Laemophloeus taurus Thomas, 2014

Thomas, Michael C., 2014, A review of New World Laemophloeus Dejean (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae): 2. Neotropical species with antennal club of three antennomeres, Insecta Mundi 2014 (363), pp. 1-38 : 14-15

Laemophloeus taurus Thomas , n.sp

Fig. 14 , 59-62

Types: Holotype male, deposited in FSCA, with following label data: “ BRAZIL: Rondonia, 62km. SW Ariquemes, near Fzda Rancho Grande, 8-20-XI-1994, J.E.Eger, L.B.&C.W. O’Brien, blacklight trap ” allotype female, deposited in FSCA, with following label data: “ BRAZIL: Rondonia, 62km. SW Ariquemes , Fzda. Rancho Grande 15-XI-1994, C.W. O’Brien uv trap ”.

Diagnosis. The following combination of characters is diagnostic for this species: club antennomeres with complex pubescence (as in Fig. 35 ), male with broadly triangular epistomal horns that are not sinuate laterally ( Fig. 59 ), parameres narrowly acuminate distally ( Fig. 61 ). Females are very similar to those of L. lecontei , but lack the emargination over the mandibular insertion ( Fig. 3 ).

Description: 2.5mm long; elongate-ovate; dorsal and ventral surfaces testaceous; mandibles darker distally; legs slightly paler.

Head: 1.8× wider than long; eye 0.4× length of head; epistome with emargination over labrum deep and wide, inner edge produced anteriorly as acute tooth extending beyond labrum ( Fig. 59 ); mandibular emarginations absent, antennal emarginations very deep, extending posteriorly beyond anterior edge of eye; frontoclypeal suture indicated laterally by dark line, obsolete medially ( Fig. 14 ); longitudinal line indicated by a dark line, not impressed; very finely, sparsely punctate, punctures much smaller than an eye facet, separated by 2-4 diameters, each subtending an inconspicuous seta about two times length of a puncture diameter; disc of head between punctures smooth and shiny, without microreticulation. Mandibles large. Eyes small, length 0.4× that of head ( Fig. 59 ). Antennae elongate, attaining about midpoint of elytra; scape about 1.5× longer than broad; pedicel 1.3× longer than broad, about 0.6× length of scape; III narrow and elongate, 0.9× length of scape; IV-VII elongate, subequal in length; each 0.7× length of scape; VIII slightly shorter than preceding, club comprised of IX-XI, IX-X each slightly expanded distally, with complex pubescence (as in Fig. 35 ), IX about 1.2× as long as scape, X slightly shorter; XI 1.9× length of scape.

Thorax: 1.7× wider than long; widest at about apical third; 1.3× wider at apical third than across basal angles; anterior angles slightly produced, obtuse; hind angles slightly produced, obtuse; antebasal denticle distinct ( Fig. 60 ); sublateral line with a median dark spot but without median fovea; punctation and pubescence similar to head; surface smooth and shiny between punctures, not microreticulate. Legs moderate; femora stout.

Elytra: 1.5× longer than wide; inner margin of cell 1 distinctly basally and apically, middle third represented by a row of punctures, outer margin obsolete, inner margins of cell 2 completely grooved, outer margin obsolete; cell 3 complete; humeral carina well-marked; discal surface with lines of minute punctures, no discernable pubescence.

Male genitalia: ( Fig. 61-62 ) parameres sharply acuminate, lateral margin sinuate; narrowly separated for about half length, more broadly so basally; each paramere with 2 setae, a very short, stout basal seta near inner margin at about midpoint, and a much longer, narrower seta near lateral margin at base; basal plates represented by narrowly triangular plates ( Fig. 61 ); claspers transversely oval, with a long narrow distal process ( Fig. 62 ).

Female allotype: 2.0mm long; head 2.4× wider than long; eye 0.7× length of head; antennae attaining base of pronotum; median epistomal emargination broad and shallow, angles not produced, mandibular and antennal emarginations absent; pronotum 1.5× wider than long; elytra 1.7× longer than wide.

Variation: Paratypes range in length from 1.4mm to 3.4mm.

Distribution. Mexico, South America.

Paratypes. 87 with label data as follows: 9 males “ BOLIVIA: Santa Cruz, 3.7km SSEBuenaVista, Hotel Flora & Fauna 405m., 5-15-XI-2001 17 o 29.949’S, 63 o 33.152’W M.C.Thomas & B.K.Dozier tropical transition forest” ; 1 male, 1 female “ BOLIVIA: SANTA CRUZ Reserva Privada Potrerillos de Guendá ; 17 o 40.26’S, 63 o 27.44’W; 400m; 10/ 29-XI-2006; B.K. Dozier coll.” ; 1 male, 1 female “ BOLIVIA: Santa Cruz, Potrerillos de Guendá 40km NW Santa Cruz 17 o 40.3’S, 63 o 27.4’W 22-XI-12-XII-2005 coll. B.K. Dozier ” ; 1 male “BO- LIVIA: Santa Cruz Dist. ,, Potrerillos de Guenda, Preserva Natural , 17 o 40’S, 63 o 27’W, 370m 1-4-X-2007, J.E. Wappes & R. Morris, ex bl/mv” ; 1 male “ COLOMBIA: Dept. Valle, Finca Kuchman 16-I-1972 C. Wilkerson ” ; 5 males, 1 female “ BRAZIL: Rondonia, 62km SW Ariquemes, Fzda Rancho Grande , 11-XI- 1994, C.W. O’Brien blacklight trap ” ; 1 male “ BRAZIL: Rond. UVtrap, 62km.SW. Ariquemes, Fzda. Rancho Grande 11.11.1994, C. O’Brien ” ; 3 females “ BRASIL: Rondonia, 62km SW Ariquemes, Fzda. Rancho Grande , 10-XI-1994, C. O’Brien blacklight trap ” ; 8 males, 4 females; “ BRAZIL: Rondonia, 62km SW Ariquemes, Fzda Rancho Grande , 10-XI-1994, C.W. O’Brien blacklight trap ” ; 6 males, 4 females “BRA- ZIL: Rondonia, 62km. SW Ariquemes, Fzda. Rancho Grande 15-XI-1994, C.W. O’Brien uv trap ” ; 3 males, 5 females “ BRAZIL: Rondonia, 62km. SW Ariquemes, Fzda. Rancho Grande , 14-XI-1994, C.W. O’Brien blacklight trap ” ; 7 males, 9 females “ BRAZIL: Rondonia, 62km. SW Ariquemes, near Fzda Rancho Grande , 8-20-XI-1994, J.E.Eger, L.B.&C.W. O’Brien, blacklight trap ” ; 3 males “ BRAZIL: Rondonia, 62km SW Ariquemes nr Fzda Rancho Grande 4-16-XI-1997, JE Eger Black Light Trap ” ; 2 males, 3 females “BRA- ZIL: Rondonia, 62km SW Ariquemes nr Fzda Rancho Grande 3-15-XII-1996, JE Eger Black Light Trap ” ; 1 male, 1 female “ BRAZIL: Rondonia, 62km. SW. Ariquimes, Fzda. Rancho Grande 12-XI-1995, C.O’Brien blacklight trap ” ; 2 females “ BRAZIL: Rondonia, 62km. SW. Ariquimes, nr. Fzda. Rancho Grande 20-IX- 1992 U. Schmitz blacklight trap ” ; 1 female “ BRAZIL: Rondonia, 62km. SW. Ariquimes, nr. Fzda. Rancho Grande 25-IX-1992 U. Schmitz blacklight trap ” ; 1 male “ MEXICO: Quintana Roo 19km N Carrillo Puerto 18-VI-1990 coll. M.C. Thomas ” ; 1 male “ MEXICO: State of Veracruz, Lake Catemaco, ‘ Coyame’ ” / “R.E. Woodruff 7-9-VII-1963 blacklight trap ” ; 1 female “ MEXICO: Chiapas El Chorreadero 26-VI-1990 M.C. Thomas ” . Paratypes deposited in BMNH, DEFS, FSCA, MNHN, MNKM, and USNM.

Etymology. The specific epithet is the Latin noun for “bull,” referring to the long epistomal horns.

Discussion. The peculiar pubescence character of the club antennomeres is shared only with L. lecontei , which also possesses epistomal horns in the male and a similar form of genitalia.

Figures

Figure 14. Habitus, Laemophloeus taurus Thomas, n.sp., male.

Figures 59-62. Laemophloeus taurus Thomas, n.sp. 59) Head, male. 60) Pronotum, male. 61) Aedeagus. 62) Abdominal segment 8, male.

Figures 34-38. Laemophloeus lecontei Grouvelle. 34) Head and pronotum, male. 35) Antennomere X, male. 36) Head, male. 37) Abdominal segment 8, male. 38) Male genitalia.

Figures 2-3. Laemophloeus spp., female epistomal margin. 2) L. lecontei. 3) L. taurus, n.sp.