Strigister tecolotito Caterino, Tishechkin, and Proudfoot

Caterino, Michael S., Tishechkin, Alexey K. & Proudfoot, Glenn A., 2013, A New Genus and Species of North American Exosternini Associated with Cavity-Nesting Owls and a Reassignment ofPhelister simoniLewis (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Histerinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 67 (4), pp. 557-565 : 560-562

Strigister tecolotito Caterino, Tishechkin, and Proudfoot , new species

( Figs. 1–3, 5, 7, 9–11 )

Type Material. Holotype male: “ USA: TEXAS: Kenedy Co., Norias Division, King Ranch [26.8374°N, 97.7245°W] V-16-2002, G. A. Proudfoot” / “ex. nest box of eastern screech owl, Megascops asio (NBS 26.1 3HY – 16–18 days old)” / “TAMU-ENTO X0654492 [bar code label]” ( TAMU). Paratypes (93): 11: same data as holotype; 21: same data as holotype, except V-15-2002 ( NBS 41.1 3HY – 2 weeks old); 1: same data as holotype, except V-16-2002, ‘roost?’ ( NBS 26.2); 5: same data as holotype, except IV-18.2002 ( EASO 13-2 HY – 10 days old); 1: same data as holotype, except IV-18-2002 (nest box EASO 5.1); 8: same data as holotype, except VI-12-2002, nest box of ferruginous pygmy-owl, Glaucidium brasilianum ( NBS 7.2 6HY – 21 days old); 2: same data as holotype, except VI-12-2002 (2HY, NBS 5.2); 17: same data as holotype, except VI-13-2002 ( EASO (2001) NBS 24.1); 4: same data as holotype, except XI-8-2001, nest box of ferruginous pygmy-owl, Glaucidium brasilianum (nest box, FEPO 7); 2: same data as holotype, except XI-8-2001, nest box of ferruginous pygmy-owl, Glaucidium brasilianum (nest box, FEPO 16-2); 1: same data as holotype, except V-28-2010, nest box of Glaucidium brasilianum with nestlings, DNA Voucher MSC- 2164; 1: same data as holotype, except VI-14-2002, nest box of ferruginous pygmy-owl, Glaucidium brasilianum ( NBS 29.3 FEPO – 2 HY); 2: TEXAS: Willacy Co., Hunke Ranch [26.5994°N, 97.9690°W], IV-18-2002, G. A. Proudfoot, nest box Eastern screech-owl Megascops asio ( EASO 12-3, HY – 3 weeks old); 11: as preceding except V-13-2002 ( NBS 1.3 3HY – 3 weeks old); ( AMNH, BMNH, FMNH, LSAM, MSCC, TAMU).

Diagnostic Description. Length 2.3–2.9 mm; width 2.0– 2.7 mm; as for generic description, plus the following specific characters: body overall rather finely punctate, ground punctation evident, secondary punctures more restricted in distribution, especially on apical edges of elytra, basal and lateral margins of pronotum, 1 st abdominal ventrite, and pygidium and propygidium; body faintly alutaceous, mainly on venter if at all; pronotum with lateral submarginal stria departing distinctly from margin in anterior half; pronotal disk with secondary punctures more or less restricted to extreme basal margin and lateral thirds, slightly denser toward the margins; elytra with 2 complete epipleural striae, outer subhumeral stria present in apical two-thirds, inner subhumeral stria absent, oblique humeral stria distinctly impressed at base, striae 1–4 complete, 4 th stria variably arched to sutural stria at base, usually narrowly separated from it, 5 th stria variably present in apical half, sutural stria complete; propygidium and pygidium with coarse and more or less uniform secondary punctation intermingled with conspicuous ground punctation; prosternal keel truncate to weakly emarginate at base, carinal striae fragmented to absent basad transverse incision; mesoventrite with complete anterior marginal stria, short additional strioles present in anterolateral corners; mesometaventral stria finely crenulate, slightly anterad but close and parallel to mesometaventral suture; metaventrite with postmesocoxal stria arched anterad to mesepisternum, lateral metaventral stria extending toward middle of metacoxa, slightly abbreviated apically; metaventral disk with fine ground punctation on middle portion; 1 st abdominal ventrite with small secondary punctures densest in basal half, sparser posteriorly; male ( Fig. 10 ) as for generic description (male genitalia of congener S. simoni not known).

Remarks. The distinctions between this species and S. simoni are fairly clear, despite the fact that S. simoni remains known from only its type specimen. Intervening material may bridge some of this morphological gap, but the two are more than adequately distinguished by the differences in overall body sculpture and elytral striation.

Biology. This species has been found in association with two species of owls, both small, secondary, obligate cavity nesters, the Eastern screech-owl ( Megascops asio (L.)) and the ferruginous pygmy-owl ( Glaucidium brasilianum (Gmelin)) . Presumably the beetles are predators on dipteran larvae and other associated arthropods in this arthropod-rich microhabitat. Larval specimens presumably belonging to this species have been collected in the same habitat. Their identity remains to be confirmed (which should be testable using adult/larval sequence comparison; Caterino and Tishechkin 2006), but if they prove to be those of S. tecolotito , they will be described in detail in a subsequent paper.

The known distribution includes nests of owls inhabiting live oak ( Quercus virginiana Mill. ; Fagaceae ) forest and mesquite ( Prosopis glandulosa Torr. ; Fabaceae ) bosque south of 27°N latitude in Texas. Significantly more Histeridae were recovered during nestling development in live oak habitat (21.5 per nest, n = 11) than in mesquite (3.8 per nest, n = 5). The climate of the study area is subtropical with 68 cm mean annual precipitation and 24 °C mean annual temperature.

Etymology. This species name ‘ tecolotito ’, meaning little owl, is a common Spanish name applied to the hosts of this species in Mexico. It is a noun in apposition.

Strigister simoni ( Lewis, 1889) new combination ( Figs. 4, 6, 8 , 10 , 11 )

Phelister simoni Lewis 1889: 46 .

Type Locality. VENEZUELA: Carabobo: San Esteban [∼ 10.42°N, 68.01°W]

Type Material. Holotype probably male: “San Esteban E.Simon III.88” / “Type” / “ Phelister simoni Lewis Type” / “G.Lewis Coll. B.M.1926- 369” ( BMNH).

Diagnostic Description. As for generic description, plus the following specific characters: body overall conspicuously punctate and with nearly all surfaces finely alutaceous; middle of frons and epistoma slightly depressed at middle, frontal stria distinctly interrupted medially; lateral submarginal

pronotal stria weakly departing from lateral margin anteriorly; pronotal disk more or less uniformly covered with conspicuous ground and coarse secondary punctures; elytra with 2 epipleural striae, outer subhumeral stria present in posterior threefourths, inner subhumeral stria present in apical 2/3, striae 1–4 complete, 4 th stria arched toward but disconnected from sutural, 5 th stria slightly abbreviated basally; propygidium and basal half of pygidium with coarse secondary punctures interspersed with conspicuous ground punctation, apical half of pygidium lacking coarse, secondary punctation; prosternal keel with carinal striae distinct, parallel in basal half, basal margin weakly but distinctly emarginate; mesoventrite slightly produced at middle, marginal stria complete, diverging posterad at sides, with prominent strioles in anterolateral corners; mesometaventral stria distinctly crenulate, slightly arched forward; male not known.

Remarks. The coarse dorsal punctation, alutaceous microsculpture, and near complete fifth and inner subhumeral striae will easily distinguish this species from S. tecolotito . This species is known only from the type, the habits of which nothing was recorded by the original collector. The fact that nothing similar has been recollected in the vicinity, or anywhere between Venezuela and Texas, in the intervening 130 years suggests unusual habits. The nests of cavity-nesting birds may indeed hold the solution to this mystery.

Figures

Figs. 1–2. Strigister tecolotito. 1) Antennal club; 2) Prosternum, ventrolateral view.

Figs. 3–9. Strigister species. 3) Dorsal habitus of S. tecolotito; 4) Dorsal habitus of S. simoni; 5) Frons of S. tecolotito; 6) Frons of S. simoni; 7) Ventral habitus of S. tecolotito; 8) Pro- and mesosterna of S. simoni; 9) Lateral habitus of S. tecolotito.

Fig. 10. Male genitalia of Strigister tecolotito. T8 = 8th tergite, S8 = 8th sternite, T9 = 9th tergite, S9 = 9th sternite, T10 = 10th tergite, tg = tegmen, bp = basal piece, ml = median lobe.

Fig. 11. Map showing collecting localities for the two species of Strigister.