Eusphalerum luteipes Zanetti, 2014

Zanetti, Adriano, 2014, Taxonomic revision of North American Eusphalerum Kraatz, 1857 (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Omaliinae), Insecta Mundi 2014 (379), pp. 1-80 : 37-38

Eusphalerum luteipes Zanetti n. sp.

Material examined (6 specimens)

Holotype m 2 paratypes mm 2 paratypes ff California Ventura Co Murietta Trail LPNF 34.5009 oN 119.3899 oW 26.03.2006 leg. Caterino (SBMNH, 1 paratype cZan).

Other paratypes. USA. California 1 m 1 f (FMNH) [identified as A. lutipes Casey (recent label), manuscript name]. Doubtful identification: 2 ff G.P. Mackenzie, Mt. Wilson 2.05.1942 (FMNH).

Measurements. Head length: 0.20-0.24; head width: 0.46-0.49; pronotal length: 0.38-0.44; pronotal width: 0.59-0.64; elytral length: 0.79-0.88; elytral width: 0.75-0.81; length (clypeus to apex of elytra): 1.38-1.51; total length: 1.7-2.1.

Etymology. The name means with yellow legs (luteus = golden yellow, pes = foot in Latin). It is reported as “ lutipes ” (manuscript name of Casey) on a label of an ancient specimen (FMNH), and it has been maintained, though with a spelling correction.

Description. Habitus as in Fig. 109. Head, pronotum and elytra brown; abdomen dark brown; ventral thoracic surface dark brown; legs yellowish; antennae yellowish, darkened from antennomere 7, or entirely yellowish.

Head with prominent eyes, postocular carina evident, temples strongly convergent caudad in straight line, medial margin of eyes with microsculpture tending to form longitudinal wrinkles. Surface of head scarcely impressed, postantennal depressions and tentorial pits superficial, confluent in 2 longitudinal depressed areas. Neck not separated from the head. Punctation rather dense and strong, ground glossy almost without superficial microsculpture on the disc. Antennae rather long, antennomere 1 and 2 ovoid elongate, 3 twice as long as wide, 4-6 longer than wide, 7 subquadrate, 8-10 transverse, 11 twice as long as wide, conical at apex.

Pronotum transverse (ratio width/length = 1.5 on average), convex, widest in the middle, anterior margin slightly shorter than posterior, lateral margins strongly rounded, posterior angles obtuse and scarcely marked. Punctation dense and incised and superficial on glossy ground with very superficial microsculpture, pubescence very short scarcely visible, depressions near posterior angles superficial, extending in front of middle of lateral margins.

Elytra scarcely elongate (ratio length from scutellum to apex / combined width of elytra = 1.0), scarcely widened towards apex, punctation coarse and dense, somewhat confluent on glossy ground, pubescence very scarcely visible.

Abdomen rather glossy, microsculpture superficial, pubescence decumbent.

Male with widened mesofemora and mesotibiae curved and sunken in apical half, widened in an acute internal tip (Fig. 113), tarsomere 5 of posterior tarsi longer than 1-4 together.

Aedeagus as in Fig. 110.

Accessory sclerites of female reduced (Fig. 111), scarcely visible, spermatheca as in Fig. 112.

Comparative notes. The small size, entirely dark color, presence of postocular carina (though not marked), absence of pronotal microsculpture, and especially shape of male middle tibiae are distinctive. Eusphalerum luteipes is similar to E. caterinoi , but in the latter the male middle tibiae are unmodified, the pronotum is distinctly microsculptured, and the aedeagus is different ( Fig. 103 vs. 110) in shorter parameres with less numerous setae and in internal structures.

Distribution. UNITED STATES: California (southern) (Map 8).

Natural history. The types were collected at low altitude, in a chaparral habitat, early in spring (March).

Figures

Figures 93-108. Eusphalerum chatzimanolisi.93) Habitus (male).94) Aedeagus.95) Male sternite VII.E. rugulosum. 96) Habitus (male). 97) Habitus (female). 98) Aedeagus. 99) Head and pronotum. 100) Female accessory sclerites. 101) Spermatheca. E. caterinoi. 102) Habitus (male); 103) Aedeagus. 104) Female accessory sclerites. 105) Spermatheca. 106) Sternite VIII of male. 107) Sternite of male genital segment. 108) Apex of abdomen, ventral view. Scale of photos = 1 mm, scale A (Fig. 94, 95, 98, 100, 103, 104, 106, 107) = 0.3 mm; scale B (Fig. 101, 105) = 0.1 mm, scale D (Fig. 99) = 1 mm; scale H (Fig. 108) = 0.1 mm.