Cymbionotum (sensu stricto)

Ball, George E. & Shpeley, Danny, 2005, Taxonomic review of the Tribe Melaenini (Coleoptera: Carabidae), with observations on morphological, ecological and chorological evolution, Zootaxa 1099 (1), pp. 1-120 : 1-120

Cymbionotum (sensu stricto)

Coscinia Dejean 1831: 478 (not Hübner 1822). TYPE SPECIES: Siagona schueppelii Dejean 1831 (designated by Bedel 1897). —Chaudoir 1876: 118.

Cymbionotum Baudi di Selve 1864: 212 . TYPE SPECIES: Cymbionotum collare Baudi di Selve 1864 = Coscinia semelederi Chaudoir 1851 (designated by original monotypy).—Marschall 1873: 187.—Andrewes, 1933: 3.—1935: 18.

Graniger Chaudoir 1871: 282 (not Motschulsky 1864). TYPE SPECIES: G. algirinus Motschulsky 1864 .—Semenov, 1903: 169.—Csiki, 1929: 477.

Cymbionostrum (misspelling) Burgeon 1937: 395.

Notes about synonymy. The generic name Coscinia Dejean was a junior homonym of Coscinia Hübner , and was thus not available for use by Dejean (Chaudoir 1871). Claiming incorrectly that G. algirinus , the type species of Graniger , was conspecific with Coscinia semelederi, Chaudoir proposed Graniger as a substitute name for Coscinia . This proposal was generally accepted by subsequent authors. Andrewes (1933), based on study of the types involved, recognized that G. algirinus was a ditomine harpaline, and thus the generic name Graniger was unavailable for use as proposed by Chaudoir. That left Cymbionotum as the name available to replace Coscinia Dejean.

Recognition. Precinctive in the Eastern Hemisphere, adults of this subgenus have the posteriolateral dentiform projections close to the posterior margin of the pronotum ( Fig. 14B ). The posterior margin of the pronotum is beaded or not ( C. striatum , only), and the proepipleuron (pep) is visible from a dorsal perspective ( Fig. 14B ; cf. Fig. 14A ). Males have sclerite x of the endophallus about one eighth length of phallus, and in infolded position near the basal lobe (Figs. 17D–E, 17I, x), or sclerite x is absent.

Descriptive notes. Size and ratios of body parts ( Tables 3–9). Size range (SBL and EW, Tables 3 and 4) extends over the range of the genus. Pronotum relatively narrow, values for PL/PWM ( Table 7) 0.75 or more; base relatively narrow, values for ratio PWB/ PWA ( Table 9) 0.82 or less.

Color. Dorsal surface and appendages with range same as for genus, but with paler colors predominant.

Microsculpture. Most of dorsal surface without microlines, smooth; postocular transverse impression of head smooth or with mesh pattern isodiametric to slightly transverse; scutellum with mesh pattern evident throughout, more or less isodiametric, or microlines in anterior part only, posterior part smooth, or surface entirely smooth.

Vestiture. Dorsal surface with setae short to long ( Table 1 and Figs. 2B–D, 2F ), setation very sparse to moderately dense ( Figs. 3A–E ).

Head. Clypeus: anterior margin medially with ( Fig. 11C ) or without ( Figs. 11A–B ) a dentiform projection, or distinct swelling.

Antennae. Antennomere 2 globose ( Fig. 11E ), relatively short (about half length of antennomere 3), or pyriform ( Fig. 11D ), and relatively longer (about two thirds length of antennomere 3, Table 11); antennomeres 5–10 moderately ( Fig. 11F ) to markedly ( Fig. 11G ) asymmetrical.

Labrum. Anterior margin rather deeply, subangularly concave ( Figs. 11A–C ).

Included taxa. This subgenus includes 18 species arranged in three species groups and three superspecies.

Habitat. Like Cymbionotum (sensu lato), the members of Cymbionotum (sensu stricto) occupy the five vegetation zones occupied by the tribe Melaenini , with a concentration in temperate grassland and tropical deciduous forest and savannah vegetation zones (Table 17 and Fig. 24), and marginal to the desert/semi­desert zone.

Geographical distribution. The range of Cymbionotum (sensu stricto) ( Figs. 16 , 18,

20, 21, 23) is confined to the warmer parts of the Eastern Hemisphere, principally north of the Tropic of Capricorn.

Relationships and chorological affinities This subgenus is the more derived putative adelphotaxon of subgenus Procoscinia , from which it is isolated geographically.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Elytra of Cymbionotum species. SEM photographs illustrating setal length. A, left elytron, dorsal aspect, of C. fernandezi, new species. B–F, portions of left elytra, dorsolateral aspect, of: B, C. pictulum Bates; C, C. semelederi Chaudoir; D, C. striatum Reitter, E, C. fernandezi, new species; and F, C. semirubricum Reitter. Scale bars: A = 1.0 mm; B–F = 100 µm.

FIGURE 3. Elytra of Cymbionotum species. SEM photographs of sections of elytral discs in anterior one third, illustrating density of elytral punctation: A, C. striatum Reitter; B, C. semelederi Chaudoir; C, C. schueppelii Dejean; D, C. pictulum Bates; E, C. semirubricum Reitter; and F, C. fernandezi, new species. Scale bars = 100 µm.

FIGURE 11. Heads and antennae of Cymbionotum species illustrated with SEM photographs: A–C, head, dorsal aspect of: A, C. semelederi, Fabricius; B, C. microphthalmum Chaudoir; C, C. helferi Chaudoir. D–G, left antenna of: D, C. semirubricum Reitter (antennomeres 1–3, anterior aspect); E, C. striatum Reitter (antennomeres 1–3 and base of 4); F and G, C. semirubricum and C. striatum, respectively (antennomeres 6 and 7, posterior aspect). Legend: A2, A3, A6 and A7, antennomeres 2, 3, 6 and 7; ct, clypeal tooth; poi, postocular impression. Scale bars: A–C = 1.0 mm; D–G = 100µm.

FIGURE 14. Pronotum, dorsal aspect, of Cymbionotum species, illustrating subgeneric differences with outline drawings. A, C. (Procoscinia) fernandezi, new species. B, C. (Cymbionotum) semelederi Chaudoir. Legend: pep, proepipleuron. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 16. Geographical range of the species of Cymbionotum (Procoscinia), and of Cymbionotum (s. str.) basale species group illustrated on an outline map of South America and of southwestern Asia, southern Europe and Africa.