Pinodytes orca Peck & Cook, 2011

Peck, Stewart B. & Cook, Joyce, 2011, Systematics, distributions and bionomics of the Catopocerini (eyeless soil fungivore beetles) of North America (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Catopocerinae) 3077, Zootaxa 3077 (1), pp. 1-118 : 47

Pinodytes orca Peck & Cook , new species

( Figs. 40 , 359–367 )

Type material. Holotype: male ( SBPC). UNITED STATES. Oregon: Josephine Co., ORCA Nat. Mon., Oregon Cave , 4000–4200’, 42.098N 123.406W, 28.I–27.II.1993, Ron Reed & J. Roth, (at entrance), #3 pitfall trap, cheesebaited, past connecting tunnel end, moist soil (at base of flowstone), dark zone . Paratype (1). UNITED STATES. Oregon: same data except 27.III–1.V.1993, male ( SBPC) .

Material examined. We have examined 2 specimens.

Distribution. Specimens ( Fig. 359 ) are known only from Josephine County, in southwestern Oregon.

Diagnostic description. Total length 4.20 mm; greatest width 1.76 mm. Dark reddish brown; flattened and elongate in shape ( Fig. 40 ). Head. Finely, sparsely punctate; vertex with reticulate microsculpture. Eyes absent. Antenna ( Fig. 360 ) elongate; antennomere 2 shorter than 3; antennomere 5 larger than 4 and 6; antennomere 7 clearly larger than 8; antennomeres 9 and 10 lack visible sensory vesicles. Pronotum. Punctures large, dense, separated by less than one to two diameters; microsculpture weak, reticulate. Widest at base; sides somewhat explanate, parallel in basal one-third, then narrowing to apex; apical margin emarginate, basal margin straight; apical angles rounded, basal angles nearly rectangular. Elytra. Punctures moderately large, irregularly spaced; surface weakly rugose, with punctures joined by curved transverse strioles. Elytra explanate laterally; sides parallel in basal one-half, then narrowing to apex; each elytron with a sublateral punctate stria. Legs. Protibia ( Fig. 361 ) widening to broad apex; dense fine spines on apical two-thirds of inner margin; outer margin with two or three short spines and two larger spines at apex. Mesotibia ( Fig. 363 ) with basal three-fifths narrow, weakly sinuate; apical two-fifths broad with elongate fine spines laterally; outer margin and apex with strong spines. Metatibia ( Fig. 364 ) elongate, narrow, straight; apical one-half and apex spinose. Metafemur ( Fig. 364 ) slender. Male protarsomeres ( Figs. 361, 362 ) dilated; protarsomere 1 about as long as 2–4 combined; with elongate setae laterally and two rows of thin, colorless, stalked, concave-faced phanerae ventrally. Mesotarsomeres without phanerae. Venter. Mesoventrite ( Fig. 367 ) carinate; longitudinal carina irregularly serrate, setose, with excavation behind transverse carina.

Male genitalia. Median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs. 365, 366 ) weakly sinuate in dorsal view, with rounded apex; in lateral view, strongly dorsoventrally curved at basal one-fourth, with flattened apex. Inverted internal sac ( Fig. 366 ) with elongate, curved sclerite. Parameres ( Figs. 365, 366 ) slender, not reaching apex of median lobe; each with two apical setae. Female unknown.

Notes. Although the species is known only from specimens taken in a cave, the species should not be considered to be a cave adapted species. It is instead a soil species which was taken in a cave, and we consider this to be a secondary habitat. The first author spent a week in May, 2003, trying to take additional material in the cave and in adjacent forests, without success.

Etymology. The name orca is derived from an acronym of the name of the type locality, Oregon Caves National Monument, Oregon.

Figures

FIGURE 359. Distributions of species in the Pinodytes cryptophagoides species group in northwestern United States. P. isabella, open triangle in northern Idaho. P.orca, closed square in southwestern Oregon. P.setosus, closed triangles in southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. P. shoshone, closed circles in northern Idaho. P. sinuatus, open squares in southwestern Oregon.

FIGURES 360–367. Pinodytes orca. 360. Male right antenna, dorsal. 361. Male right protibia and protarsus, dorsal. 362. Male right protarsus, ventral. 363. Male right mesotibia. 364. Male right metafemur and metatibia. 365. Aedeagus, lateral. 366. Aedeagus, dorsal. 367. Mesoventrite, lateral. Scale bar = 0.4 mm (Fig. 362), 0.5 mm (Fig. 367), 0.7 mm (Figs. 361, 363–366), 1.0 mm (Fig. 360).

FIGURES 37–43. Pinodytes habitus photos. 37. P.garibaldi, total length 2.80 mm. 38. P. haidagwaii, total length 3.04 mm. 39. P. isabella, total length 2.18 mm. 40. P.orca, total length 4.20 mm. 41. P.setosus, total length 1.96 mm. 42. P. shoshone, total length 2.18 mm. 43. P. sinuatus, total length 2.28 mm.