Selenophorus aequinoctialis Dejean

Rajab, Abubakarsidiq Makame, 2021, Indoor Radio Map localization WiFi fingerprint datasets, The Coleopterists Bulletin 75 (1), pp. 9-55 : 38

Selenophorus aequinoctialis Dejean ( Fig. 37 )

Selenophorus aequinoctialis Dejean 1829: 85 . Type locality: “northern parts of Brazil ” . Types: Dejean collection in MNHN .

Selenophorus famulus Casey 1914: 146 , new synonymy. Type locality: Arizona (“probably southern”) . Types: USNM #47880.

Descriptive Notes. Elytra with seriate punctures foveate. Pronotum with sides somewhat convergent; hind angles obtusely rounded; base distinctly narrower than elytral base; anterior margin nearly straight with angles slightly projected, span narrow compared to head size. Males + ♂ 1 or + ♂ 2. Median lobe described below. ABL 5.5–8.0 mm.

Range. USA: AZ*, sCA*, sNM*, sNV*; Mexico; Guatemala; Nicaragua*; Costa Rica*; Brazil. New country record for USA.

Remarks. Bousquet (2012) reported the distribution of Selenophorus famulus Casey to be in southern Arizona, California, and Mexico. Neither Bousquet nor Casey made any references to S. aequinoctialis . The two species have not been compared in the literature. Several specimens from southwestern USA held in UAIC and UASM have been variously determined by carabid experts to be either S. famulus or S. aequinoctialis . Unpublished southwestern records for both species appear on the internet search sites www.gbif.org and www.iDigBio.org/portal. We propose that S. famulus be placed in junior synonymy with S. aequinoctialis . Our conclusion is based on comparisons of four Casey paratypes of S. famulus from Arizona (USNM) with the descriptive accounts of S. aequinoctialis by Dejean (1829: 85) and Putzeys (1878: 24), both of which clearly match the anatomic details of southwestern S. famulus described by Casey (1914: 146). Despite an abundance of prior determinations by others, the range extension of S. aequinoctialis into USA from Mexico has not been published until now.

Very similar to S. palliatus , S. aequinoctialis also has elytra with foveate seriate punctures; however, the punctures tend to be smaller and fewer. In both species the metallic dorsum contrasts sharply with testaceous color along the elytral posterior border and at least the apical half of the first interval. Selenophorus aequinoctialis is distinguished from S. palliatus as follows. The body is narrower and average length is shorter (ABL 5.5–8.0 mm). Compared to S. palliatus in Table 2, the mean SBL for 23 males was 6.55 mm (range 6.03–7.40) and the mean SBL for 29 females was 7.02 mm (range 6.25–7.62). The pronotum has sides more convergent toward the base which lies narrower against the elytra; the basal angles are distinctly obtuse and less rounded. The head is proportionately wider against the straighter anterior border of the pronotum; the anterior angles are less projected forward. Viewed from behind, the humerus is less prominent with tooth absent or obsolete compared to the suggested angulation with minute sharp tooth frequently seen in S. palliatus . The male ventrite 6 exhibits mostly one pair of long anal setae (as in S. palliatus ) or two such pairs in some specimens. This duality in the number of male anal setae was routinely observed in S. sinuaticollis of the same species group. The structure of the median lobe is only subtly different from that of S. palliatus . Viewed dorsally, it tends to be narrower with sides converging from middle of the shaft gradually, more evenly, toward acute dorsoapical plate. In S. palliatus , this convergence is more rapid, beginning well distal to middle of the shaft, and the apex is blunter. The endophallus is unarmed in both species. Compared to specimens in the Nearctic, S. aequinoctialis in Neotropical regions have pronota with sides somewhat more rounded, less convergent, with obtuse basal angles less prominent.

No convincing examples of S. aequinoctialis from Texas were encountered in our extensive survey. We concluded that S. palliatus and S. aequinoctialis in the United States have allopatric distributions. The former occurs eastward from the regional span Texas-Oklahoma-southern Illinois; the latter occurs west of Texas. Previous reports of S. palliatus in Arizona, California, and New Mexico are likely misidentifications.

Figures

Figs. 37–43. Habitus images and genitalia illustrations of Selenophorus species. 37) S. aequinoctialis, dorsal aspect; 38) S. palliatus, dorsal aspect; 39) S. sinuaticollis, dorsal aspect; 40–43) S. rileyi, new species, dorsal and ventral aspects, male median lobe left lateral and dorsal views.