Aphelocerus cheliferous, OPITZ, 2005

OPITZ, WESTON, 2005, Classification, Natural History, And Evolution Of The Genus Aphelocerus Kirsch (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2005 (293), pp. 1-128 : 89-90

Aphelocerus cheliferous , new species Figures 88 , 146, 147 , 192 , 228; map 19

HOLOTYPE: Male. Mexico. Ver. 2509, Los Tuxtlas , Biol. Sta. UNAM, 20­V­1983, C. & L. O’Brien & Marshall ( LACM). (Specimen point mounted, sex label affixed to paper point, white, hand printed; support card, white; locality label, white, machine printed; LACM repository label, white, machine printed; holotype label, red, machine printed; plastic vial with abdomen and aedeagus).

PARATYPES: Fifteen specimens from the same locality as the holotype: ( JNRC, 4; WOPC, 1) ; 21­V­1983 ( JNRC, 5; WOPC, 2) ; 19­V­1983 ( JNRC, 1; WOPC, 2) .

DIAGNOSIS: The antennal apex of these beetles is testaceous, which is also a characteristic of some other species across species­group lines. Among the members of this species complex, cheliferous specimens may be identified by having the elytral surface polished, the outer margin of the elytral apex obtuse, and the side margins of the pronotum feebly convex.

DESCRIPTION: Size: Length 5.0–5.0 mm; width 2.0– 2.5 mm. Integument: Cranium, pronotum, venter, and legs cyanescent; elytra piceous. Vestiture: Integument densely vest­ ed with prominent light and dark setae, light setae particularly prominent along lower edge of pronotum and along the epipleuron. Head: Genae and epicranium expanded; interocular depression and frontal umbo well developed; frons, epicranium, and gena finely punctate; eyes subspherical, boldly convex; width across eyes feebly narrower than width of pronotum (31:33); antenna (figs. 88, 228) elongate, nearly as long as length of pronotum (35:37). Thorax: Pronotum elongate (33:37), considerably narrower than width of elytra across humeri (33:40); lateral margins feebly arcuate; anterior transverse depression faintly indicated; elytra strongly convex, disc with nine longitudinal rows of fine punctations, and shallow longitudinal ridges, depth at humerus 18, greatest depth in posterior half 28; legs prominent, metafemur extended to elytral apex. Abdomen: Posterior margin of pygdium evenly arcuate in both sexes. Male internal reproductive organs (fig. 192): Lateral accessory gland narrow and convoluted, coiled; medial gland longer and vastly more robust than lateral gland. Male genitalia (fig. 146): Parameres well developed; ventral and dorsal sinuses equal in length; phallic plate (fig. 147) set with row of marginal denticles.

VARIATION: The shallow longitudinal elytral ridges vary in expression as does the extent of testaceousness of the antennal apex.

NATURAL HISTORY: Specimens were collected in May at 76 m.

DISTRIBUTION (map 19): This species is known from the slopes of Volvan San Andres Tuxtla, in Mexico.

ETYMOLOGY: The trivial name cheliferous comes from the Latin noun chela (claw) and ­ ferous (carry). I refer to the presence of marginal denticles on the phallic plates.

Figures

Figs. 85–120. Antennae, pygidia, and sixth visible abdominal sterna. 85–90. Antennae. 85. Aphelocerus affaniatis. 86. A. dispilis. 87. A. formicoides. 88. A. cheliferous. 89. A. panus. 90. A. calvus. 91– 120. Pygidium and/or sixth visible abdominal sternum. 91–94. A. ciliaris. 91–92. male (91, pygidium; 92, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 93–94. female (93, pygidium; 94, sixth visible dominal sternum). 95. A. coactus, female pygdium. 96. A. domus, female pygidium. 97–100. A. coalitus, male (97, pygidium; 98, sixth visible abdominal sternum), 99–100. Female (99, pygidium; 100, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 101. A. leucomelas, male pygidium. 102–104. A. coactus. 102–103. male (102, pygidium; 103, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 104, female, pygidium. 105–106. A. acutus, pygidea (105, male; 106, female). 107–109. A. lividus. 107, male (pygidium). 108–109, female (108, pygidium; 109, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 110–113. A. sagittarius. 110–111, male (110, pygidium; 111, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 113, female, pygidium. 114–115. A. humerus, female (114, pygidium; 115, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 116–117. A. naevius, female (116, pygidium; 117, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 118–119. A. triangulus, female (118, pygidium; 119, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 120. A. arenatus, male, pygidium.

Figs. 139–153. Tegmina or phallus. 139. Aphelocerus immarginatus, tegmen. 140. A. vietus, tegmen. 141. A. patulus, tegmen. 142. A. yungas, tegmen. 143. A. naevius, tegmen. 144a. A. catie, tegmen. 144b. A. affaniatis, tegmen. 144c. A. echinatus, tegmen. 145. A. scutellaris. 146–147. A. cheliferous (146, tegmen; 147, phallus). 148. A. panus, tegmen. 149. A. formicoides, tegmen. 150. A. acanthus, tegmen. 151. A. bufustis, tegmen. 152. A. batesi, tegmen. 153a. A. calvus, tegmen. 153b. A. capillus, tegmen.

Figs. 184–192. Internal reproductive organs. 184–186. Aphelocerus inconstans. 184–185, male (184, accessory glands, testis, and ejaculatory duct; 185, base of medial accessory gland; 186, base of lateral accessory gland). 187–189. A. myrmecoides. 187–188, male (187, accessory glands, testis, and ejaculatory duct; 188, medial accessory gland). 189. Female. 190. A. leucomelas, male. 191. A. discapillus, male. 192. A. cheliferous male.