Zuphioides mexicanum (Chaudoir)

Ball, George E. & Shpeley, Danny, 2013, Western Hemisphere Zuphiini: descriptions of Coarazuphium whiteheadi, new species, and Zuphioides, new genus, and classification of the genera (Coleoptera, Carabidae), ZooKeys 315, pp. 17-54 : 36-38

Zuphioides mexicanum (Chaudoir) Figs 1B, 2B, 3B, 4C, 4D, 5C, 5D, 7 A– 7F, 8 D– 8F, 9A, 10 D– 10F, 11 D– 11F, 12B

Zuphium mexicanum Chaudoir, 1862: 314. Bates 1883: 166. Mateu 1981: 125.

Zuphium vicinum Liebke, 1933: 471. Mroczkowski 1960: 400. Mateu 1985: 329.

Type material.

For Zuphioides mexicanum , two females, Oberthür-Chaudoir Collection, in front of the following box label: "mexicanum/ Chaud/ Mexique/ 57. Sallé”. LECTOTYPE female, labeled as follows: “33” / "Ex Musaeo/Chaudoir" [red print]; “Lecto/type” [circular, ringed with red]; in Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris; PARALECTOTYPE labeled " Ex Musaeo/Chaudoir" [red print]. Designated by Mateu (1985: 330). For Zuphium vicinum , holotype, in Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsawa, #1711.

Type area.

Indicated by Mateu (1985: 330) as Veracruz, for Zuphioides mexicanum ; for Zuphium vicinum , “Mexico”.

Specific epithet.

A Latinized eponym, nominative case, based on the name of the country in which the type locality is located.

Description.

Size and proportions. Small, OBL 4.88-4.96 mm; EW 1.60-1.62 mm A1L/A2-4L 0.90-1.00; HW/PW 0.92-0.97. (For seven species of Zuphioides : OBL 4.64-6.586 mm; EW 1.60-1.84 mm A1L/A2-4L 0.88-1.12; HW/PW 0.91-0.97).

Color. Body rufotestaceous; appendages slightly paler; vestiture testaceous.

Habitus (Fig. 1B). Flat, overall. Head capsule (dorsal aspect, Fig. 2B) trapezoidal, obtusely angulate posteriolaterally.

Eyes (Figs 3B). Convex, easily seen, ommatidia clearly evident at 50 × (about 16 ommatidia are crossed on a horizontal diameter).

Pronotum. Narrow.

Elytra (Fig. 1B). Lateral margins straight, not bowed, parallel to one another.

Microsculpture. Dorsal surface of head capsule (including clypeus) and pronotum smooth, microlines not evident; labrum and elytra with microlines fine (not easily seen at 50 × or lower magnification), mesh pattern isodiametric. Ventral surface with microlines fine, generally transverse.

Luster. Dorsal surface of head and pronotum shiny, elytra somewhat duller.

Body vestiture and punctation. Dorsal surface of head and pronotum sparsely punctate, vestiture sparse. Elytra and abdominal sterna III-VII with punctation and vestiture dense, vestitural setae decumbent.

Fixed setae. Head (Fig. 4C): clypeus one pair; head capsule with anterior pair of supraorbitals (asos) above eyes; posterior pair of supraorbitals (psos) posteriad eyes; one pair of postocular setae (pos) immediately behind eyes, laterally; one pair of occipital setae (ocs) posteriorly and mediad eyes; posterior supernumerary setae lacking. Antennomere 1 (Figs 4B, 4D, as1) with single long seta distally, in addition to decumbent vestiture and row of small erect setae (as2, as3). Pronotum with two pairs of lateral marginal setae, anterior pair in anterior 1/8, posterior pair at posteriolateral angles. Prosternum with one pair setae anterioventrally (Fig. 9B). Elytra: each elytron anteriorly with parascutellar seta; lateral setae about 21 (one group anteriorly, one group posteriorly, and single seta medially. Abdominal sterna IV-VI without evident ambulatory setae, sternum VII with pair of long setae near posterior margin.

Head, dorsal aspect (Fig. 4C). Occiput posteriorly and postocciput markedly constricted, in form of narrow neck, postoccipital suture evident. Frontoclypeal suture present. Genal sulcus (gs) prominent, but less so than in Coarazuphium (cf. Fig. 4A).

Eyes (Fig. 4B). Macrophthalmous, markedly convex, readily seen, ommatidia evident at 50 ×, or lower magnification.

Antennae (Fig. 4D). Antennae filiform, extended about body length. Antennomere 1 rather slender, slightly longer than antennomeres a2-a4; antennomere 2 short, about half length of a3; antennomeres 3-11 narrow, cylindrical, distinctly longer than wide.

Mouthparts. As described for Zuphium genus-group, above. Labrum (Fig. 5C). Anterior margin concave. Epipharynx (Fig. 5D). Mandibles (Figs 7 A– 7F). Maxillae (Figs 8D, 8E). Labium, ventral aspect (Fig. 8F).

Pronotum (Fig. 1B). Anterior margin truncate, lateral margins markedly sinuate posteriorly, posteriolateral angles prominent, dentiform, slightly anteriad posterior margin; surface impressions (anterior and posterior transverse and median longitudinal) shallow; lateral grooves and posteriolateral impressions moderately deep.

Pterothorax. Metasternum of average length; metepisternum elongate, lateral margin longer than anterior margin.

Elytra (Fig. 1B). Separate from one another, not fused along suture. Each elytron more or less rectangular, lateral margin straight; humerus projected anteriorly, basal ridge straight; apical margin truncate, with narrow band of membrane. Surface with striae very shallow, intervals almost flat.

Hind wings. Macropterous; wings folded beneath elytra at rest.

Legs. Male fore-tarsus (Fig. 9A).

Abdomen. As described for Western Hemisphere Zuphium genus-group.

Male genitalia (Figs 10 D– 10F). Phallus narrow (PW/PL 0.254), slightly curved ventrally, narrowed apically, apical margin rounded, apical portion very short (AL/PL 0.036), ostial membrane extensive (OM/PL 0.317). Left paramere (lp) conchoid. Right paramere (rp) short, ovoid in form (RP/LP 0.317).

Female genitalia: ovipositor (Figs 11 D– 11F). Gonocoxite 1 (gc1) with patch of long trichoid setae distally on ventral surface. Gonocoxite 2 (gc2) short, thick; in lateral aspect falciform, apex pointed, row of four long trichoid setae dorso- and ventro-laterally; in dorso-ventral aspect, broad, paddle-like, apex broadly rounded, not notched; otherwise, as described for Western Hemisphere Zuphium genus-group.

Female genital tract (Fig. 12B). Bursa copulatrix (bc) bulbous (collapsed in Fig. 12B), inserted at base of common oviduct (co). Spermatheca (sp) inserted near junction of common oviduct and bursa copulatrix, markedly elongate and slender, with helminthoid sclerite (hs) at base. Spermathecal gland duct inserted near base of spermatheca, with distinct swelling proximad spermathecal gland (spg). Without secondary spermathecal gland.

Geographical distribution.

This species ranges from northern Mexico (states of Nuevo Leon, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas) northward to southwestern U.S.A (states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas; Bousquet (2012: 1357).