Lasiodactylus centralis Cline

Cline, Andrew R. & Carlton, Christopher E., 2004, Review of Lasiodactylus Perty, with Descriptions of Three New Species (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Nitidulinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 58 (3), pp. 355-368 : 359-363

Lasiodactylus centralis Cline , new species

( Figs. 4, 6, 9, 12 , 15, 18, 21 , 25, 31, 32 , 37, 41 , 45)

Type Series. Holotype: #, Data Labels: Mexico, Ver., Estac. Biol. Los Tuxtlas, VII- 1/9-1988, J.A. Lites & J.A. Chemsak collr .; HOLOTYPE, Lasiodactylus centralis, A.R. Cline des. 2002. Deposited in USNM . Paratypes: $ (4), # (2): Two $ with same locality label as holotype; PARATYPE, Lasiodactylus centralis, A.R. Cline des. 2002. Deposited in EMEC. Two $ specimens with following label data: Belize, Toledo dist., Blue Creek Village , June 28 1981, W. E. Steiner collr., EARTHWATCH Belize Expedition 1981, D. H. Messersmith, W. E. Steiner, et al .; PARATYPE, Lasiodactylus centralis, A.R. Cline des. 2002. Deposited in the USNM . One # specimen with same locality data as holotype; Lasiodactylus centralis, A.R. Cline des. 2002. Deposited in EMEC . One # specimen with the following data label: Mexico, Veracruz, Coatzacoalcos, 10 mi. S., VII-10-1963, J. Doyen collr. Deposited in EMEC . One # specimen with the following data label: Honduras, Atlantida Parque Nac. Pico Bonito Estacion CURLA, 185 m, 15 8 42 9 07 0 N 86 8 50 9 48 0 W, 18 Julio 2001, R. Cordero collector , 64.081 EAPZ; Lasiodactylus centralis, A.R. Cline des. 2002. Deposited in USNM .

Description. Length: 8.75 mm, Width: 4.2 mm, Depth: 1.9 mm. Body uniformly dark brownish black, almost entirely black. Head with labrum with narrowly emarginate, medial labral apices converging over indentation, one setae on each side of the emargination, converging, but not overlapping. Clypeo-labral suture truncate. Labrum with small densely distributed punctures. Maxillary palpi enlarged apically, with sensillar area completely covering apex ( Fig. 4 ). Vertex with U-shaped fossa extending across head between eyes, both large and small punctures present but not intermingled, small punctures aggregated anteriorly and laterally, larger punctures in posterior and posterolateral areas. Medial area of vertex lacking punctures. Axillary (supraocular) space almost reaching anterior margin of eye. Antennal club compact, antennomere 8 trapezoid shaped, antennomeres 9 and 10 chevron shaped, and antennomere 11 somewhat diamond shaped ( Fig. 6 ). Pronotum with anterior margin moderately emarginate, lateral margin widest at middle, posterior margin with indentations near posterior angles, large and small punctures evenly distributed across pronotal surface, lateral margin fimbriate with minute golden setae. Scutellum triangular, almost as long as wide (L:W ¼ 1:1.2), evenly covered with small fine punctures. Elytra with humeri slightly produced, lateral margin moderately explanate to five-sixths length of elytra, lateral margins densely finely fimbriate. Punctation of elytra comprising eight rows of ciliate striae, with the two lateral rows bearing longer setae than the others, this is also different from L. brunneus , which has setae of all the same length. Pygidium broadly triangular with only a few (7– 10) scattered setae ( Fig. 12 ), apical border with dense pubescence near apex.

Prosternal process in lateral aspect angled both anteriorly and posteriorly, with only a small flat area over the procoxae ( Fig. 9 ), in ventral aspect moderately expanded behind procoxae, apical border of prosternal process with a few setae protruding, mostly medially. Protibia with faint internal ridges ( Fig. 15 ), apical spine as long as first tarsomere, weakly curved along median border, lateral margin faintly crenulate, entire tibia scarcely pubescent. Internal ridges on both the meso- and metatibia approximate with tibial margins with little intervening space ( Figs. 18 and 21 ). Male genitalia with anal sclerite broadly convex with deep fossa for reception of the tegmen ( Fig. 25 ), setal tuft, of;20 setae, present at apex. Tegmen compact, basal margin vertical and blunt ( Fig. 31 ), scattered short setae in apical one-half. Median lobe with three prominent distal lobes ( Fig. 32 ). Ovipositor with gonocoxites separate though approximate at base and apex ( Fig. 41 ). Lateral flanges extending from base to apical third of gonocoxites, five scattered sensilla in apical one-third, each terminal appendage originating from small terminal pit, the terminal appendages each bearing three setae. Terminal gonocoxite setae non-overlapping. Paraprocts cylindrical with only medial margin sclerotized ( Fig. 37 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to Central America, and the ‘‘centralized’’ tuft of setae on the apex of the male anal sclerite.

Diagnosis. Non-genitalic characters distinguishing this species include: punctation pattern on head and pronotum, U-shaped fossa on vertex of head, somewhat elongate scutellum, sensillar area of maxillary palpi extending across entire width of apex, and acute nature of the ligula. The following genitalic characters distinguish L. centralis from other Lasiodactylus : cylindrical shape of paraprocts, serial sensilla on distal

( Poaceae ) caused by the feeding damage of Heterogomphus sp. Photograph by Hector Keller.

region of gonocoxites, two elongate setae on terminal gonocoxal accessory appendage, sparse setal arrangement on tegmen, central grooves on median lobe, large deep fossa on anal sclerite, and central tuft of setae at apex of male anal sclerite.

Distribution. Five specimens were collected from southern Mexico near Veracruz, one specimen from the Toledo district in Belize, and another from Atlantida province of Honduras ( Fig. 44 ). The authors have examined thousands of nitidulids from Costa Rica and Panama and have not seen specimens of L. centralis from those countries.

Variation. The specimen from Belize is a light tan color, lighter than the other specimens. Gillogy (1965) noted this type of color variation for specimens of N. meridionalis (¼ L. brunneus ) as well.

Figures

Figs. 3–13. External characters of Lasiodactylus. 3–4) Maxillary palpi; 3) L. falini; 4) L. centralis. 5–7) Antennomeres 8–11; 5) L. falini; 6) L. centralis; 7) L. kelleri. 8–10) Prosternal process, lateral aspect; 8) L. falini; 9) L. centralis; 10) L. kelleri. 11–13) Pygidium; 11) L. falini; 12) L. centralis; 13) L. kelleri. Scale bar ¼ 0.25 mm for Figures 3–4, 0.5 mm for Figures 5–13.

Figs. 14–22. Tibiae of Lasiodactylus spp. 14–16) Protibia; 14) L. falini; 15) L. centralis; 16) L. kelleri. 17–19) Mesotibia; 17) L. falini; 18) L. centralis; 19) L. kelleri. 20–22) Metatibia; 20) L. falini; 21) L. centralis; 22) L. kelleri. Scale bar ¼ 1.00 mm.

Figs. 23–34. Male genitalia of Lasiodactylus spp. 23–26) Anal sclerite; 23) L. brunneus; 24) L. falini; 25) L. centralis; 26) L. kelleri. 27–34) Tegmen and median lobe; 27–28) L. brunneus; 29–30) L. falini; 31–32) L. centralis; 33–34) L. kelleri. Scale bar ¼ 0.8 mm.

Figs. 35–42. Female genitalia of Lasiodactylus spp. 35–38) Paraprocts; 35) L. brunneus; 36) L. falini; 37) L. centralis; 38) L. kelleri. 39–42) Gonocoxites; 39) L. brunneus; 40) L. falini; 41) L. centralis; 42) L. kelleri. Scale bar ¼ 0.8 mm.

Fig. 44. Distribution of L. falini (squares); L. centralis (circles); L. kelleri (3); and L. brunneus