Asydates grandiceps (LeConte, 1866) Mayor, Adriean J. & Gimmel, Matthew L., 2019

Mayor, Adriean J. & Gimmel, Matthew L., 2019, Revision of the Soft-Winged Flower Beetles of the Genus Asydates Casey, 1895 (Coleoptera: Melyridae: Dasytinae: Listrini), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 17) 73, pp. 1-71 : 7-10

1. Asydates grandiceps (LeConte, 1866) , new combination

( Figs. 1A–B , 7A–B , 10A–B , 14A–B , 21A , 23A , 24A–B , 28A , 30A–B, 33 , 36B , 39 , 41 )

Pristoscelis grandiceps LeConte 1866: 350 , 355. Holotype, male from “Middle California ”, MCZH type 3505, examined. Crotch 1873: 77 (checklist); Henshaw 1885: 80 (list); Casey 1895: 460; Fall 1901: 24, 125; Leng 1920: 146 (catalog); Moore 1937: 35; Pic 1937: 90 (catalog); Blaisdell 1938: 4, 11, plate 1, figs. 1, 2, 13, plate 2, fig. 2.

Pristocelis [sic] grandiceps: Howell 1979: 45, 1997: 12 .

Scelopristis grandiceps: Mayor 2004: 86 .

Type Material. Pristoscelis grandiceps , holotype ♂ ( Fig. 41 ), deposited in MCZH, labeled “Cal [white printed label] //Type.\3505 [red printed and handwritten label] // P. (E.) grandiceps \Lec. [white handwritten label]” .

Diagnosis. The large size (body length ≥ 2.6 mm), erect bristling setae on the elytra, and black dorsal color distinguish A. grandiceps from all other species of Asydates .

Redescription. Body elongate, robust, shiny ( Figs. 1A–B , 7A–B ); head, pronotum and elytra with sparse, inconspicuous microsculpture. Length 3.3 mm (2.6–3.8 mm, n = 20); width 1.4 mm (1.1–1.6 mm, n = 20). Head, pronotum, elytra, and venter black, antennomeres and legs often tinged with reddish, legs sometimes nearly completely reddish orange; female abdominal ventrites 3–5 orange. Pubescence conspicuous, dual, short reclining pale whitish to golden setae intermixed with long, erect, conspicuous black setae on head, pronotum, and elytra. Punctation fine, indistinct on head and pronotum; coarser, more conspicuous on elytra. Head: Large, short, slightly narrower than pronotum in both sexes, eyes bulging ( Fig. 10A–B ); male head 1.44 (1.25–1.67, n = 10), female head 1.52 (1.39–1.67, n = 10) times wider than interocular distance; fronto-clypeal region of male frons distinctly broadened ( Fig. 10A ), unmodified in female ( Fig. 10B ). Antennomeres 5–11 weakly serrate; male antennae short, not reaching base of pronotum posteriorly; female antennae shorter. Thorax: Pronotum short, 0.69 (0.64–0.73, n = 20) times as long as wide ( Fig. 14A–B ); widest at middle, lateral edges broadly rounded, anterior and posterior angles obsolete, broadly rounded. Elytra elongate, elytron 3.60 (3.36–3.75, n = 20) times as long as wide, at humeri slightly wider to slightly narrower than pronotum; elytral epipleuron distinct at base, becoming obsolete near apex of abdominal ventrite 3 in both sexes; elytral apices broadly rounded to weak sutural angle, entire, not serrulate. All tibiae with long, fine, black setae along external margin, slightly obscuring short, stout spines sparsely arranged along external margin of pro- and mesotibiae. Abdomen: Male ventrites 1–2 with indistinct median patch of white setae. Pygidium slightly emarginate apically in both sexes ( Fig. 21A ); spiculum gastrale as in Fig. 23A . Median lobe of aedeagus a bowed tube with conspicuously blunt apex ( Fig. 24A–B , lateral view); tegmen relatively short and wide, with distinct constriction at base of ring ( Fig. 28A , ventral view). Female terminalia as in Fig. 30A–B.

Host Plant Associations. Adults of A. grandiceps have been collected from the flowers of plants in the families Asteraceae [ Corethrogyne filaginifolia (1), Hemizonia fasciculata (10), Stephanomeria cichoriacea (5) ( Fig. 33 ), S. exigua (34), S. pauciflora (83), S. virgata (148), S. sp. (46), and “thistle”] and Polygonaceae [ Eriogonum elongatum (1)].

Seasonal Distribution. 29 June to 1 November ( Fig. 39 ).

Geographic Distribution. Santa Barbara County south to San Diego County, California, and Baja California, Mexico ( Fig. 36B ).

Material Examined. Records reported here are based on the examination of 388 specimens. MEXICO: BAJA CALIFORNIA: San Vicente, vii-8-63, P. D. Hurd (1♂, EMEC) . USA: CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles County: Benedict Canyon [34.10°, -118.44°], 1 November 1969, leg. E. Giesbert (1♂, LACM) ; Brentwood, S. [anta] M.[onica] Mts. , Aug. 10, 1964, L. Woodley (1♀, UCRC) ; Pasadena [34.14°, -118.14°], 9 September 1965 (2♂♂, 2♀♀, LACM) ; along Franklin Canyon Drive , 34.11088°, -118.41602°, 240 m, 9 August 2017, ex Stephanomeria pauciflora , M. & L. Gimmel, ML225 (4♂♂, 11♀♀, SBMNH) ; N. San Gabriel Canyon Rd., S. of Crystal Lake Rd. , el. 1,218 m, N34°17’58.2”, W117°50’31.6”, 13 August 2017, A. J. Mayor /Collected beating flowers of Stephanomeria virgata (4♂♂, 2♀♀, UCRC) ; San Antonio Canyon, on Mt. Baldy Rd. , elev. 1,100 m, N34° 12.972’, W117° 40.401’, 21 July 2015, A. J. Mayor /Collected beating flowers of Stephanomeria virgata (6♂♂, 8♀♀, UCRC, 1♂, 1♀, SBMNH) ; same except 1,146 m, N34°13.107’, W117°40.251’ (3♂♂, 2♀♀, UCRC) ; same except elev. 1,163 m, N34°13’16.2”, W117°40’05.3”, 9 August 2016 (1♂, 1♀, UCRC) ; Santa Monica , 7-22- 43, G. P. Mackenzie (1♂, UCRC) ; Riverside County: Reche Canyon Rd. , el. 655 m, N33°58’56.1”, W117°12’55.6”, 15 July 2015, A. J. Mayor /Collected beating flowers of Stephanomeria exigua (7♂♂, 6♀♀, UCRC) ; Riverside, Jl [July] 3, ‘35/ Timberlake Coll. / on Stephanomeria exigua (13♂♂, 8♀♀, UCRC) ; same except Aug. 13, 36/on Corythrogyne [sic] bernardina (1♀, UCRC) ; Riverside, Box Spr. [ings] Mts. , viii-19-64, G. E. & G. A. Wallace (2♂♂, 2♀♀, UCRC) ; San Bernardino County: L[ake] Arrowhead, 7-25-44, G. P. Mackenzie (1♂, UCRC) ; same except 8-5-46 (1♂, 3♀♀, UCRC) ; Lone Pine Canyon Rd., S. of Mormon Rocks , elev. 1,039 m, N34°18’42.8”, W117°29’55.7”, 4 August 2016, A. J. Mayor / Collected beating flowers of Stephanomeria pauciflora (38♂♂, 22♀♀, UCRC) ; Lytle Creek Rd. , elev. 651 m, N34°11’40.9”, W117°26’36.6”, 13 July 2016, A. J. Mayor /Collected beating flowers of Stephanomeria virgata (1♀, UCRC) ; San Bernardino Natl. Forest, Lytle Creek Rd. , elev. 1,528 m, N34°17’41.6”, W117°34’04.8”, 26 July 2016, A. J. Mayor /Collected beating flowers of Stephanomeria pauciflora (1♂, UCRC) ; San Bernardino Natl. Forest, Swarthout Canyon Rd. , el. 1,023 m, N34° 17.428’, W117° 29.778’, 5 July 2015, A. J. Mayor /Collected from flowers of Stephanomeria pauciflora (1♂, 1♀, UCRC) ; Wildwood Cyn , 5 mi. E. Calimesa, vii-28-65, E. I. Schlinger (2♀♀, UCRC) ; Yucaipa, Oak Glen , Pisgah Pk., 25-08-73, C. D. Howell, on thistle, dry heads (7♂♂, 7♀♀, UCRC) ; San Diego County: Cla [i]remont, Tec [o]lote Canyon , 19 August 1989, D. R. Glassford (3♂♂, 7♀♀, BYU) ; Cleveland Natl. Forest, Canfield Rd. to Mt. Palomar Obs. , elev. 1,591 m, N33°20’57.6”, W116°52’20.4”, 12 August 2016, A. J. Mayor /Collected beating flowers of Stephanomeria virgata (5♂♂, 3♀♀, UCRC) ; Jacumba , VII- 11-56/ D. J. & J. N. Knull Collrs. (1♂, OSUC) ; La Jolla, Aug. 4, ‘34/ Timberlake Coll. / on Stephanomeria virgata (32♂♂, 30♀♀, UCRC) ; Lost Valley Rd. , NW of Warner Springs, elev. 893 m, N33°17’14.4”, W116°39’35.6”, 14 June 2018, A. J. Mayor /Collected beating flowers of Sephanomeria virgata (1♂, 2♀♀, UCRC) ; Newton , VII-14- 49/ D. J. & J. N. Knull Collrs. (1♂, OSUC) ; same except VII-5-56 (2♂♂, UCRC) ; same except VII- 11-56 (4♂♂, OSUC) ; same except VI-24-58 (1♂, OSUC) ; Otay Reservoirs on Otay Lakes Rd. , elev. 160 m, N32°38.836’, W116°55.866’, 29 June 2015, A. J. Mayor /Collected beating flowers of Hemizonia fasciculata (3♂♂, 5♀♀, UCRC, 1♂, 1♀, SBMNH) ; San Diego [32.71°,-117.17°], 18 August 1937, leg. F.W. Furry (3♂♂, 1♀, LACM) ; same except 19 August 1937 (1♂, LACM) ; Santa Fe Rancho [33.01°, -117.20°], 10 July 1958, leg. C.S. Papp (3♂♂, LACM) ; Sweetwater River, 2 mi. south of Camp Cuyamaca , 18 August 1989, R.H. Glassford (1♀, BYU) ; Santa Barbara County: UC Sedgwick Preserve, 34.7164°, -120.0936°, Malaise trap, 8–26 July 2005 (2♂♂, SBMNH) ; same except 26 June – 8 July (1, SBMNH) ; same except 26 July – 6 August (1♀, SBMNH) ; same except 6–27 August (1♀, SBMNH) ; Figueroa Mountain Road near Grass Mountain , 34.74311°,-120.04453°, 675 m, ex Stephanomeria , 3 September 2015, leg. M. & L. Gimmel (1♂, 1♀, SBMNH) ; East Camino Cielo at Romero Canyon , 34.47592°, -119.59600°, 940 m, 5 September 2016, ex Stephanomeria cichoriacea , M. & L. Gimmel, ML111 (1♂, 1♀, SBMNH) ; East Camino Cielo near San Ysidro Creek , 34.48505°, -119.62784°, 1,040 m, 5 September 2016, ex Stephanomeria virgata , M. & L. Gimmel, ML112a (2♂♂, 3♀♀) ; Vandenburg AFB, Station Rd. Oak Mt. , UTM 10S 0730008, 3826318, Day col. 07/23/ 04, leg. Pratt, Abela & Pierce (1♂, UCRC) ; West Camino Cielo 1.6 km E of Refugio Road, 34.53666°, -120.05129°, 795 m, 12 August 2018, ex Stephanomeria , M. & L. Gimmel, ML296 (1♀, SBMNH) ; West Camino Cielo 4.5 km E of Refugio Road, 34.53411°, -120.03180°, 990 m, 12 August 2018, ex Stephanomeria , M. & L. Gimmel, ML297 (1♂, 6♀♀, SBMNH) ; same except 4.3 km E of Refugio Road , 34.53382°, -120.03413°, 970 m, ML298 (5♂♂, 4♀♀, SBMNH) ; East Camino Cielo , 3.4 km E of Hwy 154, 34.51896°, -119.78360°, 970 m, 3 September 2018, ex Stephanomeria cichoriacea , M. & L. Gimmel, ML307 (1♂, 2♀♀, SBMNH) ; same except ex Eriogonum elongatum (1♂, SBMNH) ; Ventura County: Cuyama River on Hwy. 33, elev. 991 m, N34°46’11.2”, W119°25’18.9”, 1 August 2017, A. J. Mayor / Collected beating flowers of Stephanomeria pauciflora (1♂, 5♀♀, UCRC) ; Highway 33 and Rose Valley Road, 34.53445°, -119.23870°, 1,065 m, ex Stephanomeria , 28 August 2015, leg. M. & L. Gimmel & P. Jump (1♂, 1♀, SBMNH) ; Los Padres National Forest, Rose Valley Rd., E. of Ojai Valley Gun Club, 1,036 m, N34°32’52.4”, W119°10’51.0”, 31 July 2016, A. J. Mayor /Collected beating flowers of Stephanomeria virgata (14♂♂, 10♀♀, UCRC) ; same except Hwy . 33, 7.9 mi. N of Wheeler Springs, el. 1,041 m, N34°31’53.6”, W119°14’47.1”, 31 July 2016, A. J. Mayor /Collected beating flowers of Sephanomeria virgata (1♂, 2♀♀, UCRC) ; Rose Valley Road above Gun Club , 34.54755°, -119.18098°, 1,050 m, 12 August 2016, ex Stephanomeria virgata , M. & L. Gimmel, ML109 (5♂♂, 2♀♀, SBMNH) ; same except 21 July 2017, ML216 (2♂♂, 7♀♀, SBMNH) ; CA-33 at Cherry Creek Road, 34.60641°, -119.35722°, 1,270 m, 21 July 2017, ex Stephanomeria , M. & L. Gimmel, ML214 (12♂♂, 13♀♀, SBMNH) .

Remarks. Asydates grandiceps is easily recognized by its large size, body length typically greater than 3 mm, and conspicuous, erect, bristling, black pubescence on the dorsal surface. LeConte (1866) based this species on “ one specimen given me by Mr. Ulke” and listed the type locality as “Middle California ”, a locality too vague to list in the Material Examined section of the species account.

Figures

Fig. 1. Asydates species, dorsal habitus. A. grandiceps: A) Male, B) Female. A. kumeyaay: C) Male, D) Female. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 7. Asydates species, lateral habitus. A. grandiceps: A) Male, B) Female. A. kumeyaay: C) Male, D) Female. A. rufiventris: E) Male, F) Female. A. chumash: G) Male, H) Female. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 10. Asydates species, frontal view. A. grandiceps: A) Male, B) Female. A. kumeyaay: C) Male, D) Female.

Fig. 14. Asydates species, pronota. A. grandiceps: A) Male, B) Female. A. kumeyaay: C) Male, D) Female. A.

Fig. 21. Asydates species, male pygidium and attached abdominal sternite VIII, ventral view. A) A. grandiceps, B) A. kumeyaay, C) A. rufiventris, D) A. chumash. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 23. Asydates species, spiculum gastrale. A) A. grandiceps, B) A. rufiventris, C) A. irwini. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 24. Asydates species, median lobe of aedeagus, right lateral view. A) A. grandiceps, CA: Los Angeles Co.: Franklin Canyon, B) A. grandiceps, CA: San Bernardino Co.: Lone Pine Canyon, C) A. kumeyaay, Mexico: Baja California: Agua Caliente, D) A. kumeyaay, CA: San Diego Co.: Otay Lakes Road, E) A. irwini, CA: San Bernardino Co.: south of Lucerne Valley on Highway 18, F) A. shoshone, NV: Elko County: 43.5 km south of Wells. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 28. Asydates species, tegmen of aedeagus (apex directed upward). A) A. grandiceps, CA: San Bernardino Co.: Lone Pine Canyon, B) A. kumeyaay, Mexico: Baja California: Agua Caliente, C) A. rufiventris, CA: Los Angeles Co.: Mount Baldy Road, D) A. chumash, CA: Kern Co.: Mount Pinos, E) A. tongva, CA: San Bernardino Co.: Middle Fork Lytle Creek, F) A. irwini, CA: San Bernardino Co.: south of Lucerne Valley on Highway 18. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 33. Stephanomeria cichoriacea from which Asydates chumash and Asydates grandiceps were collected, CA: Santa Barbara Co.: East Camino Cielo. A) Plant habitus, B) Flower head. Photographs taken 5 September 2016 by Matthew L. Gimmel.

Fig. 36. Distribution of Asydates species. A) Composite localities of all Asydates specimens examined for this

Fig. 39. Seasonalities of adult Asydates species, by month, based on collection records in the Material Examined sections.

Fig. 41. Pristoscelis grandiceps (= Asydates grandiceps), holotype male, dorsal, ventral, frontal, and left lateral