Notaepytus haitensis (Curran) Skelley, 2009

Skelley, Paul E., 2009, Pleasing fungus beetles of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Erotylinae), Insecta Mundi 2009 (82), pp. 1-94 : 72

Notaepytus haitensis (Curran) , new combination

Figure 1b , 98 , 113 , 135 , 139

Oocyanus haitensis Curran 1944: 2-3 , f. 1.

Epytus haitensis (Curran) ~ Alvarenga 1994: 18; Perez-Gelabert 2008: 108.

Diagnosis. This species is diagnosed by: apical and subapical orangish marks of the elytra in addition to the transverse band on the basal third, a long metasternum, fully-developed wings, large orangish spots of pronotum occupying majority of pronotal disc leaving two apical and two basal black marks ( Fig. 98 , 135 ), and male genitalia with flagellum possessing a subapical ventral process directed anteriorly away from apex.

Description. Length: 7.4-7.8 mm; width: 3.5-3.6 mm. Body elongate, somewhat flattened; surface weakly microreticulate, weakly dulled to glossy. Color black except as noted: basal antennomeres, palpi, tarsi, apical 4 abdominal ventrites, and apical 3/4 of elytral epipleural fold red-brown; antennomere XI pale; pronotum broadly orangish with 2 black spots each on anterior and posterior margin; elytra with orangish band at basal third, subapical and apical marks broadly connected into one spot.

Head interocular width = 3.5 x ocular width; vertex and epistome finely punctate, puncture size = 0.33 x ocular facet diameter, separated by 2-3 x their diameter; vertex punctures coarser at base; epistome anterior margin truncate. Eyes large, coarsely faceted. Antennomere III length = 3 x width; antennomeres IV-VIII equal in length, length = 2 x width; antennomere IX triangular, length = 1.2 x width; antennomeres IX-XI equal in length; antennomere XI subcircular. Terminal maxillary palpomere triangular, slightly asymmetrical, length = 0.75 x width. Terminal labial palpomere triangular, asymmetrical, width = 2 x length, expanded medially, width = 1.2 x terminal maxillary palpomere.

Pronotum transverse; puncture size and distribution as those on vertex; base with small group of slightly larger punctures in shallow depression at each side of base. Scutellum pentagonal, length = 0.8 x width. Elytra with striae faintly impressed; punctures fine, puncture size larger than pronotal disc, separated by 2 x their diameter; interval punctures fine; base lacking marginal bead. Wings present, fully developed.

Prosternum weakly convex, length = 2.5 x intercoxal width; sternal plate flat with fine punctures; sternal lines not continuous around coxal cavity; base shallowly concave. Mesosternal lines parallel, not continuous around coxal cavity. Metasternum long, distance between meso- and metacoxae = 1.6 x intermesocoxal width; anterior lines weakly connecting medially, lines not continuous around mesocoxal cavity, coxal lines short; surface with fine, scattered punctures. Abdomen with lines not meeting medially; not continuous around metacoxal cavity, coxal lines short; punctures fine, most noticeable apically and laterally. Male genitalia with the flagellum having a large cartilaginous mass at apical third; apex acute with distinct subapical ventral process directed anteriorly away from apex ( Fig. 113 ).

Distribution. Found in southwestern Haiti on the Massif de La Hotte ( Fig. 139 ).

Type Material. Holotype (not examined) type locality “Northeast Foothills, La Hotte, Haiti, 2000 to 4000 feet ” ( AMNH) . Paratypes examined (2): Haiti: Taridieu , Mt. La Hotte, 3000 ft., 14-OCT-1934, Darlington (1 male-AMNH) ; Haiti: NE. foothills La Hotte, 2-4000ft., 10-24-OCT-1934, Darlington (1 male- AMNH) .

Variation. As Curran (1944) noted, even the two available paratypes showed variation in the size of the orangish dorsal marks. However, the extent of the pronotal markings is unique.

Figures

Figure 1. West Indian maps. 1a) Map of West Indian countries mentioned in the text. 1b) Map indicating species occurring on specific islands with distribution of Notaepytus flavitarsis (Lacordaire) indicated by the white triangles.

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 132-137. Notaepytus spp. occurring on Hispaniola. 132) N. modestus. 133) N. elongatus, holotype. 134) N. cyclosignatus, holotype. 135) N. haitensis, paratype. 136) N. ignotensis, paratype. 137) N. inversus, holotype.

Figure 138-140. Distribution maps of Notaepytus spp. on Hispaniola. 138) Circle = N. modestus; triangle = N. elongatus. 139) Circle = N. fulvitarsis; triangle = N. decoregens; square = N. haitensis; square with ‘X’ = N. inversus. 140) Circle = N. cyclosignatus; triangle = N. lavegaensis; square = N. neibaensis; square with ‘X’ = N. baorucoensis.