Perilampus regalis Smulyan

Figs 9 [♀], 10[♂]

Perilampus regalis Smulyan, 1936: 378 (Original description, keyed.)

Taltonos regalis (Smulyan) . Argaman, 1990: 202.

Perilampus regalis Smulyan. Darling, 1996 ( Taltonos subjective synonym of Perilampus).

Type Material. Holotype [♀]. USA: Missouri. Cadet. "J.G. Barlow. Cadet, Mo. 6-19-89". USNM, Type No. 49778, USNMENT01570219, (image examined, http://n 2t.net/ark:/65665/31ddabd64-04a6-4081-b200-054d7925983c).

Paratype examined [1 ♀]. USA: North Carolina. Swannanoa valley (1 ♀: ROME162302 - AMNH) .

Material examined. USA: Arizona. Cochise Co., 1 mi NE Portal (1 ♂: ROME162516 - EMEC) ; 1.0 mi E Portal (2 ♀: ROME204089 - CNC; ROME204090 - CNC. 1 ♂: ROME204091 - CNC) ; Bisbee, 1429 Franklin St., 31˚24'23"N, 109˚55'57"W (1 ♀: ROME189053 - USNM; BOLD: COI / ITS2) ; Foothills Rd., 31°55'1"N, 109°07'41"W (1 ♂: ROME182779 - UCRC; BOLD: AEO0545 / ITS2) ; Portal (3 ♀: ROME167643 - ROME; ROME200783 - EMEC; ROME200784 - EMEC. 8 ♂: ROME162519 - EMEC; ROME162520 - EMEC; ROME200779 - EMEC; ROME200780 - EMEC; ROME200781 - EMEC; ROME200782 - EMEC; ROME200787 - EMEC; ROME204093 - EMEC) ; Portal, Chiricahua Mts (1 ♂: ROME204094 - UCDC) ; San Simon & Portal Rd., 31°55'01"N, 109°07'42"W (7 ♂: ROME152730 - UCRC; ROME152731 - UCRC; ROME162187 - UCRC; ROME162188 - UCRC; ROME162189 - UCRC; ROME162190 - UCRC; ROME162191 - UCRC) ; Tombstone(1♀: ROME167639 - ROME. 3♂: ROME167640 - ROME; ROME167641 - ROME; ROME167642 - ROME) . Florida. Alachua Co., 5.5 mi W Gainesville, T10 S, R19 E, Section 4, Castlegate Mobile Home Park (1 ♀: ROME189074 - UCFC) . New Mexico. Hidalgo Co., Gray Ranch, San Luis Pass, 31°25'29.2"N, 108°48'51.5"W (1 ♀: ROME162505 - USNM) . Texas. Bexar Co., Leon Creek (1 ♀: ROME204095 - EMEC. 2 ♂: ROME162517 - EMEC; ROME162518 - EMEC) ; Brewster Co., Big Bend N.P., 5mi W Panther Jct (1 ♀: ROME204092 - CNC) ; Galveston Co., Dickinson (1 ♀: ROME204116 - CNC); Uvalde Co., Speir Ranch 3 mi. NW Uvalde 10A-6P (1 ♀: ROME202016 - CUIC) .

Additional material examined. Mexico: Yucatan. Kabah Ruins (1 ♀: ROME162495 - OSAC) . USA: Arizona. Cochise Co., Bisbee, 1429 Franklin St., 31˚24'23"N, 109˚55'57"W (1 ♀: ROME189070 - USNM, BOLD: AEO0545 / ITS2) .

Description. FEMALE (Fig. 9). Length: 2.5–4.0 mm. Color: head cupreous (Fig. 9G); mesosoma and metasoma iridescent greenish blue or violet; clypeus ventral margin black; antenna with scape and pedicel weakly iridescent greenish blue or violet, flagellum light brown or yellow (Fig. 9I).

Head (Fig. 9E–I): in dorsal view transverse, width equal to or slightly greater than twice length, HW/HL 2.0– 2.1. Frontal carina: in anterior view straight to weakly sinuate below midlevel of eye; in dorsal view gradually narrowed V shape around median ocellus, FC/MOD 1.4–1.5 (Fig. 9E); distance from lateral ocellus short, FCLO/ LOD 0.7–0.8 (Fig, 9E). Scrobal cavity (Fig. 9G): in anterior view wide, SW/HW about 0.5. Ocelli (Fig. 9E): a line between anterior margin of lateral ocelli nearly bisecting median ocellus. POL/OOL 1.3–1.6. Ocellar ratios LOD: POL: OOL: LOL: 1, 2.6–3.3, 2.0–2.3, 1.0–1.2. Vertex: smooth to wrinkled or with weak transverse striations, with or without large piliferous punctures. Parascrobal area: in lateral view abruptly narrowed at or slightly above mid-eye height, 0.5–0.6 EH above lower eye margin (Fig. 9I); width narrow to wide, PSW/EL 0.3–0.4; sculpture smooth or wrinkled, with or without large piliferous punctures. Gena: with wide and long smooth area along outer eye margin, striate behind. Malar space: MSL/EH about 0.2. Lower face: with setae sparse laterad torulus, and sparse below. Clypeus (Fig. 9H): CW/ CH 1.5–1.6; ventral margin concave; setae evenly distributed.

Mesosoma (Fig. 9B–D): Lateral panel of pronotum: about as wide as prepectus, LPP/PPT 0.9–0.1; without flange below level of mesothoracic spiracle in posterior oblique view (Fig. 9C). Mesofemoral depression: smooth. Mesoscutum: punctures weakly angulate to rounded, with slightly wide and weakly coriarious interspaces (Fig. 9B); lateral lobe weakly punctate with coriarious or smooth interspaces, or smooth along notaulus; parascutal carina broadly curved, acuminate. Mesoscutellum: apex with inner margins gradually diverging; punctures weakly angulate or rounded, with narrow to slightly wide and weakly coriarious interspaces. Axilla (Fig. 9D): in lateral view imbricate dorsad, and carinate ventrad. Axillula: smooth dorsad. Fore wing: stigma small, 2.0–2.5× as wide as postmarginal vein width.

MALE (Fig. 10). Length: usually smaller, 2.5–3.0 mm. As in female, except: Color: flagellum brown dorsad (Fig. 10E). Frontal carina (Fig. 10B): distance from lateral ocellus shorter, FCLO/LOD 0.6–0.7. Scape (Fig. 10F, G): pits sparse, covering about 0.3× scape length.

Diagnosis. Perilampus regalis can be recognized by a cupreous head, a parascrobal area that is abruptly narrowed at or slightly above the midlevel of the eye (Figs 9I, 10E), an advanced median ocellus (Figs 9E, 10B), the lower face below the torulus with sparse and evenly distributed setae (Figs 9H, 10D), a yellow female flagellum (Fig. 9I), and a male scape with sparse pits covering about 0.3× scape length (Figs 10F, G).

Distribution. Previously known only from the Nearctic region, here newly recorded for the northern Neotropical region: USA (Arizona, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, New Mexico, Texas), and Mexico (Yucatan).

Host association. Unknown.

Remarks. Perilampus regalis is the only species in the P. carolinensis species complex with the parascrobal area abruptly narrowed at or slightly above the midlevel of the eye in lateral view (Figs 9I, 10E). It is most closely related to the P. carolinensis clade, and the more basal position of the P. falcatus clade in the P. carolinensis species complex shown in the concatenated analysis (Fig. 1) suggests that the of the abruptly narrowed parascrobal area in P. regalis is derived from the parascrobal area abruptly narrowed below the midlevel of the eye (e.g., Figs 3I, 11I).

One female specimen from Arizona (ROME189070) has a parascrobal area in lateral view that is gradually narrowed, similar to most of the P. hyalinus group species. But it is regarded as conspecific with the other specimens having the typical parascrobal area shape of P. regalis in the genetic analyses (Fig. 1) and is considered as a rare variant. Another variation is shown in the only Neotropical specimen (ROME162495) from Yucatan, Mexico which has a smooth parascrobal area and vertex sculpture, in contrast to the wrinkled to weakly striate sculpture in all Nearctic P. regalis specimens. This specimen may represent an undescribed species, and additional Neotropical P. regalis specimens and additional molecular sampling are needed to determine whether this sculpture difference represents interspecific or intraspecific variation. Molecular data for specimens near the type locality (e.g., Missouri) are also needed to confirm specificity with the sequenced specimens from Arizona.