pp. 43-62 : 50-54

Dorcadion pusillum ochrolineatum ssp. nov .

Figs 4A–I , 5F–I , 6E .

? D. pusillum m. romanicum Podany, 1953: 33 (unavailable name). Type locality uncertain.

? D. pusillum m. podanyi Breuning, 1962: 112, 288 (unavailable name). Type locality uncertain.

? D. pusillum m. clarevittatum Breuning, 1962: 177, 288 (unavailable name). Type locality uncertain.

? D. pusillum m. slobozianum Heyrovsky, 1964: 183 (unavailable name). Type locality: Romania, Slobozia

D. pusillum ab. romanicum; Plavilstshikov, 1958: 149, 150.— Panin & Săvulescu, 1961: 389.

D. pusillum m. romanicum; Breuning, 1962: 112, 177, 287.

Description. Male. Body length: 8.7–10.4 mm (n = 33); body width: 3.2–3.9 mm (n = 33). Body black. Antenna uniformly dark brown to reddish-brown and first joint sometimes lighter. Legs black to dark brown, except femora and tibiae variably extensively reddish basally or fore tibia entirely reddish. Pronotum 0.82–0.97× as wide basally as long (n = 33) with setiferous punctures distinctly separated mesally and denser and partly conjugated on sides; lateral tubercle small, with acute, moderately long spine. Pronotum dorsally with brown background pubescence, a median pale yellow to rusty-yellow stripe and sparse yellowish pubescence laterally, mostly on tubercle. Elytra moderately convex, 1.68–1.99× longer than wide (n = 33) with dense, fine microsculpture and sparse small setiferous punctures; punctuation deeper and denser on humeral depression. Humeral carina roughly sculptured basally and well visible in basal third of elytra. Background elytral pubescence blackish-brown. Humeral stripe variably developed: mostly absent and reduced to a small, rusty-yellow humeral spot ( Fig. 4B, F–I ) but sometimes visible basally and apically as a trace of sparse, pale pubescence intermingled with the background pubescence ( Fig. 4A, C ). Very rarely (one specimen) humeral stripe complete but diffuse, and formed by sparse rusty-yellow pubescence interspersed with the dark background pubescence ( Fig. 4D ). A pale dorsal stripe absent, in many specimens replaced by some scattered black spots of pubescence, more or less visible depending on viewing angle ( Fig. 4A, C–E ). Small confluent spots of velvety black pubescence along sutural stripe form a subsutural stripe with irregular sinuate border. Sutural stripe pale yellow to rusty-yellow; in some specimens, part of or the entire stripe off-white but scutellum and pronotal median stripe frequently rusty-yellow ( Fig. 4B, H ). Lateral stripe white to rusty-yellow on epipleuron; in most specimens lateral stripe mottled above epipleuron. Endophallus with the same morphology as in the nominal subspecies ( Fig. 6E ).

Female. Differs from the males in having a larger size (body length 7.0– 12.7 mm, n = 27), with elytra proportionately wider, and more developed humeral and dorsal carinae; the pronotum with more prominent, sharper spines.

Autochrome females are frequently found while androchrome females (with pubescence pattern as in males) are very rare ( Fig. 5G ). Autochrome females with background pubescence of elytra brown to light brown with a yellow hue. Humeral and dorsal stripes light gray or creamy; sutural stripe yellowish-white or white with a rusty hue ( Fig. 5F, H, I ). Humeral stripe wider than dorsal (about as wide as interval between humeral and dorsal stripes or wider) and both stripes fused at elytral apex. Usually, elytral stripes without scattered spots of black pubescence ( Fig. 5H, I ) except in a few specimens ( Fig. 5F ). Sutural stripe white. Subsutural stripe in form of small, more or less confluent, spots of velvety black pubescence. Lateral stripe light gray or creamy, wider than in males, above epipleuron mottled or not.

Etymology. From the greek word ōkhrós (pale yellow) and the latin word līneātum (lined) for the pale yellow to rusty-yellow colour of the sutural stripe of the elytra and the median stripe of the pronotum.

Remarks. D. pusillum ochrolineatum ssp. nov . was probably described several times under various unavailable names ( Podany 1953; Breuning 1962; Heyrovsky 1964). The uncertainty of the synonymy resides in the fact that Podany (1953) and Breuning (1962) give a doubtful locality, “Herculaneum” and “Herculanea”, respectively (see below under discussions) The specimen from Heyrovsky (1964) was not examined, but according to the description and the locality his morpha was likely a D. pusillum ochrolineatum ssp. nov .

The article 45.6. of ICZN regarding the subspecific or infrasubspecific rank of names following a binomen mentions all the possible abbreviations for “variety” “form” and “aberration”: “var.”, “v.”, “f.” and “ab.” except an abbreviation for “morph”. In this situation, if “m.” is the short for mihi, the Latin “to me, mine” ( Evenhuis 2008), m. romanicum Podany could be available. If “m.” is the short from morph, m. romanicum has an infrasubspecific status in accordance with article 45.6.2. which stipulates that “ the rank denoted by a species-group name following a binomen […] is deemed to be infrasubspecific if its author used one of the terms ‘ aberration ’, ‘ ab. ’ or ‘ morph ’”.

In the same paper, besides D. pusillum m. romanicum, Podany (1953) used the abbreviation “m.” in the description of several other taxa:

“ Pedestredorcadion equestre Fairm. m. simile n.: Comme m. apicejunctum mihi [described a row above in the same paper]”. Evidently “m.” stands for morph as mihi is not abbreviated but fully spelt.

“ Carinatodorcadion fulvum ssp. canaliculatum F. m. lineatotomentosum n.: Comme m. subcompletelineatum Breun. de la ssp. fulvum Scop. ”. Since subcompletelineatum was described by Breuning it follows that the “m.” stands for morph and not for mihi, and this is the sense of “m.” within Podany’s publication from 1953.

D. pusillum ochrolineatum resembles D. pusillum vasiliscus described below in colour and habitus except that the sutural stripe is frequently yellow with a rusty hue (it is white in D. p. vasiliscus ), and the dorsal stripe is represented by a few black spots (dorsal stripe completely absent in D. p. vasiliscus ). The frequency of autochrome females further differentiates D. p. ochrolineatum from D. p. vasiliscus . In D. p. ochrolineatum the vast majority of the females are autochrome (similar to the nominal subspecies) while in D. p. vasiliscus most females are androchrome.

Distribution. East of Romanian Plane (Brăila and Buzău counties) ( Fig. 7 ).

Type material. Holotype, ♂: Romania, Brăila, Lacul Sărat [Salty Lake], 29.IV.2011, leg. Dascălu, Fusu & Chinan / Holotypus Dorcadion pusillum ochrolineatum ssp. nov . Det. Dascălu M. M. 2016 [MDCO]. Paratypes: L. Sărat, Brăila, 8.VI. 962, Dr. N. Săvulescu (1♂) [MGAB, Nr. A IV 1979, 65 coll. N. Săvulescu]; Lacu Sărat, jud. Brăila, 28.V.1955, Nicolae Săvulescu (2♂♂); L. Sărat, Brăila, 8.VI. 962, Dr. N. Săvulescu (1♂) [MGAB, Nr. 206, Serafim coll.]; Romania, Brăila, mal râu Buzău între Şuţești–Grădiștea [Buzău river bank, between Şuţești and Grădiștea], 29.IV.2011, leg. Dascălu, Fusu & Chinan (26♂♂, 12♀♀ autochrome, 1♀ androchrome); 29.IV.2018, leg. Dascălu, Fusu L. & A. (23♂♂, 8♀♀ autochrome); Romania, Brăila, Lacul Sărat [Salty Lake], 29.IV.2011, leg. Dascălu, Fusu & Chinan (32♂♂, 5♀♀ autochrome, 1♀ androchrome) [MDCO]; 12.V.1952, Dr. N. Săvulescu (1♂) [MFBI]; Romania, Lacu Sărat, Brăila, 20.V.1952 [2524] (1♂), 22.V.1952 [2529, 2531–2534] (4♂♂), 22.V.1952 [2525–2528, 2530, 2532, 2535] (7♀♀), Dr. N. Săvulescu [NSMI].

Abraded specimens excluded from type series: Roumanie, Lacu Sărat, A. L. Montandon (2♂♂, 2♀♀ androchrome); Lacu Sărat, jud. Brăila, 28.V.1955, Nicolae Săvulescu (1♀ autochrome); L. Sărat Brăila, 8.VI. 962 (4♂♂) , 22.V. 952 (1♂) Dr. N. Săvulescu; Balta Albă, judeţul Buzău, 21.V.1995, Alexandru Iftime (1♂) [ MGAB, Nr. 206, Serafim coll.] ; Roumanie, Lacu Sărat, A. L. Montandon (2♀♀ autochrome); L. Sărat Brăila, 22.V. 952, Dr. N. Săvulescu (1♀ autochrome) [ MGAB, Nr. 199, Serafim coll.] ; Lacu Sărat , 22.V.52 (2♀♀ autochrome); L. Sărat, Brăila, 22.V.52 (1♂, 1♀ autochrome), 8.VI. 962 (3♂♂) , Dr. N. Săvulescu [ MGAB, Nr. A IV 1979, 65 coll. N. Săvulescu] .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Habitus of males. Dorcadion pusillum ochrolineatum ssp. nov., Lacul Sărat near Brăila, Romania (A–E) and between Şuţești and Grădiștea, Brăila Co., Romania (F–I); D. p. vasiliscus ssp. nov., Spătaru forest near Buzău, Romania (J– L) and Beceni, Izvoru Dulce, Vrancea Co., Romania (M–O); D. p. tanaiticum from the type locality (P). Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Habitus of females. Dorcadion p. pusillum, Răzeni, Rep. of Moldova (A); Hâncești, Rep. of Moldova (B); Valea lui David, Iaşi Co., Romania (C, D); Galaţi, Romania (E); D. p. ochrolineatum ssp. nov., Lacul Sărat near Brăila, Romania (F, G) and between Şuţești and Grădiștea, Brăila Co., Romania (H, I); D. p. vasiliscus ssp. nov., Beceni, Izvoru Dulce, Vrancea Co., Romania (J) and Spătaru forest near Buzău, Romania (K); D. p. tanaiticum from the type locality (L). Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 6. Endophallus structure in Dorcadion spp. D. murrayi, Spătaru forest near Buzău, Romania (A, I–K); D. axillare moldavicum, Chirceşti, Vaslui Co., Romania (B); D. pusillum pusillum, Vlădeni, Iaşi Co., Romania (C); D. p. vasiliscus ssp. nov., Spătaru forest near Buzău, Romania (D, F–H); D. p. ochrolineatum ssp. nov., between Şuţești and Grădiștea, Brăila Co., Romania, not fully inflated (E). Scale bar 1 mm for A–E, 0.5 mm for F–K and 0.1 mm for inserts in G and J. Abbreviations: (bt) basal tube, (vp) ventral plates, (mt) medial tube, (ct) central trunk, (bd) central bend, (cb) central bladder with (vs) ventral and (ds) dorsal swelling, (ab) apical bulb, (pb) preabical bulb. The differences in apical bulbs are an artefact due to different degrees of expansion.

FIGURE 7. Distribution of Dorcadion pusillum: D. p. tanaiticum (green stars) after Kasatkin (2002); D. p. pusillum (red dots) with supplemental data to Kasatkin (2002) numbered as follows: 1–Ovidiopol (Odessa oblast); 2–Tatarbunar (Odessa oblast); 3–Tomaiul Nou, 20 km from Hâncești; 4–Răzeni (Ialoveni district); 5–Dănceni, near Chişinău; 6–Durleşti, near Chişinău; 7– Elizavetovca (Ungheni district); 8–Călăraşi (Botoșani Co.); 9–Vlădeni, dam of Hălceni lake (Iaşi Co.); 10–Vlădeni, Miletin Valley; 11–Mârzeşti meadow, near Breazu village (Iaşi Co.); 12–Breazu, near Iaşi; 13–Valea lui David (Iaşi Co.); 14–Leţcani; 15–Sălcioara (Vaslui Co.); 16–Zorleni (Vaslui Co.); 17–Tecuci; 18–Hanu Conachi (Galaţi Co.); 19–Galaţi; 20–Tulcea; D. p. ochrolineatum ssp. nov. (yellow squares): 21–Lacul Sărat, near Brăila; 22–Buzău river bank, between Şuţeşti and Grădiştea, (Brăila Co.); 23–Balta Albă (Buzău Co.); 24–Slobozia; D. p. vasiliscus ssp. nov. (blue triangles): 25–Izvoru Dulce, Beceni (Vrancea Co.); 26–Slănic river, near Aldeni (Buzău Co.); 27–near Joseni village, Berca (Buzău Co.); 28–Câlnău river, near Buzău; 29–Spătaru forest, near Buzău; 30–Cornurile (Prahova Co.). The red dot with white star is the presumed type locality of the nominal subspecies. The red dot with white cross is the type locality of D. p. var. berladense.