Pocadius tepicensis Cline, 2008

Cline, Andrew R., 2008, Revision of the sap beetle genus Pocadius Erichson, 1843 (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Nitidulinae, Zootaxa 1799 (1), pp. 1-120 : 101-103

Pocadius tepicensis Cline new species

(Figs. 38, 79, 122, 165, 206, 244)

Specimens examined. HOLOTYPE ♂ ( CAS): 20mi. E. Tepic, Nay.; Mex. VIII-3-65 / L. R. Gillogly Collector / gill; fungus / L. R. Gillogly Collection / Lorin R. Gillogly ; Collection ; Donated To The; Calif. Academy Of Sciences; May 1990 / HOLOTYPE; Pocadius ; tepicensis; A. R. Cline des. 2004. 12 PARATYPES (10 CAS, 2 ARCC) : same data labels as holotype .

Diagnosis. Delimited from other Neotropical species by the following: terminal antennomere longer than preceding two segments combined and with V-shaped depressed region; mentum hemispherical with obsoletely acute apex; metasternal disc deeply densely punctate with large punctures; prosternal process in lateral view with sharp declivity posterior to coxal cavities and flattened posterior 0.33, posterior wall strongly oblique; protibia lacking outer apical notch; indentate male pygidium; and basal piece of internal sac sclerites with L-shaped lateral arms and scoop-shaped central region.

Description. Length 3.75mm, Width 2.15mm, Depth 1.35mm. Body moderately convex, surface shining, uniformly reddish-brown to dark brown. Pronotal and elytral margins with moderately elongate fimbriae, setae longer than antennal scape. Dorsal and ventral pubescence long.

Head surface irregularly punctate with deeply impressed small and large punctures, most large ones on vertex, becoming small towards orbits and fronotclypeal region. Large punctures 4–5X diameter of eye facet, small punctures 2X diameter; interspaces smooth to finely alutaceous, shining. Pronotal surface with large punctures equal to large punctures on vertex, interspersed with relatively few small punctures, 0.5 diameter of large ones; interspaces smooth to finely alutaceous and shining, 0.5 diameter apart. Scutellar surface with vague shallowly impressed small punctures; interspaces smooth to finely alutaceous. Elytral surface with serial rows of alternating large and small deep punctures. Small punctures 0.75 diameter of small ones on pronotum, large punctures 3–4X diameter of small ones. Small and large punctures giving rise to erect curved golden setae; interspaces narrow between punctures of a row and broad between different rows. Within a row, small punctures separated by 2 diameters, and large punctures by 0.25–0.5 diameter. Large rows separated by 3 large puncture diameters; interspaces shining but variable from smooth to finely alutaceous. Pygidium densely punctate, punctures equal to large ones on pronotum, each puncture giving rise to short golden setae; interspaces narrow, 0.5 diameter apart, shining, alutaceous to finely granular.

Venter with shorter sparser pubescence than dorsum. Mentum with minute shallow punctures, equal to small ones on vertex; interspaces alutaceous to granular. Submentum and gula similar in punctation to mentum but interspaces more granular. Prosternum with moderately impressed punctures and epimeron deeply irregularly punctate, punctures on epimeron equal to large ones on pronotum and those on prosternum 0.75 diameter of those on epimeron; interspaces alutaceous to granular, prosternal punctures separated by 1 diameter, those on epimeron by 0.25–0.5 diameter. Mesoventrite with moderately impressed punctures equal to those on epimeron; interspaces alutaceous to granular, separated by ~0.5–1 diameter and aggregated near metasternal border. Metaventrite irregularly punctate, heavily punctate on disc with moderately to deeply impressed large punctures similar to those on mesoventrite, interspaces alutaceous to granular on disc becoming granular laterally, separated by 0.5–1 diameter. Abdominal sternite 1 with few large faint punctures equal to those on metasternal disc, interspaces alutaceous, separated by 1–2 diameters. Hypopygidium with moderately deep punctures, similar to those on sternites 2–4, interspaces alutaceous to granular, separated by 0.5 diameter.

Head much wider than long (W:L = 1.9:1). Antennal club compact, ovate, slightly asymmetrical with last antennomere slightly longer than previous two combined. Antennomeres 4–8 more or less compact, 6–8 disclike and 4–5 cuboidal. Antennal scape asymmetrical, hemispherical, 1.75X as long as pedicel. Pedicel subcylindrical. Antennal segment 3 moderately long 0.75 length of pedicel. Antennal club large, 0.65 length of segments 1–8 combined. Mentum with anterior angles obsolete, anterior margin broadly convex with acute apex, entire structure obtusely triangular; convex in lateral aspect.

Pronotum widest near middle (L:W = 1:1.75), anterior margin shallowly concave, lateral margins slightly arcuate anteriorly and less so posteriorly. Scutellum large, obtusely triangular, apex rounded. Prosternal process in lateral view with anterior and posterior ends prominent and a distinct convexity medially that abruptly declines to a flattened posterior 0.33; posterior apical wall prominent and sharply oblique. Mesoventrite extending to midway between mesocoxae, broadly concave to almost truncate for reception of metaventrite. Metaventrite wider than long (W:L = 2.6:1.0). Metepisternum with slight medial constriction, oblique line dividing anterior 0.20. First abdominal sternite with broad process between metacoxae. First sternite 2X’s longer than second. Sternites 2–3 subequal, 4 slightly larger than preceding two. Hypopygidium subequal to first sternite.

Protibia with apical tooth not prominent, 0.5 length of tarsomere 1. Outer apical notch shallow, 0.25 length of tarsomere 1 with 100° angle. Inner apical spine subequal to tarsomere 1. Protibia not heavily armed. Mesotibia more heavily armed than protibia with dense stiff setae and row of numerous slender spines along lateral edge. Outer apical process not robust, subequal to protibial process. Inner apical spine equal to tarsomere 1 and part of 2 combined. Metatibia with armature similar to mesotibia, but with inner apical spine equal to tarsomeres 1–2 combined.

Male genitalia well-sclerotized. Anal sclerite with apex moderately fimbriate and broad medial concavity approaching apex in a truncate manner (Fig. 38). Spiculum gastrale with wide lateral indentate flanges, medial margins deeply concave apically, few short stiff setae originating from apex (Fig. 79). Tegmen evenly broadly rounded apically (Fig. 122), longer than wide (w:l = 1:2.7), lateral row of setae visible from median fossa to prior to apex, large elliptical shallow concavity in apical 0.33 with single row of inner setae not attaining apex. Median lobe large and robust, 0.7 length of tegmen, apex evenly broadly rounded, apical opening well-developed with deeply cleft bilobed internal structure (Fig. 165). Ejaculatory rods not fused to basal piece or each other, with parallel orientation. Basal piece of internal sac sclerites with L-shaped lateral arms and central region evenly depressed or scoop-like (Fig. 206).

Female genitalia moderately sclerotized. Paraprocts large with sclerotization along median line to apicolateral angles. Gonocoxite with two basal lateral prominences, basal ridge well-sclerotized. Gonocoxal apices with recurved “tooth” absent. Four elongate setae originate from small depressions on gonocoxal apices. Intragonocoxal invagination deep, 0.8 gonocoxite (Fig. 244).

Variation. None observed.

Seasonality/Habitat. Collected in early August.

Distribution. Known from the type locality only.

Notes. The fungal host data available suggests this species was collected in a mushroom or other Agaricales . This is the only species known to occur solely from a non-Gasteromycetes host.

Etymology. Specific epithet is a derivative of the type locality, i.e. Tepic, Mexico.