Diastolinus vaderi Hart and Ivie, 2016

Hart, Charles J. & Ivie, Michael A., 2016, A Revision of the Genus Diastolinus Mulsant and Rey (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 70 (3), pp. 485-540 : 485-540

Diastolinus vaderi Hart and Ivie , new species

( Figs. 68–72 , 103 )

Type Material. HOLOTYPE: Male. HAITI: Dept. Sud-Oueste; Parc National La Visite ; Morne La Visite 2100m; 12-V-1984 M. C. Thomas / Sellio tibidens Quensel ; det. C. A. Triplehorn 01/ WIBF 035539 ( FSCA) . PARATYPES (16 specimens): 11 females and 5 males. 4 specimens sharing the same label data as the holotype ( WIBF 035540 , WIBF 035541 , OSUC 607292 , OSUC 607294 ) (2 WIBF, 2 OSUC). HAITI: Dept. Sud- Oueste; Parc National La Visite ; vicinity park hdqtrs. 1880m. 18-V-1984; M. C. Thomas / WIBF 035542 (1 FSCA). HAITI: Dept. Sud-Oueste ; Parc National La Visite ; Morne La Visite , S. slope; 2040–2150m. 23-V-1984; coll. M. C. Thomas / OSUC 607293 (1 OSUC). Refuge, 5500′, 22 km.; SE. Fond Verrettes; Haiti vii-20-’56; B. & B. Valentine / Foret des Pins; forest, beating / ( OSUC 607295-607302 ) (8 OSUC). Refuge, 5500’, 22 km.; SE. Fond Verrettes; Haiti 18-VII-’56; B. & B. Valentine / Foret des Pins; Hardwood cloud; forest, beating / ( OSUC 607303 , OSUC 607304 ) (2 OSUC) .

Etymology. This species is named for the infamous Darth Vader because D. vaderi has a shiny black head and pronotum that bear a striking resemblance to the helmet of the fictional Star Wars character.

Diagnosis. This species is most easily distinguished by the combination of the smooth upper surface that is shiny, glossy, and without setae, base of the pronotum much wider than the width across the humeri, elytra with large, deep punctation, and male foretibiae armed with a single distinct spine.

Description. Male. Length 7.5–9.0 mm, width 3.0– 3.8 mm. Body ( Fig. 68 ) black, except antennomeres reddish brown, with at least last 4 antennomeres fully testaceous, tarsi reddish; broadly convex; base of pronotum widest point of body; dorsal surface smooth, shiny, glossy; lacking setae.

Head ( Fig. 69 ) with epistoma evenly convex; punctures less than diameter of ommatidium, covering dorsal surface, separated by at least 2– 3X puncture diameter posteriorly, spaced more closely anteriorly; setae almost entirely absent, at most a few yellow, short setae laterally. Labrum with some confluent punctation antero-laterally, medial area with fine, rugulose, almost impunctate surface. Antenna weakly clavate. Dorsal and ventral portions of eye roughly equal in size and shape, separated by canthus less than 1/4 eye diameter. Palps large. Gular horns short, not prominent.

Prothorax ( Fig. 69 ) widened posteriorly; apical margin evenly, broadly emarginate; apical corners rounded, lateral margin widened from apex in anterior 2/5, then sides nearly parallel to base; basal width greater than width across humeri; basal margin bisinuate; dorsal surface broadly, evenly convex; all margins narrowly beaded, except obsolete at middle of anterior margin; minutely punctate; disc slightly impressed, puncture diameter on disc equal to punctures on head, spaced less 1–2X puncture diameter on pronotal disc. Hypomeron feebly rugulose, punctate shallowly and sparsely. Prosternal prosternal process lanceolate, punctate and setose.

Scutellum ( Fig. 69 ) triangular, 2X as wide as long. Elytra ( Fig. 68 ) constricted in anterior 1/3. Elytron gradually broadening from base to widest point opposite abdominal ventrite 2, then evenly arcuate to apices; striae not impressed; strial punctures large, deep and not confluent; intervals broad, not convex, punctation minute, sparse. Stria 7 ending in lateral stria just posterior to humeral angle. Punctation on stria 8 almost absent in anterior 1/3.

Mesoventrite punctate, somewhat rugulose, shiny. Metaventrite short, rugulose, hind border of mesocoxae punctate.

Leg surfaces shiny, finely punctate. Femora expanded; profemora especially inflated, with an arcuate anterodorsal margin. Protibia narrow basally, then suddenly expanded midway into large, triangular spine on posterventral surface, slightly narrowed apically after spine; anterodorsal surface somewhat arcuate; stout spines after major spine; apex obliquely truncate, ringed by stout spines. Protarsus with tarsomeres 1–3 expanded, ventrally with golden, densely setose pads, tarsomere 2 widest, more than 3X width of tarsomere 4. Mesotarsus with tarsomeres 1–3 expanded, ventrally with golden, densely setose pads, tarsomere 2 widest, more than 2X width of tarsomere 4. Metatarsus narrow, about 2/3 as long as metatibia, without setose pads; 1 st tarsomere 2X length of 2 nd.

Abdominal ventrites ( Fig. 70 ) finely punctate, sparsely setose; ventrites 1–4 with longitudinally rugulose areas laterally; ventrites 1–2 slightly concave medially; anterior border of ventrite 1, just behind hind coxae, with row of heavy punctures not extending onto intercoxal process; ventrites 2–3 with row of heavy punctures on anterior edge; ventrite 3 with slight medial concavity anteriorly only; ventrite 5 slightly concave medially, posterior margin evenly rounded. Aedeagus ( Figs. 71, 72 ) with basal piece and parameres strongly arched, at least 2/3 elytra length; parameres gradually expanding distally in basal 1/2, then flared suddenly before converging steeply at first, then gently rounded at apex; expanded area slightly concave; lateral margin of parameres sinuate, slight upturned apical margin in lateral view.

Female. Length 8.0–9.0 mm, width 3.5– 3.8 mm. Nearly identical to male except femora not as expanded, only slightly expanded, pro- and mesotarsi with tarsomere 4 subequal to tarsomeres 1–3. Abdominal ventrites 1–3 slightly convex medially.

Biology. This species is unique in the genus in being found at high elevations. Specimens have been taken beating in forests at elevations of 1,880 –2,150 m, which are high elevations compared to those for most Diastolinus species that are found at or only slightly above sea level.

Distribution. Hispaniola* (FSCA, OSUC, WIBF) ( Fig. 103 ).

Figures

Figs. 68–72. Diastolinus vaderi. 68) Paratype, dorsal habitus; Holotype: 69) Pronotum; 70) Abdominal ventrites; 71) Aedeagus, dorsal view; 72) Aedeagus, lateral view.

Fig. 103. Map of the distributions of Diastolinus species on Hispaniola.