Megalopinus lingafelteri, Mainda, 2023

Mainda, Tobias, 2023, Megalopinus lingafelteri spec. nov. from Arizona, U. S. A (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Megalopsidiinae), Soil Organisms 95 (1), pp. 17-22 : 18-19

Megalopinus lingafelteri spec. nov.

( Figs. 1 , 3, 4 , 5 ) http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:48D9D8A3-D166-48D6-B1FE-29D9A50B6530

Type specimen: Holotype male, ‘ U.S. A: Arizona, Cochise Co., Hereford : 8920 S. Bryerly Ct., 31°24’14”N 110°13’52”W, 1,500 m, 15 Aug – 15 Sept 2021, V-FIT, leg. Steven W. Lingafelter’ / red label ‘male HOLOTYPE Megalopinus lingafelteri nov. sp., design. Mainda 2023’ [cTM].

Description: Measurements of the Holotype (in mm): BL: 2.45, DE: 0.36, FBL: 1.63, EL: 0.80, EW: 0.93, HW: 0.61, PL: 0.56, PW: 0.66, SL: 0.69.

Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Dark chestnut-brown, without microsculpture; elytra lightened anteriorly and on the sides of each elytron, with only two rows of punctures; antennae orange-colored brown, antennal clubs clearly darkened; legs orange-colored brown, tarsi lightened.

Head 0.66 times narrower than elytra, frons finely and quite widely punctured; shiny; with few indistinct setae.

Pronotum 1.18 times as broad as long, broadest in anterior third, with sides narrowed towards posterior margin, with Y-shaped impunctate area in middle of posterior half, at posterior end of Y-shaped area connected to narrow sickle-shaped impunctate area, concave side of which is directed anteriorly; posterior end of pronotum separated from sickle-shaped area by a row of distinctly separated punctures; punctures always separate, biggest diameter on sides and in posterior third. Each side of pronotum with two small denticles in anterior third, and two indistinct ones in posterior third. Some barely visible but long white setae present.

Elytra 1.16 times as broad as long; humeral calli prominent. Puncture on left elytron: shr (13), dsr (14); puncture on right elytron: shr (14), dsr (12). Broadest in posterior half; sides slightly concave towards anterior margin, convexly narrowed towards posterior margin.

Abdomen broader than head, shiny, with distinct paratergites. Basolateral striae of tergite V extends nearly to posterior margin of tergite; tergite VII with a distinct membranous fringe at posterior margin (the species is fully winged).

Male: Antennomere XI 0.14 mm long, 0.13 mm broad; antennomere X 0.04 mm long, 0.09 mm broad. Aedeagus ( Fig. 3 ) with acuminate apical portion, internal structure without distinct sclerites. Parameres about as long as median lobe, with several short subapical setae, anteriorly pinet-shaped dilated, ending in a point (only visible in lateral view). Sternite IX spatula-shaped, 0.31 mm long, 0.14 mm broad ( Fig. 4A ). Tergite X extremely finely punctate, shiny ( Fig. 4B ). Sternite VIII almost indistinctly impressed at posterior margin ( Fig. 4C ). Tergite VIII without special features ( Fig. 4D ).

Female: Unknown.

Distribution: M. lingafelteri spec. nov. is known only from the oak savanna in the foothills of the Huachuca Mountains in the Cochise County, Arizona, U.S.A.

Comparative notes: The new species is distinguished from Megalopinus ashei Puthz, 1994 by the elytral punctures and the anteriorly wider median lobe of the aedeagus ( Fig. 6 ; Fig. 5 in Puthz 1994). It is distinguished from Megalopinus morator Puthz, 1994 by the elytral punctures ( Fig. 7 ) and longer basolateral stria on the tergite V. It differs from Megalopinus pusillus Puthz, 1994 by its distinctly different elytral and pronotal punctures ( Fig. 8 ). Megalopinus lingafelteri spec. nov. may be distinguished from the other species of the group following the key in Puthz (1994).

Etymology: With the choice of the epithet ‘ lingafelteri ’ (Latinized noun, derived from the surname ‘Lingafelter’, genitive) the species is dedicated to Steven W. Lingafelter (Hereford, Arizona, U.S.A.), who collected it on his property and kindly provided the holotype.

Figures

Figure 1. Holotype of M. lingafelteri spec. nov., Arizona, U.S.A.

Figures 2–4. Habitat of M. lingafelteri spec. nov. in Hereford (Arizona, U.S.A), property of Steven W. Lingafelter, with view towards the Huachuca Mountains, December 2022 (2); aedeagus of M. lingafelteri spec. nov. (3); abdominal segments of M. lingafelteri spec. nov., sternite IX (4A), tergite X (4B), sternite VIII (4C), tergite VIII (4D).

Figures 5–8. Comparison of the forebodies of M. lingafelteri spec. nov. (5), male paratype of M. ashei, Mexico: San Luis Potosi, El Naranjo (6), female paratype of M. morator, Mexico: Veracruz, Catemaco (7) and female paratype of M. pusillus, Mexico: Jalisco, Autlán de Navarro (8), scale = 0.5 mm.