Belonuchus julietitae, Márquez & Asiain, 2022

Márquez, Juan & Asiain, Julieta, 2022, Taxonomy of the Mexican species of Belonuchus Nordmann (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Zootaxa 5152 (1), pp. 1-129 : 31-32

Belonuchus julietitae sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ab2e271a-918c-4f6e-9c43-a433b808ed82

Figs. 2g , 10a , 12j , 17j, 18f, 21f, 26b

Total body length 11.3 mm. Black on almost entire body, except for reddish elytra, tibiae, tarsomeres and mesoventrite. Apical antennomere paler than previous ones, anterior half of mesoventrite black and posterior half reddish, genital segment brown.

Head: transverse, ratio length/width 0.66, sides behind eyes and posterior corners somewhat rounded. Dorsal surface with punctures less dense than in majority of species; sulcate longitudinal midline visible for almost entire cephalic length, except in posterior fourth; front slightly foveate. Eyes slightly longer than 0.5 times the cephalic lateral length, not protruding at sides. Antennomeres 4–7 elongate, 8–10 as long as wide. Mandibles 1.43 times longer than head; with two well separated teeth (basal and middle) of moderate size; external channel slightly developed, external and internal margins well separated at base, internal margin carinate at base, extending upwards like impressed line, which exceeds the level of middle tooth.Apical palpomeres of maxillary palpi almost as long as, or slightly longer than preapical palpomere. Apical palpomere of labial palpi nearly 1.25 times as long as preapical palpomere. Head 1.25 times wider than pronotum.

Thorax: each dorsal row of pronotum with five punctures; pronotum almost as long as wide (ratio 1.06), but wider at anterior corners than at posterior corners (ratio 1.14). Scutellum with denser punctures than on elytra, but concentrated at center, with their sides smooth; elytra with fine, sparse punctures. Prosternum slightly elevated before anterior margin. Intercoxal process of mesoventrite shield-shaped; transverse discal ridge weakly developed, also acute posteriorly. Profemur without defined internal margin, only near its apex where there are few short spines combined with setae, external margin with spines that initiate slightly before midpoint and not reaching the apex, increasing in size towards apex, but are not very long. Metatrochanter modified like slender and long hook, distinctly curved and acute at apex, as long as half length of metafemur ( Fig. 12j ); metafemur curved at level of overlap with hook; metatibia internally curved in its anterior third. Tarsomeres flattened dorsally.

Abdomen: glossy and iridiscent; first three visible tergites with posterior basal transverse carina well developed, adjacent area clearly depressed, but narrow and with fine punctures, remaining abdomen covered with sparse, fine punctures. Pregenital sternite slightly emarginate at posterior margin, with sides of emargination of peculiar shape (Fig. 17j). Male genital sternite moderately elongate (2.61 times longer than wide), slightly asymmetrical, anterior portion occupyig 49% and posterior portion 51% of its length, apical emargination deep ( Fig. 18f ). Abdominal styli black and very slender.

Aedeagus: length 1.85 mm; shape oval-elongate; apex slender and acute, occupying almost 1/2 of anterior half, becoming gradually wider toward base; basal half oval-rounded, notably wider than apical half; internal sac visible, with some microsetae before apex ( Fig. 21f ).

Variability. Total body length in males 10.5 mm (range 9.5–11.3 mm), in females 10.6 (range 8.5–11.6); ratio length/width of head in males 0.75 (range 0.61–0.81), in females 0.83 (range 0.78–0.84); ratio mandibular length/ cephalic length in males 1.18 (range 0.96–1.37), in females 1.02 (range 0.96–1.08); ratio cephalic width/pronotal width in males 1.21 (range 1.14–1.37), in females 1.10 (range 1.07–1.15); ratio length/width of pronotum in males 1.12 (range 1.07–1.19), in females 1.17 (range 1.14–1.21); ratio anterior width/posterior width of pronotum in males and females 1.02 (range 1.00–1.04). Variation was also noted in the color of last and penultimate antennomere that may be lighter than the previous ones or almost the same; anterior half of mesoventrite black, posterior half reddish, brown or almost black.

Taxonomic comments. This species can be confused only with B. pulcher because both have a glossy black body, with elytra and part of legs reddish. In B. julietitae , the tibiae and tarsomeres are reddish, the metaventrite is also reddish, the genital sternite is less wide and more acute at its base, and the aedeagus is smaller, as well as its apex; whereas B. pulcher has only the coxae black and the remaining segments of the legs are reddish, the metaventrite is dark or almost black, the male genital sternite is wider and less acute at its base, and the aedeagus is larger, with its apex also larger.

Etymology. The name of this species is dedicated with great affection to Julieta Márquez Asiain (daughter of the authors).

Type material (79 males, 47 females): Holotype (male, CC-UAEH) “ México: Hidalgo, Zacualtipán, La Mojonera, N20º37’59”, W98º35’48”, 1886 m, bosque mesófilo de montaña perturbado, NTP-80 (calamar), 28-II a 29-IV-2004, J. Asiain y J. Márquez cols. “ . Paratypes: Mexico: Hidalgo: “ Acaxochitlán, Tlazintla , bosque encino-pino , 2149 m, N20°09’7.96”, W98°11’1.83”, NTP-80 (calamar), (without date) J. Islas col.” (1, CC-UAEH). “ Tenango de Doria , camino a La Viejita, bosque mesófilo de montaña , 1647m, N20°19’37.9”, W98°14’39.7”, trampa de intercepción de vuelo #1, 1 al 15-IX-2011, J. Márquez col.” (2, CC-UAEH). Same data, except: “NTP- 80 (calamar)” (2, CC-UAEH). Same data, except: “NTP-80 (calamar) #6” (1, CC-UAEH). “ Tenango de Doria , El Potrero, N20°18’40.2”, W98°13’51.8”, bosque mesófilo , 2182 m, NTP-80 (calamar) #3, 18 a 25-IV-2009, J. Márquez, M. Rivero, M. Torres, M. Vargas y J. Sánchez cols.” (1, CC-UAEH). “ Zacualtipán, La Mojonera, N20º37’ 59”, W98º35’48” , 1886 m, bosque mesófilo de montaña perturbado, NTP-80 (calamar), mayo-junio-2004, J. Asiain y J. Márquez cols.” (14, CC-UAEH). Same data, except: “ 28-II a 29-IV-2004 ” (93, CC-UAEH). “ Zacualtipán, camino a Santo Domingo , bosque mesófilo de montaña , 1830 m, N20°37.749’, W98°34.85’, NTP-80 (calamar), 29-XII-2003 al 28-II-2004, J. Asiain y J. Márquez cols.” (4, CC-UAEH). “Zacualtipán, camino a Santo Domingo, bosque mixto o mesófilo perturbado, N20°38’00.7”, W98°34’00.5”, trampa cebada con hongos, 21 al 28-IX-2003, J. Asiain y J. Márquez cols.” (1, CC-UAEH). Same data, except “trampa de intercepción de vuelo” (2, CC-UAEH). “Zacualtipán, bosque de pino, en tronco podrido, 22 y 23-I-1996, J. Márquez col.” (1, MAAS) . Veracruz: “ Coscomatepec, Tecoac, bosque mesófilo de montaña, 1750 msnm, NTP-80 (calamar) # 758, 03-VI a 1-VII-1995, M. A. Pensado y Q. Santiago cols.” (1, MAAS; 1, QJSJ). Same data, except “ 6-V a 3-VI-1995 ” (1, QJSJ) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Dorsal view of males of: a) Belonuchus alternans (syntype, NHM©), b) B. alternans, c) B. apiciventris, d) B. cariniventris (lectotype), e) B. colon, f) B. confusus (holotype), g) B. julietitae (paratype), h) B. linuzensis (paratype). Scale bars = 2.5 mm.

FIGURE 10. Dorsal view of the head of males of: a) Belonuchus julietitae, b) B. singularis, c) B. connexus, d) B. platypterus, e) B. bidens, f) B. nigerrimus, g) B. optatus, h) B. cyanipennis, i) B. godmani. Dorsal view of the head and pronotum of the holotype female of: j) B. optatus.

FIGURE 12. Mesoventrite of males of: a) Belonuchus viridipennis, b) Belonuchus sp. Q, c) B. cyanipennis. Ventral view of the left femur of male anterior leg of: d) B. apiciventris, e) B. oxyporimimus, f) B. oxyporinus, g) B. tepoztecus, h) B. bidens, i) B. viridipennis. Ventral view of the left posterior leg of males of: j) B. julietitae, k) B. linuzensis (small specimen), l) B. linuzensis (large specimen), m) B. metafemoralis, n) B. oxyporimimus, o) B. oxyporinus. Red arrow: intercoxal process of the mesoventrite, blue arrow: transverse discal ridge.

FIGURE 18. Male genital sternite of: a) Belonuchus altenans, b) B. apiciventris, c) B. cariniventris, d) B. colon, e) B. confusus, f) B. julietitae, g) B. magnistylus, h) B. linuzensis, i) B. metafemoralis, j) B. oxyporimimus, k) B. oxyporinus, l) B. pulcher, m) B. rufisternus, n) B. singularis, o) B. tenuistylus. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 21. Ventral (left) and lateral (right) view of the aedeagus of: a) Belonuchus alternans, b) B. apiciventris, c) B. cariniventris, d) B. colon, e) B. confusus, f) B. julietitae, g) B. linuzensis, h) B. magnistylus, i) B. metafemoralis. Scale bar = 0.5 mm (all figures).