Sapintus oceanicus ( La Ferté-Sénectère, 1849a )

Telnov, Dmitry, 2024, Contribution to the knowledge of the Anthicidae Latreille, 1819 (Coleoptera) of the Solomon Archipelago with notes on some Indo-Pacific Sapintus Casey, 1895, Zootaxa 5507 (1), pp. 79-103 : 80-87

Sapintus oceanicus ( La Ferté-Sénectère, 1849a) ( Figs 1‒5 )

= Anthicus oceanicus La Ferté-Sénectère, 1849b [repetitive description]

= Anthicus rectifasciatus Lea, 1896 syn. nov. ( Fig. 1C )

= Sapintus vexator ( Werner, 1965) syn. nov. ( Figs 2A , 3A‒B & E , 4A , 5A, D & F )

La Ferté-Sénectère (1849a: 70), as Anthicus Oceanicus ; La Ferté-Sénectère (1849b: 170), as Anthicus Oceanicus , second, identical description; Lea (1896: 271), as Anthicus rectifasciatus; Werner (1965: 264) , as Anthicus vexator ; Telnov (2014: 312, 316), redescription, distribution (as for S. vexator ).

Type material examined S. oceanicus . Lectotype [designated herewith, not sexed] MNHN ( Fig. 1A‒B ): [circular pink label with no text] // Museum Paris Taïti M. Vesco 1845 [printed] // SYNTYPE [printed, label red] // SYNTYPE Sapintus oceanicus (La Ferté-Sénectère, 1849) [printed] // MNHN, Paris EC 30484 [printed, supplemented with a QR code] ; Paralectotype 1♀ MNHN: [circular pink label with no text] // Museum Paris Taïti M. Vesco 1845 [printed] // SYNTYPE [printed, label red] // SYNTYPE Sapintus oceanicus (La Ferté-Sénectère, 1849) [printed] // MNHN, Paris EC 30485 [printed, supplemented with a QR code] [the head is missing]. The lectotype designation is made to maintain nomenclatural stability considering the synonymy discussed herein.

Type material examined A. rectifasciatus . Lectotype ♀ [designated herewith] SAM ( Fig. 1C ): rectifasciatus Lea TYPES … R [handwritten, in part illegible] // 19032 Anthicus rectifasciatus Lea Fitzroy Id. 2: [handwritten, black ink] TYPE [handwritten, red ink] // SAMA Database No. 25-037787 [printed]. The lectotype designation is made to maintain nomenclatural stability considering the synonymy discussed herein.

Type material examined S. vexator . Paratype 1 ♂ BMNH ( Fig. 2A ): Para-type [printed, label circular, yellow frame] // GILBERT IS. Buiartun I. Onotoa Atoll VIII‒3‒1951 [printed] // PacificSciBd. E.T. Moul, Collr. #200 at light [printed] // Paratype Anthicus vexator ♂ Werner [handwritten] // PARATYPE [printed, label dark blue] // Anthicus vexator Werner [handwritten, underlined] det.F.Werner [printed] [label black framed] // Brit.Mus. 1962- [printed] 619 [handwritten] ; paratype 1 ♂ BMNH ( Figs 3A‒B & E , 4A , 5A, D & F ): Para-type [printed, label circular, yellow frame] // GILBERT IS. Buiartun I. Onotoa Atoll VIII‒3‒1951 [printed] // PacificSciBd. E.T. Moul, Collr. #200 at light [printed] // Paratype Anthicus vexator ♂ Werner [handwritten] // PARATYPE [printed, label dark blue] // Brit. Mus. 1962- [printed] 619 [handwritten] ; paratypes 2 ♀ BMNH: Para-type [printed, label circular, yellow frame] // GILBERT IS. Buiartun I. Onotoa Atoll VIII‒3‒1951 [printed] // PacificSciBd. E.T. Moul, Collr. #200 at light [printed] // Paratype Anthicus vexator ♂ Werner [handwritten] // PARATYPE [printed, label dark blue] // Brit.Mus. 1962- [printed] 619 [handwritten]; paratypes 2 ♂ collection D.S. Chandler, Durham, U.S.A.: GILBERT IS. Buiartum I. Onotoa Atoll VIII-3-1951 [printed] // PacificSciBd. E.T.Moul,Collr. #200 at light [printed] // PARATYPE Anthicus vexator Werner [handwritten] // PARATYPE [printed, label blue] // F.G.Werner collection [printed].

Additional material examined. 4♀ BMNH: Rarotonga // C.E.Clarke Collection B.M.1957-24 .; 2♀ BMNH: Anthicus rectifasciatus Lea Id. by A. M. Lea Cairns. // Brit. Mus. 1924‒156 .; 1♀ BMNH: China // 745 27/7/51 // Bowring. 63. 47* // ♀ // oceanicus det.v.Krekich ; 1♀ BMNH: HongKong -/11/06 // Dr.M.Cameron. B.M. 1936- 555 .; 2♀ BMNH: Townsville, Queensland. G. E. Bryant. 10/ 11/ 09 // Anthicus oceanicus Laf. // G.Bryant Coll. 1919‒147 .; 3 specimens BMNH: Ceylon. G.Lewis. 1910-320.; 1♂, 1 sex unknown BMNH: Bird I. ’08 Seychelles Exp. // Anthicus oceanicus, Laf. // Ann.Mag.’16.XIX. Anthicus oceanicus, Laf. 1917 .‒6. [this record published by Champion (1917) ]; 1♀ BMNH: Society Is. Tahiti // Papeete vi-27-27 // L.H.MacDaniels Collector ; 3♂ BMNH: Cocos-Keeling Is. Direction Id. June-July 1923. W. R.Pennifold. B.M. 1924‒5. ; 3♂ ♀ BMNH: Krakatau Anak, II.1931 W.S.Bristrowe ; 11♂ ♀ BMNH: Port Darwin. N.Australia. Dr. M.Cameron. B.M.1936-555.; 2 specimens BMNH: MALDIVE ISLES: Gan,Addu Atoll. 0°45’ S: 73°10‘ E. 7.viii.1958 W.W.A.Phillips .; 2 specimens BMNH: Hollins I. Asau, Sawaii 24. XI. 68 A.K.Walker // x coconut log // un/spc 1608 // Hocking Colln B.M. 1980‒386 ; 2 specimens BMNH: Hollins Is W. Samoa. 26 XII 1968 B. Hocking swept // Anthicus oceanicus Laf. // Hocking Colln B.M. 1980‒386; 10 specimens BMNH: on rotting coconut // CHAGOS ARCH.: Diego Garcia, Eclipse Point. 31.iii.1971. //A.M.Hutson. B.M.1971-346 .; 1♂ BMNH: drifted seaweed // SEYHELLES Mahe, iv.1976 G.G.Kibby. B.M.1976-237 . For additional studied specimens see Telnov (2014: 312) —specimens, listed for S. vexator .

Differential diagnosis and taxonomy. La Ferté-Sénectère (1849a: 70) described ‘ Anthicus Oceanicus ’ from an unspecified number of syntypes (‘plusieurs individus’) from the Marquesas Islands in what now is French Polynesia followed by the identical repetitive description in La Ferté-Sénectère (1849b: 170). However, according to the personal communication by A. Mantilleri (MNHN), the true type locality of this species is Tahiti and not the Marquesas, and the two available syntypes were received by La Ferté-Sénectère from ‘M. Vesco’. Lea (1896: 271) described Anthicus rectifasciatus from Fitzroy Island in NE Queensland, Australia. This species has not been recollected since. Pic (1902: 40) described ‘ var. Françoisi ’ from Malekula Island in what is now Vanuatu, and Blair (1942: 57) — ‘variety guamensis ’ from Guam Island in the Mariana Archipelago, both belonging to a different taxon (see below). Werner (1965: 261) synonymized var. guamensis Blair, 1942 with Anthicus oceanicus and redescribed oceanicus from a male syntype (‘cotype’ of Werner (1965)) of var. guamensis from Umatac, Guam, and habitus and male aedeagus were figured ( Werner 1965: figs 2b, 3a). Obviously, Werner did not inspect the type material of Sapintus oceanicus himself and, relying on Blair, based his redescription of this species entirely on var. guamensis . In the same paper, Werner (1965: 264) described ‘ Anthicus vexator ’ from various tropical Pacific islands (‘Caroline Atolls (Faraulep), Marshall Is. (Eniwetok, Pokak, Wotho, Majuro, Bikar, Kwajalein), Gilbert Is. (Onotoa, Tarawa), Wake Is., Canton I., Hawaiian Is. (Oahu, Molokai, Kahoolawe)’. Anthicus vexator considered different from A. oceanicus var. guamensis besides less obvious and/or variable features such as a ‘slightly larger’ body and dorsal colouration, also in the shape of male aedeagus which is ‘similar to that of oceanicus but tegmen broader and lobes at its base less well sclerotized’ and in ‘much sparser punctures on the head and often microreticulate intervals’ ( Werner 1965: 265‒266). Anthicus oceanicus was informally placed in Sapintus by Bonadona (1958: 56, 58) but this was omitted or intentionally ignored by Werner (1965); Anthicus vexator was informally placed in Sapintus also by Bonadona (1981: 197). Telnov (2014: 264, 302, 316) followed the Werner’s concept, synonymizing var. francoisi with Sapintus oceanicus and redescribing both S. oceanicus and S. vexator .

In February ’24 Donald Chandler was able to rediscover two syntypes of Sapintus oceanicus at the MNHN. These syntypes, kindly digitized (see Acknowledgements) and made available for the present study, appear different from what was considered oceanicus by Blair (1942), Werner (1965) and, subsequently, Telnov (2014). The syntypes have comparatively broad, medially shallowly emarginate head base and less densely punctured dorsal forebody with distinct in part glossy in part microreticulate intervening spaces; head punctures in part separated by intervals as wide as to slightly wider than punctures. This fact slightly contradicts the (imperfect) original description ( La Ferté-Sénectère (1849a: 70): ‘…subopacus, subtiliter punctatus…’ and ‘Le corselet de l’ Oceanicus est couvert d’une ponctuation très-fine et très-serrée qui le fait paraître beaucoup plus terne que celui de l’ Andreae ’) and also contradicts the original descriptions of A. oceanicus var. francoisi ( Pic (1902: 40): ‘avant-corps subopaque’) and the studied syntypes (see Material examined below) of Anthicus oceanicus var. guamensis (dorsal forebody opaque, densely punctured, head base subtruncate, comparatively narrower rounded), but corresponds well with the original description and the studied paratypes of Sapintus vexator (see Material examined above). Moreover, the studied aedeagi and male terminalia of Sapintus specimens with shallowly emarginate head base and less dense punctured, subopaque forebody from Chagos Archipelago, Cocos (Keeling) Island, Mahé Island ( Seychelles), Maldives, North Australia, Sri Lanka (‘Ceylon’), etc. correspond with those of the studied paratypes of S. vexator and also with the fig. 3b in Werner (1965) for S. vexator . On the opposite, the shape of aedeagus of the studied specimens with densely punctured forebody and more regularly truncated (non-emarginate) head base from Guam Island (syntype var. guamensis ) and Banks Islands and Malekula Island ( Vanuatu), the latter is the type locality of var. francoisi , as well as from Ontong Java atoll ( Solomon Islands) and Tahiti ( French Polynesia) corresponds with the fig. 3a in Werner (1965) for S. oceanicus and is different from that of S. vexator . However, as specified above, the typical S. oceanicus (one of the syntypes which is herewith designated lectotype) is less densely punctured on the dorsal forebody and the head base is comparatively wider. Therefore, it appears reasonable to introduce a new synonym. The specimens with densely punctured, opaque dorsal forebody and somewhat slenderer aedeagus with much stronger developed basal lobes of tegmen are referring to another taxon discussed below. Anthicus rectifasciatus , the lectotype of which I was able to designate and study from the images, is of no doubt conspecific with S. oceanicus , and another new synonym is introduced.

Variability. A rather variable species. Main dorsal colouration varies from dark brown to rufous-brown, shape and size of pale elytral spots vary, density of dorsal punctures on forebody varies, their intervening spaces glossy to microreticulate, tempora slightly to moderately converging posteriad.

Ecology. The species is likely coastal, sampled ‘in house’, from ‘coconut log’, ‘on rotting coconut’, and from ‘drifted seaweed’, in part by sweeping. Also attracted to light.

Distribution. Generally, as given by Telnov (2014: 316‒317) for S. vexator plus Krakatau.Additional localities: Australia (coastal Northern Territory and Queensland including Fitzroy Island), Chagos Archipelago, coastal southern China including Hong Kong, Cocos (Keeling) Islands ( Australia), Cook Islands, Maldives, Samoa, Seychelles (Bird Island & Mahé), Tahiti (‘Society Is.’) (see Material examined). The specimens previously reported from New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) and the Solomon Islands by Telnov (2014) all refer to S. francoisi (see below). Notably, in Rarotonga ( Cook Islands) and Tahiti ( French Polynesia) this species occurs sympatrically with S. francoisi comb. nov. (see below). Although initially erroneously mentioned from Marquesas Islands by La Ferté-Sénectère (1849a & b), no confirmed records exist from this insular group.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Sapintus oceanicus (La Ferté-Sénectère, 1849). A–Lectotype, habitus, dorsal view; B–ditto, forebody, dorsal view; C–Lectotype Anthicus rectifasciatus Lea, 1896, lectotype ♀, habitus, dorsal view [not to scale].

FIGURE 2. Sapintus oceanicus (La Ferté-Sénectère, 1849), dorsal view.A–Paratype ♂ S. vexator (Werner, 1965); B–Specimen from Bird Island; C–♂ specimen from Port Darwin, Australia; D–♂ specimen from Chagos Archipelago, forebody [not to scale].

FIGURE 3. Terminalia of male Sapintus oceanicus (La Ferté-Sénectère, 1849). A–Paratype S. vexator (Werner, 1965), tergite VII, dorsal view; B–ditto, morphological sternite VII, ventral view: C–Specimen from Cocos Keeling Island, tergite VII, dorsal view; D–ditto, morphological sternite VII, ventral view; E–Paratype S. vexator, tergite VIII, dorsal view; F–Specimen from Mahé Island, morphological sternite IX; G–Specimen from Cocos Keeling Island, ditto [not to scale].

FIGURE 4. Aedeagus of Sapintus oceanicus (La Ferté-Sénectère, 1849). A–Paratype S. vexator (Werner, 1965); B–Specimen from Cocos Keeling Island; C–Specimen from Mahé Island [this aedeagus appears slightly more wide than the two other due to its suboptimal preparation] [not to scale].

FIGURE 5. Aedeagus of Sapintus oceanicus (La Ferté-Sénectère, 1849), details. A–Apex, paratype S. vexator (Werner, 1965); B–ditto, specimen from Cocos Keeling Island; C–ditto, specimen from Mahé Island; D–Median portion, paratype S. vexator; E–ditto, specimen from Cocos Keeling Island; F–Basal portion with gonopore armature, paratype S. vexator [not to scale].