Brasiella dominicana (Mandl, 1983)

Acciavatti, Robert E., 2011, Taxonomic Revision of Hispaniola Tiger Beetles in the Genus Brasiella Rivalier 1954 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Cicindelinae), ZooKeys 147, pp. 99-182 : 122-127

Brasiella dominicana (Mandl, 1983) Figs 78

Cicindela (Brasiella) dominicana Mandl, 1983: 117

Brasiella dominicana (Mandl); Wiesner, 1992: 205

Brasiella dominicana (Mandl); Erwin and Pearson, 2008: 109

Holotype.

Male! labeled "Dominikenische Republik / Bani / leg. Klapperich 5,9.1971" [typeset black on white label]; “HOLOTYPUS” [black typewritten on red label glued onto white label]; "HOLOTYPUS / Cic. (Brasiella) / dominicana m. / Dr. K. MANDL det. 1980 2" [first three lines handprinted, fourth line typeset except numeral '2' handprinted, first line in red ink, other lines black ink]; "Cicindela / Brasiliella) / nova species aus / der Dominikeni- / sche Republick" [handscript blue ink on white label folded in half]; “709” [handprinted black on white]; "Cic. (Brasiella) / dominicana / 291 Mandl" [handscript black letters, red numerals, on white label]. "Brasiella ♂ / dominicana (Mandl) / det.R.E.Acciavatti" [handprinted and typeset black on white label]. [Holotype specimen and its extracted aedeagus both glued to the same card.]

Allotype.

Mandl designated no allotype for this species ( Mandl 1983).

Paratypes.

Specimens! as follows: 1) 4 males and 1 female labeled with the same locality and collection data on the same style label as the holotype; additional labels as “PARATYPUS” [typewritten black on red label] and /or "PARATYPUS / Cic.(Brasiella) / dominicana nov. / Dr.K.Mandl det.1982" [typeset black on red label] and /or "PARATYPUS / Cic. (Brasiella) / dominicana m. / Dr. K. MANDL det. 1980 2" [first three lines handprinted, fourth line typeset except numeral 2 handprinted, first line in red ink, other lines black ink]; "Brasiella / dominicana (Mandl) / det. R.E.Acciavatti" [handprinted and typeset black on white label, ♂ or ♀ symbol added to first line as appropriate]; 2) 1 female labeled with the same locality data as the holotype, but collection date “22,8.1971” [22 August 1971]. [Five paratypes at CMNH each also labeled with a CMNH Unique Number on file].

Type Depositories.

Holotype, paratype (1 male) at NHMW; 5 paratypes (3 males, 2 females) at CMNH; each CMNH specimen with a Unique Number stored in data files at CMNH. Additional paratypes likely deposited at NHMW were not examined, nor were other paratypes known to have been distributed to colleagues elsewhere ( Freitag 1992) after Mandl described this species.

Type Locality.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Peravia Province, Bani, 18°16'51"N, 70°19'28"W at 59 m. Aerial view in Fig. 19B.

Notes on Type Locality.

The coordinates shown above were obtained from Google© and hereby establish the type locality of this species as inferred from the locality data on the types and from the original description. Bani is a town situated on the coastal plain where the Cordillera Central terminate along the southcentral coast of the Dominican Republic. Exactly where the type series for this species originated previously has been uncertain as Mandl did not present a specific locality other than Bani nor have any other specimens of this species been collected subsequent to the original type series. However, refer to the discussion under its Ecology below for circumstantial evidence as to the most likely collection site to help establish the type locality for this species at the coordinates shown above.

Diagnosis.

Distinguished from other Brasiella species on Hispaniola by the following combination of characters: 1) head, pronotum and proepisterna shiny dark copper; 2) elytral pattern complete, markings broad, bold, cream to pale white, contrasting with the darker copper brown and blue green flecked elytral ground color; 3) posterior elytral margins obliquely curved with apices separately rounded and sutural spine distinctly not retracted (more pronounced in females); 4) pronotum slender, narrower than long; 5) head and prontoum shiny dark copper brown contrasting with duller elytral ground color; 6) legs with large testaceous regions, especially the femora of females; 7) male genitalia with a long aedeagus neck and a short apical hook; 8) aedeagus apical spine field forming a long and narrow pad; 9) aedeagus inner sac stylet long, tip slightly bent and evenly tapered to a narrow point; 10) female 5th abdominal sternum with with transverse wrinkles, a wide membranous band at midline along most the sternum, and a large membranous wedge along posterior margin.

Redescription.

General.Figs 7A, 8A. Body. Formelongate; head narrow, eyes prominent, slightly bulging laterally; pronotum slender, narrower than long; elytra broadened distad, apices separately rounded. Size.Males, length 6.0-6.2 mm, width 1.9-2.0 mm; females, length 6.5-6.6 mm, width 2.1-2.2 mm.

Head. Figs 7B, 7D, 8D, 8F. Shiny dark copper brown dorsally and copper blue green ventrally; entire surface glabrous except for two pairs of supraorbital sensory setae. Frons finely and longitudinally rugose. Vertex more coarsely rugose, transverse rugae along anterior margin narrow and irregularly arranged, 15-18 more or less complete longitudinal rugae between eyes and middle where rugae remain parallel or only slightly converge into an arcuate pattern; rugae transition abruptly into a posterior area with a finely and irregularly granulate surface. Eyes prominent in both sexes, slightly bulging laterally, more in male than female. Genae longitudinally rugose. Clypeus finely and irregularly granulate, narrowed mesad. Labrum testaceous with a dark brown margin, subrectangular, width to length ratio 3.5 in holotype male, ratio 2.6 in al lotype female; anterior margin sinuate, prominent at middle, a small bulge on either side of a tiny tooth, sinuation and tooth smaller in male, larger more distinctly sinuate in female; posterior margin distinctly arcuate mesad; medial carina broadly and distinctly raised; 6-8 setae in an irregular row near middle most often symmetrically arranged. Maxillae and labium mainly testaceous, only distal palpal segments dark brown with metallic blue green reflections. Mandibles sexually dimorphic; in male, surface mainly testaceous, only teeth metallic green; in female, surface only testaceous in basal half, apical half and teeth shiny brown; mandibles symmetrical, four teeth distad of molar, apical tooth longest, third and first tooth coequal in length, second tooth shortest; gaps between three intermediate teeth narrow in male, wide in female. Antennae 11 segmented; scape dorsally shiny green, ventrally testaceous with a single subapical sensory seta; antennomeres 2-4 shiny green, glabrous except for a few, short erect setae along their length and distally; antennomeres 5-11 dull brown, sheathed with dense short sensory setae.

Prothorax.Figs 7C, 7D, 8C, 8D. Pronotum shiny, dark copper brown. Proepisterna shiny, dark copper brown, surface wrinkled dorsad. Prosternum shiny green. Pronotum glabrous except for short, decumbent, white setae distributed in several, irregular rows medially directed, originating close to, and lying in a narrow band impinging on lateral suture, in a sparse narrow band transversely and anteriorly oriented within broad anterior margin, and in a sparse narrow band laterally oriented on each side of midline extending nearly to the narrow posterior margin; transverse submarginal sulci distinct, anterior sulcus shallow, posterior sulcus deeper and deepest at posterior angles; transverse rugae within broad anterior margin irregular and shallow, interrupted at middle by an irregularly arranged pattern, within posterior margin more distinctly and deeply engraved especially medially and extending onto midline; surface sculptured by fine, transverse rugae angled on disc and interrupted by a finely engraved longitudinal midline, and more finely and irregularly sculptured elsewhere. Proepisterna glabrous except for white, erect and appressed setae arising from small setigerous punctures scattered over most of the surface in males, only in ventral half in females. Prosternum glabrous, surface smooth.

Pterothorax.Figs 7C, 8C. Mesepisterna glabrous except for appressed setae near ventral margin; female coupling sulcus represented by a small, circular depression medially situated, a distinct groove extends only dorsally from pit, surface smooth below pit. Mesepimeron with sparse appressed setae. Metepisterna with scattered appressed setae, more abundant in male than female. Prosternum and mesosternum glabrous, smooth to slightly wrinkled; metasternum glabrous except for long, dense white appressed setae laterad, surface smooth mesad and coarsely sculpted laterad where setae originate. Scutellum triangular, cupreous.

Legs.Figs 7A, 8B. Segmentstestaceous brown with metallic brown green reflections. Coxae shiny metallic brown green; trochanters shiny testaceous; femora and tibiae testaceous with metallic green reflections anteriorly; tarsomeres dark metallic brown; white, appressed setae on front and middle coxae, and laterally on hind coxae; erect setae and suberect closely spaced in several regular and irregular rows on all femora; setae widely spaced in a few rows on all tibiae; middle tibiae with patch of appressed setae dorsally along distal half; tarsomeres with short scattered setae on ventral surface; distal tarsomeres with two asymmetrical rows each with a few to several small, erect setae; an erect subapical seta present only on front trochanter, absent on middle and hind trochanters; males with dense pad of erect setae ventrally on proximal three tarsal segments; tarsal claws small.

Elytra.Figs 7A, 8A. Form broadened distad and broadest at outer apical angle in both sexes; obliquely curved along posterior margins with apices separately rounded; sutural spine strongly withdrawn from apex (more pronounced in females); posterior margins finely microserrulate. Surface finely granulate, impunctate, numerous small, irregular, shiny green or blue green flecks of various sizes scattered over a dull, dark copper brown background; fully developed elytral pattern of broad, bold markings contrasting with the darker elytral ground color; setigerous punctures with short, erect, transparent setae indistinct in subsutural rows on disc, but distinct at elytral base, and at inner humeral angles, each surrounded by a metallic fleck slightly larger than flecks elsewhere on elytra; surface slightly depressed in humeral area and on disc creating a slight but distinct raised area basally. Elytral markings cream to pale white, bold and distinct, forming a complete pattern consisting of humeral and apical lunules and middle band; humeral lunule complete terminating as a slightly enlarged end on disc in most specimens, slightly broken at posterior end in a few specimens; middle band slightly sinuate, complete in all specimens examined, slightly enlarged near suture and slightly expanded along lateral margin; apical lunule wide, complete and broadened along suture in all specimens examined. Elytral epipleura testaceous except for narrow, metallic green to copper green band along dorsal margin.

Abdomen.Figs 8B, 8E. Surface of 1st-5th sterna shiny black with green reflections, 6th sternum entirely shiny black to black brown; posterior margins of male 3rd-5th sterna and female 3rd-4th sterna narrowly black; posterior margin female 5th sternum broadly black; sterna 3-5 medially smooth with scattered, fine, erect setae in both sexes; male 1st-6th sterna and female 1st-5th sterna laterally covered with dense, scattered, appressed white setae and roughened from setal punctures; male 6th sternum glabrous medially with a broad, deep concave notch; female 5th sternum with moderately raised transverse wrinkles, a wide membranous band at midline extending anteriorly along most of the sternum from a large membranous wedge along posterior margin; female 6th sternum entirely glabrous, posterior margin with a row of 6-10 erect spines and a small lateral gibbosity on each side.

Male Genitalia.Figs 7E, 7F, 7G. Shape narrow near base, uniformly broad in middle half, slim distally with neck long and narrow, apical hook abruptly rounded, tip shortened and acutely angled to aedeagus. Aedeagus inner sac sclerites: stylet tip long and bent; shield rounded distad; large tooth long, broad and pointed at tip with root and large dark fields; arched piece long and thin; spine field within aedeagus neck long and narrow.

Ecology.

As Mandl (1983) was not specific about the exact site where this species was collected, its habitat is uncertain. Nonetheless, the habitat of Brasiella dominicana can be inferred from its association with another tiger beetle, Cicindela (Plectographa) schaefferi W. Horn 1903. Both species were collected by Klapperich on the same dates at Bani based on the information presented in Mandl's publication and specimens examined at CMNH. Cicindela schaefferi occurs at other locations in the Dominican Republic at low elevations in riparian habitats based on specimens collected by Robert L. Davidson deposited at CMNH. Thus, it would appear that Brasiella dominicana also occurs in riparian habitats at low elevations, such as along the Rio Bani. This river originates in the southern end of the Cordillera Central and emerges from these mountains and flows along the eastern edge of Bani where Highway 2 crosses the Rio Bani (Fig. 19B). Additional inference about the collection site for Brasiella dominicana can be made from the better substantiated collection data for Brasiella ocoa , new species, which actually originated from a low elevation site along the southern coast of the Dominican Republic also in association with Cicindela schaefferi (refer to Ecology under that species account). These low elevation coastal plain habitats appear to be unusual for Brasiella species on Hispaniola based on ecological information provided by CMNH entomologist Robert L. Davidson. Davidson, who collected several of the new species of Brasiella described in this revision, reported encountering their adults only in the mountainous regions of Hispaniola. Because Brasiella dominicana occurs in low elevation habitats, it would appear that Brasiella species on Hispaniola actually occupy a wider habitat range than previously thought ( Erwin and Pearson 2008). Adults of the type series of Brasiella dominicana were collected in August and September indicating an adult activity period during the later summer months.

Distribution.

Fig. 22. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Peravia Province, Bani vicinity along Rio Bani. The town of Bani lies in the coastal plain on the southcentral coast of the Dominican Republic. The Rio Bani emerges from the southeastern end of Cordillera Central and flows along the eastern edge of the town. This species likely occurs elsewhere along the Rio Bani further southward toward the coast and northward into the Cordillera Central.

Remarks.

Brasiella dominicana (Mandl) and Brasiella ocoa , new species, are the only species on Hispaniola with an elytral pattern of shiny, white markings with all lunules wide, complete and boldly contrasting with the darker, background color in most specimens examined. Despite this superficial similarity, there seems little doubt that these two species are distinctive based on differences in the form of the sclerites within the aedeagus of males of each species. A comparison of the other morphological characters presented in the key and the descriptions for each species further support their distinctiveness. These two species also appear to be allopatric based on the limited collection data currently available. However, additional collecting may change our understanding of their allopatry. Despite this distinctiveness as separate species and apparent allopatry, it is interesting to note that these two species seem to occupy a similar habitat type along the flood plains of major rivers flowing from the southeastern end of the Cordillera Central in Peravia Province, Dominican Republic. In these flood plain habitats, both species appear to have developed different habitat requirements from other species on Hispaniola. Their limited geographic distributions in close proximity to each other, and their similar requirements for low elevation habitats, may be the result of a common lineage.