Brasiella rawlinsi, Acciavatti, Robert E., 2011

Acciavatti, Robert E., 2011, Taxonomic Revision of Hispaniola Tiger Beetles in the Genus Brasiella Rivalier 1954 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Cicindelinae), ZooKeys 147, pp. 99-182 : 138-143

Brasiella rawlinsi sp. n. Figs 1415

Holotype.

Male! labeled "DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: / Pedernales. 37 km N / Cabo Rojo, 1500 m. / 18-09N, 71-35W" [typeset black on white label]; "25 September 1991. / J.Rawlins,R.Davidson /C.Young, S. Thompson / Grassland with pines" [typeset black on white label]; "Carnegie Museum / Specimen Number / CMNH-125,928" [typeset black on white label]; "HOLOTYPE / Brasiella / rawlinsi / Acciavatti" [typeset black on red label]. [Genitalia stored in glycerin in a microvial pinned beneath specimen.]

Allotype.

Female! labeled with the same locality data as the holotype; "Carnegie Museum / Specimen Number / CMNH-136,271" [typeset black on white label]; "ALLOTYPE / Brasiella / rawlinsi / Acciavatti" [typeset black on red label].

Paratypes.

Specimens! as follows: 1) 80 males and 45 females labeled with the same locality data as the holotype; "PARATYPE / Brasiella / rawlinsi / Acciavatti" [typeset black on blue label]; these paratypes each labeled with a CMNH Unique Number; 2) 20 males and 5 females labeled "DOMIN.REP.: Pedernales / Prov., El Accitillar" (sic) / "ca.35km NNW.Cabo Rojo / 23AUG1988,1370-1430m" [typeset black on white label]; "M.A.Ivie,T.K.Philips / & K.A.Johnson colrs." [typeset black on white label]; "PARATYPE / Brasiella / rawlinsi / Acciavatti" [typeset black on blue label]; 3) 4 males and 6 females labeled "DOMIN.REP.: Pedernales / Prov., El Accitillar" (sic) / "ca.35km NNW.Cabo Rojo / 26AUG1988, 1325-1370m" [typeset black on white label]; "M.A.Ivie,T.K.Philips / & K.A.Johnson colrs." [typeset black on white label]; "PARATYPE / Brasiella / rawlinsi / Acciavatti" [typeset black on blue label]; 4) 10 males and 6 females labeled "DOMIN.REP.: Pedernales / Prov., El Accitillar" (sic) / "ca.35km NNW.Cabo Rojo / 09SEP1988, 1430m" [typeset black on white label]; "M.A.Ivie,T.K.Philips / & K.A.Johnson colrs." [typeset black on white label]; "PARATYPE / Brasiella / rawlinsi / Acciavatti" [typeset black on blue label]; 5) 1 male labeled "DOM.REP: Pedernales / ca.35km NNW.Cabo Rojo / 1370 m, El Aceitillar / 26AUG-09 SEP1988 / flight intercept trap" [typeset black on white label]; "M.A.Ivie,T.K.Philips / & K.A.Johnson colrs." [typeset black on white label]; "PARATYPE / Brasiella / rawlinsi / Acciavatti" [typeset black on blue label]; 6) 6 males and 7 females labeled "DOMIN.REP.:Prov.Pedern. / Las Abejas-El Accitillar" (sic) / "ca.35km NNW.Cabo Rojo / 23AUG1988,1250-1430m" [typeset black on white label]; "M.A.Ivie,T.K.Philips / & K.A.Johnson colrs." [typeset black on white label]; "PARATYPE / Brasiella / rawlinsi / Acciavatti" [typeset black on blue label]; 7) 1 male and 1 female labeled "DOM.REP.:Prov.Pedernales / ca.35km N Cabo Rojo / El Aceitillar-Las Abejas / 1250-1430m, 23 AUG 1988 / M.Ivie,Philips & Johnson" [typeset black on white label]; "PARATYPE / Brasiella / rawlinsi / Acciavatti" [typeset black on blue label]; 8) 4 males and1 female from MNHN, each labeled as previous specimens, along with several other labels, a unique specimen number from 30,097 to 30,101 [typed on white label]; a unique bar code with a number; "Photographed / 2002-2003 / CBSD" [typeset black on white label], "Specimen property of / MUSEO NACIONAL de / HISTORIA NATURAL / Santa Domingo, / REPUBLICA DOMINICANA" [typeset black on white label], "PARATYPE / Brasiella / rawlinsi / Acciavatti" [typeset black on blue label]. One male of the MNHN paratypes also labeled "Cicindela / dominicana / Mandl / det. M.A. Ivie 1989" [handprinted and typeset black on white label, black border]; "Brasiella / prob. / n.sp." [handprinted black on white label, black border].

Type Depositories.

Holotype, allotype, 133 paratypes at CMNH [each CMNH Unique Number stored in data files at CMNH]; 61 paratypes (39 males, 22 females) at WIBP; 6 paratypes (3 each sex) at WKSU; 5 paratypes (4 males, 1 female) at MNHN [each MNHN Unique Number and Bar Code stored in data files at MNHN].

Type Locality.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Pedernales Province, 37 km N Cabo Rojo, 18°09'N, 71°35'W, 1500 m. Aerial view in Fig. 21A.

Notes on Type Locality.

It is likely that the actual type locality lies at a slightly higher elevation than provided in this revision. CMNH entomologists visited this type locality again in June 2003, two years after the type series was collected (J.E. Rawlins, R.L. Davidson, 2010, personal communications). At that time, perhaps with improved GPS devices, the following coordinates and elevation were obtained with more precision: 18°09'23"N, 71°34'09"W at a slightly higher elevation of 1560 m. These coordinates and the elevation are based on data published by Woodruff (2004) for Scarabaeidae specimens collected at Aceitillar by Robert L. Davidson and John E. Rawlins on the 1987, 1991 and 2003 CMNH expeditions to this locality in the Sierra de Baoruco, Dominican Republic (Figs 20E, 20F). According to Woodruff (2004), the locality known as Aceitillar is based on a common Andropogon sp.grass that grows there in assocation with Pinus occidentalis Swartz; this grass is known locally as aceitillo; aceitillar being the place where the aceitillo grows. Indeed, Accitillar [Aceitillar] was printed on labels for certain paratypes of Brasiella rawlinsi originating with WIBP, and later Aceitillar appeared on labels from the June 2003 CMNH expedition to the Sierra de Baoruco.

Diagnosis.

Distinguished from other Brasiella species on Hispaniola by the following combination of characters: 1) head and pronotum of similar length in both sexes; 2) eyes small, not prominent nor bulging laterally; 3) head and pronotum shiny copper red, elytra dull cupreous or coppery green; 4) elytra unmarked in most specimens or only faintly marked in others or marked more distinctly in a few; 5) cupreous or coppery green elytral ground color and faint elytral markings infuscated with metallic blue and green flecks; 6) male genitalia apical neck short and wide, apex inner and outer angles evenly rounded, tip acutely bent and terminating in a short point; 7) aedeagus inner sac stylet thin and straight to slightly bent distad.

Description.

General.Figs 14A, 15A. Body. Formslender; head large, eyes proportionally small, not prominent nor bulging laterally; pronotum square, width equals length; elytra narrow, slightly broadened distad, posterior margins evenly rounded, apices separately rounded. Size.Males, length 5.8-6.5 mm, width 1.8-2.1 mm; females, length 6.5-7.0 mm, width 2.0-2.2 mm.

Head. Figs 14B, 14D, 15D, 15F. Shiny copper brown dorsally with green reflections, and black green ventrally; entire surface glabrous except for two pairs of supraorbital sensory setae. Frons finely and longitudinally rugose. Vertex more coarsely rugose, transverse rugae along anterior margin narrow and irregularly arranged, 15-18 more or less complete longitudinal rugae between eyes and middle where rugae converge, forming an arcuate to slightly circular pattern; rugae transition abruptly into a posterior area with a finely and irregularly granulate surface. Eyes small, neither prominent nor bulging laterally. Genae longitudinally rugose. Clypeus finely and irregularly granulate, narrowed mesad. Labrum testaceous with a dark brown margin, rectangular in male with width to length ratio 4 in holotype male, subrectangular in female with widt h to length ratio 2 in allotype female; anterior margin transverse in male with a minute tooth mesad, very slightly protruding at middle in female with a small tooth mesad; posterior margin broadly arcuate mesad; medial carina very broadly, slightly raised, without an obvious depression on either side; 4-8 setae in an irregular row near middle most often symmetrically arranged, fewer setae in male. Maxillae and labium mainly testaceous, only distal palpal segments dark brown with metallic blue green reflections. Mandibles sexually dimorphic; in male, surface mainly testaceous, only teeth shiny green; in female, surface only testaceous in basal half, apical half and teeth shiny to violet green; mandibles symmetrical, four teeth distad of molar, apical tooth longest, first and third tooth coequal in length, second tooth shortest; first and second teeth without a gap between them in male, gaps between three intermediate teeth wide in female. Antennae 11 segmented; scape dorsally shiny green, ventrally testaceous with a single subapical sensory seta; antennomeres 2-4 shiny green, glabrous except for a few, short erect setae along their length and distally; antennomeres 5-11 dull brown, sheathed with dense short sensory setae.

Prothorax.Figs 14C, 14D, 15C, 15D. Pronotum metallic copper brown with green reflections. Proepisterna shiny copper, surface wrinkled dorsad. Prosternum shiny green. Pronotum glabrous except for short, decumbent, white setae distributed in several, irregular rows inside lateral margin medially directed, originating close to and lying in a narrow band nearly impinging on lateral suture, in a sparse narrow band transversely and anteriorly oriented distinctly removed from anterior margin, and in a sparse narrow band laterally oriented on each side of midline extending nearly to the narrow posterior margin; transverse submarginal sulci distinct, anterior sulcus shallow, posterior sulcus deeper and deepest at posterior angles; transverse rugae within broad anterior margin irregular and shallow, interrupted at middle by an irregularly arranged pattern, within posterior margin more distinctly and deeply engraved especially medially and extending onto midline; surface sculptured by fine, transverse rugae angled on disc and interrupted by a finely engraved longitudinal midline, and more finely and irregularly sculptured elsewhere. Proepisterna glabrous except for white, erect and appressed setae arising from small setigerous punctures scattered over the surface near ventral margin in female, over ventral half of the surface and near the posterior margin in males. Prosternum glabrous.

Pterothorax.Figs 14C, 15C. Mesepisterna glabrous except for a few appressed setae near ventral margin; female coupling sulcus represented by a small depression medially situated, a distinct groove extends only dorsally from pit, surface smooth below pit. Mesepimeron with a few sparse appressed setae. Metepisterna with scattered appressed setae, more abundant in male than female. Prosternum and mesosternum glabrous, smooth to slightly wrinkled; metasternum glabrous except for long, dense white appressed setae laterad, surface smooth mesad and coarsely sculpted laterad where setae originate. Scutellum triangular, shiny cupreous.

Legs.Figs 14A, 15B. Segmentstestaceous brown with metallic brown green reflections. Coxae shiny metallic brown green; trochanters shiny testaceous; femora and tibiae testaceous with metallic green reflections anteriorly; tarsomeres dark metallic brown; white, appressed setae on front and middle coxae, and laterally on hind coxae; erect setae and suberect closely spaced in several regular and irregular rows on all femora; setae widely spaced in a few rows on all tibiae; middle tibiae with patch of appressed setae dorsally along distal half; tarsomeres with short scattered setae on ventral surface; distal tarsomeres with two asymmetrical rows each with a few to several small, erect setae; an erect subapical seta present only on front trochanter, absent on middle and hind trochanters; males with dense pad of erect setae ventrally on proximal three tarsal segments; tarsal claws small.

Elytra.Figs 14A, 15A. Form narrow in male, broadened slightly distad and broadest at outer apical angle in female; posterior margins evenly rounded, apices separately rounded; sutural spine tiny in male, small in female, feebly withdrawn from apex; posterior margins finely microserrulate. Surface finely granulate, impunctate, numerous small, irregular, metallic flecks of various sizes comprised of blue or blue green flecks scattered over a cupreous or coppery green background; setigerous punctures with short, erect, transparent setae indistinct in subsutural rows on disc, but distinct at elytral base, and at inner humeral angles, each surrounded by a metallic fleck slightly larger than flecks elsewhere on elytra; surface slightly depressed in humeral area and on disc creating a slight but distinct raised area basally. Elytra unmarked in most specimens, only faintly marked in others, or marked with more distinct tawny lunules in a few; elytral ground color cupreous in most specimens, coppery green in others or green in others; faint elytral markings infuscated with metallic blue green flecks; specimens with the most extensive infuscated markings appear immaculate, while others have faint and indistinct markings; faint markings comprised of a humeral lunule reduced to its extremities, a middle lunule terminating near the suture in a broad hook never anteriorly recurved, and an apical lunule usually reaching the suture. Elytral epipleura testaceous except for narrow, metallic green to copper green band along dorsal margin.

Abdomen.Figs 14B, 15E. Surface of 1st-5th sterna shiny black with green reflections, 6th sternum entirely shiny black to black brown; posterior margins of male 3rd-5th sterna and female 3rd-4th sterna narrowly black; posterior margin female 5th sternum broadly black; 3rd-5th sterna medially smooth with scattered, fine, erect setae in both sexes; male 1st-6th sterna and female 1st-5th sterna laterally covered with dense, scattered, appressed white setae and roughened from setal punctures; male 6th sternum glabrous medially with a broad, deep concave notch; female 5th sternum with moderately raised, transverse wrinkles interrupted by a short, wide membranous band along midline extending anteriorly to middle of sternum from a wide transverse membranous wedge along posterior margin; female 6th sternum entirely glabrous, posterior margin with a row of 6-10 erect spines and a large lateral gibbosity on each side.

Male Genitalia.Figs 14E, 14F, 14G. Shape narrow near base, widening gradually and uniformly broad in middle three-quarters, narrowing gradually distally with neck short and wide, apical hook inner and outer angles evenly rounded, tip short and acutely angled to aedeagus. Aedeagus inner sac sclerites: stylet thin and straight to slightly bent distad; shield rounded distad; large tooth wide and pointed at tip with large root and large dark fields; arched piece short and narrow; spine field within aedeagus neck short and thin.

Ecology.

This new species is found in the Dominican Republic across a range of higher elevations in the Sierra de Baoruco from 1250 to 1560 m. Its habitats are dominated by Hispaniolan pine, Pinus occidentalis Swartz, and Andropogon sp. grasses (Figs 20E, 20F, 21A, 21B). The red clay soil types prevalent in these habitats are derived from bauxite deposits that are surface mined and reclaimed extensively (Fig. 21A) in this part of the Sierra de Baoruco ( Woodruff 2004). Adults have been collected in disturbed sites along dirt roads and trails during August and September. These adults were abundant along an infrequently traveled road where Robert L. Davidson collected the type series during the 1991 CMNH expedition to the Dominican Republic. This type locality is in the vicinity of the campsite used by the several CMNH expeditions to this locality (Fig. 20E). Adults were also abundant at several other sites at slightly lower elevations in 1988 based on WIBP collection data. It should be noted that CMNH entomologists have visited the type locality at other times of the year, July 1987 and June 2003, but no specimens of Brasiella rawlinsi were seen (R.L. Davidson, 2010, personal communication). Thus, adult activity for this new species appears restricted to a distinctive period during the late summer. In addition to hand collecting adults both running and flying, this new species has been taken in malaise and intercept traps. Brasiella rawlinsi occurs sympatrically with Brasiella iviei and Brasiella youngi in the Sierra de Baoruco, but in different habitats; the former species occurs in drier pine and grass woodlands, whereas the latter two species occur in mixed deciduous forests on the southern slopes of these mountains. Refer to the discussions under Ecology for Brasiella iviei and Brasiella youngi to obtain more details about their habitats.

Distribution.

Fig. 22. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Pedernales Province, Sierra de Baoruco at higher elevations in grass and pine habitats typical of the locality known as Aceitillar. Localities include: 37 km N Cabo Rojo at 1500 m (more precisely 1560 m); El Aceitillar ca. 35km NNW Cabo Rojo at elevations from 1250 m to 1430 m. This species in likely distributed throughout the Sierra de Baoruco at higher elevations in areas of red, bauxite soils in habitats with pines and grasslands.

Etymology.

This Latinized eponym, genitive case, is based on the family name of John E. Rawlins, Curator of Invertebrate Zoology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The species name honors John for his encouragement and the assistance he provided to move this revision toward its completion. He also has been a colleague and friend for several decades while the author has been associated with the CMNH. Dr. Rawlins organized the several expeditions to inventory the insect fauna of Hispaniola that resulted in the collections of several of the new Brasiella species described in this revision.

Remarks.

The distinctiveness of Brasiella rawlinsi from the closely related Brasiella iviei was established in this revision by differences presented in the key to their identification and under their descriptions. Other than the more obvious differences in smaller body size and proportionately shorter head and pronotum of Brasiella rawlinsi compared with Brasiella iviei , important distinctions exist between the male aedeagus of these two species. Both species differ in the shape of the apical hook, as well as, the form of the sclerites of the inner sac, especially the thickness and degree of curvature in the sty let apex. Additional differences between females of these two species are evident in the extent to which the membranous, longitudinal median band is developed on the 5th abdominal sternum. Previously, M. Ivie (WIBP) and T.K. Philips (WKSU), who collected specimens of both these new species in the Sierra de Baoruco in 1988, initially thought the populations in these mountains might represent a new species; however, their unpublished study considered them only Brasiella dominicana variants (Philips 1994, personal communication).