Ceracis pullulus ( Casey, 1898 )

Souza-Gonçalves, Igor & Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano, 2024, Ceracis luci sp. nov., the first Ciidae species (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) from the Caatinga biome, Zootaxa 5512 (1), pp. 67-79 : 72-76

Ceracis pullulus ( Casey, 1898)

Fig. 5A–D ; Fig. 6A–H ; Fig. 7A–C ; Fig. 8

Ennearthron pullulum Casey 1898: 90 ; Lawrence 1967: 121 (transference to Ceracis Mellié, 1849 ). Type locality: Florida: United States of America (no specific locality).

Complementary description. Male terminalia ( Fig. 6E–H ): sternite VIII ( Fig. 6E ) apical edge slightly emarginate, with short setae at middle and long setae at broadly rounded corners; lateral edges diverging; anterior edge slightly sinuous. Tegmen ( Fig. 6G ) 1.7x as long as wide, widest near apex, apical portion deeply, broadly emarginate; lateral edges diverging to apex from basal half, slightly angulate near apex; basolateral edge wide ( Fig. 7 , red arrows); basal portion rounded. Basal piece ( Fig. 6F ) semicircular, 0.6x as long as wide. Penis ( Fig. 6H ) elongate, 0.7x as long as tegmen, 2.4x as long as wide; lateral edges subparallel-sided, converging to apical third; basal portion with two sclerotized struts at lateral edges ( Fig. 6H , black arrows).

Female terminalia ( Fig. 7B–C ): spiculum ventrale ( Fig. 7B ) 1.36x as long as ovipositor ( Fig. 7C , distorted after compression between slide and cover slip); ovipositor as long as wide; paraprocts ( Fig. 7C ), 1.12x as long as gonocoxites; each baculus of paraprocts bowed and completely fused to respective proctigeral baculus ( Fig. 7C ); gonocoxites ( Fig. 7C ) 0.48x as long as their combined widths, each with broadly subacute apex, with two ventral lobes; each gonostylus ( Fig. 7C ) 0.16x as long as respective gonocoxite, 1.89x as long as wide.

Material examined. 1 ♂ and 1 ♀ ( CELC) \ Highlands Hammock St. Pk. Highlands Co Florida June 24, 1965 \ J. F. Lawrence Lot 1501\, one additionally labeled \ex Polyporus licnoides \ and the other \ex Polyporus gilvus \, respectively ; 2 ♂♂ ( CELC) \ Cerro Dona Juana Ponce , F. R. Dec. 28, 1966 \ J. F. Lawrence Lot. 1927 \ S. Peck collector \ ex Polyporus gilvus \; 1 ♂ ( CELC) \ Cinnamon Bay , St. John VIRGIN IS. Feb. 20, 1969 \ J. F. Lawrence Lot. 2693 \ H. E. Evans collector \ Polyporus hydnoides \; 1 ♂ ( CELC) \ 4 mi. SE Lake Placid Highlands County Florida June 24, 1965 \ J. F. Lawrence Lot 1495 \ ex Ganoderma zonatum \; 2 ♂♂ ( CELC) \ MEX. Tamps , 1000m Gomez Farias Rancho del Cielo 6. VI.2983 S. & J. Peck \ berlese coundforest litter \; 3 ♂♂ ( CELC) \ ECUAD: Pichincha Rio Palenque , 47 Km. S Sto. Domingo July 20–30, 1975 \ J. F. Lawrence Lot No. 4072 \ A. Forsyth S. & J. Peck collectors \ Phellinus licnoides \; 1 ♂ ( CELC; completely dissected and stored in glycerin) \ Chipola Park , Dead Lake, Calhoun Co. FLA. VI-20-65 \ J. F. Lawrence Lot 1472 \ ex Polyporus gilvus \; 1 ♀ ( CELC; completely dissected and stored in glycerin) \ Florida Caverns St. Pk., Jackson Co., FLA IX–6–68 \ J. F. Lawrence Lot. 2674 S. Peck collector \ ex Polyporus gilvus \.

Host fungi. Based on Lawrence (1967, 1971, 1973): Cerrena hydnoides (Sw.) Zmitr. ( Cerrenaceae ), two records; Fuscoporia gilva (Schwein.) T. Wagner & M. Fisch. ( Hymenochaetaceae ), 20 records, eight being breeding records; Fuscoporia licnoides (Mont.) Oliveira-Filho & Gibertoni ( Hymenochaetaceae ), seven records, six being breeding records; Ganoderma zonatum Murrill ( Polyporaceae ), four records, two being breeding records; Hymenochaete iodine (Mont.) Baltazar & Gilbertoni ( Hymenochaetaceae ), two records, one being breeding record; Inocutis porrecta (Murrill) Baltazar ( Hymenochaetaceae ), four breeding records; Inonotus sp. , one record; Melanoporia nigra (Berk.) Murrill ( Nigrofomitaceae ), one breeding record; Nigroporus vinosus (Berk.) Murrill ( Steccherinaceae ), one record; Phylloporia chrysites (Berk.) Ryvarden ( Hymenochaetaceae ), one breeding record).

Distribution. Known from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee ( United States of America), and Saint John ( United States Virgin Islands) in areas dominated by Subtropical Evergreen Forests; Republic of Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico in areas dominated by Tropical Moist Forests; Tamaulipas ( Mexico) in area dominated by Tropical Deciduous Forest; and Pichincha Province ( Ecuador) in area dominated by Humid Moist Forest, the last two being new geographic distribution records for the species ( Fig. 8 ).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Ceracis pullulus (Casey, 1898), male (A–D) from Highlands Hammock State Park (Florida, United States of America): A. Dorsal view. B. Lateral view. C. Ventral view. D. Scutellar shield and part of the pronotum and elytra. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A–C); 0.2 mm (D).

FIGURE 6. Ceracis pullulus (Casey, 1898), antenna, tibiae, and aedeagus of a male (A–I) from Dead Lakes State Recreation Area (Florida, United States of America): A. Left antenna. B. Left protibia. C. Left mesotibia. D. Left metatibia. E. Sternite VIII. F. Basal piece. G. Tegmen, note the wide basolateral edges (red arrows). H. Penis, note basal portion with two sclerotized struts at lateral edges (black arrows). Scale bar: 0.05 mm (A–H).

FIGURE 7. Ceracis pullulus (Casey, 1898), female (A) from Highlands Hammock State Park (Florida, United States of America) and terminalia from another female (B–C) from Florida Caverns State Park (Florida, United States of America): A. Dorsal view. B. Spiculum ventrale (sv) at anterior portion of sternite VIII. C. Ovipositor, showing gonostyli (gs), gonocoxites (gc), and paraprocts plus proctiger (pp + pt). Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A); 0.05 mm (B–C).

FIGURE 8. Known geographic distributions of Ceracis luci sp. nov. (white circle) and Ceracis pullulus (Casey, 1898) (red circle).