Eupsenius politus Reitter, 1883

Chandler, Donald S., 2023, The Eupsenius LeConte of North America and the Lesser Antilles with Notes on the Brachyglutini Subtribes Eupseniina Park and Baradina Park (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 77 (3), pp. 397-412 : 409-410

Eupsenius politus Reitter, 1883

( Figs. 5 , 10, 14 )

Eupsenius politus Reitter 1883: 36 . Syntype series of 16 specimens, 6 syntypes present in the MNHP, // 80 Dec. W Indien St. Thomas Eggers/ Antilles St Thomas / E. politus A. Raffray det. / MUSÉUM PARIS 1917 COLL. A. RAFFRAY/ [red label] TYPE/ [red label] SYNTYPE / MNHN, Paris EC19777//, 5 other specimens with same labels except lacking the first label, and a sequential increase in numbers for the last label. Type locality: St. Thomas. Raffray 1897: 265. Raffray 1904: 253. Raffray 1908: 254. Raffray 1911: 110. Park 1942: 128. Park et al. 1976: 63. Peck 2016: 60.

Redescribed Male. Body ( Fig. 10 ) length 1.13, width 0.47, body brown, appendages yellow-brown. Head with vertexal foveae moderate in size, separated by about 1.5× their diameter; in lateral view clypeus bearing acutely pointed tubercle that nearly contacts apex of antennal rostrum, in anterior view tubercle apex more broadly rounded; eye with about 60 facets; median basal indentation of vertex distinct, margins sharply defined; antenna 0.32 long, antennomere XI 0.13 long (38.9% of antennal length), IX less than half length of X. Pronotum with antebasal sulcus indicated by dark line, sulcus not impressed laterally, with median impression broad and shallow, antebasal sulcus weakly defined but distinct in median impression, lateral antebasal foveae present as minute pit. Metacoxae subcontiguous, slightly separated. Tergite 1 with basolateral foveae, tergites 2–4 with shallow circular basolateral impressions rather than distinct foveae, disc of tergite 1 0.36 wide, width between discal carinae 0.14 (distance between discal carinae 40% of discal width); ventrite 2 0.13 long at middle, ventrites 3–7

combined 0.14 long; ventrite 6 with faint circular impression covering medial third, extending from base to apex of ventrite.Aedeagus ( Fig. 5 ) tube-like, shaft curved 180°, in lateral view with dorsal left apex with digitiform projection.

Female. Ventrite 6 shallowly and evenly convex, disc moderately punctate.

Variation. Body lengths range from 0.95–1.13 long, and 0.43–0.49 for maximum width across elytra. Males are typically at the short end and females at the long end of this range, but in larger series these generalizations fail. Specimens from islands such as St. Lucia, Martinique, and Guadaloupe tend to be smaller in body size, while those from Barbados and St. Vincent tend to be larger based on the specimens seen for this study; body yellow-brown to brown.

Specimens Examined (136). BARBADOS. Saint Andrew Parish: Gregg Farm Gully , 13°13.1′, 59°35.7′, 240 m, V-30-2006, sift forest litter, 06-66 (4F, DSC) ; 15°13.1′, 61°35.7′, 242 m, V-29-2006, forest UV light, 06-65 (F, UNHC) ; 13°13.1′, 59°35.7′, 240 m, V-30-2006, sift forest litter, 06-66 (M, 3F, DSC) ; 14°13.1′, 60°35.7′, 241 m, V-28- 2006, forest litter sifting, 06-62 (2F, UNHC) , all S. and J. Peck, forest FIT. Turners Hall Woods , 13.241, −59.5805, 200 m, VIII-16/28-2005, #07.05 (10, DSC) ; 13°14.46′, 59°34.83′, 200 m, VIII-16/28-2005, FITraps forest, 05-30 (10, DSC) , S. and J. Peck, forest FIT trap. Saint George Parish: Bulkeley House , V-4-1968, E. J. Pearce, rotting grass (F, FMNH) . Saint John Parish: Codrington College , VII-17-1958, rotten wood (M, FMNH) ; VIII-5-1960, leaf mould (2F, FMNH) ; VIII-5-1960, leaf mould (M, 3F, FMNH) ; VII-19-1963, rotten palm log (F, FMNH) ; VII-12-1960, dead leaves (M, FMNH) ; VIII-17-1963, dead leaves (M, FMNH) ; VII-23-1963, leaf mold (M, FMNH) ; VII-11-1963 (M, FMNH) , all E. J. Pearce, dead leaves. Saint Michael Parish: Bishops Court , VI-28-1960, E. J. Pearce, rotten figs(?) (F, FMNH) . Codrington House , XI-24-1959, rotten banana sifting (F, FMNH) ; XI-24-1959, E. J. Pearce, garden (M, FMNH) . Jack-in-Box Gully , 13°11′, 59°34.3′, 230 m, VI-1-2006, leaf litter, 06-72 (M, DSC) ; 13°11′, 59°34.3′, 230 m, VI-1-2006, leaf litter, 06-72 (4M, 2F, DSC) ; 13.1833, −59.5716, 230 m, VI-5/23- 2007 (4M, 4F, DSC) , all S. and J. Peck, forest FIT #07.02. DOMINICA. Springfield Estate, Mt. Joy House , N15°20.841′, W61°22.000′, 400 m, V-31/ VI-16-2004, S. and J. Peck, wet montane forest, FITrap 04-89 (F, DSC) . GRENADA. St. Andrew Parish: Mirabeau Agricul. Laboratory , XI-15- 1990, A. Thomas, lt. trap (M, DSC) . St. John Parish: Gouyave , IV-25-1962, E. J. Pearce, banana stalks (F, FMNH) . GUADELOUPE. Basse-Terre: PN Guad., Maison de le Forêt , 16.1769, −61.6939, V-14/31-2012, S. Peck,wet forest FIT,12-24 (F, DSC) . Pigeon, Trace Poirier , 16°08.83′, 61°45.22′, 350 m, V-14/31-2012, S. Peck, humid forest FIT, 12.22 (M, 2F, DSC) . Piton de Ste.-Rose , 16.33166, −61.76206, 320 m, V-26-2012, R. S. Anderson, deciduous forest litter, 2012-148 (2, DSC) . Rd. above Village, Trace de Cretes , 16°06.80′, 61°44.56′, 620 m, V-26-2012, S. Peck, wet forest, uv trap, 12-35 (F, UNHC) . Riviere Sens, Sentler Houlement , 15°58.93′, 61°41.62′, 80 m, V-19/31- 2012, S. Peck, humid forest FIT, 12.29B (M, 2F, DSC) . MARTINIQUE. 1 km E Diamant , 14.47833, −61.01, 10 m, VII-7/23-2010, S. Peck, thorn forest, FITrap #10.51 (M, DSC) . 2 km NW Diamond ( Diamant ), 14.49, −61.04166, 80 m, VII- 8/23-2010, S. Peck, thorn forest, FITrap #10.53 (2M, F, DSC) . 5 km SE Le Marin, Forêt Creve Coeur , 14°27.05′, 60°50.91′, 35 m, VII-10/28- 2012, S. Peck, dry forest, FIT 12-50 (F, DSC) . ST. LUCIA. Prweaslin (Praslin?), 13.8817, −60.8917, 50 m, VII-11/28-2007, S. and J. Peck, FITrap #07.56 (10, DSC) . ST. VINCENT. Emerald Valley Hotel, Buccament , 13.2, −61.23, 20 m, VI-10/20- 2007, S. and J. Peck, FITrap #07.14 (M, DSC) . US VIRGIN ISLANDS. St. Croix: Est. Butler Bay, Sugar Factory ruins, IX-29/30-1987, M. A. Ivie, litter under tamarind (3M, F, MSUC) . Estate Butler’s Bay , XI-7-1992, M. A. Ivie, in ruins (M, MSUC) . Estate Fountain , 340′, I-7-1993, D. S. Sikes, site #115 (M, F, MSUC) ; III-23/ IV-20-1993 (M, F, MSUC) ; VII-19/ VIII-23-1993, J. Keularts, flt. inter. trap #15 (3M, MSUC) ; 350′, V-19/ VI-18- 1993 (2M, 2F, MSUC) ; I-5/23-1993 (3M, MSUC); VI-18/ VII-19-1993 (5M, 5F, MSUC) ; IV-20/ V-19-1993 (M, F, MSUC) , all J. Keularts, flt. inter. trap #15. Estate North Hall, Creque Gut , 100′, I-6/ II-23-1993, J. Keularts, flt. inter. trap #8 (F, MSUC) . Estate North Star , 60′, XI-15/ XII-18-1992 (F, MSUC) ; V-19/ VI-18 1993 (F, MSUC) , IV-20/ V-19-1993 (M, 2F, MSUC) , all J. Keularts, flt. inter. trap #7. St. Thomas: Estate St. Peter, ca. 1,400′, I-4/ VI-30-1993, C. Hayes, uv light (2M, MSUC) . Magens Bay Swamp, VIII-5-1980, M. A. Ivie, rotten kapok log (M, MSUC) .

Distribution ( Fig. 14 ). Taken from eight island nations that represent the length of the Lesser Antilles. The few specimens examined from the Greater Antilles ( the Dominican Republic and Cuba) were not members of E. politus nor any of the North American species.

Comments. Photos of three syntypes of E. gracilis were also examined: // Grenada, W.I., H. H. Smith. 124/ Antilles Grenade / E. gracilis A. Raffray det./ MUSÉUM PARIS 1917 COLL.A. RAFFRAY/ [red label] TYPE/ [red label] SYNTYPE / MNHN, Paris EC19774//. Second and third specimens lacking the first label. They are similar in appearance to the one male examined from Grenada, which is a member of E. politus .

Figures

Figs. 1–5. Eupsenius species, lateral and apicodorsal views of aedeagus. 1) E. dilatatus; 2) E. glaber; 3) E. peckorum, new species; 4) E. rileyi, new species; 5) E. politus.

Figs. 6–14. Eupsenius species, dorsal habitus photos and E. politus distribution map. 6) E. dilatatus; 7) E. glaber; 8) E. peckorum, new species; 9) E. rileyi, new species; 10) E. politus. Eupsenina raffrayi: 11) Dorsal habitus; 12) Anterior view. 13) Eupsenina undescribed species, dorsal habitus. 14) Distribution of Eupsenius politus.