Thyreocephalus cribripennis Sharp, 1885

Márquez, Juan & Asiain, Julieta, 2016, Taxonomy of the Mexican species of Thyreocephalus Guérin-Méneville (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Xantholinini), Zootaxa 4169 (2), pp. 251-285 : 264

Thyreocephalus cribripennis Sharp, 1885

( Figs. 2 e, f, 9e, 11e, 13b)

Thyreocephalus cribripennis Sharp, 1885: 501

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from the remaining species of the puncticeps group by umbilicate punctures on the dorsal and ventral surface of the head sparse ( Figs. 2 e, f), with several punctures (3–4) forming two short rows at center of the head, and their aedeagus moderately large (length 1.9 mm), with parameres as long as 0.27 times the length of median lobe ( Figs. 9 e, 11e). The remaining species of the group have the dorsal and ventral surface of the head most densely punctate, not forming rows of punctures at center of the head, and the size and form of the aedeagus are not as in T. cribripennis .

Discussion. We did not observe differences in the elytral punctation and coloration, or in the apical teeth of the labrum, that were reported to be useful to separate T. cribripennis from other species, ( Sharp 1885) in the original description. However, the sparse umbilicate punctures on the head that he noted in just one specimen was found to be diagnostic in the studied specimens.

Natural history. Only four specimens are known of this species, although Veracruz, particularly Cordoba and surroundings, have been sampled for many years, an aspect that probably denotes the demographic rarity of the species, which has been collected with carrion traps (2 specimens) and flight interception trap (1 specimen). This also denotes similar life habits to those of remaining species of the puncticeps group, which frequent the soil of the forest and their distinct microhabitats, as leaf litter, logs, rocks, etc.

Distribution ( Fig. 13 b). Species endemic to Mexico, known from only two places close to each other, Córdoba and Ixtaczoquitlán, in Veracruz ( Table 2 ) ( Sharp 1885, Navarrete-Heredia et al. 2002). The record of the species in Hidalgo (La Misión) given by Márquez (2006) is a mistake due to a misidentification.

Type material examined. Holotype (male): “ Thyreocephalus cribripennis Type D. S. Cordova, Mexico . Sallé (on the plate with the specimen)/ Holotype / Cordova / Mexico . Salle Coll./ Xantholinus cribripennis, Cheu. Alwd Sallé. / 1116/ B.C. A. Col. 1. 2. Thyreocephalus cribripennis, Sharp. / Holotype Thyreocephalus cribripennis Sharp, 1885 , det. R. G. Booth 2014” (BMNH).

Additional material examined. “Mexico: Veracruz, Córdoba, Colonia Agrícola Cuauhtemoc , 800 m, trampa de intercepción de vuelo, 30-VII-2006, L. Delgado col.” (1♂, IEXA) . “Mexico; Veracruz, Ixtaczoquitlán, Cuautlapan, cerro Cementos , altitud 1250 m, necrotrampa, 14 a 20-VII-1996, L. Delgado col./ IEXA 533 0457" (2♀, IEXA) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Thyreocephalus jalapaensis: a) dorsal view of the head and pronotum; b) ventral view of the head (mandibles excluded). Thyreocephalus scutellaris: c) dorsal view of the head and pronotum; d) ventral view of the head (mandibles excluded). Thyreocephalus cribripennis: e) dorsal view of the head and pronotum; f) ventral view of the head (mandibles excluded). Scale = 2 mm.

FIGURE 9. Ventral view of the aedeagus of: a) Thyreocephalus unicolor, b) T. sp. aff. subtilis, c) T. jalapaensis, d) T. scutellaris, e) T. cribripennis, f) T. rufipennis, g) T. halffteri. Scale = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 13. Geographic distribution and individual track of: a) T. sp. aff. subtilis (black square) and T. scutellaris (gray circles); b) T. cribripennis (black circle) and T. halffteri (gray squares).