Asydates shoshone Mayor and Gimmel

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 : 20-22

7. Asydates shoshone Mayor and Gimmel , new species

Zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5DBB678B-915E-45CC-86A7-244E26CA6B9E ( Figs. 4A–B , 8E–F , 12A–B , 16A–B , 18B , 24F , 29A , 32A , 37B , 40 )

Type Material. Holotype ♂ deposited in CAS (holotype #19843), labeled “ USA: NV: Elko Co. \∼ 27 mi. S. of Wells on \Hwy. 93; elev. 1754 m. \ N40°42’54.0”, W115°1’33.3” \ 30 July 2018; A. J. Mayor [white printed label] //Collected beating \flowers of \ Ericameria nauseosa [white printed label] // HOLOTYPE \ Asydates \ shoshone \Mayor & Gimmel 2019 [red printed label]” . Paratypes: 100 specimens listed in the Material Examined section include the additional label “ PARATYPE \ Asydates \ shoshone \Mayor & Gimmel 2019 [yellow printed label]” .

Diagnosis. The distinctly flattened male eyes ( Fig. 12A ) and the distinct but open comb of stout, black spines along the margin of the pro- and mesotibiae ( Fig. 18B ) of both sexes distinguish A. shoshone from all other species of Asydates . This species is also remarkable for being the only species of Asydates with dorsal pale, reclining setae and that has all abdominal ventrites black, without a trace of orange or red, in both sexes.

Description. Body elongate, moderately graciliform, shiny ( Figs. 4A–B , 8E–F ); microsculpture sparse, inconspicuous on head, pronotum, and elytra. Length 2.5 mm (2.1–2.8, mm, n = 20); width 1.0 mm (0.9–1.1 mm, n = 20). Head, pronotum, and venter black; elytra with apex orange to orange brown; male legs black suffused with reddish orange, female legs orange; antennomeres darker, reddish brown. Pubescence dense, reclining, pale, whitish, rarely golden; pronotal and elytral fringe short. Punctation with punctures fine, indistinct on pronotum, slightly larger, more distinct on head and elytra. Head: Large, typically narrower than pronotum in both sexes ( Fig. 12A–B ), eyes distinctly flattened in male, more bulging in female; male head 1.34 (1.30–1.46, n = 10), female head 1.48 (1.36–1.60, n = 10) times wider than interocular distance; male head with occipito-temporal region behind eye elongate, margins nearly parallel posteriorly; male frons with an indistinct arched ridge behind epistomal suture. Antennomeres 5–10 weakly serrate; male antennae short, reaching to near middle of pronotum posteriorly, female antennae shorter. Thorax: Pronotum slightly wider than long, 0.80 (0.75–0.85, n = 20) times as long as wide, widest at middle; lateral edges converging to anterior margin, slightly constricted before anterior margin; anterior and posterior angles obsolete, broadly rounded ( Fig. 16A–B ). Elytra elongate, broadly oval, elytron 3.82 (3.44–4.14, n = 20) times as long as wide, at humeri slightly wider than pronotum; elytral epipleuron distinct at base, becoming obsolete near apex of abdominal ventrite 4 in both sexes; apical margin broadly rounded to sutural angle, inconspicuously serrulate in both sexes. All tibiae with fine, white setae along external margin; pro- and mesotibiae with conspicuous, open comb of short, stout, black spines arranged along external margin in both sexes ( Fig. 18B ). Abdomen: Male ventrite 1 with indistinct median patch of whitish setae. Pygidium unmodified in male, with shallow median emargination in female. Median lobe of aedeagus a bowed tube with apex bent slightly ventrally ( Fig. 24F ); tegmen very short and wide, without constriction at base of ring ( Fig. 29A ).

Etymology. The species name honors the Native American Shoshone people who historically inhabited, in part, eastern Nevada . The name is treated as a noun in apposition.

Host Plant Associations. Adults of A. shoshone have been collected from flowers of plants in the family Asteraceae [ Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (24) ( Fig. 32A ) and Ericameria nauseosa (63)].

Seasonal Distribution. 26–30 July, 4 September ( Fig. 40 ).

Geographic Distribution. Known only from a few localities in the Great Basin Desert of Elko and Eureka Counties, Nevada ( Fig. 37B ).

Material Examined. Records reported here are based on the examination of 101 specimens. USA: NEVADA: Elko County : 27 mi. S. Wells, vii-26- 1976, J. T. Doyen (paratypes, 7♂♂, 3♀♀, EMEC) ; 26.5 mi. S. of Wells on Hwy. 93, elev. 1,755 m, N40°43’17.2”, W115°1’43.2”, 30 July 2018, A. J. Mayor, collected beating flowers of Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (paratypes, 8♂♂, 14♀♀, UCRC) ; ∼ 27 mi. S. of Wells on Hwy. 93, elev. 1,754 m, N40°42’54.0”, W115°1’33.3”, 30 July 2018, A. J. Mayor, collected beating flowers of Ericameria nauseosa (holotype ♂, CAS, paratypes, 36♂♂, 20♀♀, UCRC, 3♂♂, 3♀♀, SBMNH) ; 27.2 mi. S. of Wells on Hwy. 93, elev. 1,750 m, N40°42’45.2”, W115°1’29.8”, 30 July 2018, A. J. Mayor, collected beating flowers of Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (paratypes, 2♀♀, UCRC) ; Eureka County: 28 mi. W. Eureka, 4 September 1964, A. G. Raske (paratypes, 1♂, 3♀♀, EMEC) .

Remarks. Asydates shoshone is the presumed sister species of A. irwini . The comb of spines on the external surface of the pro- and mesotibiae in both sexes is characteristic of both species. In A. irwini , the spines form a dense black comb ( Fig. 18A ), while in A shoshone , the comb is less dense, with the individual spines more widely spaced ( Fig. 18B ). Both species also have a short tegmen of the aedeagus that is not constricted at the base of the ring ( Figs. 28F , 29A ). Asydates irwini is a more robust species, and the orange markings on the elytra ( Fig. 3C–D ) are more extensive than in A. shoshone , which has the orange color restricted to the elytral apex ( Fig. 4A–B ). In males of A. irwini , the eyes are bulging (Fig. 11E), while in A. shoshone the male eyes are distinctly flattened ( Fig. 12A ). In females of A. irwini , most of the abdominal ventrites are orange, while in A shoshone they are entirely black in both sexes ( Fig. 8E–F ).

Asydates shoshone is unique in male head morphology, with the exposed occipito-temporal region of the head behind the eyes elongate, as long as the eye or slightly longer, with lateral sides nearly parallel posteriorly ( Fig. 4A ). In all other species of Asydates , the exposed occipito-temporal region of the head behind the eyes is less elongate, shorter than the eye, and with the lateral sides distinctly convergent posteriorly.

Figures

Fig. 4. Asydates species, dorsal habitus. A. shoshone: A) Male, B) Female. A. ruficauda: C) Male, D) Female. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 8. Asydates species, lateral habitus. A. tongva: A) Male, B) Female. A. irwini: C) Male, D) Female. A. shoshone: E) Male, F) Female; A. ruficauda: G) Male, H) Female. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 12. Asydates species, frontal view. A. shoshone: A) Male, B) Female. A. ruficauda: C) Male, D) Female. A.

Fig. 16. Asydates species, pronota. A. shoshone: A) Male, B) Female. A. ruficauda: C) Male, D) Female. A. vandykei: E) Male, F) Female.

Fig. 18. Asydates species, dorsal view of male protibia. A) A. irwini, B) A. shoshone, C) A. washoe.

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. 29. Asydates species, tegmen of aedeagus (apex directed upward). A) A. shoshone, NV: Elko Co.: 43.5 km south of Wells, B) A. ruficauda, CA: Inyo Co.: Westgard Pass Road, C) A. vandykei, CA: Alameda Co.: Irvington, D) A. washoe, NV: Lyon Co.: 7.2 km south of Sweetwater Summit on Highway 338, E) A. phantasma, UT: Emery Co.: Woodside, F) A. inexpectatus, CA: San Bernardino Co.: 1.6 km north of Hodge. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 32. Habitat for Asydates species. A) Open, flat valley 43.5 km south of Wells, Elko Co., NV, habitat of A. shoshone collected from flowers of Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus and Ericameria nauseosa. Photograph taken 7 July 2018 by Adriean J. Mayor. B) Roadside talus 7.2 km south of Sweetwater Summit along Highway 338, Lyon Co., NV, habitat of A. washoe collected from flowers of Eriogonum microthecum. Photograph taken 7 September 2018 by Adriean J. Mayor.

Fig. 37. Distribution of Asydates species. A) Localities of examined specimens of A. rufiventris (black dots), A. chumash (green squares), and A. tongva (yellow stars), B) Localities of examined specimens of A. irwini (black dots), A. washoe (yellow stars), A. shoshone (red triangles), and A. phantasma (blue squares).

Fig. 40. Seasonalities of adult Asydates species, by month, based on collection records in the Material Examined sections.

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. 3. Asydates species, dorsal habitus. A. tongva: A) Male, B) Female. A. irwini: C) Male, D) Female. Scale