Paratenetus fuscus LeConte, 1850

Bousquet, Yves & Bouchard, Patrice, 2014, Review of the species of Paratenetus Spinola inhabiting America, north of Mexico (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae), ZooKeys 415, pp. 23-51 : 29-31

Paratenetus fuscus LeConte, 1850 Figs 6, 11

Paratenetus fuscus LeConte, 1850: 223. Type locality: Lake Superior (inferred from the title of the book).

Paratenetus crinitus Fall, 1907: 253. Type locality: "Trout Spring [New Mexico]" (original citation). syn. n.

Type material.

LeConte’s collection at MCZ contains a single male specimen under the name Paratenetus fuscus . It bears the following labels: "[pale green round disc] / Type 4684 [partially handwritten on a red square label] / P. fuscus Lec. [handwritten]." The specimen is intact.

Fall described Paratenetus crinitus from one specimen now at the MCZ. It bears the following labels: "Trout sp. N.M. May [handwritten] / crinitus. Type [partially handwritten] / M.C.Z Type 24612 [red square label] / H.C. Fall Collection." The specimen is intact.

Note about synonymy.

Fall (1907: 253) described his Paratenetus crinitus and mentioned that "in crinitus the metasternum is almost as short as in fuscus, which species is, however, very distinct by its subinflated elytra, more rounded sides of the prothorax and absence of erect hairs on the upper surface." Obviously Fall did not study the syntype in LeConte’s collection since the specimen bears many erect hairs. LeConte never mentioned that character in his description and obviously Fall misidentified LeConte’s species. We have studied the type specimens of both species and find no structural differences to separate them.

Diagnosis.

This species differs from Paratenetus gibbipennis by the character states listed in the description.

Description.

Same character states as Paratenetus gibbipennis except for the following: slanting setae on elytra less depressed, semierect, occasionally even suberect; erect setae numerous, in seven or eight rows; metaventrite slightly longer, length along midline subequal to slightly shorter than length of abdominal ventrite 2 along midline.

Distribution.

This species ranges from Quebec City to the Rocky Mountains in northeastern British Columbia, north to southern Northwest Territories, south to northern New Mexico, northeastern Kansas, and Maryland (Fig. 11).

Records.

We have seen 305 specimens from the following localities. Canada. Alberta. "Tp. 74, Rge. 25, W. 5 Mer." (CNC). "Tp. 11, Rge. 1, W. 5 Mer." (CNC). Waterton Park (CNC). Calgary (CNC, ENMU, CAS, GHC). Castor (UASM). Edmonton (CUIC, UASM). Stettler (CNC). Cochrane (CNC). 30 km W Cochrane (CNC). Cypress Hills (CNC). Waiparous (CNC). Jumpingpound Creek (CNC). Sundre (CNC). Elkwater (CNC). British Columbia. North Pine (UBC). Pouce Coupe (UBC). Manitoba. "Tp. 9, Rge. 16, W. 1 Mer." (CNC). Aweme (CNC, JBWM, RAM). Brandon (RBCM). Sandilands (JBWM). Birds Hill Prov. Park (ENMU). Husavik (CNC). Northwest Territories. Louise Falls, Hay River (CNC). Simpson (CAS). Ontario. Prince Edward Co. (CNC, USNM). Pelee Island (CNC). Ottawa (CNC). Constance Bay (CMN). Trenton (CNC). Arnprior (CNC). Quebec. Chelsea (CNC). Rigaud (CNC). Sainte-Croix-de-Lotbiniere (LEMM). Cap Rouge (CNC). Saskatchewan. Lac La Ronge (CNC). Morse (RSM). Rosefield (RSM). Oxbow (USNM). United States of America. Colorado. Boulder Co.: Boulder (CNC, USNM). Custer Co. (USNM). Douglas Co.: Castle Rock (CNC). El Paso Co.: Colorado Springs (USNM). Jefferson Co.: Lookout Mountain (CUIC). Connecticut.Fairfield Co.: Westport (AMNH). District of Columbia. “DC” (CNC, USNM). Illinois. "N. Ill." (MCZ). Champaign Co.: Urbana (USNM). Iowa. “Iowa” (MCZ, AMNH). Johnson Co.: Iowa City (USNM, AMNH). Story Co.: Ames (USNM). Kansas. “Ks” (USNM). “Kans” (USNM). Douglas Co.: Lawrence (CNC). Shawnee Co.: Topeka (USNM). Maryland. “Md.” (CNC). Anne Arundel Co.: 6 km ESE Laurel (USNM). Massachusetts. “Mass” (USNM). Essex Co.: Lynn (MCZ, USNM); Salem (USNM). Middlesex Co.: Sherborn (MCZ, USNM); Tyngsboro (MCZ). Norfolk Co.: Brookline (MCZ). Michigan.Marquette Co.: Marquette (USNM). Montana. “Mont.” (CUIC). “Montana” (USNM). Dawson Co.: Glendive (USNM). Powder River Co.: Fort Howes (USNM). Rosebud Co.: Colstrip (USNM). Nebraska. “Neb.” (USNM). Red Willow Co.: McCook (MCZ). New Mexico. "N. Mex." (USNM). San Miguel Co.: Trout Spring (MCZ). New York. “N.Y.” (CUIC, MCZ). Westchester Co.: Peekskill (CUIC). New York Co.: Central Park, L.I. (USNM). North Dakota.Richland Co.: Mirror Pool (USNM). Rhode Island. “R.I.” (USNM). South Dakota.Jackson Co.: Cottonwood (RLAC). Tennessee. “Tenn.” (MCZ). Vermont. “Vt.” (MCZ). Wisconsin. “Wis” (MCZ). Sauk Co.: Spring Green (USNM). Wyoming.Converse Co.: 11 mi N Douglas (CNC). Laramie Co.: Cheyenne (USNM).

Remarks.

Females are a little more common in collections than males. Of 45 randomly selected specimens, 28 (62%) were females and 17 (38%) were males.

Specimens were collected in February (n=1), March (n=30), April (n=58), May (n=8), June (n=40), July (n=7), August (n=19), September (n=14), October (n=5) and November (n=4).