Belonuchus jalappensis Bernhauer, 1917

Márquez, Juan & Asiain, Julieta, 2022, Taxonomy of the Mexican species of Belonuchus Nordmann (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Zootaxa 5152 (1), pp. 1-129 : 55-56

Belonuchus jalappensis Bernhauer, 1917

Figs. 4h , 11f , 15d , 19f , 23c , 30b

Belonuchus jalappensis Bernhauer, 1917: 224 .

Total body length in males 13.4 mm (range 10.7–15.7 mm), in females 12.0 mm (range 9.7–14.2 mm). Black on head, antennae, mandibles, from posterior 2/3 (or slightly less) of third visible abdominal segment to genital segment and abdominal styli. Reddish on pronotum, elytra, scutellum, sterna, legs, first two visible abdominal segments and 1/3 (or slighltly more) of third. Apical antennomere lighter than previous; tibiae and tarsomeres darker than remaining segments (brown), more noticeable in posterior legs.

Head: shape subquadrate, in large specimens, head wider at posterior corners, which are convex; ratio length/ width in males 0.88 (range 0.85–0.91), in females 0.86 (range 0.84–0.88). Dorsal surface with deep and conspicuous punctures, distributed as in majority of species; sulcate longitudinal midline visible for almost entire cephalic length, more distinctly on front and at center of head; front little to moderately foveate at level of antennal insertions. Eyes small, in small specimens slightly less than 0.5 times the cephalic lateral length, even smaller in large specimens, not protruding at sides. Antennomeres 4–10 transverse. Mandibles shorter than head in both sexes (ratio in males 0.77, range 0.68–0.82, in females 0.73, range 0.67–0.79); left mandible with two small middle teeth very close to each other, forming a small arc; right mandible with a middle tooth in dorsal position very close to a very small ventral tooth; both mandibles without basal tooth and with rough lines in their middle dorsal area; external channel moderately developed, external margin a little separated from internal margin, internal margin slightly carinate at base, extending forward like impressed line a little beyond level of middle teeth. Apical palpomere of maxillary and labial palpi slightly longer than preapical palpomere. Head in males 1.24 times wider than pronotum (range 1.15–1.32), in females 1.17 (range 1.04–1.26).

Thorax: each dorsal row of pronotum with four punctures that do not extend beyond midlength, with second and third punctures closer to each other than to other punctures; pronotum almost as long as wide in both sexes (ratio in males 1.04, range 1.0–1.1, in females 1.06, range 1.03–1.10) and wider at anterior corners than at posterior corners (ratio in males 1.2, range 1.15–1.25, in females 1.2, range 1.17–1.26). Scutellum somewhat elongate, with fine punctures moderately dense, as it is on elytra. Anterior area of prosternum clearly elevated transversally. Intercoxal process of mesoventrite shield-shaped; transverse discal ridge weakly to moderately visible, broadly V-shaped, not touching margin of intercoxal process laterally ( Fig. 11f ). Profemur of males not notably widened apically as in B. bidens , external row with few short spines, not more than ten, separated from both base and apex; internal row with spines even smaller than spines in external row, toward the apex are transforming to wide setae and becoming spines again near apex. Metafemur of males with two rows of small spines on its ventral surface that initiate near base and end slightly before apex, each composed of less than ten spines. Tarsomeres robust, flattened dorsally.

Abdomen: first three visible tergites with posterior basal transverse carina well developed; adjacent area not depressed or weakly so, with sparse wide-superficial punctures, combined with more dense fine punctures, which also cover the main part of last two tergites. Tergites 4–5 with microsculpture like mesh covering anterior third; this microsculpture is not present on remaining surface of these tergites as well as on remaining tergites. Visible sternites 1–4 with wide-superficial punctures in anterior half slightly denser than on tergites, combined with finer punctures; with mesh-like microsculpture covering slightly more than on tergites 4–5. Male pregenital sternite not emarginate at posterior margin ( Fig. 15d ). Male genital sternite moderately large (2.86 times longer than wide), very asymmetrical, anterior portion occupying 17% and posterior portion 83% of its length, apical emargination deep ( Fig. 19f ). Abdominal styli slender.

Aedeagus: length 1.25 mm; slender, cone-shaped; apex slightly rounded, sides gradually widening toward base in almost straight line; basal half moderately wider than apical half; internal sac not visible ( Fig. 23c ).

Variability. In addition to the measurements and ratios included in the description, there is variation in the color of femora and tibiae that can be dark or light brown, last antennomere lighter than previous ones, black and reddish color of third visible abdominal segment may vary from 1/2 to 2/3 black at base.

Taxonomic comments. This species is easily distinguished from the rest of species in this group by having pronotum, elytra and first two (and part of third) visible abdominal segments reddish, in addition to its robust body shape, with mandibles shorter than head, male pregenital sternite not emarginate at posterior margin and the shape and size of the aedeagus ( Fig. 23c ). The redescription of this species was made based on non-type specimens due to the same situation as in B. erichsoni . That is, the type specimens were studied, but were not available at the time of redescription. Lectotype of this species is designated here taking into account Article 74.7 of the ICZN (1999) and its recommendations, to establish more clearly the identity of this species.

Type material examined (two males): Lectotype (male, FMNH) : “ Jalapa, Mex, Dabbert / jalappensis, Bernh. Typus , Chicago NHMus, M. Bernhauer Collection / Lectotype Belonuchus jalappensis Bernhauer, 1917 , Márquez & Asiain des. 2022”. Paralectotype: “ Mexico, Jalapa , coll. Schneider / jalappensis, Bernh. Cotypus / Chicago NH- Mus, M. Bernhauer Collection ” (m 1, FMNH) . Additional material examined (10 males, eight females): Mexico: Hidalgo: “ Molango, Acuatitlán , bosque mesófilo de montaña, 1715 m, N20°45’38.4”, W88°42’50.7”, trampa de intercepción de vuelo #3, 15 a 29-IV-2011, J. Márquez col.” (1, CC-UAEH) . “ Tenango de Doria, El Potrero , bosque mesófilo de montaña, 2185 m, N20°18’49.5”, W98°13’48.3”, en tronco de descomposición, 18-IV-2009, M. Torres, M. Rivero, J. Sánchez, M. Vargas y J. Márquez cols.” (8, CC-UAEH) . Same data, except: “ 25-IV-2009, M. Torres, M. Rivero y J. Márquez cols.” (5, CC-UAEH) . “ Tenango de Doria , La Viejita, N20°19´37.5”, W98°16´7.3”, bosque mesófilo de montaña, 1500 m, trampa de intercepción de vuelo, 5 a 10-V-2013, N. Gutiérrez col.” (m 1, CC-UAEH) . Puebla: “ Zacapoaxtla, Ex-hacienda Apulco , cascada La Gloria, N19°54´12”, W97° 37´00”, 1,508 m, dentro de cañada bosque mesófilo de montaña rodeado por pinos, trampa de intercepción de vuelo, 18 a 28-V-2021, familia Márquez-Asiain cols.” (3, MAAS) .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Dorsal view of males of: a) Belonuchus tenuistylus (holotype), b) B. tepoztecus (paratype), c) B. trochanterinus, d) B. zunilensis (lectotype), e) B. bidens (syntype, NHM©), f) B. bidens, g) B. erichsoni, h) B. jalappensis. Scale bars = 2.5 mm.

FIGURE 11. Mesoventrite of males of: a) Belonuchus cariniventris, b) B. oxyporinus, c) B. rufisternus, d) B. tepoztecus, e) B. bidens, f) B. jalappensis, g) B. longitarsus, h) B. ephippiatus, i) B. dichrous, j) B. flavipennis, k) B. platypterus, l) B. juanmorronei, m) B. iridescens. Red arrow: intercoxal process of the mesoventrite, blue arrow: transverse discal ridge, green arrow: longitudinal carina in anterior half.

FIGURE 15. Male pregenital sternite of: a) Belonuchus alternans, b) B. oxyporinus, c) B. tepoztecus, d) B. jalappensis, e) B. iridescens, f) B. platypterus, g) B. cyanipennis, h) B. apiciventris, i) B. linuzensis, j) B. metafemoralis, k) B. rufisternus, l) B. tenuistylus, m) B. bidens, n) B. pollens, o) B. longitarsus.

FIGURE 19. Male genital sternite of: a) Belonuchus tepoztecus, b) B. trochanterinus, c) B. zunilensis, d) B. bidens, e) B. erichsoni, f) B. jalappensis, g) B. mixtecus, h) B. pollens, i) B. rufipennis, j) B. basiventris, k) B. connexus, l) B. longitarsus, m) B. rufiventris, n) B. xanthomelas, o) B. ephippiatus, p) B. moroni. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 23. Ventral (left) and lateral (right) view of the aedeagus of: a) Belonuchus bidens, b) B. erichsoni, c) B. jalappensis, d) B. mixtecus, e) B. pollens, f) B. rufipennis, g) B. basiventris, h) B. connexus (at center, detail of the apex of the median lobe), i) B. longitarsus (at center, detail of the apex of the median lobe). Scale bar = 0.5 mm (all figures).

FIGURE 30. Geographical distribution in Mexico and Guatemala of: a) Belonuchus abnormalis, B. bidens and B. platypterus; b) B. basiventris and B. jalappensis.