Microtonus elongatus Champion, 1889

Johnston, M. Andrew, Warner, William B. & Pollock, Darren A., 2024, New Records and a Checklist of Melandryidae and Tetratomidae Known from Arizona, USA (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea), The Coleopterists Bulletin 78 (1), pp. 53-60 : 54

Microtonus elongatus Champion, 1889 ( Figs. 1A–D )

Microtonus elongatus Champion 1889: 114 , 115.

Literature Records: None.

Digital Records: None.

Specimens Examined : “ USA: Arizona, Cochise Co // Chiricahua Mtns, Barfoot // Park 31.9165, ­109.2803 // 16.VII.2023 K. Grieg ” (1 MAJC); “ USA: Arizona, Cochise Co // Chiricahua Mtns, Barfoot // Park 31.9165, -109.2803 // 16.VII.2023 M.A. JOhnstOn” (1 ASUHIC); “Ariz. Chiricahua // Pk., Chiricahua Mts. // Cochise Co. 9400- // 9650’ 13 Aug 68 || V. Roth // Collector (1 FSCA); “ USA: AZ: Cochise Co. // Chiricahua Mts., Barfoot Park // 31.91714 -109.27866 2515m // 17Aug2021 ex Pseudotsuga me - // nziesii M.&L.Gimmel ML416” (1 SBMNH); “ USA: AZ: Cochise Co. // Chiricahua Mts., Rustler Park // 31.90273 -109.27861 2580m // 17Aug2021 ex Pseudotsuga me - // nziesii M.&L. Gimmel ML417b” (1 SBMNH) .

Notes. This is a new country record for the United States as well as the first record of this genus for Arizona. Microtonus LeConte, 1862 has heretofore been known from the country by a single species in the east, Microtonus sericans LeConte, 1862 ( Figs. 1E, F ). Champion (1889) described six species from Mexico and Guatemala. We have seen no specimens or records of the genus from these regions since the original descriptions. It is unclear whether M. elongatus is truly congeneric with M. sericans . The former does not key out in Pollock (2002): Microtonus sericans goes to couplet 13 on account of the deeply impressed frontoclypeal suture ( Fig. 1E ) whereas M. elongatus has the suture vaguely suggested ( Fig. 1D ). However, the similarity in dorsal habitus and the images provided here are useful for identification and recognition of this genus as presently circumscribed.

Figures

Fig. 1. Microtonus spp., all scale bars = 1 mm. M. elongatus: A) Dorsal habitus, male, B) Ventral habitus, male, C) Dorsal habitus, female, D) Head, showing weakly indicated frontoclypeal suture. M. sericans: E) Head, showing deeply sulcate frontoclypeal suture, F) Dorsal habitus.