Sapintus francoisi ( Pic, 1902 )

Telnov, Dmitry, 2024, Contribution to the knowledge of the Anthicidae Latreille, 1819 (Coleoptera) of the Solomon Archipelago with notes on some Indo-Pacific Sapintus Casey, 1895, Zootaxa 5507 (1), pp. 79-103 : 87-92

Sapintus francoisi ( Pic, 1902) stat. restit., comb. nov. ( Figs 6‒9 )

= Anthicus oceanicus var. guamensis Blair, 1942 syn. nov. ( Figs 6C‒D , 7C‒E & G , 8B , 9B‒C )

= Sapintus minamiiwo Bonadona & Sakai in Sakai, 1986 syn. nov.

Pic (1902:40), as ‘ Anthicus oceanicus Laf. var. Françoisi ’; Blair (1942: 57), as ‘ Anthicus oceanicus Laferté variety guamensis ’; Werner (1965: 261), as ‘ Anthicus oceanicus var. guamensis’, synonymy; Sakai (1986: 247), as Sapintus minamiiwo; Telnov (2014: 264 , 302, 316), redescription (as S. oceanicus ), synonymy of var. francoisi with S. oceanicus .

Note. Telnov (2014: 340) by error listed an incorrect source of the original description of S. francoisi .

Differential diagnosis and taxonomy. This taxon differs from morphologically similar S. oceanicus in the deeper and denser punctured dorsal forebody (the intervening spaces generally narrower than punctures), non-emarginate, somewhat more regularly subtruncate head base, and the shape of aedeagus ( Figs 8‒9 versus 4‒5) with the comparatively narrower and apically more regularly tapered apicale and the stronger developed and sclerotized basal lobes of apicale.

This taxon is therefore removed from the synonymy with S. oceanicus and has proven to be a separate species in a new combination.

Type material examined, S. francoisi . 1 specimen [not sexed] MNHN, labels not transcribed.

Type material examined, S. oceanicus var. guamensis . Lectotype ♂ [designated herewith] BMNH ( Figs 6C‒ D , 7C‒E & G , 8B , 9B‒C ): Type [printed, label circular, red frame] // R. L.Usinger Collector [printed] // Yona, Guam [printed] 5‒12‒36 [handwritten] // ex pigeon pea [handwritten] // Pres.by Imp.Inst.Ent. B.M. 1940- [printed] 52 [handwritten] // Anthicus oceanicus Laf. v. guamensis Blr. [handwritten] det. K.G.Blair. [printed] Type [handwritten] // NHMUK015212450 [printed, provided with a QR code] ; Paralectotype 1♀ BMNH: Co-type [label circular, yellow frame] // O.H.Swezey Collector [printed] // Mt.AlifanGuam [printed] 5‒26‒36 [handwritten] // ex corn [handwritten] // Pres.by Imp.Inst.Ent. B.M. 1940- [printed] 52 [handwritten] // Anthicus oceanicus Laf. v. guamensis Blr. [handwritten] det. K.G.Blair. [printed] Cot. [handwritten] // NHMUK015212451 [printed, provided with a QR code]. Six lectotypes mentioned in the original description ( Blair 1942), but only two were allocated at the BMNH . The lectotype designation is made to maintain nomenclatural stability considering the synonymy discussed herein.

Type material S. minamiiwo. Not examined (new synonymy is based on the original description and figure).

Additional material examined. 1♀ BMNH: FIJI IS. Tavenui Waiyevo. 4.xi.23. at light. Dr. H.S.Evans. 109- 11-23. // Pres. by Imp.Inst.Ent. Brit.Mus. 1932‒412 // Anthicus oceanicus var. Francoisi Pic Dr. R. F. Heberdey ; 1 specimen BMNH: FIJI IS. Tavenui Waiyevo. 10.xii.23. at light. Dr. H.S.Evans. 161-12-23. // Pres. by Imp.Inst. Ent. Brit.Mus. 1932‒412 // Anthicus oceanicus var. Francoisi Pic Dr. R. F. Heberdey ; 1♀ BMNH: FIJI IS. Tavenui Waiyevo. 4.iv.24. in house. Dr. H.S.Evans. 1246‒24. // Pres. by Imp.Inst.Ent. Brit.Mus. 1932‒412. [the records from Tavenui published by Telnov (2014) for S. oceanicus ] ; 1♀ BMNH: FIJI IS. Vanua Levu. Navodo. 5.vii.24. Dead leaves. Dr. H.S.Evans 1469-24 // Pres. by Imp.Inst.Ent. Brit.Mus. 1932‒412. // Anthicus oceanicus var. Francoisi Pic Dr. R. F. Heberdey ; 1♂ BMNH: Society Is. Raiatea. sea level 22.v.1925. Miss Cheesman. // Brit. Mus. 1925‒ 417 ; 1♀ BMNH: Raiatea 1926‒27 // Society Islands // J.W.Moore Collector; 1♂ BMNH: 1½ m. N.E. Papeete // el 25 ft. III-2-34 // sweeping grasses // Society Is. Tahiti // E. C. Zimmerman Collector ; 16♂ ♀ BMNH ( Fig. 6A‒B , 7A‒B & F , 8A , 9A & D ): New Hebrides: Malekula, Ounua. Feb.1929 Miss L.E. Cheesman. B.M. 1929‒280 .; 1♀ BMNH: New Hebrides: Malekula, Ounua. Mar.&Apl.1929 Miss L.E. Cheesman. B.M. 1929‒343 .; 1♂, 3♀ BMNH: New Hebrides: Malekula, Ounua. iv. v.1929 Miss L.E. Cheesman. B.M. 1929‒371.; 2♀ BMNH: New Hebrides: Malekula, Malua Bay. v.1929 Miss L.E. Cheesman. B.M. 1929‒410 .; 1♀ BMNH: New Hebrides: Santo. viii.1929. L.E.Cheesman. 1930‒8 .; 1♀ BMNH: New Hebrides: Banks Is. Vanua Lava. xi.1929. L.E.Cheesman. 1930‒8 .; 1♀ BMNH: New Hebrides: Malekula, Malua Bay. vi.1929 Miss L.E. Cheesman. B.M. 1929‒410 .; 2♂, 3♀ BMNH: New Hebrides: Malekula. v.1930 Miss L.E. Cheesman. B.M. 1930‒393. [the Vanuatu records published by Telnov (2014) for S. oceanicus ] ; 2 specimens BMNH: ONTONG JAVA: Leuantua. 29.ix.1953. J.D.Bradley // RENNELL I. Expedition. B.M.1954-222. [this record published by Telnov (2014) for S. oceanicus ] ; 1♀ BMNH: SOLOMON IS. Isabel 2/8. 1962 P. Greenslade 2413. // SOLOMON IS: Pres. P.J.M.Greenslade. B.M.1966-477. [this record was published by Telnov (2014) for S. oceanicus ] .

Records of Sapintus cf. rugosicollis (Pic, 1901) from Aitutaki in Cook Islands ( Telnov 1999: 78) corrected in Telnov (2014: 316) as those referring to S. oceanicus in fact refer to S. francoisi . Sapintus rugosicollis is not yet known from outside New Guinea.

Variability. The general dorsal colouration varies from nearly entirely black with pale elytral spots to blackreddish or dark pale with yellowish elytral spots.

Ecology. The species is likely coastal (recorded at ‘sea level’), sampled ‘in house’, from ‘dead leaves’ (typical microhabitat for most African, Asian, and Papuan Sapintus ), and by ‘sweeping grasses’. One specimen was collected from ‘pigeon pea’. Also attracted to light.

Distribution. Caroline Island, Cook Islands, Fiji (Taveuni, Vanua Levu), French Polynesia (Raiatea, Tahiti), Japan (Iwo Jima, Ryukyu Islands), Kiribati (Barnaba, Gilbert Islands), Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Kosrae (Kusaie), Pohnpei ( Ponape), Truk, Yap), Palau, Raja Ampat Islands (Salawati Island), Solomon Islands (yet only known from Santa Isabell and Ontong Java atoll), Vanuatu (Banks Islands, Espirito Santo, Malekula). Notably, in Rarotonga ( Cook Islands) and Tahiti ( French Polynesia) this species occurs sympatrically with S. oceanicus . Likely also present in tropical coastal areas of the Indian Ocean.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Sapintus francoisi (Pic, 1902). A–Female from Malekula Island, habitus, dorsal view; B–ditto, forebody, dorsal view; C–Paralectotype ♀ Anthicus oceanicus var. guamensis Blair, 1942, habitus, dorsal view; D–ditto, forebody, dorsal view [not to scale].

FIGURE 7. Terminalia of male Sapintus francoisi (Pic, 1902). A–Specimen from Malekula Island, tergite VII, dorsal view; B–ditto, morphological sternite VII, ventral view: C–Lectotype ♂ Anthicus oceanicus var. guamensis Blair, 1942, tergite VII, dorsal view; D–ditto, morphological sternite VII, ventral view; E–ditto, tergite VIII, dorsal view; F–Specimen from Malekula Island, morphological sternite IX; G–Lectotype ♂ A. oceanicus var. guamensis, ditto [not to scale].

FIGURE 8. Aedeagus of Sapintus francoisi (Pic, 1902). A–Specimen from Malekula Island (the tip of the apex broken!); B–Lectotype ♂ Anthicus oceanicus var. guamensis Blair, 1942 [not to scale].

FIGURE 9. Aedeagus of Sapintus francoisi (Pic, 1902), details. A–Apex, specimen from Malekula Island (the tip of the apex broken!); B–ditto, lectotype ♂ Anthicusoceanicus var.guamensis Blair, 1942; C–Median portion,lectotype ♂ Anthicus oceanicus var. guamensis Blair, 1942; D–Basal portion with gonopore armature, specimen from Malekula Island [not to scale].