Tropopterus duponchelii Solier

Liebherr, James K., 2019, Revision of Tropopterus Solier: A disjunct South American component of the Australo-Pacific Moriomorphini (Coleoptera, Carabidae), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 66 (2), pp. 147-177 : 147

6. Tropopterus duponchelii Solier Figures 1F , 4 E–H , 6G, I , 7E , 8E , 9F , 10

Tropopterus duponchelii Solier 1849: 213; Reed 1874: 58.

Tropidopterus duponcheli Gemminger and Harold 1868: 385 (unjustified emendations).

Tropopterus nitidus Solier 1849: 213 (synonymy Chaudoir 1876: 124).

Diagnosis

(n = 5). To distinguish this species from T. canaliculus see that species’ diagnosis above. From all others, this species can be recognized by the medially, broadly flattened to broadly depressed prosternum, the depression not narrow and deep. The elytra bear a well-developed, dense, transverse-line microsculpture that results in a distinctly iridescent surface, whereas the vertex is covered with a shallow isodiametric mesh transversely stretched in parts, and the pronotum is covered with shallow transverse lines that result in only subtle iridescence. The eyes are moderately convex, ocular ratio = 1.37-1.46, with 20-25 ommatidia crossed by a horizontal diameter of the eye. The pronotal hind angles are obtuse and sharp, with the lateral margins slightly sinuate before the angles, and the pronotal median base and laterobasal depressions are smooth ( Fig. 1F ). The elytra are broad basally, with the basal groove well developed and meeting the lateral marginal depression at a distinct, obtuse angle, with a minute tooth projected posterad from that juncture. The mesepisternum is smooth throughout the dorsoventral depression of that sclerite. Standardized body length = 6.7-8.1 mm.

Male genitalia (n = 4). Aedeagal median lobe broad dorsoventrally to broadly rounded apex, the apex with broad, blunt mucro on ventrobasal surface ( Fig. 4E, F ); aedeagal internal sac with stout, serrate ventrobasal spicular sclerite and elongate, moderately sclerotized flagellum. Antecostal apodeme of abdominal IX rounded distally, the juncture of the lateral arms only slightly broader ( Fig. 4G ). Right paramere of variable length, ranging from short and broadly parallel-sided, to more elongate with an apical attenuated apex ( Fig. 6H, I ), ventral surface with about 13 setae in apical half, apex with two longer setae, and apicodorsal surface with several very small setae of variable position; left paramere varying in length in concert with right paramere, ranging from short and stout with a very short apical extension, to longer with a narrow, digitiform extension connected to body of paramere by semiflexible membrane, two longer apical setae present plus one to several short subapical setae.

Female reproductive tract (n = 1). Bursa copulatrix elongate, broader distally, length nearly 4 × breadth, compressed under microslide cover slip ( Fig. 7E ); spermatheca an ovoid heart-shape; spermathecal gland elongate, fusiform; spermathecal gland duct entering spermathecal duct basad spermathecal reservoir; basal gonocoxite 1 with single apical fringe seta ( Fig. 8E ); apical gonocoxite 2 falciform, base extended laterally, with two lateral ensiform setae, one dorsal ensiform seta, and two apical nematiform setae.

Type information.

Tropopterus duponchelii lectotype female ( MNHN) hereby designated: S. Iago (handwritten on blue label) // MUSEUM PARIS / CHILI / Cl. Gay 1845 (grey label) // 9 45 (round blue label) // TYPE (red label) // Tropopterus / Duponchelii / Sol. Sn. Iago (handwritten white label) // LECTOTYPE / Tropopterus / duponchelii / Solier / des. Liebherr 2019 (black-margined red label). Tropopterus nitidus lectotype female ( MNHN) hereby designated (pinned specimen with mouthparts mounted beneath on point): S. Iago (handwritten on blue label) // MUSEUM PARIS / CHILI / Cl. Gay 1845 (grey label) // 9 45 (round blue label) // TYPE (red label) // Tropopterus / nitidus Sol. / Sn. Iago (handwritten white label) // LECTOTYPE / Tropopterus / nitidus / Solier / des. Liebherr 2019 (black-margined red label). The types would have come into the Chaudoir Collection in 1876 directly from Philibert Germain ( Ball and Erwin 1982). Given Chaudoir’s interest in mouthpart characters ( Basilewsky 1982), and his synonymization of T. nitidus under T duponchelii in that year, it seems likely that the mouthpart dissection of the T. nitidus lectotype was made by Chaudoir himself.

Date/locality information, all specimens: Chile: Arauco Prov., Caramavida, Nahuelbuta (W), 37°40.99'S, 73°21.00'W, 750 m el., 25-31-xii-1953, Peña ( MCZ, 2; MNHN, 1); Curanilahue, 37°28.58'S, 73°20.58'W, 10-xii-1967, Cekalov[ic] ( MNHN, 1); San Alfonso, above Caramavida, 37°42.75'S, 73°09.00'W, 16-17-x-1969, Flint & Barria (NMNH, 1). Santiago Prov., Santiago, 33°26.75'S, 70°40.12'W, Solier (lectotypes T. duponchelii plus T. nitidus ), 33°26.75'S, 70°40.12'W, Solier ( MNHN, 1). Talca Prov., Altos de Vilches, 35°36.25'S, 71°04.30'W, 19-ix-1968, Ramirez ( MNHN, 1), 26-i-1969, Valencia ( MNHN, 1), 11-x-1971, Valencia ( MNHN, 1). No data except “81”, Chaudoir Colln. ( MNHN, 1).

Distribution and habitat.

This species is distributed from 33°27' S– 37°41'S ( Fig. 9F ), spanning the Santiagan and Northern Valdivian entomofaunal provinces ( O’Brien 1971). Specimens have been found by sifting litter in Valdivian rainforest with Nothofagus , via pyrethrin fogging of old Nothofagus logs, under logs and rocks, and by beating vegetation. Thus this species is most often encountered in ground-level microhabitats; however, there is evidence that the beetles can climb onto vegetation. Tropopterus duponchelii and the leiodid beetle Anaballetus chilensis are both known from Alto de Vilches, Talca Prov., Chile ( Newton et al. 2017).

Figures

Figure 1. Tropopterus spp., dorsal view; range of standardized body lengths in mm. A. T. montagnei female; Petorca Prov., Q. Tigre Zapallar, Catapilco (MNHN). B. T. giraudyi female; Valdivia Prov., Chaihuin (EMEC). C. T. peckorum male; Quillota Prov., P. N. La Campana (FMNH). D. T. robustus female; Malleco Prov., M. N. Contulmo (FMNH). E. T. canaliculus female; Malleco Prov., P. N. Nahuelbuta (FMNH). F. T. duponchelii male; Arauco Prov., Caramavida (MCZ).

Figure 4. Male aedeagal median lobe, left view, and antecostal apodeme and tergite of abdominal IX, dorsal view. A-D. T. canaliculus; Malleco Prov., P. N. Nahuelbuta. A, B. (FMNH). C, D. (OSAC). E-G. T. duponchelii; Arauco Prov., Caramavida. E. (NMNH). F-G. (MCZ). For abbreviations used to label structures see Table 1.

Figure 6. Paired sets of left parameres (above) and right parmeres (below), ectal view, for male specimens of Tropopterus spp. Parameres are in anatomically correct orientation with ventral surface toward bottom of drawing. A, B. T. giraudyi. A. Malleco Prov., P. N. Nahuelbuta (FMNH). B. Chili, " Tropopterus nitidus Sol. " [sic], Chaudoir Coll. (MNHN). C. T. peckorum; Quillota Prov., P. N. La Campana (FMNH). D, E. T. robustus. D. Malleco Prov., P. N. Contulmo (CMNH). E. Cautin Prov., Bellavista (CAS). F, G. T. canaliculus. F. Malleco Prov., P. N. Nahuelbuta (FMNH). G. Arauco Prov., Caramavida (NMNH). H-I. T. duponchelii. H. Talca Prov., Altos de Vilches (MNHN). I. Arauco Prov., Caramavida (MCZ). J, K. T. minimucro. J. Cautin Prov., Bellavista (EMEC). K. Llanquihue Prov. P. N. Vicente Perez Rosales (FMNH). L. T. fieldianus; Valdivia, La Union (FSCA).

Figure 7. Female reproductive tract and gonocoxae of abdominal segment IX, ventral view. A. T. montagnei; Petorca Prov., Q. Tigre Zapallar, Catapilco (MNHN). Spermatheca disassociated from bursal assemblage. B. T. giraudyi; Llanquihue Prov., P. N. Vicente Perez Rosales (FMNH). C. T. robustus; Malleco Prov., M. N. Contulmo (FMNH). D. T. canaliculus; Malleco Prov., P. N. Nahuelbuta (FMNH). E. T. duponchelii; Arauco Prov., Caramavida (MCZ). F. T. minimucro; Valdivia Prov., P. N. Oncol (EMEC). For abbreviations used to label structures see Table 1. Vertical scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 8. Left gonocoxa (except where noted), ventral view, for Tropopterus spp. Specimen information is parallel to that in Figure 7 A-F. For abbreviations used to label structures see Table 1. A. T. montagnei. B. T. giraudyi. C. T. robustus. D. T. canaliculus. E. T. duponchelii. F. T. minimucro (right gonocoxa).

Figure 9. A-I. Geographic distributions of Tropopterus spp. A. T. montagnei. B. T. giraudyi. C. T. peckorum. D. T. robustus. E. T. canaliculus. F. T. duponchelii. G. T. trisinuatus. H. T. minimucro. I. T. fieldianus. J. Geographical distributions of Tropopterus spp., labeled as per figures above, hierarchically arranged by phylogenetic relationships of the taxon cladogram, Fig. 10.

Figure 10. Cladogram returned under all cladistic protocols described in text; tree length = 97, CI = 57, RI = 47, fast character optimization shown. Outgroup choice of Pharetis thayerae based on results in Liebherr (2020). Geographic region abbreviations after taxon name include: eastern Australia (EOZ); Santiagan entomofaunal province (San); Northern Valdivian entomofaunal province (NV); Southern Valdivian Entomofaunal province (SV).