Brachypterolus pulicarius ( Linnaeus, 1758 ), 1913

Hisamatsu, Sadatomo, 2011, A review of the Japanese Kateretidae fauna (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 51 (2), pp. 551-585 : 578-581

Brachypterolus pulicarius ( Linnaeus, 1758)

( Figs. 2F–G , 11 )

Dermestes pulicarius Linnaeus, 1758: 357 . Type locality: not given, probably Europe.

Dermestes pulicarius: LINNAEUS (1767: 564) [redescription].

Sphaeridium pulicarium: FABRICIUS (1775: 68) [redescription].

Antribus pulicarius: FOURCROY (1785: 137) [redescription].

Nitidula pulicaria: OLIVIER (1790: 20) [redescription].

Cercus pulicarius: LATREILLE (1807: 15) [redescription].

Catheretes pulicarius: GYLLENHAL (1808: 245) [redescription, note]; GYLLENHAL (1827: 305) [note].

Cateretes pulicarius: HEER (1841: 410) [redescription].

Heterostomus pulicarius: GANGLBAUER (1899:455) [redescription]; REITTER (1911: 14) [in key]; BÖVING & CRAIGHEAD (1931: 158, pl. 36, J–P) [larval illustration].

Brachypterolus pulicarius: GROUVELLE (1913: 22) [catalogue]; SPORNRAFT (1967: 23) [in key]; AUDISIO (1980: 29) [in key]; AUDISIO (1993: 859) [redescription, note]; KIREJTSHUK (1992: 216) [in key]; KIRK- SPRIGGS (1996: 46) [note, illustration]; JELÍNEK & AUDISIO (2007: 456) [catalogue].

Proteinus pulicarius: BLACKWELDER (1952) [designated as the type species of the genus Proteinus Latreille, 1790 (Staphylinidae) ]; ICZN (1969: 14) [as invalid combination].

Dermestes lepturoides Scopoli, 1763: 17 . Type locality: Carniola [in Slovenia]. Synonymized by GEMMINGER & HAROLD (1868: 804) with Catheretes gravidus Illiger.

Scaphidium agaricium Herbst, 1793: 134 . Type locality: Germania [= Germany]. Synonymized by MURRAY (1864: 247) with Catheretes gravidus Illiger.

Scaphidium scutellatum Panzer, 1792: 11 . Type locality: Gallia [= France]. Synonymized by GROUVELLE (1913: 22) with Dermestes pulicarius Linnaeus.

Catheretes gravidus Illiger, 1798: 395 . Type locality: Preussens [= Prussia]. Synonymized by GANGLBAUER (1899: 455) with Dermestes pulicarius Linnaeus.

Catheretes gravidus: JELÍNEK & STEELE (1966: 239) [designated as the type species of the genus Brachypterolus Grouvelle, 1913 ].

Dermestes gravidus: PAYKULL (1800: 448) [redescription].

Brachypterus gravidus: ERICHSON (1843: 230) [list]; ERICHSON (1845: 130) [redescription, note]; STURM (1844: tab. CCXC, fig. b. B) [figure]; STURM (1845: 22) [redescription, note]; REDTENBACHER (1849: 162) [in key]; REDTEN- BACHER (1858: 324) [in key]; GEMMINGER & HAROLD (1868: 804) [catalogue].

Brachypterus (Heterostomus) gravidus: MURRAY (1864: 247 , pl. XXXII, fig. 7); MARSEUL (1885: 26) [redescription]; SEIDLITZ (1887 –1891: 209) [in key]; SEIDLITZ (1888 –1891: 224) [in key].

Brachypterus gravidus var. flaviclavis Rey, 1889: 31 . Type locality: Corse [= Corsica Is., France]. Synonymized by GROUVELLE (1913: 22) with Dermestes pulicarius Linnaeus.

Brachypterolus villager var. fuscopubens Reitter, 1919: 15 . Type locality: Turkestan. Synonymized by AUDISIO (1993: 859) with Dermestes pulicarius Linnaeus.

Brachypterus laticollis Küster, 1848: 35 . Type locality: Dalmatia [in Croatia]. Synonymized by GANGLBAUER (1899: 455) with Dermestes pulicarius Linnaeus.

Brachypterus laticollis: GEMMINGER & HAROLD (1868: 804) [catalogue].

Brachypterus (Heterostomus) laticollis: MURRAY (1864: 247) [note]; MARSEUL (1885: 7) [redescription].

Heterostomus mordelloides Notman, 1920: 29 . Type locality: Keene Valley, Essex Co., N. Y. [ USA]. Synonymized by PARSONS (1943: 146).

Brachypterolus shimoyamai Hisamatsu, 1985: 177 , pl. 28, f. 6, syn. nov. Type locality: Japan, Aomori Pref., Nishitsugaru-gun, Fukaura, Azumahama.

Type material examined. Brachypterolus shimoyamai : HOLOTYPE: J ( EUM):‘J //Azumahama / Fukaura / Nishitsu-

garu-gun / Aomori Pref. // Aug. 20. 1967 / K. Shimoyama // on flower of Linaria japonica Miquel // Brachypterolus

sp. / DET. S. Hisamatsu 1985 // HOLOTYPE // Brachypterolus shimoyamai Hisamatsu, 1985 ’. PARATYPES ( EUM):

49 JJ 35 ♀♀, Azumahama, Fukaura, Nishitsugaru-gun , Aomori Pref., 20.viii.1967, K. Shimoyama leg., on flower of Linaria japonica Miquel ; 3 JJ 1 ♀, Wakasakinai, Sarobetsu , Hokkaido, 24.viii.1977, M. Tomokuni leg. ; 1 J,

Miyami, Sakata , Yamagata Pref., 28.v.1960, K. Shirahata leg. ; 1 ♀, Kominato, Sakata , Yamagata Pref., 18.vi.1966, K. Shirahata leg. ; 58 exs., Sakaeura , alt. ca. 5 m, Hokkaido, 15.viii.2010, Ta. & To. Kurihara leg.

Additional material examined. CZECH REPUBLIC: BOHEMIA: 1 ex., Boh. Or. [= E Bohemia], 23.v.1978, J. Jelínek leg. MORAVIA: 1 ex., Mor. merid. [= S Moravia], vi.1949, Kouřil leg. ; 1 ex., Vracov , Mor., 3.viii.1940, Kouřil leg. JAPAN: HOKKAIDO: 57 exs., Sakaeura , alt. ca. 5 m, Tokoro-chô, Kitami City, 15.viii.2010, Ta. & To. Kurihara leg., on Linaria japonica Miq. (EUM) .

Diagnosis. Body coloration piceous black. Dorsal disc with dense and deep punctures. Posterior angles of pronotum distinctly angulate.

Redescription. Length 2.4–2.9 mm.

Male. Body ( Fig. 2F ) oval, strongly convex; densely covered with whitish long setae on dorsum and venter. Coloration piceous black; mouthparts (excluding reddish-yellow maxillary palpus), basal 1/2 of mesoventrite, and legs, reddish brown; antennae reddish-yellow.

Head without frontoclypeal suture; disc with dense and deep punctures; punctures on disc larger than eye-facet, separated by <1 diameter; interspaces smooth. Front margin of clypeus with medial arcuate emargination. Labrum slightly arcuately notched at middle. Mandibles strongly bent toward the midline. Antennae ( Fig. 11E ) shorter than HW, 0.82–0.89 times longer than HW (n = 2); club distinctly 3-segmented; approximate ratio of each segment (n = 1) is 2.73: 2.49: 2.13: 1.65: 1.47: 1.44: 1.40: 1.00: 1.95: 1.89: 2.75.

Pronotum ( Fig. 11F ) strongly convex, transverse, 1.51–1.56 times as wide as long (n = 4); lateral margins not explanate, subparallel sided at basal 2/3; anterior angles feebly prominent; posterior angles distinctly angulate, strongly projecting posteriorly in European specimens, weakly projecting in Japanese specimens; anterior margin bordered; basal margin indistinctly bordered, strongly sinuate before posterior angles; disc densely and deeply punctate, each puncture closely approximating the next and often appearing connected; interspaces smooth.

Elytra wider than long, conjointly 0.71–0.79 times as long as wide (n = 4), 1.11–1.29 times as long as pronotum (n = 4), subparallel-sided; punctures on disc slightly larger than those on pronotum, separated by <1 diameter; interspaces smooth. Abdominal tergite VI fully exposed. Abdominal tergite VII also fully exposed, apex truncate or slightly arcuately emarginate. Abdominal tergite VIII externally visible.

Prosternum (excluding prosternal process) 0.33 times as long as mesoventrite (n = 1), 0.23 times as long as metaventrite (n = 1); disc densely punctate; prosternal process slender, narrowing to apex. Mesoventrite depressed below the level of the metaventrite. Metaventrite convex, with close punctures, each puncture separated by <1 diameter; metathoracic discrimen in basal 1/2. Inter-mesocoxal distance separated by 2.96 times width of inter-procoxal distance. Inter-metacoxal distance separated by 5.29 times width of inter-procoxal distance. Abdominal sternites shining; approximate ratio of length of abdominal sternites III–VII (n = 1) is 3.20: 1.00: 1.00: 3.30: 4.50. Legs with protibiae short, shorter than antennal length; tarsal claws ( Fig. 11H ) strongly dentate at the base.

Male genitalia with parameres ( Fig. 11A ) slender and asymmetrical, bearing long setae at apex; in ventral view, left lobe slightly wider than right lobe; median lobe ( Fig. 11B–C ) elongate and flat.

Female. Apical margin of abdominal tergite VII rounded. Ovpositor ( Fig. 11D ) triangular, without styli.

Variability. The Japanese specimens have the following differences as compared with European specimens: pronotum with denser punctures, posterior angles more weakly projecting posteriorly; coloration of metafemora always reddish.

Bionomics. This species has been collected from flowers of Linaria japonica Miq. (Scrophulariaceae) in Japan. Likewise European individuals have been collected from Linaria spp. (KIRK- SPRIGGS 1996). Larval stages were illustrated by BÖVING & CRAIGHEAD (1931).

Distribution. Japan (Hokkaido, Honshû); Europe, Turkey, Russia (East and West Siberia, Far East), Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China (Northwest Territory), South Korea, ( HISAMATSU 1985, JELÍNEK & AUDISIO 2007).

Taxonomy. There is some variation between European and Japanese specimens (see Variability above). However, male and female genitalia are of the same size and shape. Therefore, I treat Brachypterolus shimoyamai Hisamatsu as a junior synonym of B. pulicarius (Linnaeus) .

Note. REITTER (1884, 1885) recorded Brachypterus (Heterostomus) linariae ( Stephens, 1830) (= Brachypterolus linariae ) from Sapporo, Hokkaido, however this record is dubious and concerns more likely B. pulicarius .

Figures

Fig. 2. Habitus and labels of Kateretidae spp. A–B – Heterhelus (Heterhelus) morio (Reitter, 1878): A – lectotype, male; B – ditto, labels; C – Heterhelus (Boreades) solani (Heer, 1841), male (Hokkaido); D – Sibirhelus corpulentus (Reitter, 1900), male (Iwate Pref.); E – Brachypterus urticae (Fabricius, 1792), male (Hokkaido); F–G – Brachypterolus shimoyamai Hisamatsu, 1985: F – holotype, male; G – ditto, labels. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 11. Brachypterolus pulicarius (Linnaeus, 1758). A – tegmen (ventral view); B – median lobe (ventral view); C – median lobe (lateral view); D – ovipositor; E – male right antenna; F – pronotum; G – left maxillary palpus; H – tarsal claw of right foreleg. A–H = Aomori Pref., Azumahama.