Pocadius brevis Reitter, 1873

Cline, Andrew R., 2008, Revision of the sap beetle genus Pocadius Erichson, 1843 (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Nitidulinae, Zootaxa 1799 (1), pp. 1-120 : 41-42

Pocadius brevis Reitter, 1873

(Figs. 7, 48, 90, 133, 176, 216)

Specimens examined. 27 specimens: Baños de Ciego, Montero, Santa Clara , Cuba, 14-IV-1918 / beetles collected from inside puffball (20 specimens USNM, 4 specimens ARCC) . 1 ( USNM): Cayamas, Cuba. 1 ( WIBF): CUBA: Pinar del Rio, Sierra del Rosario, ca. 15km S. Cinco Pesos Range 1, 29 June 1990, 420m, M.A. Ivie colr . 27 specimens: Soledad, CUBA / (Cinefuegos) / V, VI 1939 / Parsons ( MCZ) .

Diagnosis. Differs from rest of New World fauna by: light brown to light brown-red with antennal segments 3–11 dark; mentum much wider than long with no prominent anterio-lateral angles; median lobe markedly narrowed apically; tegmen with incomplete inner row of setae; ejaculatory rods slender and nearly approximate basally; spiculum gastrale greatly expanded laterally with setae projecting apically.

Description. Length 3.9mm, Width 2.2mm, Depth 1.5mm. Body moderately convex, shining, light brownish red with antennal segments 3–9 dark, light gold pubescence, pronotal and elytral fimbriae short and sparsely distributed.

Head surface densely irregularly punctate with small and large punctures, some large punctures with surface microreticulate, interspaces smooth to alutaceous, 0.25–0.5 diameter apart. Large punctures 4–5X eye facet diameter, small punctures 0.5 diameter of large puncture. Pronotal surface with large and small punctures similar to corresponding large and small punctures on head; interspaces 0.25–0.5 diameter apart, smooth to alutaceous. Scutellar surface faintly punctate, punctures similar to smaller punctures on pronotum, interspaces rugose, separated by 0.5 diameter. Eytral surface with large serial punctures 1.5X diameter of larger punctures on head, giving rise to decumbent setae. Serial small punctures 0.25–0.33X diameter of large punctures, giving rise to semierect setae; interspaces smooth to alutaceous, large punctures separated by 0.5 diameter, small punctures separated by 1–2 diameters. Large rows separated by 2–2.5 diameters. Pygidium densely irregularly punctate, punctures equal to small punctures on elytra, interspaces rugose with microreticulation, punctures separated by 0.5 diameter.

Venter with shorter pubescence than dorsum. Mentum with few punctures near anterior margin, punctures similar to small punctures on pronotum, interspaces smooth to alutaceous, punctures 0.5–1 diameter apart. Prosternum and epimeron faintly impressed with moderate sized punctures, 2X larger than those on mentum; interspaces alutaceous with microreticulation, 1 diameter apart. Mesosternal punctures aggregated near posterior margin, interspaces and anterior portion of mesoventrite alutaceous to rugose. Metasternal disc with moderate sized punctures equal to those on prosternum, interspaces alutaceous to rugose. Abdominal sternite 1 with faint punctures, equal to those on metaventrite, interspaces alutaceous to rugose, separated by 1–2 diameters, most located in anterior 0.5. Hypopygidium densely deeply punctate, equal to those on metaventrite, interspaces rugose with faint microreticulation, separated by 0.25–0.5 diameter.

Head wider than long (W:L = 1.5:1). Antennal club compact, ovate, slightly asymmetrical with terminal antennomere subequal to segments 9–10 combined, club 0.85 length of antennomeres 1–8 combined. Terminal antennomere with distinct hemispherical depressed region midway to apex. Antennomeres 6–8 disc-like, 6 more trapezoidal than 7 and 8. Antennal scape asymmetrical, broadly hemispherical, slightly longer than pedicel. Pedicel similar in shape as scape but thinner. Antennal segment 3 narrowed proximally, 0.75 length of pedicel,. Segments 4–5 more or less globular, combined 0.75 length of segment 3. Elevated region of mentum hemispherical, slightly convex in lateral view.

Pronotum widest near middle (L:W = 1:1.9). Anterior margin deeply trapezoidal, lateral margin more arcuate anteriorly than posteriorly. Prosternal process with posterior face well-developed and perpendicular. Mesoventrite extending to anterior 0.33 of mesocoxae with indentate posterior margin. Mesepisternum 2.4X wider than mesepimeron. Metaventrite wider than long (W:L = 2.5:1). Metepisternum broad, moderately concave medially, anterior 0.33 strongly produced anteriomedially with axillary space 0.2 length of metepisternum, impunctate, granular with microreticulation. First abdominal sternite with broadly rounded process between metacoxae, 2.5X longer than sternite 2. Sternites 2–4 subequal. Hypopygidium subequal sternite 1.

Protibia with apical tooth as long as tarsomere 1 and half of 2 combined. Outer apical notch without distinct angle. Inner apical spine subequal to tarsomere 1. Mesotibia armed with slender spines along lateral edge, spines 0.5 length of lateral setae. Outer apical process not robust, 0.5 length of inner apical spine. Inner apical spine equal to tarsomeres 1 and half of 2 combined. Metatibia more heavily armed than mesotibia, lateral spines more elongate and numerous. Outer apical process more elongate and robust than mesotibia, subequal to inner apical spine. Inner apical spine equal to tarsomeres 1–2 combined.

Male genitalia well sclerotized. Anal sclerite with apical fimbriae elongate (Fig. 7). Spiculum gastrale with well-pronounced medial regions (Fig. 48), lateral region hemispherical and moderately explanate, apical border rounded with>10 setae. Tegmen evenly rounded (Fig. 90), longer than wide (w:l = 1:2.2), lateral row of setae present anterior to median fossa, not attaining apex, inner row present but incomplete. Median lobe moderately large, 0.5 length of tegmen, narrowed apically, apical opening not well-developed (Fig. 133). Ejaculatory rods not fused (Fig. 176).

Female genitalia moderately sclerotized. Gonocoxites with sclerotized basal border with two lateral prominences. Gonocoxal apices moderately separated with intragonocoxal invagination narrowly rounded at base, gonocoxal tips rounded at apex without recurved “tooth”, apical pits giving rise to 2 short seta (Fig. 216).

Variation. None observed.

Seasonality/Habitat. Collected between April and June.

Distribution. Found throughout most of Cuba.

Notes. Host listed as “inside puffball”.