Tropopterus canaliculus, Liebherr, James K., 2019

Liebherr, James K., 2019, Revision of Tropopterus Solier: A disjunct South American component of the Australo-Pacific Moriomorphini (Coleoptera, Carabidae), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 66 (2), pp. 147-177 : 147

5. Tropopterus canaliculus sp. nov. Figures 1E , 4 A–D , 6F, G , 7D , 8D , 9E , 10

Diagnosis

(n = 5). Both this species and T. duponchelii exhibit subparallel elytra with the sutural stria represented by a series of isolated punctures on the disc, and the second stria much reduced though still visible as a series of minute punctures ( Fig. 1E, F ). Individuals of T. canaliculus with more reduced second elytral striae could be confused with those of T. minimucro ; however, that species is characterized by the absence of a basal elytral groove, the elytral surface smoothly convex inside the humeral tooth at the anterior end of the lateral marginal depression (compare Figs 1E , 2B ). Compared to T. duponchelii , T. canaliculus can be characterized by the prosternum bearing a median, canaliculate depression that extends from the ventral face of the prosternal projection 2/3 the distance toward the anterior pronotal margin, whereas the prosternum of T. duponchelii is medially flattened to broadly depressed, not narrowly canaliculate. The two species can also be told by individuals of T. canaliculus exhibiting a narrower pronotum (MPW/PL = 1.20-1.25 versus 1.25-1.32 for T. duponchelii ) and a glossier upper body surface. Tropopterus canaliculus has the vertex glossy with indistinct transverse sculpticells over portions of the surface, the pronotum also glossy, and the elytral disc glossy with indistinct transverse sculpticells visible near depressed portions of the surface such as the strial punctures, and minute micropunctures regularly distributed across the glossy surface. The dorsal microsculpture of T. duponchelii is much more developed, with both the pronotum and elytra bearing dense transverse lines that cause iridescence of the latter. In this species the pronotum is sparsely punctate in the laterobasal depressions and lateral portions of the median base, versus smooth in T. duponchelii , and the anterior pronotal margin is completely beaded, versus smooth and unmargined across the median half in T. duponchelii . The standardized body length = 5.8-7.5 mm; a smaller though not diagnostic range of sizes compared to T. duponchelii (below).

Description.

Head capsule broad basally, eyes moderately convex, ocular ratio 1.40-1.50; eyes covering much of abruptly protruded ocular lobe, ocular lobe ratio 0.85-0.90; horizontal diameter of eye crossing 25 ommatidia; antennomeres moderately elongate, length of antennomere 9 2.0 × maximal diameter; mandibles moderately elongate, distance from anterior condyle to apex of left mandible 1.81 × distance from condyle to lateroapical margin of labrum; mentum basal breadth 2.86 × length from lateral apex to base, deep paramedial pits laterad base of mentum tooth; ligular apex broad, truncate, two setae separated by four setal diameters; paraglossae extended as far beyond ligular margin as distance from their base to ligular margin. Pronotal lateral margins convex, hind angles distinctly denticulate; basal margin with complete marginal bead, median base sparsely punctate across breadth, the punctures continuing across laterobasal depressions; median longitudinal impression with lenticular depression at front of median base, narrow and deep on disc; anterior transverse impression broad and shallow medially, traceable to front angles, anterior callosity broadly convex; anterior margin completely beaded, the bead continuous medially; front angle slightly protruded, right angled; lateral marginal depression very narrow in apical half, broadened from lateral seta to laterobasal depression; lateral seta separated from lateral marginal depression by the diameter of setal articulatory socket; laterobasal depression rugosely punctate, surface upraised in middle of depression; surface of proepisternum slightly irregular, as if beaten by a ball-peen hammer. Elytra broad, sides subparallel, humeri broad; basal groove deep, continuous from anterad parascutellar seta to tightly rounded humeral angle; parascutellar striole absent, sutural stria reaching basal margin mesad parascutellar seta; sutural stria a series of isolated punctures on disc, continuous and smooth apically, the striae of both elytra bordering upraised sutural callus associated with conjoined elytra; surface of elytra depressed mesad subapical and apical elytral setae; stria 8 continuous throughout length; lateral marginal depression broad, lined with transverse sculpticells; subapical sinuation broad, moderately excavated, elytral plica evident in dorsolateral view. Mesepisternum with broad vertical depression lined with ~8 punctures in 2 or 3 vertical rows; metasternal process narrowly rounded apically, apex broadly and sides more narrowly upraised; metepisternum somewhat elongate, maximal width 0.78 × lateral length. Abdomen with ventrites 3-6 broadly depressed laterally, suture between ventrites 1 and 2 nearly straight, ventrite 2 depressed within slight sinuation; anterior margins of ventrites 4-6 depressed, intersegmental membranes punctate; apical female abdominal ventrite with 2 setae each side, plus a median group of two to four setae, subequal in length; if two nearly in line with lateral setae, if four aligned in an apically broader trapezoid. Coloration of dorsal body surface subtly tricolored, head and pronotum dark rufous, elytra darker, rufopiceous, elytral lateral marginal depressions translucent rufobrunneous; antennae, mouthparts, and legs rufobrunneous; ventral body surface rufopiceous, apex of elytral epipleuron slightly paler, apex of abdominal ventrite 6 narrowly paler to concolorous.

Male genitalia (n = 8). Aedeagal median lobe broad dorsoventrally, but with sclerotized ventral surface of shaft narrow and terminated in a narrow, smooth, spoon-like apex ( Fig. 4A, C ); internal sac with flagellum small, apical. Antecostal apodeme of abdominal IX broadly angulate distally, the short distal extension very broad ( Fig. 4B, D ). Right paramere of variable length, length not associated with length of left paramere ( Fig. 6F, G ), ranging from shorter and broader to more elongate with an attenuated apical extension, the ventral surface bearing from 8-20 setae, two longer setae present near or at apex; left paramere much broader basally, with apical extension ranging from an evenly narrowed projection ( Fig. 6F ) to a narrow, parallel digitiform extension ( Fig. 6G ), two longer setae present at apex, plus a variable number of subapical and ventral setae.

Female reproductive tract (n = 1). Bursa copulatrix columnar, broadly rounded apically, length 1.75 × breadth, compressed under microslide cover slip ( Fig. 7D ), bursal walls thin, nearly transparent; spermatheca globose; spermathecal gland elongate-ovoid; spermathecal gland duct entering spermathecal duct basad spermathecal reservoir; basal gonocoxite 1 with one large apical fringe seta, a second small seta also present unilaterally ( Fig. 8D ); apical gonocoxite 2 falciform, base extended laterally, with two lateral ensiform setae, one dorsal ensiform setae, and two apical nematiform setae.

Holotype male dissected ( CAS): Crest of Sierra / Nahuelbuta / Elev. 1200 m // W. of Angol / CHILE, I-3-51 // Ross and / Michelbacher / Collectors // dissection vial // Tropopterus / canaliculus / Liebherr ♂4 // HOLOTYPE / Tropopterus / canaliculus / J.K. Liebherr 2019 (black-margined red label). The type locality is in Malleco Prov., with geographic coordinates estimated to be 37°47.76'S, 73°02.27'W.

Paratypes. Chile: Arauco Prov., San Alfonso, Caramavida, above, 37°42.75'S, 73°09.00'W, 16-17-x-1969, Flint & Barria (NMNH, 1). Malleco Prov., P. N. Nahuelbuta, lot DRM 06.046, DRM DNA2200, 37°48.98'S, 73°05.7'W, 1312 m el., 7-i-2006, Maddison ( OSAC, 1), Los Portones entrance, 4.5 km W, emergent Nothofagus spp., Araucaria aurucana , Chusquea understory, lot 975, pyr.-fogging old logs, 37°49.25'S, 72°59.82'W, 1300 m el., 7-ii-1997, Newton & Thayer ( FMNH etoh, 1), Guarderia Pichinahuel, E of, Araucaria-Nothofagus dombeyi w/ Chusquea bamboo, lot 1054, in rotten logs, 37°48.20'S, 73°01.41'W, 1290 m el., 7-xii-2002, Clarke & Solodovnikov ( FMNH, 5), lot 1054, pyr. fogging live Araucaria , 37°48.20'S, 73°01.41'W, 1290 m el., 24-xii-2002, Newton & Solodovnikov ( FMNH, 1), lot 1054, FMHD#2002-094, Berlese debris under bark large Araucaria log, 37°48.20'S, 73°01.41'W, 1290 m el., 24-xii-2002, Newton & Solodovnikov ( FMNH, 4), Los Portones entrance, 2.3 km W, Nothofagus dombeyi + ? antarctica , mostly open understory, lot 1057, pyr. fogging old Nothofagus logs, 37°49.41'S, 72°58.95'W, 1150 m el., 25-xii-2002, Newton, Thayer & Chani ( FMNH, 6).

Etymology.

The species epithet canaliculus references the narrow, deep median prosternal depression present in these beetles. The epithet is to be treated as a noun.

Distribution and habitat.

This species' distribution lies near 38°S ( Fig. 9E ) in the Northern Valdivian entomofaunal province ( O’Brien 1971). Most records are from forest-floor microhabitats, either by pyrethrin fogging of old, rotten Nothofagus logs, or in Berlese siftate from under bark of a large Araucaria log. One specimen was collected via pyrethrin spraying onto a live Araucaria trunk. This species was collected with Anaballetus chilensis at two sites ( Newton et al. 2017: Chile: Malleco Prov., P. N. Nahuelbuta, 2.3 km W Los Portones entrance, FMNH, and P. N. Nahuelbuta, E of Guarderia Pichinahuel, FMNH).

Figures

Figure 1. Tropopterus spp., dorsal view; range of standardized body lengths in mm. A. T. montagnei female; Petorca Prov., Q. Tigre Zapallar, Catapilco (MNHN). B. T. giraudyi female; Valdivia Prov., Chaihuin (EMEC). C. T. peckorum male; Quillota Prov., P. N. La Campana (FMNH). D. T. robustus female; Malleco Prov., M. N. Contulmo (FMNH). E. T. canaliculus female; Malleco Prov., P. N. Nahuelbuta (FMNH). F. T. duponchelii male; Arauco Prov., Caramavida (MCZ).

Figure 2. Tropopterus spp., dorsal view; range of standardized body lengths in mm. A. T. trisinuatus female; Cautin Prov., Villarrica (CAS). B. T. minimucro female; Valdivia Prov., P. N. Oncol (OSAC). C. T. fieldianus male; Osorno Prov., Maicolpue (FMNH).

Figure 4. Male aedeagal median lobe, left view, and antecostal apodeme and tergite of abdominal IX, dorsal view. A-D. T. canaliculus; Malleco Prov., P. N. Nahuelbuta. A, B. (FMNH). C, D. (OSAC). E-G. T. duponchelii; Arauco Prov., Caramavida. E. (NMNH). F-G. (MCZ). For abbreviations used to label structures see Table 1.

Figure 6. Paired sets of left parameres (above) and right parmeres (below), ectal view, for male specimens of Tropopterus spp. Parameres are in anatomically correct orientation with ventral surface toward bottom of drawing. A, B. T. giraudyi. A. Malleco Prov., P. N. Nahuelbuta (FMNH). B. Chili, " Tropopterus nitidus Sol. " [sic], Chaudoir Coll. (MNHN). C. T. peckorum; Quillota Prov., P. N. La Campana (FMNH). D, E. T. robustus. D. Malleco Prov., P. N. Contulmo (CMNH). E. Cautin Prov., Bellavista (CAS). F, G. T. canaliculus. F. Malleco Prov., P. N. Nahuelbuta (FMNH). G. Arauco Prov., Caramavida (NMNH). H-I. T. duponchelii. H. Talca Prov., Altos de Vilches (MNHN). I. Arauco Prov., Caramavida (MCZ). J, K. T. minimucro. J. Cautin Prov., Bellavista (EMEC). K. Llanquihue Prov. P. N. Vicente Perez Rosales (FMNH). L. T. fieldianus; Valdivia, La Union (FSCA).

Figure 7. Female reproductive tract and gonocoxae of abdominal segment IX, ventral view. A. T. montagnei; Petorca Prov., Q. Tigre Zapallar, Catapilco (MNHN). Spermatheca disassociated from bursal assemblage. B. T. giraudyi; Llanquihue Prov., P. N. Vicente Perez Rosales (FMNH). C. T. robustus; Malleco Prov., M. N. Contulmo (FMNH). D. T. canaliculus; Malleco Prov., P. N. Nahuelbuta (FMNH). E. T. duponchelii; Arauco Prov., Caramavida (MCZ). F. T. minimucro; Valdivia Prov., P. N. Oncol (EMEC). For abbreviations used to label structures see Table 1. Vertical scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 8. Left gonocoxa (except where noted), ventral view, for Tropopterus spp. Specimen information is parallel to that in Figure 7 A-F. For abbreviations used to label structures see Table 1. A. T. montagnei. B. T. giraudyi. C. T. robustus. D. T. canaliculus. E. T. duponchelii. F. T. minimucro (right gonocoxa).

Figure 9. A-I. Geographic distributions of Tropopterus spp. A. T. montagnei. B. T. giraudyi. C. T. peckorum. D. T. robustus. E. T. canaliculus. F. T. duponchelii. G. T. trisinuatus. H. T. minimucro. I. T. fieldianus. J. Geographical distributions of Tropopterus spp., labeled as per figures above, hierarchically arranged by phylogenetic relationships of the taxon cladogram, Fig. 10.

Figure 10. Cladogram returned under all cladistic protocols described in text; tree length = 97, CI = 57, RI = 47, fast character optimization shown. Outgroup choice of Pharetis thayerae based on results in Liebherr (2020). Geographic region abbreviations after taxon name include: eastern Australia (EOZ); Santiagan entomofaunal province (San); Northern Valdivian entomofaunal province (NV); Southern Valdivian Entomofaunal province (SV).