Stenotarsus ovalis Arrow (1920:50)

Roubik, David W. & Skelley, Paul E., 2001, Stenotarsus Subtilis Arrow, The Aggregating Fungus Beetle Of Barro Colorado Island Nature Monument, Panama (Coleoptera: Endomychidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 55 (3), pp. 249-263 : 256

Stenotarsus ovalis Arrow (1920:50)

Stenotarsus rotundus Arrow (1920:52–53) New Synonymy

Diagnosis. Length 4.5–5.0 mm; width 3.0– 3.5 mm. Body broadly oval, with color pattern or not; elytra with distinct coarse punctures near the humerus ( Fig. 7 ); male with spine on metatrochanter, metasternum with transversely oval depression at anterior margin ( Fig. 13 ), hind tibia curved, with row of internal tubercules, genitalia relatively short and broad, with accessory process ( Fig. 17 ).

Remarks. Arrow’s description of S. ovalis is based on Gorham’s apparent misidentification of S. orbicularis Gerstaecker from Guatemala ( Gorham 1890). Later in the same paper, Arrow (1920) describes S. rotundus from a single Panamanian specimen identified by Gorham as S. pilatei Gorham. Strohecker’s collection contains his annotated copy of the Genera Insectorum for the Endomychidae (Strohecker 1953) . In it, he notes that S. rotundus is a synonym of S. ovalis , which is a synonym of S. orbicularis . Upon studying a male syntype of S. ovalis from Guatemala (NHML) and the male holotype of S. rotundus from Panama (NHML), no morphological differences were found that would distinguish these nominate species. The only difference observed was that S. ovalis has a black mark on each elytron; while S. rotundus is entirely red. Such coloration is variable in other species of Stenotarsus . Additional specimens studied included Strohecker’s solid orange­red specimens of S. ovalis from Venezuela (FSCA) and a specimen of S. rotundus from Panama, identified by Strohecker (STRI). Strohecker’s notes also indicate he studied the type of S. orbicularis . Because we did not examine that specimen, no judgement can be made on possible synonymy of S. ovalis under S. orbicularis . Here we only synonymize S. rotundus under S. ovalis .

Stenotarsus panamanus ( Gorham 1890:138) and Stenotarsus chiriquinus ( Arrow 1920:51)

Diagnosis. Length 4.2–5.5mm: width 3.0–4.0 mm. Body oval, usually with a color pattern ( Fig. 9 ) (some solid orange), covered with golden pubescence; male genitalia long and narrow ( Fig. 15 ). No sexual dimorphism noted.

Remarks. Stenotarsus panamanus and S. chiriquinus originally were described from Panama. The female holotype of S. chiriquinus (NHML) and specimens of S. panamanus from Panama (FSCA) were studied. No differences were discovered. Without a male to include in comparisons, we are hesitant to synonymize S. chiriquinus , which presumably lives at a higher elevation, and also is in the Central American biogeographic region, in contrast to eastern Panama (Kimsey 1992). These species usually have a color pattern. Mixed in with Strohecker’s normally colored S. panamanus (FSCA) are three solid red specimens from Barro Colorado Island, Panama, which he had identified as ‘‘ S. panamanus ?’’. These specimens, possibly teneral, differ from S. panamanus and S. chiriquinus only in their lack of the dark body marks. For this reason, S. panamanus appears in the key twice.

Figures

Figs. 1–7. Stenotarsus spp.: 1–3) Antenna: 1) Stenotarsus validicornis; 2) S. purpuratus; 3) S. subtilis. 4–7) Pronota and elytral bases: 4) S. cyanopterus; 5) S. lemniscatus; 6) S. subtilis; 7) S. ovalis. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figs. 8–18. Stenotarsus spp.: 8–10) Dorsal habitus: 8) Stenotarsus cuprivestis; 9) S. panamanus; 10) S. subtilis. 11–14) Ventral view of male: 11) S. globosus; 12) S. obtusus; 13) S. ovalis; 14) S. subtilis. 15–18) Aedeagus, ventral and lateral views: 15) S. panamanus; 16) S. obtusus; 17) S. ovalis; 18) S. subtilis. Scale line = 1 mm.