Discoderus cinctus (Putzeys)

Shpeley, Danny, Hunting, Wesley & Ball, George E., 2017, A taxonomic review of the Selenophori group (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Harpalini) in the West Indies, with descriptions of new species and notes about classification and biogeography, ZooKeys 690, pp. 1-195 : 89

Discoderus cinctus (Putzeys) Figs 66B, 67 D–F, 69B, 71

Selenophorus cinctus Putzeys, 1878a: 45. In the Chaudoir-Oberthür Coll., one specimen in front of following box label: //cinctus/ Chaud/ Cuba/ A. Deyrolle.// LECTOTYPE (here selected) male, labelled: //Cuba//; //Ex Museo/ Chaudoir// (MNHP).- Csiki 1932: 1197.- Darlington 1934: 104.- Blackwelder 1944: 49.- Erwin and Sims 1984: 440.- Lorenz 1998: 355.- Lorenz 2005: 376.- Peck 2005: 32.

Discoderus cinctus ; Ball 1992: 84, 85.

Type area.

Cuba.

Diagnosis.

More robust habitus and matte surfaces of head and pronotum with easily visible microsculpture readily separates D. cinctus from the similarly colored, but paler, and allopatric D. thoracicus (Fig. 66B; cf. Fig. 66D). The posteriolateral angles of the pronotum are more broadly rounded than those of D. thoracicus . Although range of SBL overlaps broadly for these two species, there is a distinct average size difference as well, with members of D. cinctus the larger (SBL, Table 1). The pale, non-metallic dorsal color pattern distinguishes this species pair from the other two West Indian species of Discoderus .

Descriptive notes.

Data for SBL in Table 1. Habitus as in Fig. 66B. Labrum with anterior margin moderately concave; clypeus with anterior margin shallowly concave. Antennae, mouthparts and legs testaceous to slightly darker. Head, pronotum and ventral surface rufo-testaceus to rufo-brunneous. Elytra rufo-testaceus to rufo-brunneous, with darker median cloud in intervals 2-6; cloud with faint greenish to bluish metallic luster. Head and posteriolateral surface of pronotum with mesh pattern isodiametric; pronotal disc with mesh pattern slightly transverse, sculpticells about 2 × wide as long; elytra with mesh pattern slightly transverse, sculpticells about 1.5 × wide as long. Elytral striae impunctate, except the standard setigerous punctures in striae 2, 5 and 7. Males with two terminal setae and females with four terminal setae near the posterior margin on sternum VII.

Male genitalia. Fig. 67 D–F. Apical portion of phallic median lobe moderately long, narrowly triangular, symmetrically rounded in ventral/dorsal aspects; endophallus with darkened microtrichial field visible in right lateral aspect; without lamina.

Ovipositor and female reproductive tract. Fig. 69B. Very similar to that of D. beauvoisii . For details, see this topic for D. beauvoisii , above.

Geographical distribution.

Fig. 71. This species is known only from the southeastern tip of Greater Antillean Cuba.

Chorological affinities and relationships.

The range of this species is overlapped by the range of D. beauvoisii , but is geographically isolated from what would seem to be its closest relative, the Hispaniolan D. thoracicus .

Material examined.

In addition to type material, we have seen a total of 82 specimens (30 males, 52 females). See Appendix for details.