Geocharidius zullinii Vigna Taglianti

Sokolov, Igor M. & Kavanaugh, David H., 2014, The integripennis species group of Geocharidius Jeannel, 1963 (Carabidae, Bembidiini, Anillina) from Nuclear Central America: a taxonomic review with notes about biogeography and speciation, ZooKeys 443, pp. 61-118 : 74-75

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Carabidae

Geocharidius zullinii Vigna Taglianti Figs 1B, E, H, 3A, 4 A–B, E–F, 5D, 7E, 8A, 9 A–D, 10A, 11A, 22, 23

Holotype.

A male, dissected, deposited in A. Vigna Taglianti’s private collection [not examined]. Type locality: Mexico, Chiapas, Chiapas Highlands, Comitàn, S of Agostin (Fig. 22, white circle with dot).

Recognition.

Adults of this species (Fig. 8A) are practically indistinguishable from the adults of Geocharidius vignatagliantii , described below, and are distinguished from the latter and from the other members of the integripennis species group by structure of the median lobe and shape of spermatheca.

Description.

The original description provides a thorough accounting of external features of this species and is absolutely sufficient for species characterization. Below, we add references to illustrations of structural features presented here and descriptions of genitalia, which, for females, has not been done previously.

Head, dorsal aspect (Fig. 1B).

Mouthparts. Mandibles (Figs 4 A–B, and 4 E–F). Maxillae and labium (Fig. 5D).

Prothorax. Ventral aspect (Fig. 3A). Pronotum, lateral margin (Fig. 1E).

Elytra. Lateral margin (Fig. 1H).

Legs. Metatibia (Fig. 7E).

Male genitalia. Median lobe (Fig. 9A) with shaft long, slightly widened apically, apex small and rounded. Ventral margin almost straight. Dorsal sclerites of internal sac in form of a long fig, tapered apically to a rather long blade, and abruptly widen basally as a semicircular end fig near basal orifice. Specimens from the northern part of the geographical range demonstrate slightly different shape of dorsal sclerites (Fig. 9D). Right paramere with long and narrow apical constriction (Fig. 9C). Left paramere with moderately long and gradually tapered apical constriction (Fig. 9B). Ring sclerite with handle triangular, narrowly rounded apically (Fig. 10A).

Female internal genitalia. Spermatheca unsclerotized, fusiform, arcuate, with cornu long and subparallel and nodulus short and basally tapered (Fig. 11A). Length of spermathecal gland less than length of spermatheca. Spermathecal duct loosely wavy, but not coiled.

Geographical distribution.

This species is widely distributed across the Chiapas Highlands, State of Chiapas, Mexico (Fig. 22, white circles). We have examined a total of 15 specimens (6 males and 3 females dissected) from the following localities: 4 specimens labeled: MEXICO: Chiapas: Mpio, Huixtán, Guadalupe Shankala, 16°38'N, 92° 25'W, 2350m, 25.VII.2005, R. Anderson, mixed hardwood (no oaks) forest litter MEX 1A05-007 \ SM0701883 KUNHM-ENT \; 2 specimens labeled: MEXICO: Chiapas: Reserva Huitepec, 16°44.686'N, 92°41.312'W, 2600m, 9-VII-2007 M.G.Branstetter ex. winkler, cloud forest leaf litter LLAMA07 MGB629 \ SM0781461 KUNHM-ENT \; 3 specimens labeled: \ MEXICO: Chiapas: Reserva Huitepec, 16°44.686'N, 92°41.312'W, 2600m, 11-VII-2007 J.Longino ex. winkler, under pines, cloud forest edge, leaflitter LLAMA07 JTL6037-s \ SM0786461 KUNHM-ENT \; 3 specimens labeled: \ MEXICO: Chiapas: Reserva Huitepec, 16°44.686'N, 92°41.312'W, 2600m, 11-VII-2007 J.Longino ex. winkler, cloud forest, leaflitter LLAMA07 JTL6036-s \ SM0786461 KUNHM-ENT \; 1 specimen labeled: \ MEXICO: Chiapas, Mpio, San Cristobal de las Casas, Reserva Huitepec, 2450m, 16°45.84'N, 92°40.70'W, 2600m, 11-VII-2003, R. Anderson, cloud forest lit., MEX1A03 108 \ SM0477446 KUNHM-ENT \; 1 specimen labeled: \ MEXICO: Chiapas: 15km E San Cristobal 16. 74689°N, 92.48985°W, 2500m, 29-V-2008, sifted leaf litter, cloud forest LLAMA08 Wm-A-05-1 \ SM0836667 KUNHM-ENT \; 1 specimen labeled: \ MEXICO: Chiapas: Mpio, Huixtán, Bazóm, 2450m, 16°44'19.0"N, 92°29'18.3"W, 9-VII-2003, R. Anderson, oak forest litter, MEX1A03 107 \ SMO517781 KUNHM-ENT \.

Way of life.

Specimens were sifted from litter in a wide range of different forest types (hardwood without oaks, oak, pine and cloud forests) at elevations of 2350-2600 m.

Relationships.

The shape of spermatheca (Fig. 11A) of females suggests that this species is closely related to the sympatric Geocharidius andersoni (Fig. 11C), described above.