Thyreocephalus halffteri Smetana, 1977

Márquez, Juan & Asiain, Julieta, 2016, Taxonomy of the Mexican species of Thyreocephalus Guérin-Méneville (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Xantholinini), Zootaxa 4169 (2), pp. 251-285 : 268

Thyreocephalus halffteri Smetana, 1977

(Figs. 4a, b, 5h, 9g, 11h, 13b)

Thyreocephalus halffteri Smetana, 1977: 349

Diagnosis. This species can be confused principally with T. arizonicus because their similar pattern of umbilicate punctation on the head. But T. halffteri is smaller (14.5–18.3 mm), head almost as long as wide, with a visible smooth longitudinal belt at center of the dorsal surface of the head (Fig. 4a), aedeagus median size (1.2–1.3 mm), with the apical area moderately large, large parameres and internal sac moderately visible ( Figs. 9 g, 11h); whereas T. arizonicus is larger (17.7–21.5 mm), head slightly longer than wide (1.11 times), without smooth longitudinal belt on the dorsal surface of the head, aedeagus longer (2.4–2.6 mm), with short apical area, parameres shorter and internal sac very visible.

Discussion. Smetana (1977) considers that T. halffteri is more similar to T. rufipennis and he gives several characteristics for their separation. As expected, some of the measures or proportions that this author indicates when comparing species have changed when we analyzed a bigger number of specimens, but still their information is taxonomically useful. Additionally, he distinguished T. halffteri from T. puncticeps by the differences in the size and form of the aedeagus, as well as the cephalic punctation. Probably the only aspect that this author did not make was to separate T. halffteri from T. arizonicus when he described the last species ( Smetana 1982), but here we provided taxonomic information that can be useful in their distinction.

Natural history. Similar to the previous species.

Distribution ( Fig. 13 b). Species exclusively from Mexico, recorded in the states of Guerrero, Jalisco, Estado de México, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit and Zacatecas ( Table 2 ) ( Smetana 1977).

Type material examined. Paratype (male): “ Mexico, Tizapan el Alto, estado de Jalisco, 19.VI.1968 . G. Halffter/ aedeagus on the plate/ genital segment on the plate/ Paratype Thyreocephalus halffteri A. Smetana, 1977 CNC No. 15355” (CNC).

Additional material examined. “Mexico: Guerrero, Chilpancingo, Ladera E Sierra del Alquitrán , altitud 1450 m, trampa de intercepción de vuelo, 16 a 19-VIII-2006, A. Bitar y L. Delgado cols.” (1♂, IEXA) ; "Mexico: Guerrero, Km 100 Coyuca de Catalán-Zihuatanejo , 8-VI-1984, H. Bailovsky col.” (1♂, CNIN) ; “Mexico: Guerrero, Tuxpan, Estación de Microondas , 24-V-1986, E. Barrera col.” (1♀, CNIN) ; “ Jalisco, Ajijic, unter steinen (debajo de rocas), 21-V-1947, J. Hendrichs ”/ “ Ex Colección Jorge Hendrichs S. H. ” (1♂, CNIN) ; “ Mexico: Estado de México, km 20 Tejupilco-Bejucos , 6-VI-1984, H. Brailovsky col." (1♂, 1♀, CNIN) ; “Mexico: Michoacán, Morelia, Viejos Filtros , en suelo, 29-V-2012, J. Bueno col.” (1♀, UAEH) ; “Mexico: Morelos, Tlayacapan , San José de los Laureles , zonas 4–5, bajo roca, 1- III-1 997, J. Márquez col." (2♂, 2♀, UAEH) ; “Mexico: Morelos, Tlayacapan , San José de los Laureles , ex bajo roca, # 1210, 23-XI-1991, col. J. L. Navarrete, G. A. Quiroz y J. Márquez " (1♂, JLNH) ; “Mexico: Morelos, Tlayacapan, Camino a Santa Catarina , zona 4, selva baja caducifolia, ex bajo roca de riachuelo, 30-XI-1996, J. Márquez col.” (1♂, MZFC) ; “Mexico: Morelos, Tlayacapan , Santa Catarina, selva baja caducifolia y huertos, 16-VIII-1998, ex hojarasca, R. Toledo y J. Márquez cols." (1♂, MZFC) ; “Mexico: Morelos, Tlayacapan, selva baja caducifolia, zona 4, NTP-80, II-1996, J. Márquez y K. Villavicencio cols.” (1♂, MZFC) ; “4 St ”/ “ Ex Colección Jorge Hendrichs S. H. ” (2♂, CNIN); “ Morelos, Tepoztlán, 11-X-1945, C . Bolivar ” (1♀, CNIN) ; “Mexico: Zacatecas, Teúl de González, Camino a Milpillas , Arroyo Patitos , N 21° 21’ 05.2”, W 103° 34’00.1”, bosque de encino- Juniperus, 1689 m , 31-I-2004, J. L. Navarrete-Heredia ” (1♀, JLNH) ; same data as previous, except: “ 6-II-2004, E. López y V. Gómez cols.” (1♂, JLNH) ; “ Zacatecas: Teúl de González Ortega, Arroyo Hondo , N 21°18’02.6”, W 103°35’56.8”, bosque de encino, 1831 m, 31-I-2004, J. L. Navarrete- Heredia y J. Cortés-Aguilar cols.” (1♂, JLNH) .

Figures

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).