Notaepytus tarsatus (Lacordaire)

Skelley, Paul E., 2009, Pleasing fungus beetles of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Erotylinae), Insecta Mundi 2009 (82), pp. 1-94 : 79-80

Notaepytus tarsatus (Lacordaire) , reinstated species, new combination

Figure 90 , 106 , 122 , 159-161

Oocyanus tarsatus Lacordaire 1842: 196-197 ~ Gemminger and Harold 1876: 3696 [as synonym of O. tarsalis ]; Gundlach 1891 -1894: 127-128; Kuhnt 1910: 231; Leng and Mutchler 1914: 412 [as synonym of O. tarsalis ]; Curran 1944: 4 [as synonym of O. tarsalis ]; Blackwelder 1945: 465 [as synonym of O. tarsalis ]; Peck 2005: 134 [as synonym of E. tarsalis ].

Epytus tarsatus (Lacordaire) ~ Crotch 1876: (57)433 [synonymy with O. tarsalis ]; Skelley 1998a: 14.

Ischyrus (Oocyanus) tarsalis Lacordaire ~ Gorham 1898: 335.

Oocyanus tarsalis (Lacordaire) ~ Gemminger and Harold 1876: 3696; Kuhnt 1909: 64; Kuhnt 1911: 44; Leng and Mutchler 1914: 412; Curran 1944: 4; Blackwelder 1945: 465.

Epytus tarsalis (Lacordaire) ~ Alvarenga 1994: 18.

Eptyus [sic] tarsalis (Lacordaire) ~ Peck 2005: 134.

Diagnosis. The species may be delimited by an entirely black body ( Fig. 90 , 122 ), with only tarsi and antennomeres IX-XI distinctly pale.

Description. Length: 5.3-9.2 mm; width: 2.8-4.5 mm. Body elongate, parallel-sided, somewhat flattened; surface microreticulate, moderately dulled. Color black except as noted: apical third of antennomere IX, and all of antennomeres X-XI pale; tarsi and basal half of antennomeres I-II red-brown.

Head interocular width = 2.5-3.0 x ocular width; vertex and epistome coarsely punctate, puncture size = 0.75 x ocular facet diameter; separated by 1-2 x their diameter; epistome anterior margin truncate. Eyes moderately to coarsely faceted. Antennomere III length = 3 x width, length = length of antennomeres IV+V combined; antennomeres IV-VIII equal in length, each with length = 1.5 x width; antennomere VIII wider than VII, but not part of club; antennomere IX triangular, length = 0.8 x width; antennomere XI subcircular. Terminal maxillary palpomere triangular, symmetrical, slightly wider than long. Terminal labial palpomere triangular, asymmetrical, width = 2 x length, expanded medially, width = terminal maxillary palpomere.

Pronotum transverse; punctures coarse, slightly smaller than those on vertex, evenly distributed; small group of large punctures at each side of base. Scutellum pentagonal, length = 0.75 x width. Elytral striae punctures large, puncture size = an ocular facet diameter, separated by 2 x their diameter; fine interval punctures obscured in microreticulations; base lacking marginal bead. Wings present, fully developed.

Prosternum length = 2.0-2.5 x intercoxal width; sternal lines continuous around coxal cavity; base shallowly concave. Mesosternal lines parallel, not continuous around coxal cavity. Metasternum long, distance between meso- and metacoxae = 1.7 x intermesocoxal width; anterior lines arching medially, continuous around mesocoxal cavity; coarse punctures laterally and at anterolateral margins, decreasing in size medially. Abdomen with coxal lines not meeting medially; continuous around metacoxal cavity; punctures coarse laterally, medially decreasing in size and density. Male genitalia with flagellum thickened, with acute apex slightly arcuate ( Fig. 106 ).

Distribution. Found on Cuba.

Type Material. For Oocyanus tarsatus, Lacordaire (1842: 196-197) stated “De la Colombie, Collection de M. Reiche.” Crotch purchased Reiche’s collection and his specimen is labeled in a manner indicating it as a type ( Skelley 1998b). Lacordaire made no indication of how many specimens were studied, so the Crotch specimen could be the single true holotype or part of a type series. As there has been an apparent error in the locality labeling and there is the possibility other type material exists, Crotch’s specimen ( Fig. 159- 160 ) is here designated as the lectotype of Oocyanus tarsatus Lacordaire , label data: “/ [green paper] Colomb / TYPE. [handwritten] tarsatus R. / [blue paper] TYPE / [red paper] LECTOTYPE Oocyanus tarsatus Lac. , det. P.Skelley-08 /” ( Fig. 161 , CUMZ).

Specimens Examined. A total of 45 specimens were studied. Their label data are presented in the Appendix.

Variation. The distinct, dull, dorsal body surface varied between a few specimens, with some being almost glossy. Some specimens have the coarse punctures on the head distinct, while others are smaller and less distinct. The largest specimen examined, a female, is substantially larger than all other specimens studied, has a slightly more robust body, and the least developed dorsal punctation.

Remarks. Crotch (1876: 433) originally synonymized I. tarsalis and O. tarsatus , stating “I cannot doubt from the description that Lacordaire has described this species twice over, the only discrepancy being size. The locality ‘Columbia’ assigned to Reiche’s specimen is probably erroneous, as I have seen numerous examples from Cuba.” Crotch then presented the species as E. tarsatus . However, all subsequent authors used I. tarsalis , probably because that description came on an earlier page in Lacordaire (1842).

Study of type specimens representing both “ tarsatus ” and “ tarsalis ” proved they are distinct and Crotch’s synonymy, based solely on the literature is in error. Notaepytus tarsatus has fully-developed wings, longer metasternum and is from Cuba, while N. tarsalis has reduced wings, shorter metasternum and is from Haiti. Thus, citations in the synonymy above for “ tarsalis ”, being mostly catalog listings, all or in part refer to N. tarsatus .

While the N. tarsatus and N. tarsalis are distinct and from separate islands, the size difference mentioned by Crotch is present in Cuban materials of N. tarsatus . One female of N. tarsatus from Cuba (“Soledad, Cuba, Cienfuegos, XI-14-1927, Matagua, Wilson”; FSCA) is notably larger than any other specimen, has a general loss of coarse punctation, and a more robust body. Of the remaining smaller specimens, males were available from only three populations and showed no notable variation in genitalic structure. Without additional male specimens of both body sizes, these are all tentatively considered conspecific.

Figures

Figure 89-104. Notaepytus spp., habitus drawings. 89) N. flavitarsis. 90) N. tarsatus. 91) N. cubanacan. 92) N. modestus. 93) N. cyclosignatus. 94) N. elongatus. 95) N. fulvitarsis. 96) N. decoregens. 97) N. ignotensis. 98) N. haitensis. 99) N. inversus. 100) N. baorucoensis. 101) N. neibaensis. 102) N. lavegaensis. 103) N. cyanoros. 104) N. elateroides.

Figure 105-120. Notaepytus spp., male genital flagella. 105) N. flavitarsis. 106) N. tarsatus. 107) N. modestus. 108) N. elateroides. 109) N. cyanoros. 110) N. cyclosignatus. 111) N. inversus. 112) N. neibaensis. 113) N. haitensis.114) N. ignotensis. 115) N. fulvitarsis (DR: Hato Mayor). 116) N. fulvitarsis (DR: La Vega). 117) N. fulvitarsis (DR: Barahona). 118) N. decoregens. 119) N. baorucoensis. 120) N. lavegaensis. All reproduced to same scale, scale line = 1 mm.

Figure 121-123. Notaepytus spp. occurring on Cuba. 121) N. flavitarsis. 122) N. tarsatus. 123) N. cubanacan, holotype.

Figure 156-161. Lectotypes and labels. 156-158) Lectotype Ischyrus tarsalis Lacordaire, dorsal habitus with label, ventral habitus and head and pronotum. 159-161) Lectotype Oocyanus tarsatus Lacordaire dorsal habitus, ventral habitus and labels.