Physodactylus niger Fleutiaux, 1892

Rosa, Simone Policena, 2014, Phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic revision of Physodactylinae (Coleoptera, Elateridae), Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (São Paulo) 54 (18), pp. 217-292 : 273-275

Physodactylus niger Fleutiaux, 1892

( Figs. 26 ; 27 A-B; 33E, N; 35M)

Physodactylus niger Fleutiaux, 1892: 406 , 407;

Schwarz, 1906: 311; Schenkling, 1927: 508;

Fleutiaux, 1940c: 168; Blackwelder, 1944: 292. P. carreti Fleutiaux, 1940c syn. nov. P. carreti var. testaceipennis syn. nov.

Redescription (male, Fig. 35M ): Integument with yellow pilosity and variable color patterns: 1) brown to reddish-black with epipleura lighter; 2) black with pronotum dark reddish-brown; 3) pronotum light yellowish-brown to orange, elytra light brown to dark brown, ventral surface dark brown to black, legs evenly dark mesotarsomeres I smaller than the others, absent on brown to black or with dorsal margin of tibiae lighter; metatarsomere I. Elytra tapering apicad from base or epipleura light brown; 4) same as the former but with its half length, striae ( Fig. 26N ) with a row of punclateral carina and pronotal anterior and posterior mar- tures, punctures of apical striae larger than those of gins black, some specimens also with a black median the lateral pronotal border; interstices slightly convex, longitudinal strip; 5) head reddish-black, pronotum, sparsely punctate. Abdominal ventrites weakly convex elytra and epipleura light yellowish-brown, ventral with setae short and decumbent on ventrites 2-4, half surface and legs darker; 6) same as the former but with shorter, very fine and sparser on ventrite 1. Pregenitaventral surface, legs and scutellum black; 7) same as lic segments and aedeagus covered with yellow setae. the former but with pronotal borders black. Antenna Sternite VIII with posterior margin straight or slightly evenly dark brown, scutellum usually with the same emarginate medially, anterior sclerotization curved or color as elytra, sometimes with borders darker. Total bisinuous 0.47-0.85x the total width of sternite; sterlength 8.0-15.0 mm; elytral base 0.97-1.03x as wide nite IX with apex rounded.

as prothorax, elytra 2.73-3.10x longer than pronotum.

Frons ( Figs. 26 C-E) flattened with a weakly to strong- Aedeagus ( Figs. 27A, B ): Phallobase 0.41-0.49x the toly produced transverse protuberance between antennal tal length of aedeagus, 1.27-1.65x longer than wide, insertions, less prominent medially; frontal carina pro- length ratio between lateroposterior and median parts duced anteriorly; antenna ( Fig. 26A ) nearly reaching 5.7-10.7; paramere with ventral surface partly memto surpassing by one antennomere the half length of branous, except for the lateral half and the anterior pronotum; antennomere IV 1.1-1.2x wider than long, margin sclerotized; anteromedian sclerotized mar- V-VIII 1.5-1.6x wider than long; IX-X 1.2-1.3x wider gin usually contiguous and arch-shaped; penis with than long; XI oval 1.4-1.5x longer than wide. Prono- basal strut 0.23-0.27x its total length, articulated to tum ( Fig. 26F ) 1.10-1.29x wider than long, lateral the parameres by a sclerotized process; ventral sclerite sides rounded from posterior angles to anterior mar- parallel-sided.

gin, strongly narrowed on anterior angle, anteromedian margin strongly produced ( Fig. 26H ); posterior Holotype: [Saint Paul], [ Physodactylus niger, Fleut., J angles elongate, convex, parallel to convergent; lateral Type, Brèsil], [Fleut. Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1892, p. 407, carina prominent, nearly entirely visible dorsally, reach- t. 8, f. 3, Collection FLEUTIAUX], [niger], [Physoing or nearly reaching the anterior margin ( Fig. 26I ); dactylus Oberthuri Fleut . comparé ou type, 1940, disc with punctures umbilicate, 1-2 or 2-4 diameters Collection FLEUTIAUX] [type], [nig. J (terminalia apart, usually irregularly distributed, larger and denser and aedeagus attached)] [Museum Paris, Coll. E. Fleuon lateral and anterior borders; prosternal process with tiaux], [ Physodactylus niger Fleut., J. Chassain det. subapical tooth ( Figs. 26G, H ). Lamellae of pro- and 05], [Holotype], male (MNHN).

Material examined: Without locality: 2 exs. ( MNHN); BRAZIL. Holotype of P. carreti syn. nov. ( MNHN). Minas Gerais: 2 exs. ( MNHN). São Paulo: 3 exs. ( MNHN), 61 exs. ( MZUSP), 3 exs. ( CNC), 1 ex. ( IBSP). Goiás: 1 ex. ( MNHN), 3 exs. ( MZUSP). Mato Grosso do Sul: 2 exs. ( MZUSP), 2 exs. ( UNESP-IS).

Distribution: BRAZIL. Goiás: Jataí, Rio Verde; Mato Grosso do Sul: Três Lagoas, Selvíria; Minas Gerais: Uberaba; São Paulo: Ribeirão Preto, Mogi Guaçu, Araras, Orlândia, Sud Menucci, Pradópolis, São José do Rio Preto, Pirassununga, Assis, Magda, Piracicaba, Guatapará, Batatais.

Remarks: Fleutiaux (1892) described Physodactylus niger as similar to P. oberthuri and distinguished it by its smaller size, the black, narrower and less convex body, the pronotum more strongly punctate with anterior margin more widely rounded. In 1940, Fleutiaux considered these features insufficient to separate those species and synonymized P. niger under P. oberthuri . The analysis of a larger series of specimens revealed that P. niger is a valid species that exhibit polymorphisms in color pattern, size and punctation among specimens from same region. Nevertheless, this species can be distinguished from other Physodactylus species by the following combination of characters: general pilosity yellow, frons with a transverse protuberance, frontal carina produced anteriorly; prothorax strongly and abruptly narrowed anteriorly with lateral carina prominent, pronotal anteromedian margin produced over head, pronotal punctation heterogeneously distributed; lamella of mesotarsomere I absent; abdominal ventrites weakly convex, ventrite 1 with setae fine, half shorter and sparser them those of ventrite 2, ventrites 2-4 evenly pilose. Physodactylus niger can be promptly distinguished from P. oberthuri by its larger and denser pronotal punctation, yellow pilosity and convex abdomen (brown pilosity and laterally concave abdomen in P. oberthuri ).

The holotype of Physodactylus carreti syn. nov. has color pattern 3, punctation 1-2 diameters apart on pronotal disc and antenna nearly reaching the base of pronotum; its aedeagus has the apex broken but does not present any consistent difference from those of other P. niger specimens. The type of P. carreti var. testaceipennis syn. nov. has the color pattern 6, pronotal punctation more sparsely distributed (2-4 diameters apart on pronotal disc). Specimens collected at Ribeirão Preto and Mogi Guaçu exhibit all color patterns. The specimens from Sud Menucci and São José do Rio Preto are the smallest, while those from Rio Verde, Jataí and Três Lagoas are the largest, representing the extreme sizes of a morphocline in body length. The specimens from Três Lagoas have the anteromedian sclerotized margin of parameres more widely separate. Some specimens from other localities also present this margin separate in variable width.

Figures

FIGURE 26: Physodactylus niger. A, antenna; B, maxilla; C, D, E, head (dorsal, anterior, lateral); F, G, H, prothorax (dorsal, ventral, lateral); I, hypomeron and pronotum; J, mesoventrite; K, L, mesoventrite and pleural sclerites (lateral, lateroventral); M, scutellar shield; N, O, P, pro-, meso- and metatibia; Q, hind wing; R, pterothorax and abdominal tergite I (dorsal).

FIGURE 27: Physodactylus niger. A, B, aedeagus (dorsal, ventral). Physodactylus oberthuri. C, D, aedeagus (dorsal, ventral).

FIGURE 35: Habitus. A, Physodactylus brasiliensis (12.8 mm); B, P. brunneus sp. nov. (9.0 mm); C, P. chassaini sp. nov. (11.5 mm); D, P. costae (12.0 mm); E, P. fischeri (17.0 mm); F, P. flavifrons sp. nov. (10.0 mm); G, P. fleutiauxi (15.0 mm); H, P. foveatostriatus (12.0 mm); I, P. girardi sp. nov. (9.0 mm); J, P. gounellei sp. nov. (10.5 mm); K, P. henningi (15.0 mm); L, P. latithorax sp. nov. (18.0 mm); M, P. niger (11.0 mm); N, P. oberthuri (12.5 mm); O, P. patens sp. nov. (17.0 mm); P,P. pujoli (12.0 mm); Q, P. sulcatus (9.0 mm); R, P. tuberculatus sp. nov. (12.0 mm). A-D, F-J, L-R = holotypes.