Cephennium canestroi Hopp & Caterino, 2009

Hopp, Katie & Caterino, Michael, 2009, Seven new species of Cephennium Müller & Kunze (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae, Cephenniini) from California with a key to native North American species, ZooKeys 24 (24), pp. 31-54 : 44-45

Cephennium canestroi Hopp & Caterino , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:55F6B353-76A2-4826-8D8E-6FD28BE5671C

Figs 1E, 2E, 3E, 5D, 6

Type Material. Holotype. Male. “CA: San Luis Obispo Co.; 35.5249°N, 121.0719°W; UC Rancho Marino Res.; II.26.2009, Salix litter; M.S. Caterino ”/ “CA BEETLE PROJ; CBP0087147 ” ( SBMN).

Paratypes (5): “CA: San Luis Obispo Co.; 35.5361°N, 121.0723°W; UC Rancho Marino Res.; III.10.2009, M.S. Caterino; Heteromeles litter” (2 SBMN, CBP0087853 [gold coated for SEM], CBP0087825 [disarticulated]; 1 CASC, CBP0087841 ; 1 CSCA, CBP0087830 ; 1 FMNH, CBP0087815 [male genitalia dissected out and gold coated for SEM]) .

Etymology. We are pleased to name this species for Don Canestro, director of the Rancho Marino Reserve, in appreciation of his generous assistance with our fieldwork.

Diagnosis. This species can be separated from its California congeners by the character combination of the absence of eyes, humeral plateau of the elytra raised, dorsally flattened and apically rounded, and scutellum with four setae ( Fig. 3E ). Cephennium canestroi most closely resembles C. grandarboreum and C. gilberti , all having a generally rounded humeral angle ( Figs. 3 D-F), but C. canestroi can be distinguished from them by having four scutellar setae ( Fig. 3E ) instead of two ( Fig. 3D, F ). Cephennium canestroi can be separated from C. anophthalmicum and C. urbanum by the shape of the elytral humeral angle, which projects laterally to a point in the latter two species ( Fig. 3 G-H).

Description Male. Length: 0.836 –0.922 mm; pronotal width: 0.314 –0.323 mm; elytral width: 0.361 –0.380 mm. Body elongate, slender, weakly convex; amber-yellow, transparent under light, evenly and moderately pubescent, pubescence golden, slender, moderately long, weakly recumbent (Fig. 1E). Dorsal surface of head impunctate, weakly pubescent, weakly narrowing anteriorly from antennal insertions. Eyes absent. Antenna setose, antennomeres I and II longer than broad, antennomeres III-VI quadrate and smaller than antennomeres II and VII, antennomere VIII smaller than antennomeres VII and IX, antennomeres IX-XI gradually clavate forming a loose club. Pronotum pubescent, broadest between middle and anterior third, very convex in disc and weakly flattened near each posterior angle; anterior margin not visible from above; anterior and posterior margin lacking marginal bead; marginal bead complete laterally, gradually widening towards base; lateral edge broadly rounded to posterior third, then sinuate to base (Fig. 1E). Hypomeron impunctate, sparsely setose towards anterior quarter and along outside (lateral) edge ( Fig. 2E ). Prosternum with prominent egg-shaped nodules anterolaterad procoxal cavities ( Fig. 2E ). Elytra smooth, as pubescent as pronotum, covering all abdominal segments; elytral suture flat; elytral striae absent, basomedial fovea present on each elytron, fovea small, moderately pubescent (Figs. 1E, 2E). Humeral angle of elytron raised from laterad scutellum along anterior margin to humeral angle, humeral plateau broad, dorsally flattened, apically rounded, not reaching past midline of elytral fovea ( Fig. 3E ). Scutellum nearly semicircular, with four setae present (two on each side of the midline) ( Fig. 3E ). Mesosternal keel setose, texture appearing like fish scales in its entirety until abruptly smooth in the posterior quarter, weakly bifid at mesometasternal suture, divergent projections short ( Fig. 2E ). Metathoracic wings vestigial. Femora strongly clavate in distal half; tibiae expanded and becoming more densely setose towards distal half. Five visible abdominal sternites, with partial fusion between the apical two (ventrites V and VI). Aedeagus with median lobe bulbous, strongly sclerotized, median dorsal projection parallel-sided at base, convergent and bisinuate at apex, not reaching past apical collar; apical collar with dense setae meeting medially and forming wick-like setal extension, curving ventrad; dorsal parameres slender, extending beyond apex of median lobe but not past apical collar, each with two subapical setae; apical digiform process present, bent ventrad near apex ( Fig. 5D ).

Female. Identical to male.

Biology. This species has been collected from Heteromeles (Toyon) and Salix (Willow) litter. Th e collecting sites occur near a native stand of Monterey Pine ( Pinus radiata ), and is along the coast near the town of Cambria. Collecting sites were in a rocky drainage, with sparse shrubby willow cover, facing and only a few hundred meters from the ocean, and on a shaded northeast facing slope under a very large toyon tree, with a dense understory of Rubus and Toxicodendron .

Distribution. This species has been only collected from San Luis Obispo County, CA, in the University of California Rancho Marino Reserve (Fig. 6).

Figures

Figure 2. A–H Mesosternal keel SEMs A Cephennium anophthalmicum Brendel B Cephennium celsifrons Hopp & Caterino C Cephennium mariposae Hopp & Caterino D Cephennium grandarboreum Hopp & Caterino E Cephennium canestroi Hopp & Caterino F Cephennium gilberti Hopp & Caterino G Cephennium urbanum Hopp & Caterino H Cephennium aridum Hopp & Caterino.

Figure 3. A–H Base of left elytron A Cephennium anophthalmicum Brendel B Cephennium celsifrons Hopp & Caterino C Cephennium mariposae Hopp & Caterino D Cephennium grandarboreum Hopp & Caterino E Cephennium canestroi Hopp & Caterino F Cephennium gilberti Hopp & Caterino G Cephennium urbanum Hopp & Caterino H Cephennium aridum Hopp & Caterino.

Figure 5. A–F Dorsal and lateral view of the aedeagus A Cephennium anophthalmicum Brendel B Cephennium celsifrons Hopp & Caterino C Cephennium grandarboreum Hopp & Caterino D Cephennium canestroi Hopp & Caterino E Cephennium urbanum Hopp & Caterino F Cephennium aridum Hopp & Caterino.