Xenopygus analis (Erichson)

(Figs 2, 5, 14–30, 33, 39, 42, 45, 57)

Philonthus analis Erichson, 1840: 495 (original description, type locality: “Cayenne” and “ Columbia ”); Lucas, 1857: 50 (distribution). Note: name preoccupied, primary homonym of Philonthus analis Heer, 1839 (currently Gabrius analis), but held according to ICZN Committee in Opinion 2053 (ICZN 2003). Discussion about this topic see (Herman 2001a; Herman 2002 and ICZN 2003).

Xanthopygus analis: Kraatz, 1857: 540 (transferred to Xanthopygus); Solsky, 1868: 141 (distribution); Sharp, 1876: 132 (male characteristics, distribution).

Lampropygus analis: Sharp, 1884: 348 (transferred to Lampropygus, characteristics and distribution); Fauvel, 1891: 107 (characteristics, distribution).

Xenopygus analis: Bernhauer, 1906: 196 (transferred to Xenopygus); Bernhauer & Schubert, 1914: 405 (catalog, distribution); Scheerpeltz, 1933: 1416 (catalog, distribution); Irmler, 1979: 31 (adult and larvae characteristics, distribution); Irmler, 1982: 209 (characteristics, distribution); Herman, 2001a: 54 (nomenclatural discussion); Herman, 2001b: 3610 (catalog, distribution); Navarrete-Heredia et al., 2002 (characteristics, distribution, biological notes); Marquez et al., 2004: 30 (key, male characteristics); Rodriguez et al., 2012: 233 (characteristics, biological notes).

Philothalpus (Xenopygus) analis: Blackwelder, 1943: 453 (transferred to Philothalpus, characteristics, distribution); Blackwelder, 1944: 140 (distribution); Nishida, 1994: 73 (distribution); Nishida, 1997: 62 (distribution).

Type material. Lectotype, female deposited in ZMHB: one specimen labeled as ‘Lektotypus/ Xenopygus / analis / det.I.Irmler’ [red label, handwritten], ‘6169’ [white label, printed], ‘ analis /dej/cayenne buq.’ [green label, handwritten], ‘ Syntype / Philonthus analis / Erichson, 1840 / labelled by MNHUB 2013’ [red label, printed].

Note. Erichson (1840) did not specify how many specimens were examined when the description was made, however, three specimens were received from ZMHB labeled as syntypes, which are currently considered as paralectotypes under Art. 74.1.3 of ICZN (1999), with two specimens, undetermined sex, labeled as ‘Hist.-Coll ( Coleoptera)/ Nr.6169/ Philonthus analis Dej. / Columb., Moritz/ Zool. Mus. Berlin’ [green label, printed] ‘ Syntype / Philonthus analis / Erichson, 1840 / labelled by MNHUB 2013’ [red label, printed]; and one specimen, undetermined sex, labeled as ‘Columb/ mor’ [blue label, handwritten] ‘Hist.-Coll ( Coleoptera)/ Nr.6169/ Philonthus analis Dej. / Columb., Morirz/ Zool. Mus.Berlin’ [green label, printed], ‘ Syntype / Philonthus analis / Erichson, 1840 / labelled by MNHUB 2013’ [red label, printed].

Diganosis. Xenopygus analis is easily distinguished from X. bicolor and X. confusus by the color of the head, pronotum and elytra, metallic blue to green, sometimes with elytra slightly darker and abdominal segment VII entirely yellowish or at least ligther than the preceding segments (Fig. 2); and antenna scape evidently shorter than antennomeres II and III combined.

Redescription. BL: 9.5–13.7 mm, BW: 3.3 mm. Head, pronotum and elytra with metallic blue to green color, sometimes with elytra darker, abdominal segments VII–X yellowish or at least ligther than the precedents (Fig. 2). Pronotum with setal punctuation forming a pair of longitudinal lines in the median region and distributed in each lateral third of disc, and more evident in the anterior half of disc (Fig. 5).

Eyes slightly longer than half of the head (Fig. 20). Antenna with scape shorter than antennomeres II and III combined; antennomere IV as long as wide (Fig. 14); antennomere V–XI with microsetae (Fig. 14), antennomere XI apparently symmetric. Mesoventrite process with apex truncate and wide (Fig. 22); metatarsomeres II–IV slightly bilobate. Tergite III–V with arched carina; sternite VII of male with small and oval porous structure at the middle of apical its half (Figs. 23, a, 30). Sternite VIII of male deeply medially emarginate in form of ‘V’ shape (Figs. 23, b, 33). Median lobe with bulbous base (Fig. 39); apex rounded, subapically with lined four to seven small teeth, being one prominent in ventral surface (Fig. 42); parameres fused in a single plate and almost reaching to reaching the apex of the median lobe, apex truncate and with four conspicuous setae in the apical margin, apical half with peg setae forming two irregular lines (Fig. 45).

Geographical record. United States of America: Hawaii. Mexico: Tamaulipas; San Luís Potosí; Jalisco; Guerrero Mochitlán; Oaxaca; Veracruz; Chiapas; Campeche; Yucatán; Quintana Roo. Belize: Cayo. Guatemala: Guatemala. Nicaragua: Masaya. Costa Rica: San José. Panama: Chiriqui; Colón Colombia: Risaralda; Putumayo. Venezuela: Aragua; Distrito Federal; Amazonas. Trinidad and Tobago: Saint George. Guyana: Demerara. French Guiana: Cayenne. Ecuador: Orellana. Peru: Madre de Diós; Cuzco. Bolivia: Ichilo. Brazil: Amazonas; Pará, Rondônia; Mato Grosso; Bahia; Minas Gerais; Mato Grosso do Sul; Rio de Janeiro; São Paulo; Paraná; Santa Catarina. Paraguay: Alto Paraná; Guaíra; Itapuá. Argentina: Misiones; Corrientes; Chaco (Fig. 57).

Biological notes. This species was found preying on fruitfly larvae ( Diptera: Tephritidae) (Baker et al., 1944), also found on decomposing fruits, carcasses and faeces. Specimens of this species were collected with flight interception traps and baited pitfall traps.

Remarks. Xenopygus analis stands out by its wide geographical distribution. The species might be found continuously from southern Mexico to southern Brazil. This distribution has led some authors to study its morphological variation (Blackwelder 1943) and to suggest that the species could be divided into more than one (Navarrete-Heredia et al. 2002). In this study, males of X. analis from all its distribution range were analyzed and dissected. No morphological evidence was found to separate the studied material in two or more species. It is worth to point out that the specimens vary in color of head, pronotum and elytra, from metallic blue to green, and in number of small teeth in the median lobe, from four to seven. Usually, specimens from North to Central America (Mexico to Panama) have the apex of the parareme reaching the apex of the median lobe in lateral view, while in specimens from South America the apex of the paramere does not reach the apex of the median lobe in lateral view.

FIGURES 30–32. Sternite VII, male. 30, X. analis; 31, X. bicolor; 32, X. confusus . 33–38. Sternite VIII, male. 33, X. analis; 34, X. bicolor; 35, X. confusus; 36, X. cordovensis; 37, X. sancticamillus, sp. nov.; 38, X. petilicolis, sp. nov. Scale = 1 mm.