Mimosticus viridipennis Sharp, 1884

Brunke, Adam & Solodovnikov, Alexey, 2014, Male secondary sexual characters resolve taxonomic uncertainty: five new species and a review of the formerly monotypic rove beetle genus Mimosticus Sharp (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae), Zootaxa 3893 (1) : -

Mimosticus viridipennis Sharp, 1884

( Fig. 1 A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 6A, 7A, 8A–D, 9A, 10A (map))

Sharp 1884: 328 (original description).

Type material examined. Holotype, female on card from “ Panama, Volcan de Chiriqui 2000 to 3000 feet, Champion [coll.]” ( BMNH).

Additional material examined. Costa Rica: Alajuela: 1 male, Guatuso PN. Vokau Tenorio. Punto 2; Fakla N Cerro Montezuma, 1000–1100 m, 13, 14.V.2008, J.A. Azofeifa. Tp. Luz. L_N_297500_425050#93700 ( INBIO); 2 females, E.B. San Ramon, R.B. San Ramon, 27 km N & 8 km W San Ramon, 10°13'30'' N; 84°35'30'' W, 1120 m, 29.VI–6.VII.1999, R. Anderson, rotting palm trunk, CR1A99-111 ( SEMC); 1 male, 1 female, E.B. San Ramon, R.B. San Ramon, 27 km N & 8 km W San Ramon, 10°13'30'' N; 84°35'30'' W, 850–950 m, 29.VI–6.VII.1999, R. Anderson, rotting palm trunk, CR1A99-108c ( SEMC); 1 male, E.B. San Ramon, R.B. San Ramon, 27 km N & 8 km W San Ramon, 10°13'4'' N; 84°35'46'' W, 810 m, 8.VII.2000, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, Z. Fallin, ex. Flight intercept trap, CR1ABF00084 ( SEMC); 1 male, San Gerardo Station, Biological Corridor, ex. Flight intercept trap, 2–5.IV.2001, P.N. Thomas (cPT); Cartago: 1 female, Cervantes, 19.V.1940 ( FMNH); 1 female, Palma [Cervantes]—Sta. Cruz), 20.III.1933 ( FMNH); 1 female, Tapantí, 21.VII.1940 ( FMNH); 2 males, 2 females, Quebrada Segunda, P.N. Tapantí, 1250 m, Costa Rica, February 1992, G. Mora L-N 194000, 560000 ( INBIO); 1 male, Tapantí Nat. Park, 1150 m, nature trail 2, ex. Fruit trap, 19.III.1993, P.N. Thomas (cPT); Guanacaste: 1 male, 1 female, Estac. Cacao, 1000–1400 m, SW side Volcan Cacao, October 1989, URCG R. Blanco & C. Chavez, 323300, 323300, 375700 ( INBIO); 1 female, Guanacaste Nat. Park, Ptilla Station, 670 m, memo trail, ex. Flight intercept trap, 24–26.III.2001, P.N. Thomas (cPT); 1 female, Guanacaste Nat. Park, Ptilla Station, Cerro Orosilitos, 750 m, ex. Flight intercept trap, 4–8.II.2001, P.N. Thomas (cPT); Heredia: 1 male, 1 female, 16 km SSE La Virgen, 1050–1150 m, 10–21.III.2001, flight intercept trapALAS-INBIO (cPT); San Jose: 1, male, Cerro La Pastora, 2 miles S of Guadalupe, in rock cut ravine, 1740 m, 22.I.2013, in dry to wet leaf litter (cPT); 1 male, 2 females, Zurqui de Moravia, 1600 m, April–May 1992, P. Hanson ( SEMC); 1 female, Hda. Tiquires, 1500 m, Rio Tiquires, 29.III.1988, A. Solis ( INBIO); Puntarenas: 3 males, 3 females, Monte Verde, 1570 m, 9.V–16.VII.1989, ex. Flight intercept trap, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, R. Leschen ( SEMC); 1 female, Est. Pittier, 4.2 km SO del Cerro Gemelo, Costa Rica, 1670 m, 3.X.1995, M. Moraga, Trampa fructas [fruit trap] L_S_330900_577400#7416 ( INBIO); 1 male, 1 female, Est. Pittier, 1670 m, 21–28.VI.1995, E. Navarro (L_S_330900_577400#5386 ( INBIO); 1 female, Est. Biol. [biological station] Las Alturas, 1500 m, Coto Brus, Costa Rica, F. Araya, 23.III–2.V.1992, L-S 322500, 591300 ( INBIO); 1 male, 3 females, Biological station Las Alturas, 1660 m, 08°56'17'' N; 82°50'01'' W Coto Brus, 31.V–3.VI.2004, J.S. Ashe, Z. Fallin, I. Hinojosa, on fungusy logs ( SEMC); 1 male, 2 females, Las Cruces Biol. Stat., 1330 m, 08°47.14’N, 82°57.58’W, 29.V.2004, J.S. Ashe, Z. Fallin, I. Hinojosa, ex. rotten male palm flowers. CR1AFH04032 ( INBIO, SEMC); 1 male, biol. res. Dúrika, N 9°15.966’ W 83°14.201’, 1460 m premontane moist forest, fogging fungusy logs, 15. VI.2012, leg. A. Solodovnikov, A. Brunke, K. Puliafico & S. Selvantharan ( ZMUC). Panama: Chiriquí Province: 1 male, Dist. Renacimiento, Hartmann’s Finca nr. Santa Clara, 1371 m, 16.VI.1993, M.E. Jameson ex. Favolus sp. ( SEMC); 1 male, Hartmann’s Finca, 1450 m, 08°51’.48”N, 82°44’.36”W, 17.VI.1996, J. Ashe, R. Brooks ex. Favolus hexagonalis ( SEMC). Peru: Cusco: 4 males, 4 females, Cuzco Dept., Consuelo, Manu rd. km 165, 1–12.X.1982, FMHD #82-308 ex rotten palm, and ex leaf litter, L.E. Watrous & G. Mazurek ( FMNH). Bolivia: Cochabamba: 4 females, Cochabamba, 109 km E Yungas (Cochabamba—Villa Tunari road, 1480 m, 17°8'50'' S; 65°42'29'' W, 1–6.II.1999, R. Hanley, flight intercept trap ( SEMC); 1 male, 2 females, Cochabamba, 109 km E Yungas (Cochabamba—Villa Tunari road, 1480 m, 17°8'50'' S; 65°42'29'' W, 1–6.II.1999, F. Genier, flight intercept trap ( SEMC); 1 female, Cochabamba, 117 km E Yungas (Cochabamba—Villa Tunari road, 1040 m, 17°6'32'' S; 65°41'12'' W, 8–10.II.1999, R. Hanley, flight intercept trap ( SEMC). Province?: 1 female, ‘Yuracaris’ ( FMNH).

Redescription. Measurements: HL 1.0–1.1; HW 1.2–1.3; PL 1.6–1.8; PW 2.3–2.5; EL 1.9–2.0; EW 2.4–2.6. Total body length 10.0– 11.5 mm.

Blackish, with golden iridescence on head and pronotum; elytra bright metallic blue; abdomen strongly iridescent with pale (orange to yellow) apex. Some parts of legs and, seldomly, few apical antennomeres can be paler: dark-brown.

Head without dorsal portion of nuchal ridge. Eyes relatively large, in dorsal view 2.4–2.8 times as long as tempora, the latter distinctly less than half of the length of eye. Antennae as in Fig. 2 A, with relatively short antennomeres: antennomere 4 about 1.5–1.6 times as long as wide.

Pronotum distinctly transverse, ca. 1.4 times as wide as long.

Elytra slightly longer and wider than pronotum.

Male: sternite VIII slightly sinuate latero-apically, with apex broadly rounded ( Fig. 4 A); sternite IX rather parallel-sided, without distinct constriction along its length ( Fig. 6 A); tergite X with pair of long dark macrosetae and with weak, double emargination at apex ( Fig. 7 A). Aedeagus as in Fig. 8 A–D: paramere parallel-sided, apically obtusely rounded ( Fig. 8 A), without peg setae-like structures; internal sac with weakly sclerotized scalelike structures grouped in fields as in Fig. 9 A.

Comparison. Externally, Mimosticus viridipennis Sharp is most similar to M. tenuiformis sp. n. Both species are unique in Mimosticus for the following characters: nuchal ridge not visible in dorsal view, eyes relatively large (short tempora) and less elongate antennomeres. Mimosticus viridipennis differs from M. tenuiformis by the much brighter, blue or bluish green elytra, markedly bicolored abdominal segment VIII and in the shorter antennomeres ( Fig. 1 A, 2A). Males of M. viridipennis can be easily separated from males of M. tenuiformis by sternite IX that is nearly as broad basally as apically, by the slightly sinuate latero-apical margin of sternite VIII and by the truncate (not notched) apical margin of tergite X. Additional differences exist in the aedeagus: paramere without peg setaelike structures, with broader and more rounded apex, and internal sac with finer and sparser armature ( Fig. 9 A).

Distribution and bionomics. Mimosticus viridipennis is known from numerous localities in Costa Rica (both Caribbean and Pacific slopes), from the western part of Panama, and, after a large gap, from a couple of localities in southern Peru and in Bolivia. All specimens were collected in montane forests at elevations ranging from 670 to 1740 m (both minimal and maximal elevation records are from Costa Rica) using flight intercept traps, fruit traps, by hand on rotten palm flowers or trunks, on fungusy logs, or by sifting leaf litter.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal habitus of Mimosticus viridipennis, Sharp (A), M. tenuiformis Brunke and Solodovnikov (B), M. aeneipennis Brunke and Solodovnikov (C) and M. sharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (D). Scale bars = 2 mm.

FIGURE 2. Antennomeres 4 – 11: Mimosticus viridipennis, Sharp (A), M. tenuiformis Brunke and Solodovnikov (B), M. aeneipennis Brunke and Solodovnikov (C) and M. sharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (D). Ventral forebody of M. tenuiformis (E). Mesotrochanter and mesofemur of M. tenuiformis (F). Hindwing of M. aeneipennis, vein MP 4 fused to CuA (G). Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 4. Male sternite VIII of Mimosticus viridipennis, Sharp (A), M. tenuiformis Brunke and Solodovnikov (B), M. aeneipennis Brunke and Solodovnikov (C), M. sharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (D), M. pseudosharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (E) and M. latens Brunke and Solodovnikov (F). Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 6. Male sternite IX of Mimosticus viridipennis, Sharp (A), M. tenuiformis Brunke and Solodovnikov (B), M. aeneipennis Brunke and Solodovnikov (C), M. sharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (D), M. pseudosharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (E) and M. latens Brunke and Solodovnikov (F). Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 7. Male tergite X of Mimosticus viridipennis, Sharp (A), M. tenuiformis Brunke and Solodovnikov (B), M. aeneipennis Brunke and Solodovnikov (C), M. sharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (D), M. pseudosharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (E) and M. latens Brunke and Solodovnikov (F). Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 8. Aedeagus of Mimosticus viridipennis Sharp (A – D), M. tenuiformis Brunke and Solodovnikov (E) and M. sharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (F). Parameral view (A – B, E – F), lateral view (C – D). Internal sac not everted (A, C, E, F), internal sac everted (B, D). Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 9. Abparameral view of median lobe of the aedeagus, showing internal sac in situ: Mimosticus viridipennis, Sharp (A), M. tenuiformis Brunke and Solodovnikov (B), M. aeneipennis Brunke and Solodovnikov (C), M. sharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (D). Copulatory sclerite of internal sac of M. sharpi (E), M. pseudosharpi Brunke and Solodovnikov (F) and M. latens Brunke and Solodovnikov (G). Scale bars = 0.2 mm. a—ventral apex of paramere showing peg setae-like structures, b—copulatory sclerite, arrow—apical margin of copulatory sclerite.