Paxillus reyesi Mattos & Mermudes

Mattos, Ingrid & Mermudes, José Ricardo M., 2013, Synopsis of Paxillus MacLeay, 1819 (Coleoptera: Passalidae): distributional records and descriptions of four new species from Brazil, Zootaxa 3652 (3), pp. 327-342 : 334

Paxillus reyesi Mattos & Mermudes , new species

( Figs. 12–16 )

Diagnosis. Length 18–21 mm. Head ( Fig. 12 ): labrum with anterior margin almost concave, sometimes discreetly notched medially; anterior frontal area punctate, punctures shallow and moderately coarse; median frontal area slightly elevated; anterior frontal ridges elevated, almost straight; posterior frontal ridges elevated, straight, and short; medial frontal tubercles robust, slightly larger than inner tubercles; inner tubercles robust, slightly elevated. Lateral frontal area deep and with fine punctures. Central tubercle short, free, more dilated at the base near posterior lateral tubercles. Bridge robust and smooth Lateral post-frontal area smooth and deep. Antennal club ( Fig. 13 ): first antennomere reduced, slightly longer than half of the second antennomere, evidently more narrow. Pronotum: anterior and lateral margins straight; anterior marginal groove short, reaching ¼ of the length of anterior margin, narrow, with fine punctures. Lateral marginal groove narrow with fine punctures; lateral area with irregular and coarse punctures, often fused, moderately dense; scar punctate; median groove almost reaches anterior margin. Scutellum lacking median groove. Prosternal process posteriorly wide, truncate, with or without punctures. Elytra: humerus with tuft of setae (females) or sparse and short setae (males). Mesosternum smooth; scar subequal, half as long as the sides of mesosternum, deep and microsculptured, narrower posteriorly. Metasternum: disc evident, flattened, anterior lateral area finely and densely punctate, with scarce pubescence; posterior lateral area punctate, with dense and shallow punctures, denser near the disc. Mesotibia dorsally pubescent with one medial lateral spine. Metatibiae pubescent and unarmed. Aedeagus ( Figs. 14–16 ): convex, longer than wide; phallus globular, as long as parameres and phallobase together (lateral view); parameres and phallobase fused. Parameres wider in the median region, slightly more narrow and rounded at apex (lateral view). Phallobase slightly longer than wide, narrowed near phallobase, truncate at apex (lateral view); with sclerotized triangular area (dorsal view); wider than long; ventral distal margin with a small notch (ventral view).

Dimensions (mm). Total length (from anterior margin of labrum to apex of elytra) 18–21; elytral length (on median line) 11–13; pronotal length (on median line) 4.0–5.5; pronotal width 5.5–6.0; humeral width 6–7.

Type material. Holotype male from BRAZIL: Rio Grande do Sul, Salvador do Sul, 1 male (dissected), 13.X.1974, C. Becker leg., col. MCN 21.193, Paxillys pentaphyllus Fonseca det. 1988 (MCNZ). Paratypes: BRAZIL, Espírito Santo: Santa Tereza, 1 male (dissected), 7.XII. [19]64, C. Elias leg. (DZUP); Santa Catarina: Maratá, 1 male (dissected), II.1926 (MAPA); Rio Grande do Sul, Alto Feliz, 2 female, II.1932, (MAPA), Itauba, 1 female, 19.IV.1978, M.H. Galileo leg. (MCNZ); Porto Alegre, Manresa, 1 female, 29.III.1982, L. O.Ferreira leg., 1 male and 5 female, 4.V.1967, F.R.Meyer leg. (MAPA); Montenegro, 2 female, 6.X.1977, T. Arigony leg. (MCNZ).

Remarks. Paxillus reyesi differs from P. pentaphyllus Palisot de Beauvois, 1805, P. borellii Pangella, 1905 , and also from P. leachi by the first antennomere of antennal club reduced ( Fig. 13 ), slightly longer than half of the second antennomere, evidently narrower; but mainly by the characters of aedeagus listed above ( Figs. 14–16 ). Paxillus reyesi is more similar to P. pentaphyllus Palisot de Beauvois, 1805, which has been the subject of discussion in the literature since Boucher (2006). He questioned the description of the aedeagus of P. borellii made by Bührnheim (1978) because it is indeed P. pentaphylloides Luederwaldt, 1931 , today synonymized with P. borellii .

Based on comparative studies of the aedeagus, P. reyes i is different from the P. pentaphyllus Palisot de Beauvois, 1805 specimens studied by Boucher (from Haiti).

Etymology. The name is in honor to Dr. Pedro Reyes-Castillo, who very kindly helped us and encouraged us to study Passalidae .

Figures

FIGURES 12 – 16. Paxillus reyesi, 12, head and anterior margin of pronotum, dorsal; 13, antennae, dorsal. 14 – 16. Aedeagus: 14, dorsal; 15, lateral; 16, ventral. Scale = 0.5 mm (Figs. 14 – 16 to the same scale).