Astylus banghaasi Pic, 1902

Estrada, Patricia, 2021, Updating the knowledge of species of the genus Astylus Laporte (Coleoptera Melyridae) from South America, Zootaxa 4941 (1), pp. 127-141 : 132-133

Astylus banghaasi Pic, 1902

( Figures 5–6 )

Astylus bang-haasi Pic, 1902:34 ; Pic 1929:7; Blackwelder 1945:378; Estrada 2008:601. (Type locality: Bolivia).

Astylus elongatior Pic, 1902:34 ; Bruch 1915:250; Pic 1929:8; Blackwelder 1945:378; Estrada 2008:601. (Type locality: Tucumán). n.syn

Astylus elongatior var. disjuncta Pic, 1902:34 ; Bruch 1915:250; Pic 1929:8; Blackwelder 1945:378. (Type locality: Tucumán). n.syn

Astylus bang-haasi var. reichei Pic, 1919a:4 ; Pic 1929:7; Blackwelder 1945:378. (Type locality: Bolivia). n.syn

Types examined: bang-haasi : one male herein designated as lectotype and labelled as follows: Bang-Haasi Pic . Type. (MNHN). elongatior : one male herein designated as lectotype and labelled as follows: elongatior Pic. R.A. Tucuman, octubre 21/1898 Linaro. Type. (MNHN). var. disjuncta Pic : one male herein designated as lectotype and labelled as follows: v. disjuncta Pic. R.A. Tucumán, marzo 5/1899 Linaro. Type. (MNHN). var. reichei Pic : one male herein designated as lectotype and labelled as follows: v Reichei Pic. Var elytres bleurs macule post. plus large. Type. (MNHN).

Diagnosis. Bright black body; head, pronotum and elytra with abundant long black hairs; elongated antennae, with subcylindric, slightly widened antennomeres ( Fig. 5a ); pronotum wider in the middle with marginal ridge and marked depression along the lateral margins; black elytra with bright red spots varying in length to form longitudinal bands; males: Ventrite 1 with a short and curved process at center, close to the basal margin; ventrite 5 with a broadly emarginated distal margin; ventrite 6 and last tergite fused like a subconical structure; ventrite 6 with a “V form narrow notch at distal margin ( Fig. 5b ), last tergite projected apically ( Fig. 5b ); parameres sclerotized, slightly divergent towards the apex ( Fig. 6a,b ), lateral edges curved ventrally; tegminal plate reduced, flat and slightly projected on apodeme ( Fig. 6c ); Median lobe subcylindrical, elongated, sclerotized, strongly curved at base, with a slightly pointy apex with an oval and wide phallotreme ( Fig. 6 d–f).

Description: average body length 8.5 mm (range: 8–9.3, n= 6; only males); length: width ratio 2.3:1, sides sub-parallel; abundant thick erect black hairs on dorsal surface, and dense, decumbent pilosity that is fine and bright yellowish on the sternal surface; pronotum with sparse, moderately coarse and shallow punctures, and abundant black, thick and long hairs; elytra with dense, coarse, and shallow punctuation and abundant black pubescence; black or dark-blue elytra with a variable color pattern from bright red-orange spots, separated or elongated to form longitudinal bands with irregular edges; antennae either totally black or mainly black then reddish at the base; legs completely black or black with reddish edges.

Head: Including the eyes, slightly narrower than distal margin of pronotum (0.9:1); front slightly depressed between the eyes; frontoclypeal region moderately prolonged and slightly narrowed toward the apex; antennae longer than the length of the pronotum (2.5:1), elongated and subcylindrical antennomeres that are slightly serrated ( Fig. 5a ).

Thorax: Pronotum slightly longer than wide (1.2:1), slightly convex transversely, and widest at the middle; distal, lateral and basal margins marked, sides moderately flattened with a depression along the lateral margin, basal margin narrower than humeral region (0.5:1). Elytra longer than wide (3.5:1), with a prominent humeral angle, subparallel lateral margins in the two basal thirds and slightly widened in the distal third; disc slightly convex in the middle and strongly bent at the sides and apex, there is a marked subapical angle; wide, glabrous, and smooth epipleura, with sides converging at the apex. Legs: elongated, slender, and pilose, with abundant bristles on the tibiae, tarsomeres with fine ventral spines, and toothed claws.

Abdomen: males: Ventrite 1 with a short and curved, hook-like process at center, close to the basal margin; ventrite 5 with a broadly emarginated distal margin; ventrite 6 and last tergite fused like a subconical structure; the last tergite is projected apically ( Fig. 5b ); segment 9 has a narrow tergum, with fine, curved sternal arms and a moderately fine apodeme ( Fig. 5c ). Genitalia: parameres sclerotized, fused at the base, and slightly divergent at the apex; in a ventral view, there are thick lateral margins. Tegmen has no dorsal flange at the base of the parameres; moderately thick tegminal arms, widened at the middle, gradually narrowed and convergent toward the base; substraight from lateral view; reduced tegminal plate, strongly emarginated distal margin, with a longitudinal fold at the middle, slightly projected on the apodeme; wide and securiform apodeme, consisting of two parallel laminae ( Fig. 6 a–c). Median lobe is subcylindrical, elongated, and sclerotized with sub-parallel sides from lateral view, while strongly curved at the base; slightly pointy apex with an oval and wide phallotreme with an elevated median fold; enlarged apodeme ( Fig. 6 d–f).

Distribution. ARGENTINA: Tucumán, Tucuman Province (MNHN) 2♁. BOLIVIA: without data (MNHN) 2♁. PERU: San Andrés, Cutervo Province (2200– 1900 masl) (IMFL) 2#.

According to the material reviewed in this study, the geographic distribution of Astylus banghaasi corresponds to the South American Transitional Zone in the Puna and Desert Provinces of the Andean region and the Chacoan Province in the Chacoan dominion of the Neotropical region ( Morrone 2014, 2018).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Astylus banghaasi Pic, 1902. Male, a: antenna; Terminal segments of abdomen: b: v: V ventrite, vi: VI ventrite and lt: last tergite; pa: abdominal process; c: segment 9. Scale 1 mm.

FIGURE 6. Astylus banghaasi Pic, 1902. Male genitalia. Tegmen and parameres: a: dorsal view; p: parameres; b: ventral view; c: lateral view; ap: apodeme, Scale 1mm. Median lobe: d: dorsal view, pha: phallotreme; e: ventral view; f: lateral view. Scale 1 mm.