Elytroleptus limpianus Skiles & Chemsak, 1982

GRZYMALA, TRACI L. & MILLER, KELLY B., 2013, Taxonomic Revision and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Genus Elytroleptus Dugés (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Trachyderini), Zootaxa 3659 (1), pp. 1-62 : 33-34

Elytroleptus limpianus Skiles & Chemsak, 1982

(Figs. 11, 36)

Elytroleptus limpianus Skiles & Chemsak, 1982: 67 ; Chemsak et al., 1992: 83; Monné & Giesbert, 1995: 148; Monné & Hovore, 2006: 143.

Type locality. United States, Texas, Davis Mountain Range, Limpia Canyon .

Type information. Holotype. Elytroleptus limpianus ( CASC, ♂) labeled: ‘ Limpia Cyn Davis Mtns D. Skiles Tex VII-6, 1979 / HOLOTYPE Elytroleptus limpianus Skiles & Chemsak / California Academy of Sciences Type No. 13678 ’. Allotype. Elytroleptus limpianus ( CASC, ♀) labeled: ‘ Limpia Cyn Davis Mtns D. Skiles Tex VII-5, 1979 / ALLOTYPE Elytroleptus limpianus Skiles & Chemsak’

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from all other species of Elytroleptus by the following combination of characters: 1) elytra laterally expanded apically, greatest width>1.5 × humeral angle width, 2) abdominal sternites piceous, 3) central pronotal disc rufo-testaceous, and 4) elytron with punctation moderate in diameter, 5–6 punctures between suture and costa I medially. This species most closely resembles E. rufipennis and can be distinguished by the rufo-testaceous scutellar integument and the medial pronotal disc integument rufotestaceous or testaceous, not black. From E. ignitus , it is distinguished by the piceous abdominal sternites and piceous metasternum instead of testaceous, and metathoracic wings entirely darkly tinted instead of having the basal areas lightly tinted. From E. apicalis , it is separated by the piceous abdominal sternites instead of testaceous and moderately sized elytral punctation (5–6 punctures medially between suture and costa I instead of 7–10 punctures).

Description. Male. TL 9.7–12.7 mm, GW 3.5–4.8 mm. Body elongate, laterally expanded apically from humeri, dorsoventrally flattened.

Head. HL 0.6–0.9 mm, HW 1.5–1.8 mm, DBE 0.9–1.2 mm, DBA 0.6–0.8 mm. Rufo-testaceous, except apices of mandibles piceous. Finely punctate with short to long, sparse, suberect to erect testaceous pubescence; shorter, appressed and more dense on vertex; gular region glabrous; rugose posterior to lower eye lobe. Antennal tubercles moderately raised, subtriangular, and separated by approximate width of four antennal sockets. Genal apices generally rounded, width about ½ × height. Eyes moderately large, finely faceted, lower lobe with about 25 facets at greatest height; integument ventral to lower lobe about 0.3 × eye height; deeply emarginate, with 3–4 facets at greatest emargination point. Antennae piceous; extending to approximately 2/5 elytral length, scape and antennomere V subequal, pedicel about 1/3 × scape length; antennomeres III and IV subequal, each 3 × length of pedicel; antennomeres V–VIII decreasing in length; antennomeres VIII and IX subequal; antennomere X shorter than IX; antennomere XI subequal to VI, strongly appendiculate.

Thorax. PL 1.6–2.0 mm, PW 1.8–2.2 mm. Pronotum testaceous to rufo-testaceous, width slightly greater than length, apical width subequal to basal width, lateral margins subangulate, widest medially. Central pronotal disc shining, punctate, with short, erect, rufo-testaceous pubescence arising from punctation, becoming black basally towards scutellum; laterad to center, two (one on each side) distinct longitudinal, arcuate lines of dense, appressed, rufo-testaceous pubescence overlying slightly raised integument, each of similar width throughout and occupying ¼ of pronotal disc area; punctation on shining areas deep, individual punctures small and varying in diameter and shape, majority strongly delimited; oval, more densely punctate areas dorsad of lateral margins indicative of sexually dimorphic gland pores; pronotal disc flat to slightly convex; sides impressed in dorsal aspect, margin apparently elevated, calli absent. Pro- and mesosternum testaceous to rufo-testaceous, shining, with sparse, suberect to erect testaceous setae. Metasternum dark brown to black, shining, with sparse, suberect to erect black pubescence. Scutellum rufo-testaceous, small, subtriangular, length subequal to width, medially impressed, with short, moderately dense, recumbent black pubescence. costae; from suture, costa I arising from anterior margin and extending to 3/5 elytral length, costa II arising from anterior margin and extending to 4/5 elytral length, costa III more indistinct than others and extending from about 2/5 posterior of middle of anterior margin to 4/5 elytral length, costa IV arising from humeral angle and extending to 4/5 elytral length; elytron with distinct but shallow punctation, 5–7 punctures medially between suture and costa I, increasingly shallower apically, decreasing in diameter basally between scutellar apex and costa I; elytron with moderate, short, suberect, rufo-testaceous pubescence, one seta per puncture, outer elytral margins with pubescence more dense. Metathoracic wing completely darkly tinted.

Abdominal Sternites. Piceous, shining; finely punctate, covered in sparse, short, suberect, black pubescence. Legs: Rufo-testaceous except tarsi piceous. Protibia, mesofemora, mesotibia, metafemora, and metatibia with black pubescence. Metatibia straight, not strongly sinuate. Genitalia. Sternite VIII sides gradually tapering towards apex, lacking sinuate areas, often with slight concavity medially. Tergite VIII gradually tapering towards apex, lacking sinuate areas, often with slight concavity medially.

Female. TL 11.0– 12.6 mm, GW 4.1–5.1 mm, HL 0.8–1.0 mm, HW 1.6–1.7 mm, DBE 1.0– 1.1 mm, DBA 0.7– 0.8 mm, PL 1.6–1.9 mm, PW 2.0– 2.4 mm, EL 8.6–9.7 mm. As male, except antennae extending to 1/5 elytral length; antennomeres V–XI less strongly serrate; antennomere XI less strongly appendiculate. Pronotum lacking sexually dimorphic densely punctate oval area dorsad of lateral margin.

Intraspecific variation. Antennomeres I–IV rufo-testaceous basally, black apically, antennomeres V–XI black. Several male specimens with integument black on densely punctate sexually dimorphic areas.

Phylogenetic relationship. This species is sister to the clade composed of the taxa E. rufipennis , E. nigripennis , and E. quadricostatus supported by the homoplasious character of the integument below the lower eye lobe in lateral view less than 0.3 × height of the lower eye lobe (Character 1) ( Figs. 31 , 32 ).

Distribution. Southwestern USA (Texas) ( Fig. 36 ).

Natural history. Elytroleptus limpianus is one of three Elytroleptus species known to be predaceous on lycid beetles. The interactions for this species are not as well studied as those for E. apicalis and E. ignitus , but the proposed lycid model is Lycus simulans (Schaeffer) ( Coleoptera : Lycidae ), upon which it has been seen feeding. Flight period June and July. Individuals have been collected on flowers and foliage in the families Fagaceae ( Quercus grisea Liebm. ), and Rhamnaceae ( Ceanothus sp. , Condalia ericoides (A. Gray) M.C. Johnst. ).

Material examined. USA, Texas: Jeff Davis Co., Fort Davis , 1 ♀, 24.vi.1999, Nelson, G.H. ( FSCA) ; Davis Mtns., 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 14.vi.1958, 3.vii.1955, Knull, D.J. & J.N. ( FMNH) ; 1 ♂, 24.vi.1999, Nelson, G.H. ( FSCA) ; Limpia Canyon, 2 ♂, 6.vii.1991, Marqua, D.G. ( TAMU) ; 1 ♂, 4.vii.1999, Heffern, D.J. ( DHPC) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 6.vii.1979, Skiles, D. ( EMEC) ; 2 ♂, 3.vii.1999, Wappes, J.E. ( ACMT) .

Figures

FIGURE 31. Three of six most parsimonious trees retrieved from phylogenetic analysis of Elytroleptus (L = 59, CI = 50, RI = 75). Numbers above branches are characters and numbers below branches are character states. Characters are optimized for

FIGURE 32. Strict consensus for six most parsimonious cladograms resulting from cladistic analysis of Elytroleptus. Numbers above branches are Bremer support values.

FIGURE 36. Distribution map for Elytroleptus immaculipennis, Elytroleptus limpianus, and Elytroleptus luteus.