Eustrophopsis brunneimarginatus (Dury, 1906a)

Pollock, Darren A., 2012, Review of the Eustrophinae (Coleoptera, Tetratomidae) of America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 188, pp. 1-153 : 18-20

Eustrophopsis brunneimarginatus (Dury, 1906a) Figures 72032445870

Eustrophus brunneimarginatus Dury 1906a: 254.-("Two specimens, Kentucky, near Cincinnati, Ohio"); Dury 1906b: 260; Csiki 1924: 10.

Eustrophinus brunneimarginatus (Dury).- Leng 1920: 238; Poole and Gentili 1996: 299.

Eustrophopsis brunneimarginatus (Dury).- Pollock 2008: 290.

Diagnosis.

Specimens of this species may be distinguished from other members of Eustrophinae by the presence of the marginal bands of lighter color along the otherwise dark pronotum and elytra. It is possible that Eustrophopsis marginatus (Champion) also occurs in the Nearctic region (see “notes”, below); however, the marginal light markings are even more extensive than in Eustrophopsis brunneimarginatus .

Description.

TL 4.2-5.4 mm; GEW 2.0-2.8 mm. Body broadly ovate, moderately tapered posteriorly (Fig. 7), distinctly convex dorsally (Fig. 20); dorsal color from dark brown to near black, except for narrow lighter marginal band on pronotum and elytra (Figures 7, 20); light pronotal markings various, in some specimens restricted to extreme lateral margins only, in others extended further onto pronotal disc; light elytral band restricted to lateral margin, inward three striae at most; antennomeres 1-4 and 11 rufous, distinctly lighter than piceous antennomeres 5-10; ventral color uniformly dark rufous, without contrast between color of thoracic and abdominal sclerites; dorsal vestiture relatively long, conspicuous; eyes narrowly separated (Fig. 32), distance between less than maximum width of antennomere 1; eye deeply emarginated around antennal insertion; antennae relatively short, with no discernible sexual dimorphism; antennomeres 6-10 short, approximately equal in width and length, submoniliform; antennal sensilla completely annular; last maxillary palpomere unmodified, apex slightly oblique; pronotal punctation relatively coarse; prosternal process (Fig. 44) elongate, narrowly rounded distally, extended nearly to posterior margin of procoxae; prothoracic episternal suture present, surface of proepisternum smooth, punctures not obscured by rugose macrosculpture; coarse elytral punctures forming multiple striae; meso- and metatibiae with multiple, oblique ridges; male with small, ovate setiferous pit on ventral edge of profemur; aedeagus (Fig. 58) with basal piece of tegmen slightly shorter than apical piece; struts on median lobe long, relatively narrow, inner margins narrowly U-shaped; sternite 9 basally V-shaped to Y-shaped, with very short stem.

Distribution

(Fig. 70). Specimens of Eustrophopsis brunneimarginatus are known from scattered localities in eastern United States, west to east-central Texas. The 45 examined specimens are from the following jurisdictions: UNITED STATES: ALABAMA: Dale, Madison. ARKANSAS: Pulaski. FLORIDA: Liberty. GEORGIA: Monroe. ILLINOIS: Edgar, Wabash. INDIANA: Tippecanoe. LOUISIANA: Grant, Natchitoches. MISSISSIPPI: Tishomingo. MISSOURI: Randolph. NEW HAMPSHIRE: Coos. NORTH CAROLINA: Rockingham. OKLAHOMA: Latimer. SOUTH CAROLINA: Anderson. TEXAS: Anderson, Milam, Sabine, San Augustine, Tyler, Wood. VIRGINIA: Norfolk. WEST VIRGINIA: Hardy. (Complete label data given in Appendix 1).

Types.

Eustrophus brunneimarginatus Dury. LECTOTYPE (here designated), sex unknown, labeled "Ky near Cin. O. / [red, hand written] Type / [handwritten] Eustrophus brunneimarginatus Dury Type / CMNH E2065", in CNHM. Paralectotype, with same label data as lectotype, except with “June” written on top label.

Natural history.

Label data: flight intercept trap (AL); blacklight trap (AR); malaise trap, mixed hardwood/closed canopy seepage slope (FL); beach wash-up (NH); malaise, mature hardwood forest (SC); malaise trap in beech-magnolia forest (TX).

Notes.

Dury (1906a) described this new species based on two specimens, which differed from Eustrophopsis bicolor based on being smaller, broader, less shining, much less narrowed posteriorly, less distinctly striate, and the light colored border of the pronotum and elytra. However, in the next article in the same journal issue, Dury (1906b) seemingly synonymized his new species with Eustrophopsis confinis LeConte. These two species are quite different, however, and it is likely that Dury never examined actual specimen(s) of Eustrophopsis confinis .

A series of specimens from Hidalgo Co., Texas (TAMU) resemble Eustrophopsis brunneimarginatus , except that the marginal light markings are much more extensive on the pronotum and elytra. It is possible that these specimens represent Eustrophopsis marginatus Champion. In the description, Champion (1889) compared Eustrophopsis marginatus to Eustrophopsis bicolor , as Eustrophopsis brunneimarginatus was not yet described. Another species described by Champion (1889) - Eustrophopsis ovatus - possesses similar elytral and pronotal markings except that they are even more extensive than Eustrophopsis marginatus . I defer judgment on placement of the above mentioned specimens from southern Texas, as well as a possible synonymy of Eustrophopsis brunneimarginatus and Eustrophopsis marginatus , pending further study of the Neotropical eustrophines and detailed examination of Champion’s types.