Notaepytus modestus (Olivier) Skelley, 2009

Skelley, Paul E., 2009, Pleasing fungus beetles of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Erotylinae), Insecta Mundi 2009 (82), pp. 1-94 : 75-77

Notaepytus modestus (Olivier) , new combination

Figure 1b , 81-82, 84 , 92 , 107 , 132 , 138 , 153-155

Erotylus modestus Olivier 1807: 483 ~ Dejean 1821: 128; Duponchel 1825: 165, t. 3 f. 82.

Mycotretus modestus (Oliv.) ~ Dejean 1836: 429; Dejean 1837: 453.

Ischyrus modestus (Oliv.) ~ Lacordaire 1842: 130-131; Crotch 1876: 432 (56); Gemminger and Harold 1876: 3691; Gorham 1898: 335; Kuhnt 1909: 62; Kuhnt 1911: 43; Leng and Mutchler 1914: 412; Blackwelder 1945: 465; Skelley 1998b: 14.

Oocyanus modestus (Oliv.) ~ Curran 1944: 3.

Epytus modestus (Olivier) ~ Alvarenga 1994: 18; Perez-Gelabert 2008: 108.

Diagnosis. Notaepytus modestus is readily recognized by: entirely black pronotum and elytral apex, and basal orange elytral band extending anteriorly to attain the elytral base ( Fig. 92 , 132 ). No other Notaepytus species has an orange band attaining the elytral base.

Description. Length: 7.0- 8.5 mm; width: 3.2-4.0 mm. Body elongate, parallel-sided, somewhat flattened; surface microreticulate. Color black except as noted: elytra with 2 jagged transverse bands, one at apical quarter and one occupying most of the basal quarter which projects forward to attain elytral base; antennomere XI pale; last abdominal ventrites, elytral epipleural fold, and tarsi reddish-brown.

Head interocular width = 2 x ocular width; vertex and epistome finely punctate, puncture size = 0.33 x ocular facet diameter, separated by 2-3 x their diameter, epistomal punctures more distinct than those on vertex; epistome anterior margin shallowly concave. Eyes large, coarsely faceted. Antennomere III length = 3 x width, length = length of antennomeres IV+V combined; antennomeres IV-VIII equal in length; antennomere IX triangular, length = 0.9 x width; antennomeres X shorter than XI; 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; punctures on disc equal in size and distribution to those on vertex; separated by 2-4 x their diameter; base with large punctures at each side of base, puncture size = an ocular facet diameter. Scutellum pentagonal, length = 0.5 x width. Elytral striae puncture size = an ocular facet diameter, separated by 2 x their diameter; intervals with fine punctures, obscured in microreticulations; base lacking marginal bead. Wings present, fully developed.

Prosternum length = 2.5 x intercoxal width; sternal plate flat; sternal lines continuous around coxal cavity, or faintly divided; base shallowly concave. Mesosternal lines parallel, not continuous around coxal cavity. Metasternum long, distance between meso- and metacoxae = 1.8 x intermesocoxal width; anterior lines disappearing under mesosternum medially, not meeting medially; continuous around mesocoxal cavity; punctures coarse at anterolateral angles becoming smaller medially, medial puncture size = mesosternal puncture size, evenly distributed, separated by 2-3 x their diameter. Abdomen with coxal lines not meeting medially; continuous around metacoxal cavity; punctures similar to metasternum punctures. Male genitalia with flagellum elongate and gradually narrowing to an acute apex ( Fig. 107 ).

Distribution. Restricted to Hispaniola ( Fig. 138 ).

Type Material. For Erotylus modestus, Olivier (1807) illustrated the species and stated “Il a été trouvé à Saint-Domingue, par M. Palisot de Beauvois.” Lacordaire (1842) stated “Il a été découvert à Haïty par Palisot de Beauvois, qui l’avait communiqué à Olivier. L’exemplaire unique que je posséde a été donné également par lui à M. Dejean.” This latter statement by Lacordaire roughly translates to “it has been found in Haiti by Palisot de Beauvois who communicated it to Olivier. The unique specimen which I have has been given by him to Mr. Dejean.” The question remains whether or not Palisot de Beauvois gave Dejean the single type or a specimen from a type series.

Horn et al. (1990) stated that part of the beetle collection of Palisot de Beauvois went to Chevrolat, whose erotylids eventually became part of the Crotch collection. In the Crotch collection there is a specimen of N. modestus labeled as a type from the Chevrolat material ( Skelley 1998a). While Crotch did purchase materials from various collections and his specimen has a paper record indicating it is type material, Lacordaire’s statement indicates that additional type specimens may be in the Dejean collection. Since there is evidence that Olivier had a type series, the specimen in the Crotch collection is here designated as the lectotype of E. modestus Olivier , with the following label data: “/ TYPE [handwritten] modestus Ol , type Chev. / [blue paper] TYPE / [red paper] LECTOTYPE Erotylus modestus Oliv. , det. P. Skelley-08 /” ( Fig. 153 , specimen not dissected, sex undetermined, CUMZ). This specimen was loose on a pin when first studied and is missing most of its appendages. To better preserve the specimen, it was removed from the old pin and glued onto a card ( Fig. 154-155 ).

Specimens Examined. A total of 106 specimens were studied. Their label data are presented in the Appendix.

Variation. . In a few specimens the basal elytral band is thickened so that there is a free black humeral spot. In most specimens this black spot attains the lateral margin.

Remarks. A couple specimens of N. modestus have the anterior projection of the basal transverse elytral mark somewhat reduced. If it were lacking, the specimens could be confused with N. elongatus . However, the basal transverse elytral mark of N. modestus is located at approximately the basal quarter, while that of N. elongatus is located more posterior at the basal third (see Fig. 132 vs. 133).

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 81-84. Notaepytus spp. 81-83) Larva associated with N. modestus adults. 85) N. flavitarsis adult on fungus in Cuba (photo by J. Genaro).

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.

Figure 148-155. Lectotypes, holotype and labels. 148) Lectotype Ischyrus flavitarsis Lacordaire. 149-151) Holotype Ischyrus fulvitarsis Lacordaire. 149) Dorsal habitus. 150) Final card mounting of I. fulvitarsis holotype parts. 151) Labels for holotype of I. fulvitarsis. 152) Notaepytus ignotensis type collection labels. 153-155) Lectotype Erotylus modestus Olivier labels, dorsal and lateral habitus.