Euconnus cumberlandus, Caterino, 2022

Caterino, Michael S., 2022, First report of the Euconnus Thomson subgenus Cladoconnus Reitter in the New World, represented by thirteen new Appalachian species (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae), ZooKeys 1137, pp. 133-175 : 133

Euconnus cumberlandus sp. nov.

Figs 2C , 6 , 7

Type material.

Holotype ♂, deposited in FMNH: "Fall Creek Falls S.Pk., Van Buren Co., TENN, 13.X.1962" / " Rhododendron duff, H.R.Steeves, leg." / "Caterino DNA Voucher Extraction MSC12284". Paratypes (9, FMNH, CUAC, CMNC): 2 ♂, 2 ♀: same data as type; 3 ♀, 2 ♂: "Fall Creek Falls S.Pk., Fall Creek Falls Pit, Bledsoe Co., TENN., 14.X.1961" / " Rhododendron duff, H.R.Steeves, leg.".

Other material.

(12, CMNC, CUAC, FMNH) TN: Grundy Co., Savage Gulf State Natural Area , 1150ft., 4-May-2021, Litter - bottom of canyon (2 ♀) ; Pickett Co., Jamestown , Jordan Motel, 16-Jun-1962, forest floor near falls (1 ♀) ; GA: Dade Co., Cloudland Canyon State Park , 16-May-1972, rhododendron litter (2 ♂, 5 ♀) ; Dade Co., Cloudland Canyon State Park , 7-Aug-1962, forest floor (1 ♂, 1 ♀) .

Diagnostic description.

This species is very similar to the preceding species and can best be distinguished by male genitalic characters. Like the preceding, males are winged, while females appear not to be. The antennal carinae of male antennomeres VIII and IX are present but rather weakly developed (Fig. 6 ), with neither quite spanning the entire length of the antennomere itself; female antennae less distinctly tetramerous, with antennomere VIII intermediate in size between antennomeres VII and IX; body darker, stout, with only faintly rufescent elytral humeri, most distinctly lighter along posterior half of elytral suture; male eyes smaller, less protuberant, with only ~ 25 ommatidia; aedeagus (Fig. 2C ) with median lobe broad, apex weakly rounded, slightly narrowed subapically; parameres short, tapered, bearing three apical setae; compressor plate asymmetrical, produced to subacute tip on right side; endophallic armature with strong pair of upper processes: the left long and strongly hooked apically; the right shorter, strongly bifid, its apices extending beneath left process; lower endophallic armature consisting of four hook-like processes of varying lengths, two longer and moderately to strongly hooked, two shorter ones borne on a single sclerite, apices directed distad.

Distribution.

This species is known from northwestern Georgia to north-central Tennessee. Two of the Tennessee localities, including the northernmost, are represented only by females, and they can be assigned only tentatively to this species.

Remarks.

This species is similar to and apparently closely related to E. megalops and E. vexillus . The only sequenced specimen of this species is a female from Savage Gulf, TN, a locality not yet represented by males. Sequences from other localities, including the type locality would help confirm the species’ unity as circumscribed here.

Figures

Figure 2. Aedeagus A Euconnus megalops B Euconnus vexillus C Euconnus cumberlandus D Euconnus vetustus.

Figure 6. Antennal carina of E. cumberlandus.

Figure 7. Map of collecting records for Euconnus (Cladoconnus) cumberlandus (circles) and E. (C.) astrus (stars).