Nymphister rettenmeyeri Tishechkin & Mercado

Tishechkin, Alexey K. & Cárdenas, Alida Mercado, 2012, Description of three new species of Nymphistrini (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Haeteriinae) from Central America, Zootaxa 3500, pp. 36-48 : 37-38

Nymphister rettenmeyeri Tishechkin & Mercado sp. n.

( Figs. 1 & 2 )

Material Examined: Holotype male: " PANAMA: Panama Barro Colorado Isl. 09°11'N. 79°51'W 16 July 1994. D. Banks ex: flight intercept trap / LSAM 0044245 / HOLOTYPE Nymphister rettenmeyeri sp. n. A. K. Tishechkin & A. Mercado C. des. 2012" ( SEMC). Paratypes (23): PANAMA: Panama Province: Barro Colorado Island, in a colony of Eciton hamatum on 6.vii.1968, leg. R. L. Torgenson (1 female, WSU); Barro Colorado Island, in a colony of Eciton mexicanum , 2.v.1967, leg. R. D. Akre (3 females, WSU); Barro Colorado Island, late statary refuse pile of Eciton burchelli , 7.ii.1976, leg. A. F. Newton (1 female: FMNH); Barro Colorado Island, flight intercept traps on various dates in May 1981 and June 1983, leg. B. D. Gill (5 exs.: AKT, CMN and BDG); Barro Colorado Island, flight intercept trap, 3.vii.1994, leg. D. Banks (1 female: SEMC); Colón Province: Achiote, P.N. San Lorenzo, 9°12'N 79°59'W, flight intercept traps, various dates in May–June 2007 and January 2008, leg. A. Mercado (6 exs.: FMUP, AKT); San Lorenzo Forest, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute canopy crane site, 9°17'N 79°58'W, flight intercept traps, 12–17.v.2004, leg. A. K. Tishechkin (1 male, 1 female: FMUP); 14 km N junction of Escobal and Piña Roads, flight intercept trap, 2–11.vi.1996, leg. J. Ashe & R. Brooks (1 female: SEMC). COSTA RICA: Puntarenas Province: Rincon de Osa, 8°41.141'N 83°31.117'W, flight intercept trap, 23–26.vi.2001, leg. S. & J. Peck (1 female: SEMC); Estación Quebrada Bonita, Reserva Biologica Carara, flight intercept trap on 1–28.ii.1994, leg. R. M. Guzmán (1 male: INBIO); Península de Osa, Rancho Quemado, 1–30.vii.1992, leg. F. Quesada (1 female: INBIO).

Description: L: 1.58–1.63; W: 1.50–1.52; E/Pn L: 2.23–2.26; E/Pn W: 1.13–1.15; Pn W/L: 2.46–2.51; E L/W: 0.77–0.80; Pr/Py: 1.06–1.07; Sterna: 0.42–0.44, 0.10–0.12, 0.40–0.43; Tibiae: 0.53–0.56, 0.63–0.65, 0.71–0.74; (n=10). Body round, convex dorsally, dark reddish brown, dark brown along the edges, body surface with fine alutaceous microsculpture throughout, without setae. Frons concave in the middle, with prominent latero–marginal frontal carina and interrupted frontal stria. Labrum narrow, asetose; mandibles wide, stout, with inwardly curved short tips. Antennae with scape thick, angulate, pyramide–shaped; antennal clubs oval, with dense pubescence except for sclerotized areas in dorsal basal, outer lateral and outer ventral surfaces.

Pronotum with posterior margin obtusely angulate, with a row of small round deep punctures, lateral sides almost straight, narrowing anteriorly; pronotal disc convex, without punctures or setae, lateral margins narrowly explanate and slightly raised; lateral marginal stria complete, but inconspicuous; anterior margin emarginated behind the head; antennal cavities not visible in dorsal view. Prosternum with prosternal lobe short, separated of rest of prosternum by stria, with complete thin marginal stria and deep lateral notches; prosternal keel broad, flat, with two pairs of closely situated carinal striae along outer edges of the keel; lateral prosternal striae distinct, diverging anteriorly; posterior margin triangularly emarginated, depressed medially.

Scutellum minute, triangular; elytra convex, widest at anterior third, narrowing arcuately towards posterior ends; both outer and inner subhumeral striae complete, thin and impunctate; 1st dorsal striae present as long, shallow, narrow, but distinct impunctate sulci, the rest of dorsal and sutural striae each marked by a few irregularly spaced, shallow, large, postobsolete punctures.

Mesoventrite with medial triangular projection on anterior margin; marginal stria complete, thin, disc of mesoventrite with transverse bisunuate discal stria separated in the middle into two long fragments; meso–metaventral suture very fine and inconspicuous; mesoventrite with median suture distinct and complete, discs of metaventrite in males with shallow, narrow median depression and slight median elevation in posterior third, evenly convex in females; inner and outer lateral and longitudinal discal striae of metaventrite complete, brief fragment of extra stria present anteriorly inward of each of longitudinal discal striae; posterior ends of inner lateral striae curved inwards, almost connected to corresponding ends of longitudinal discal striae; recurrent arms of inner lateral striae present, long, widely separated from inner lateral striae; recurrent arms and outer lateral striae run atop of sharp, low keels, margining depressions of lateral discs, where middle and hind legs rest in repose. First visible abdominal ventrite unmodified, weakly convex, with paired long postmetacoxal striae laterally.

Pro-, meso- and metafemora elongate rectangular, without punctures, with complete transverse striae in anterior thirds, coxa flattened. Protibiae elongate oval, widest at the middle, outer margin with a few very weak shallow emarginations, almost straight, with 7–8 small spines along outer margin, apex rounded, rugose in texture, inner margin with row of setae; meso- and metatibiae paddle-shaped, outer margins obtusely angulate at anterior third, inner margins with row of setae; tarsomeres each with pair of setae on the ventral side, tarsal claws strongly bent near the base.

Propygidium hexagonal, with shallow, irregular, anostomosing punctures creating rugose background, more pronounced anteriorly, with complete marginal stria. Pygidium convex, relatively short, trapezoid; background punctuation similar to those on propygidium, but finer; no marginal striae present; disc in both sexes medially with a pair of weak circular elevations, separated along midline.

Male genitalia as illustrated ( Fig. 2 )

Etymology. We dedicate this species to the memory Carl W. Rettenmeyer (1931–2009), an eminent specialist on army ants and their inquilines and collector of numerous haeteriine specimens.

Distribution. Known from several localities in southern Costa Rica and west-central Panama.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Nymphister rettenmeyeri. A) dorsal aspect; B) ventral aspect.

FIGURE 2. Male genitalia of Nymphister rettenmeyeri. A) eighth sternite-tergite complex, ventrally; B) same, dorsally; C) ninth sternite, laterally; D) aedeagus, laterally; E) same, apex dorsally; F) ninth sternite, dorsally; G) ninth tergite, ventrally; H) ninth tergite, laterally.