Athrostictus paganus (Dejean)

Shpeley, Danny, Hunting, Wesley & Ball, George E., 2017, A taxonomic review of the Selenophori group (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Harpalini) in the West Indies, with descriptions of new species and notes about classification and biogeography, ZooKeys 690, pp. 1-195 : 15-16

Athrostictus paganus (Dejean) Figs 1C, 2 G–I, 3C, 4

Hypolithus paganus Dejean (1831: 834). TYPE MATERIAL: 4 specimens in Chaudoir-Oberthür Collection (MNHP), in front of following box label: paganus/ Dej./ Colombie/ C. Dejean//. LECTOTYPE (here selected) male, [first in series] labelled: //[male]// Hypolithus // paganus m/ Carthagene [previous 3 labels hand printed on green paper]; second, female, labelled 202//; third, female, unlabelled; fourth, male, labelled " Columb".- Gemminger and Harold 1868: 268.

Hypolithus iridescens Chaudoir (1843: 783). TYPE MATERIAL: Not located; however, according to the original description, the holotype is a female that had been collected in Guadeloupe. - Gemminger and Harold 1868: 268.

Selenophorus puberulus Putzeys (1874: 119) (nec Dejean 1829). = S. pubifer Putzeys.

Selenophorus pubifer Putzeys (1878a: 69). TYPE MATERIAL: 5 specimens in Chaudoir-Oberthür Collection (MNHP), in front of the following box label: puberulus / Chaud./ Venezuela/ Sallé. LECTOTYPE: male, labelled //337//.- Darlington 1934: 103.- Ball and Shpeley 1992: 96.

Selenophorus glabripennis Putzeys (1878a: 66). Since the name has not been used with reference to the West Indian fauna, might as well drop it. Nonetheless, data recorded pro tem. as if glabripennis is conspecific with paganus. 3 specimens in Chaudoir-Oberthür Collection (MNHP), in front of the following box label: glabripennis / Chaud/ Colombie// LECTOTYPE: male, unlabelled, except for “Lectotype”.

Arthrostictus paganus ; Csiki 1932: 1195.- Blackwelder 1944: 48.- Ball 1992: 85.- Ball and Shpeley 1992: 96.- Lorenz 1998: 354.- Lorenz 2005: 376.- Ivie et al. 2008: 238.

Athrostictus iridescens ; Csiki 1932: 1195.- Erwin and Sims 1984: 441.

Type locality.

Vicinity of Carthagena, Bolivar Department, Colombia.

Diagnosis.

The long setae on the elytra readily separate this species from other West Indian selenophorine species.

Descriptive notes.

Data for SBL in Table 1. Habitus as in Fig. 1C. Clypeus and labrum each with anterior margin shallowly concave. Antennae, mouthparts and legs testaceous to rufo-testaceous; antennomere 1 paler than remaining antennomeres. Dorsal and ventral surfaces rufo-piceous to piceous; lateral margins of pronotum paler. Elytra and ventral surface with metallic blue iridescence. Basal third of pronotum markedly punctate, each puncture with a seta. Elytra with all intervals markedly punctate, each puncture with a seta about half the length of the serial setae in striae 2, 5 and 7. Males with fore and mid-tarsi with biseriate adhesive vestiture. Males with two terminal setae and females with four terminal setae near the posterior margin on sternum VII.

Male genitalia. Fig. 2 G–I. Apical portion of phallic median lobe moderately long, parallel-sided, symmetrically rounded in dorsal/ventral aspect, small median ventral hook; endophallus with numerous spine fields, spines of varying base size and length; without lamina.

Ovipositor and female reproductive tract. Fig. 3C. Gonocoxite 2 falcate, with moderately wide base. Bursa copulatrix moderately long; small kidney-shaped spermatheca (sp) with proximal half attached to common oviduct, spermathecal duct originating well above base of common oviduct. Spermathecal gland duct (sgd) long, originating about mid-length of bursa copulatrix, gland long, thin, sausage-like (spg), with large bulbous swelling of duct basad gland. This unusual configuration of the spermathecal gland duct appended to the bursa was also observed in Bolivian specimens of Athrostictus chlaenioides Dejean.

Habitat.

Under the name Selenophorus puberulus Putzeys (not Dejean), M. J. Purves (1874: 12) noted this species (and S. propinquus Putzeys) as occurring in sugar cane fields in the Lesser Antillean island of Antigua.

Geographical distribution.

Fig. 4. The known range of this species in the West Indies extends from the Greater Antillean island of St. Croix through the Lesser Antilles to Grenada and south to Tobago.

Chorological affinities and relationships.

This is the only species of Athrostictus currently recorded from the West Indies. Its relationships are undetermined.

Material examined.

In addition to type material, we have seen a total of 76 specimens (36 males, 39 females, 1 unknown). See Appendix for details.