Brachygluta (Brachygluta) foveata ( LeConte, 1851 )

Chandler, Donald S., Sabella, Giorgio & Bückle, Christoph, 2015, A revision of the Nearctic species of Brachygluta Thomson, 1859 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Zootaxa 3928 (1), pp. 1-91 : 50-52

16. Brachygluta (Brachygluta) foveata ( LeConte, 1851)

( Figs 21 , 40 B)

Bryaxis foveata LeConte, 1851: 215 . Type locality: “ad Gilum” [mouth of Gila River], “California” (Arizona). Type depository MCZC, Lectotype male designated below. LeConte 1863: 21; 1880: 181 (key). Brendel 1866a: 34. Brendel 1893: 278 (redescription). Casey 1894: 481 (redescription).

Bryaxis (Bryaxis) foveata: Brendel & Wickham 1890: 268 (key), 283 (redescription).

Brachygluta foveata: Raffray 1904: 225 ; 1908: 231; 1911: 94. Leng 1920: 130. Bowman 1934: 83 (Group I, key), 85. Poole & Gentili 1996: 380. Chandler 1997: 55.

Bryaxis loripes Casey, 1894: 480 . Type locality: southern California. Type depository: USNM, Holotype male. // Cala. h/ ♂/ Casey bequest 1925/ TYPE USNM 38695/ loripes //. NEW SYNONYMY.

Brachygluta loripes: Raffray 1904: 225 ; 1908: 231; 1911: 95. Leng 1920: 130. Bowman 1934: 86 (Group II, key), 87. Poole & Gentili 1996: 380. Chandler 1997: 56.

Brachygluta jacobina Casey, 1908: 259 . Type locality: San Diego, California. Type depository USNM, lectotype male designated below. Raffray 1911: 95. Leng 1920: 130. Bowman 1934: 86 (Group II, key), 87. Poole & Gentili 1996: 380. Chandler 1997: 56. NEW SYNONYMY.

Material examined, 144 specimens. USA: Arizona: Yuma Co.: Fort Yuma, I-1-1921, Hubbard & Schwarz ( USNM, 4). “Ad Gilam”[mouth of Gila River] ( MCZC, 3, Lectotype + 2 Paralectotypes). California: Fresno Co.: 8 mi SW Coalinga, III-24-1988, F. Andrews & A.R. Hardy, under rocks, grassy hillside ( CSCA, 1). 8 mi W Coalinga, Warthan Canyon, IV-16-1980, Andrews & Paddock ( DSCC, 1). Coalinga, Los Gatos Canyon, V-17- 1957, H.L. Wilson, cottonwood litter ( DSCC, 2). Inyo Co. : Deep Springs Valley, Buckhorn Springs, II-1971, D. Giuliani ( CASC, 23); III-1971 ( CASC, 1); IV-11-1975, D. Giuliani ( CSCA, 1). Deep Springs, Deep Springs Valley, ca. 19 air mi. E Bishop, II-1971, D. Giuliani ( CASC, 1). Fish Slough, 10 mi N Bishop, I-8-1972, D. Giuliani ( CASC, 1). Saline Valley, salt marsh, IX-1-1976, D. Giuliani, UV light ( CSCA, 2); VI-7-1976 ( DSCC, 1). Tinemaha Reservoir, VII-12-1975, F. Andrews & A.R. Hardy, sand dune E side ( CSCA, 4). Westergard Pass cave, Inyo Mountains , 60' below surface, V-27-1982, D. Giuliani, berlese from bat guano ( CSCA, 1); V-27-1982, D. Giuliani, ( CSCA, 1). Kern Co.: Bakersfield, V-5-1931 ( DSCC, 1). Los Angeles Co.: Los Angeles, Hubbard & Schwarz ( USNM, 4; MCZC, 2). Pasadena, VI, A. Fenyes ( CASC, 1). Madera Co.: Wind Gap, VII-13-1946, H.P. Chandler ( UCDC 1). Merced Co.: Los Banos Valley, 400', V-17-1987, D. Giuliani ( CSCA, 1); IV-12-1987, D. Giuliani ( CSCA, 1); V-27-1982, D. Giuliani, ( CSCA, 1). Mono Co.: Paoha Island, Mono Lake, VII-1980 / VII-1981, E. Sugden, traps 1-6 ( CSCA, 1). Riverside Co.: Morongo Valley, I-22.1915, G.K.C. ( CSCA, 1). Riverside, III-28- 1891 ( MCZC, 1, H.C. Fall Collection). Temescula, VI-24-1987, Green ( CSCA, 1). San Bernardino Co.: Needles, IV-1 /6-1918, J.C. Bradley ( CUIC, 1). Saratoga Springs, Death Valley, IV-15-1966, G.L. Peters, UV light ( DSCC 1). Zzyzx Station, poolside, IV-23-1977, R. Aalbu, black light ( CSCA, 3; DSCC, 2). San Diego Co.: VI-14-1890, F.E. Blaisdell ( CASC, 3; UCDC, 1); X, F.E. Blaisdell ( CASC, 1). Borego Palm Canyon, IV-25-1955, R. Schuster ( UCDC, 6). Oceanside ( CASC, 1). San Diego, 1917, H.C. Fall ( MCZC, 1); 1917, ( MCZC, 1); VIII-6-1890 ( MCZC, H.C. Fall Collection, 1; MCZC, 1; FMNH, 3); II-26-1890 ( MCZC, H.C. Fall Collection, 2); II-26 ( FMNH, 1). Only state on label: “Cal.” ( CASC, 1; CMNH, 12); F.E. Blaisdell ( UCDC, 1; DSCC, 1). “So. Cal.” ( ANSP, 1; MCZC, 4). “California” Reichle ( MNHN, 1M). Nevada: Clark Co.: Paradise Valley (L.(as) V.(egas), VII-25-1970 ( FMNH, 3), VIII-4-1970, B.W. Miller, UV light ( FMNH, 5). Lincoln Co.: Alamo, VII-10-1958, F.D. Parker ( DSCC, 1); VII-11-1958, F.D. Parker ( DSCC, 1; UCDC, 1); VII-21-1958 ( DSCC, 1; UCDC, 1); VII-12- 1958 ( UCDC, 1). Utah: Tooele Co.: 12 mi S Timpie, IX-28-1953, P.D. Ashlock ( BYUC, 2). Utah Co.: Provo, VI ( USNM, 2). Salem, VIII-10-1960, G.F. Knowlton, light trap ( UCDC, 2). Washington Co.: St. George, Springs Subdivision, VII-21-2003, M. Oldham ( BYUC, 1). County unknown: Salt Lake, Soltau ( FMNH, 2). Only state on label: “Ut.,” Brend. ( MCZC, Horn Collection, 3). Utah ( CMNH, 3 Syntypes of B. mormon ).

Description. BODY: Length 1.80–2.04 mm; orange-brown, to brown; setae on head and pronotum short, curved and suberect, on body appressed or nearly so. Head: surface smooth, shining, punctures indistinct. Setose area of median vertexal fovea as large as those of lateral foveae. Antennomeres slightly shorter in female than male, differences indicated below. Pronotum: smooth, shining, punctures indistinct. Setose area of median antebasal fovea about two-thirds width those of lateral antebasal foveae. Elytra: smooth, shining, microreticulation faint; discal stria reaching to four-fifths of elytral length. Abdomen: disc smooth, shining, punctures sparse. Tergite 1 with basal abdominal striae variable, ranging from about one-sixth to nearly one third paratergite length, separated at base by more than half of tergite width, with distinct setose comb between bases of striae.

MALE: Antennae lacking modifications, antennomeres III–VI clearly longer than wide, VII slightly longer than wide, VIII–IX as long as wide, X wider than long, VIII about two-thirds width of IX ( Fig. 21 C). Trochanters lacking modifications. Metaventrite convex, with dense appressed setae covering most of middle portion of metaventrite, setose zone rounded on anterior margin. Abdomen with tergite 1 disc about as long as wide; posterior margin of tergite 1 shallowly emarginate at middle, short appressed setae and punctures dense in deflexed apical zone of tergite; tergites 2–3 with short appressed golden setae on disc, surface microreticulate; tergite 2 with two oblique, dorsally converging sulci, with rounded bump between them at middle ( Figs 21 A–B); in lateral view with deflexed apex of tergite 1 curving down just posterior to 2, 2-3 short and nearly vertical. Ventrites broadly rounded. Metatibiae narrow, slightly widening through length to near apex, with dense comb of setae on mesal margin in apical fourth where slightly curved medially ( Fig. 21 D). Aedeagus 0.34 mm long, dorsal plate triangular, with preapical constriction of margins to form acutely pointed apex; parameres with three thick setae on lateral margin at basal angle of preapical constriction, with preapical hyaline seta near mesal margin, thick basally, aciculate apically; internal sac with two large spines, one straight and one curved ( Fig. 21 E).

FEMALE: Antennomeres III–V longer than wide, VI–VII slightly longer than wide, VIII–X transverse, VIII about two-thirds width of IX. Metaventrite convex, sparsely setose. Abdominal ventrites broadly rounded. Metatibiae similar to that of male.

Collecting data. Under rocks on grassy hills; in cottonwood litter, in bat guano; at UV light ( Chandler 1997). Only a few specimens have collection data indicated, but those with such data were taken primarily at ultraviolet light. Most specimens were taken from April to September, but there are records from all months except November and December.

Distribution ( Fig. 40 B). Found from the Mojave Desert and grasslands of southern California to the Upper Sonoran desert of Nevada and Utah. Only present in Arizona in the Yuma area.

Comments. This species is very similar to B. texana , and can be reliably separated only by the presence of two thick spines in the internal sac, and by its more western distribution that extends from southern California to Utah. Brachygluta texana has three thick spines in the internal sac, and is found in the Chihuahuan and lower Sonoran Deserts, ranging from Texas through Arizona and into California just across the Colorado River at one point.

LeConte (1851) did not indicate the number of specimens before him when he described this species, but for other new species in this paper he would indicate when he had only a single specimen, suggesting that he based B. foveata on more than one specimen. Specimens with labels indicating the mouth of the Gila River in “California” (Arizona today), or with LeConte’s gold-colored circle indicating California, were chosen to form the syntype series. The male Lectotype here designated bears the labels: // Cal. [with dot below the “C” = mouth of Gila River]/ ♂/ [red label] Type 6134/ LECTOTYPE Bryaxis foveata LeConte 2013 Desig. DSChandler//. Two males and a female with the same locality label, as well as a female specimen with a gold disc label are labeled as Paralectotypes. “California” at the time of LeConte’s visit included what would later become the state of Arizona, with the mouth of the Gila River into the Colorado River being on the Arizona side of the Colorado River.

Brendel (1893: 278) and then Casey (1894: 481) apparently confused B. foveata with B. mormon Bowman, 1934 (not yet described at that time), with Casey describing B. loripes in the place of B. foveata . Casey later added B. jacobina (1908: 259) based on subtle differentiating characters, for a group where examination of the genitalia is necessary to separate the two very similar species. Bryaxis loripes Casey and B. jacobina Casey are here placed as a junior synonyms of B. foveata based on the similar form of the male tergites and the aedeagus. A Lectotype of B. jacobina is here designated, and a Paralectotype recognized and labeled as such. Lectotype male: // San Diego, Cal/ Casey bequest 1925/ Brachygluta jacobina Csy / [red label] TYPE USNM 38696/ LECTOTYPE Brachygluta jacobina Casey ♂ ‘13//. The Paralectotype female shares the first three labels and has a Paralectotype label.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Brachygluta foveata (LeConte) (Nevada, Lincoln Co.). A: Abdomen, dorsal view. B: Abdomen, caudal view. C: Right antenna. D: Left metatibia, anterior view. E: Aedeagus.

FIGURE 40. Distribution map of Brachygluta texana species-group. A: Brachygluta eldredgei Chandler. B: Brachygluta foveata (LeConte). C: Brachygluta texana (Casey). (Red dot: material examined, green dot: only state on label).