Upoluna Schaufuss, 1886

Chandler, Donald S., 2013, Further Notes on the New World Pselaphinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) Described by Victor Motschulsky, The Coleopterists Bulletin 67 (3), pp. 321-327 : 325-326

Upoluna Schaufuss, 1886

Upoluna Schaufuss 1886: 283 . Type species: Upoluna flavitarsis Schaufuss 1886: 283 , by monotypy (= Circocerus batrisioides Motschulsky, 1856 ). Type locality: Upolu Islands [ Samoa] (error for North America). Raffray (1896) discussed the problem in separating Circocerus and Upoluna, Schmitt (1901) synonymized the two genera, and Raffray (1908) synonymized the two species. Genus removed from synonymy, new status. A single species, Upoluna batrisioides (Motschulsky) , is included, new combination.

Diagnosis. Head with two faint vertexal foveae, antennomeres II-X small, of even widths, apical antennomere abruptly much larger; maxillary palpi with apical palpomere enlarged, with large ovoidal shallow impression with carinate margins on dorsum in apical half to two-thirds. Pronotum with faint, nude, median, antebasal fovea and setose antebasal lateral foveae connected by distinct to faint antebasal transverse sulcus. Posterior forks of lateral mesosternal foveae elongate, anterior forks lacking or represented by short stub. Elytra with two basal foveae. First four visible abdominal tergites subequal in length.

Description. [Based on U. batrisioides ] Head: With 2 faint vertexal foveae; antennomeres II-X transverse, narrow, XI abruptly enlarged, asymmetrical in lateral view, enlarged dorsally, flattened laterally; ocular-mandibular carinae present; gular foveae distant, in shallow, transverse impression; fourth maxillary palpus with large, dorsal, ovoidal impression with distinct margins present on dorsum of apical two-thirds. Thorax: Pronotum with small, nude, median, antebasal fovea, with setose, lateral, antebasal foveae; disc convex, with antebasal, transverse sulcus distinct to faint; lateral prosternal foveae present. Median mesosternal foveae with origins separate, short internally; lateral mesosternal foveae with anterior fork lacking or represented by short stub, posterior fork elongate; lateral mesocoxal foveae present; with single, median metasternal fovea. Elytra with 2 basal foveae, lacking discal stria. Abdomen: With tergites 1–4 subequal in lengths, paratergites distinct on tergites 1–4; tergite 1 with deep basal sulcus, with large mediobasal foveae positioned near lateral margins, 2 small, basolateral foveae adjacent to paratergites of tergites 1–3, tergite 4 with single lateral fovea. Ventrite 2 with deep basal sulcus, 2–5 with large mediobasal foveae positioned laterally. Aedeagus: With apex slightly asymmetrical, with diaphragm; parameres elongate and symmetrical.

Males with ventral carina on protrochanters and acute basal tubercle; protibiae with small preapical quadrate flange on mesal margin.

Distribution. Upoluna batrisioides is common in the midwestern and southeastern United States, and specimens have been examined from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Undescribed species represented by single specimens have been examined from Mexico, Trinidad, and Brazil.

CONCLUDING COMMENTS

The key to the genera of Tyrini of the world (Hlaváč and Chandler 2005) can be easily annotated to accommodate the changes made herein by replacing Apharus Reitter with Circocerus Motschulsky (p. 90), and replacing Circocerus with Upoluna Schaufuss (p. 91), now with seven species in Circocerus and a single species in Upoluna . However, Park (1942) discussed the problems of separating Upoluna (as Circocerus ) from the nominate subgenus of Hamotus , with only the small ninth and tenth antennomeres plus the abruptly large apical antennomere of Upoluna separating members of this genus from those of Hamotus , which are characterized by having a three-segmented antennal club. Members of Upoluna also have the antebasal pronotal sulcus weakly present to distinct, while members of the subgenus Hamotus lack this sulcus. Park (1942) correctly pointed out that when the entirety of the large genus Hamotus is inspected, this character clearly grades from absent to distinct. Species in both genera also have an identical foveal pattern of the body. To complicate matters, I have seen a number of unplaceable and undescribed species close to the generic complex of Hamotus , Upoluna , and Pseudohamotus Raffray , that are really only separable by differences in the form of the maxillary palpi and distinctness of the antennal club. Resolution of the generic concepts for this diverse complex will require a careful study.