Colliuris subdistincta ( Chaudoir, 1863 )

Bousquet, Yves, 2010, Review of the Nearctic, Mexican and West Indian (Greater Antilles) species of Colliuris Degeer (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Odacanthini), Zootaxa 2529, pp. 1-39 : 26-29

Colliuris subdistincta ( Chaudoir, 1863)

Casnonia subdistincta Chaudoir, 1863: 292 . Type locality: «Toxpam [= possibly Tuxpan, Veracruz], Mexique » (original citation).

Apiodera transparens Motschulsky, 1864: 219 . Type locality: «Amérique centrale» (original citation). New Synonymy. Colliuris subdistincta: Liebke (1930: 667) .

Colliuris subdistincta var. maculata Liebke, 1930: 683 . Type locality: «El Cora, Tepic [both in Nayarit], Presidio [there are several places in NW Mexico named Presidio], Marzatlan [= Mazatlán]» (original citation). New Synonymy.

Type material. Chaudoir’s description of C. subdistincta was based on an unspecified number of specimens. I have seen no syntypes of this species. The type series should be in MHNP.

Motschulsky (1864) described A. transparens from an unspecified number of specimens. One specimen, a female in ZMMU, is herein designated lectotype. It is labelled: "[small round green label]/ Apiodera transparens Am. cent Mots [handwritten on a large green square label]/ [large red label]/ Lectotype Apiodera transparens Motschulsky Y.Bousquet 2003 ".

Liebke’s description of C. subdistincta var. maculata was based on four specimens. I have seen all four specimens, which are females, located in MNHU. Two are labelled "El Cora Tepic Ad. Lüdecke/ Type [handwritten on a rectangular red label]/ C. subdistincta var. maculata Lbke det. Liebke [handwritten]", one "N.W. Mexico Presidio Forrer [handwritten]/ C. subdistincta var. maculata Liebke [handwritten]/ Type [handwritten on a rectangular red label]", and the last one "Mazatlan 10/ Mexico J.Flohr G./ C. subdistincta var. maculata Lbke det. Liebke [handwritten]/ Type [handwritten on a rectangular red label]".

Notes about synonymy. Liebke variety maculata is based on specimens with the small, oblong spot on the elytral interval 6 near middle distinct. However, this spot varies from distinct to indistinct with all intergrades present within the specimens of C. subdistincta I have studied from Mexico. I believe the name is unnecessary.

The lectotype of C. transparens is a typical specimen of C. subdistincta with the antennomere 9, except the extreme base, whitish like the antennomeres 10 and 11. The form was listed as a variety of Colliuris subdistincta by Bates (1883: 161) and as a subspecies of the same species by Liebke (1930: 667). However, Blackwelder (1944: 66) listed Motschulsky's name as a variety of C. rugicollis Dejean, 1825 , which belongs to the same group as C. subdistincta , and reported it from Mexico, Guatemala, and Panama.

Description. COLOR. Body black dorsally, elytron with lateral margin pale reddish-brown at middle, in many specimens also at apex, and with a small, oblong, preapical pale spot on intervals 5–8, in some specimens extended on intervals 3 and 4, and in many specimens a small, more or less pale spot on interval 6 near middle; antennomere 1 dark brown to brownish-black, antennomere 2 usually slightly paler, antennomere 3 whitish at middle and brown at both extremities, antennomere 4 whitish with extremities usually narrowly brown, antennomeres 5–8 dark brownish to black, antennomere 9 entirely dark brown to black or entirely or partially whitish, antennomeres 10 and 11 whitish, in some specimens with apical extremity of last antennomere infuscate; femur yellow on basal third to basal half, brown on apical half or more, tibia brown with center pale yellow. MICROSCULPTURE. Body without meshes or microlines dorsally. PROTHORAX. Anterior edge of pronotum without dentiform process. ELYTRA. Intervals 1, 3, 5 and 7 each with more than ten setae. Striae impressed to apex, moderately coarsely punctate over anterior half, impunctate on apical half. Intervals 2–5 or 1–6 with rather conspicuous oblique depression near middle; intervals 7 and 8 with preapical swelling. MALE GENITALIA. Median lobe as illustrated ( Fig. 9 ).

Body length: 6.2–9.0 mm.

Geographical distribution. This species ranges from southern Sonora to Columbia ( Liebke 1930: 667). Besides Mexico (see Fig. 24 ), I have seen specimens from Guatemala (Zacapa Department), Belize (Stann Creek District), Honduras (Atlántida, Francisco Morazán, and El Paraíso Departments), Nicaragua (Estelf Department), Costa Rica (Guanacaste Province) and Panama ( Panama Province).

Mexico. CAMPECHE. Escarcega (1, CUIC). CHIAPAS. "El Chorreadero" (2, UASM). 3 km NW Tuxtla Gutierrez (1, CAS). 10 km W Tuxtla Gutiérrez (1, UASM). 8 km E Chiapa de Corzo (1, UASM). 16 km W Ocozocuautla (1, UASM). 11 mi. SE Venustiano Carranza (2, UASM). Palenque (2, TAMU). 12.8 mi. SW Palenque (1, UASM). Ruinas Palenque, 20.VIII.1987, J.A. Shuey (1, MTEC). 3 mi. E "Tempisque " (5, UASM). 44.1 mi. E Comitan (1, UASM). 32.5 mi. E Comitan (4, UASM). 31 mi. SE Comitan (10, TAMU). Pijijiapan (12, UASM). 9.2–12.5 mi. N Ocozocuautla (1, UASM). 6 mi. W Cintalapa (1, UASM). COLIMA. 8 mi. SW Colima (6, UASM). 12 mi. E Colima (2, AMNH). Tecuizitlan [=? Ticuisitán] (2, UASM). GUERRERO.

2.5 km off Rte 95: rd to San Juan Tetelcingo (1, UASM). 3.6 km E Mochitlan (1, AMNH). 17 mi. E Acapulco (1, TAMU). JALISCO. Jalisco (1, AMNH). 6 mi. N Autlan (1, TAMU). 11 km N Autlan (1, TAMU). Chamela (4, CAS, FSCA). 5 km S Tuxcacuesco (1, FSCA). 16 km N Autlan (1, TAMU). 2 mi. E Plan de Barranca (1, CAS). 25.6 km W Huejuquilla el Alto (2, UASM). MÉXICO. Tejupilco (1, CAS). MORELOS. Tetecala (1, UASM). NAYARIT. Tepic (1, UAIC). 37 km SE Tepic (1, UASM). 19 mi. NE Teple (1, CAS). 30 mi. SE Teple (1, CAS). Acaponeta (2, CAS). Jesus Maria (1, CAS). OA XACA. Zopilote (1, CUIC). 18.7 km E Cuajinicuilapa (6, UASM). 3.2 km S and E "Temezcal Rio Tonto " (7, AMNH). Rio Malatengo, 11.1 mi. N Matías Romero (3, UASM). 6.2 mi. N Valle Nacional (2, UASM). 55 mi. NE Tehuantepec (1, CAS). "Tolosa " (1, AMNH). 12 km W Palomares (1, CAS). PUEBLA. 1 mi. S Tehuitzingo (1, UASM). 14.4 mi. SW Izucar de Matamoros (1, TAMU). QUINTANA ROO. 20 km N Felipe Carrillo Puerto (2, TAMU). SAN LUIS POTOSI. 12 mi. S Ciudad Mante (2, FSCA). Tamazunchale (11, TAMU, UASM). 1.8 mi. N El Naranjo (14, CNC, UASM). 3 mi. W El Naranjo (1, FMNH). 6.9 mi. W El Naranjo (1, UASM). "Palitla" [=? Paletita] (4, UASM). Ciudad Valles (6, AMNH, FMNH, UASM). El Salto (1, AMNH). El Salto de Agua (1, CNC). SINALOA. Culiacán (6, CUIC). Venedio (12, CAS). Los Mochis (1, CAS). Mazatlán (4, CNC, UASM). 5 mi. N Mazatlán (1, LACM). 7 mi N. Mazatlán (1, CAS). 40 mi. N Mazatlán (1, AMNH). 5.5 mi. NW Choix (1, CAS). SONORA. Álamos (2, CUIC). 10 mi. E Navajoa (3, UAIC). TABASCO. 34.7 mi. SE Villahermosa (3, UASM). TAMAULIPAS. 65.2 mi. N Manuel (1, UASM). Ciudad Mante (1, CNC). 5 mi. SSE Gómez Farías (1, TAMU). Bocatoma, 7 km SSE Gómez Farías (12, CMNH, TAMU). Est. Biol. Los Cedros, Gómez Farías (4, CUIC, TAMU). 8 mi. W "El Limón" (23, TAMU). "El Cielito, near Encino" (1, TAMU). 1.3 mi. W Gonzales Rio El Cojo (1, TAMU). VERACRUZ-LLAVA. 16.4 mi. E Paso del Toro (1, UASM). La Playa Escondida, 16 km N Sontecomapan (1, CUIC). Fortin de las Flores (3, UASM). Cotaxtla (4, CAS, CNC). 36 mi. S Acayutlán (3, TAMU). 4 mi. E Coatzacoalcos (2, TAMU). Córdoba (2, CAS, LACM). Tuxpan (1, CAS). YUCATÁN. Colonia Yucatán (1, AMNH).

Note. This species is evidently closely related to Colliuris laeviceps Liebke , of which I have seen two male syntypes from Peru in MNHU. Externally these specimens do not seem to differ from those of C. subdistincta I have seen from Mexico. However, the aedeagi of the two specimens from Peru show slight but apparently constant differences from those of Mexican specimens. Liebke (1930) described C. laeviceps from three specimens, two from Peru, which I have seen, and one, not seen by me, from Mexico, which is located in the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw ( Mroczkowski 1960: 381). I presume that the specimen from Mexico is probably C. subdistincta and that C. laeviceps , if specifically distinct, does not occur in Mexico.

Liebke (1930: 682) described Colliuris maculipennis from two specimens, one from «Sta. Catharina », Brazil and one from « Mexiko ». I have seen the Mexican specimen in SMTD, which is labelled " Mexico / Coll. C. Felsche Geschenk 1907/ O. maculipennis Lbk. Det. Liebke [handwritten]/ [small pink disc]/ Casnonia maculipennis Lbk [handwritten] Cotypus/ Staatl. Museum für Tierkunde. Dresden". It is a female and it agrees externally very well with the numerous specimens of C. subdistincta I have seen, except for the fact that the specimen has less setae on the lateral side of the pronotum and the elytral intervals; however, I presume that several of them are simply broken. Until the other specimen of C. maculipennis from Brazil is studied, it is premature to list this name as a junior synonym of C. subdistincta .

Colliuris rugicollis Dejean , originally described from specimens collected possibly in "Cayenne" and C. crispella Liebke , originally described from specimens collected in Peru, are also very closely related to C. subdistincta and may even be conspecific with that species. In fact, Csiki (1932: 1519–1520) listed the following taxa as varieties of C. rugicollis : nigra Liebke, 1930; arrowi Liebke, 1930 ; cuyabana Liebke, 1930 ; subdistincta Chaudoir, 1863 ; transparens Motschulsky, 1865 ; maculata Liebke, 1930; crispa Klug, 1834 (with tuberculata Chaudoir, 1848 as synonym); pubescens Chaudoir, 1863 ; laeviceps Liebke, 1930 ; crispella Liebke, 1930 ; inaequalis Dejean, 1829 ; and maculipennis Liebke, 1930 .

TRISTIGMA GROUP

Apioderina Liebke, 1938: 51 . Type species: Colliuris trimaculata Liebke, 1930 , by original designation.

Diagnostic description. Body without pubescence dorsally. HEAD. Vertex long. Posterior supraorbital seta located behind level of posterior edge of eye. PROTHORAX. Pronotum with moderately fine punctures laterally, especially at base and apex, with fine transverse wrinkles, without dorsal swelling; lateral groove indistinct; side without setae. Proepisternum with coarse punctures all over; prosternum with punctures, in most specimens aligned in three longitudinal rows. ELYTRA. Lateral edge not extended anteriad humerus. Discal setae not black and not stiff. Interval 3 with setae, intervals 5 and 7 without setae. ABDOMEN. Sterna without pubescence, except on last sternum of female; last sternum of male with median notch along apical edge.

Note. According to Liebke (1938: 56), the subgenus Apioderina also includes C. ellipticeps Liebke , C. horni Liebke ( Brazil) , C. trimaculata Liebke ( Argentina) , C. tripustulata Chaudoir ( Brazil) , and C. vianai Liebke ( Argentina) . In my opinion, C. ellipticeps belong with the tetrastigma group.

Figures

FIGURE 24. Collection localities for Colliuris subdistincta (Chaudoir) in Mexico.

FIGURES 2 – 9. Median lobe of Colliuris. 2. C. tristigma; 3. C. pensylvanica; 4. C. lengi; 5. C. sulcicauda; 6. C. marginestriata; 7. C. noah; 8. C. pilatei; 9. C. subdistincta.