Phellopsis porcata (LeConte)

Foley, Ian A. & Ivie, Michael A., 2008, A revision of the genus Phellopsis LeConte (Coleoptera: Zopheridae), Zootaxa 1689, pp. 1-28 : 14-18

Phellopsis porcata (LeConte)

( Figs. 1A , 2 B, D, 8B)

Nosoderma porcatum LeConte, 1853: 235 . LeConte, 1862: 216. LeConte and Horn, 1883: 365.

Phellopsis porcata: Horn, 1870: 273 . Henshaw, 1881: 255. LeConte and Horn, 1883: 365. Champion, 1894: 114. Casey, 1907a: 44 –45. Leng, 1920: 223. Gebien, 1936: 668. Guppy, 1951: 28. Peterson, 1960: 180, fig. C48. Boddy, 1965: 78, pl. x. Papp, 1984: 163. Campbell, 1991: 252. Downie & Arnett, 1996: 1080. Arnett, 1983: 17. Boddy, 1965: 78. Ivie, 2002: 458–460.

Noserus plicatus (not LeConte) Milne et al.et al., 2000: 585, pl. 224.

Phellopsis robustula Casey, 1907a: 45 . Leng, 1920: 223. Gebien, 1936: 668. Boddy, 1965: 78. Arnett, 1983: 17. NEW SYNONYMY

Phellopsis montana Casey, 1907a: 46 . Leng, 1920: 223. Gebien, 1936: 668. Arnett, 1983: 17. NEW SYNONYMY

Phellopsis obcordata, (Not Kirby) . Henshaw, 1881: 255 [in part]. Campbell, 1991: 252 [in part]. Ivie, 2002: 460 [in part].

Diagnosis: Distinguished from the other North American species, P. obcordata , by having dense intertubercle setation on the hypomeron ( Fig. 2 B). Other useful characters include, the 14–18 smaller elytral punctures between the apical edge of the scutellary striole and subapical nodule, arcuate lateral margin of the pronotum, more complete ridge in the 3rd elytral interval, generally denser setose vestiture, the basal connecting ridge between the 1st and 3rd elytral interval distinctly depressed, and the nodules of the apical declivity directed almost parallel with the body plane.

Description (male): Length 12–18 mm. Reddish brown to black; dorsal vestiture very dense slightly obscuring elytral punctures; vestiture consisting of dense long, relatively thin setae; considerable amount of intertuberculate setation on pronotal and elytral surfaces.

Head on dorsal surface with weak indistinct tubercles between frons; outer margin of suprantennal frontal ridges concave; lateral margin of epistoma anterior to suprantennal ridge short (0.04–0.10 mm), almost in same plane; ventral surface of head with irregular tubercles; gula wide; subgenal ridge rounded, with slight depression medially; subgenal ridge longer, extending below eye; eye set below genal surface. Post occipital suture deep and narrowly divided. Last antennomere with micro-setose sensilla patch oblong. Ligula shallowly emarginate; maxillary palpifer with thickened setae; basistipes with paired thickened setae inserted laterally and strongly recurved; lacinia narrowed with median tuft of setae.

Pronotum evenly tuberculate across median portion; paired elevations on apical margin of pronotum broad and weakly divide by midline, nearly fused; lateral margin of pronotum arcuate to weakly bisinuate; hypomeron with dense intertuberculate setae.

Dorsal surface of elytra usually with obvious tubercles; humerus rounded; scutellum rounded set below elytral ridges, scutellary striole distinct; 14–18 elytral punctures along midline between scutellary striole and large median nodule at start of apical declivity; median and lateral nodule of declivity usually subequal in size; lateral nodule almost parallel with plane of body; paired nodules slightly smaller to subequal in size to single nodule near apex; ridges in 3rd and 5th elytral intervals usually overlapping weakly for most of length; nodule in 3rd elytral interval almost always connected to ridge; area around elytral suture strongly elevated usually with row of distinct tubercles. Metasternum with uniform moderately sized tubercles; ventrite tuberculation reduced medially, uniformly spaced laterally. Tarsus with ventral setae slightly thickened and spur like, heavier than dorsal setae.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 8 B) elongate, apical margin of basal stop with weak concave depression medially; parameres laterally with short setae along margin of basal stop; apex of parameres curved dorsally. FEMALE: Similar to male except lacking setose pit on the submentum.

LARVA: Differs from P. obcordata having more pronounced asperities on all surfaces with the patch on the ventral surface of A8 much denser; urogomphus more strongly recurved; lyriform frontal arms more bulbous.

Variation: Probably the most variable of all Phellopsis species; this could be attributed to the fact that this species is represented by the greatest number of available specimens, and/or because it has the largest geographical range. This variation includes the strength of the ridge in the 3rd elytral interval, size and shape of elytral punctures, and density of dorsal vestiture. Specimens from the inland forests east of the Columbia Plateau in Idaho, Montana , eastern Oregon and Washington, and eastern British Columbia and Alberta (including the Casey type of P. robustula ) have the elytral humerus slightly flattened and sharpened apically, the depression between the 1st and 3rd connecting ridge weaker, the ridge in the 3rd sharpened apically, the pronotal margin more arcuate but not notched, and a generally denser setose vestiture. Specimens from Alaska and western British Columbia occasionally have the pronotal margins weakly bisinuate, a stronger connecting ridge between the 1st and 3rd elytral interval, more distinct elytral punctures, and reduced dorsal tuberculation. Two eastern Nevada specimens examined (RLAC) are typical of specimens found in California populations.

Distribution ( Fig. 1A ): Restricted to western North America where it can be locally common in suitable habitat. This species tracks the forests of the western cordilleras from Alaska as far south as the Transverse Ranges of California and in the east from the western edge of Alberta south through western Montana and Idaho north of the Snake River. An outlying population in Nevada’s Ruby Mountains needs more study.

Recorded distribution: A summary of the distribution from the 2,573 specimens examined is presented here as COUNTRY: STATE or PROVINCE: County, Borough, or Census Area (when available). Complete label data may be found in Foley (2006).

CANADA: BRITISH COLUMBIA: ALBERTA. UNITED STATES: ALASKA: Haines, Ketchikan, Matanuska, Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon, Wrangell-Petersburg. CALIFORNIA: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Del Norte, Douglas, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Inyo, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Diego, San Bernadino, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yuba Co. IDAHO: Ada, Boise, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho. Kootenai, Latah, Shoshone, Valley. MONTANA : Flathead, Glacier, Lake, Lincoln, Missoula, Ravalli. NEVADA: Elko, Washoe. OREGON: Benton, Clackamas, Coos, Deschutes, Douglas, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Kane, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Yamhill. WASHINGTON: Asotin, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Yakima.

Types: Nosoderma porcatum LeConte. HOLOTYPE in MCZ ɗ missing right metatarsus. Gold circle/ Red square type 4508 label/ Phellopsis porcata Lec. / Jan.-Jul. 2005 MCZ Image Database.

Phellopsis robustula Casey. HOLOTYPE in NMNH Ψ missing left proleg and antenna. “Id.[aho]./ Casey bequest 1925/ Orange rectangle Type USNM 46373/ hand written robustula Csy. ”.

Phellopsis montana Casey. HOLOTYPE in NMNH Ψ intact. “Cal.[ifornia]/ Casey bequest 1925/ orange rectangle Type USNM 46372/ hand written montana Csy. ”. PARATYPE in NMNH Ψ missing right mesotarsus. USNM orange label stating “This ex.; clearly placed with porcata in Csy box; is doubtless the Placer Co. paratype of montana .”/ Placer Co. Cal.

Notes: The confusion regarding the identity of this species is covered under P. obcordata and in the taxonomic history of the genus. The type specimens and others identified by Casey as P. robustula or P. m o n t a n a show typical variation of the species throughout the known range. This species was considered for indicator status of old growth habitat in Oregon but was ultimately rejected as a useful species because it could not be “adequately collected” (USGS 2003).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Dorsal habitus photos of North American Phellopsis spp. A. Phellopsis obcordata; B. P. p o rc a t a; Hypomeral setae of Phellopsis spp. C. Phellopsis obcordata; D. P. porcata.

FIGURE 8. Lateral view of male parameres of Phellopsis spp. A. Phellopsis obcordata; B. P. porcata; C. P. s u b e re a; D. P. chinensis; E. P. yulongensis.

FIGURE 1. A. Map of specimen records for North American Phellopsis spp. P. p o rc a t a, green circles; P. obcordata red diamonds. B. Map of specimen records for Asian Phellopsis spp. P. yulongensis red diamonds; P. chinensis green circles; P. a m u re n s i s red cross; P. suberea green triangles.