Pseudomorpha Kirby, 1825
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publication ID |
https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.362.6300 |
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lsid:zoobank.org:pub:569812E9-82B5-4BCF-84E0-D4C43AEE8273 |
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https://treatment.plazi.org/id/4D1794A9-73D4-D441-96AF-2DA0A7E9B9CC |
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scientific name |
Pseudomorpha Kirby, 1825 |
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Pseudomorpha Kirby, 1825:98
Heteromorpha Kirby, 1825:109
Axinophorus Dejean, 1829:174
Drepanus Dejean, 1831:434
Heteromorphus Chaudoir, 1852:63
Type species.
Pseudomorpha excrucians Kirby, 1825:101
Proposed English vernacular name.
Western False-form beetles
Number of described Western Hemisphere species.
27
Current known number of undescribed Western Hemisphere species.
125
Number of described Australian species.
3 (Subgenus Austropseudomorpha Baehr, 1997)
Adelphotaxon.
Tuxtlmorpha Erwin & Geraci, 2008 + Samiriamorpha Erwin & Geraci, 2008 (see Erwin and Geraci 2008 for phylogeny).
Taxonomy.
Stable at the generic level ( Erwin 2013; Erwin and Geraci 2008), although many undescribed species need to be treated (Erwin in prep.). All of these undescribed species have been assigned to the species groups listed herein and their male genitalia have been illustrated, their label data entered into a database, and their localities mapped using Google Earth Pro.
Diagnosis.
Form moderately depressed or rarely subcylindrical, narrow or broad, lean or robust, head visible from above, legs concealed beneath when in repose. Color ranges from black to light brown, rarely slightly rufous; only adults of Pseudomorpha excrucians Kirby, Yasunimorpha piranhna Erwin & Geraci, Guyanemorpha spectablis Erwin from Guyane are markedly bicolored. Head with mouthparts visible in dorsal aspect; ventrally beneath eye with deeply recessed groove for insertion of antennal base; mandibular scrobe nearly effaced, delimited by row of short stout setae; mentum and submentum fused; antennal scape partially visible in dorsal aspect. Anterior coxal cavities closed, median coxal cavities conjunct, metepimeron visible. Abdomen with six visible sterna, sternum III with broad medial emargination on posterior margin; sterna V and VI in male with dense row of decumbent and yellowish robust setae medially. Male parameres long, nearly of same length (more or less symmetrical), glabrous or setose, not balteate; phallobase bonnet-shaped, crested or not.
Way of life.
As far as is known, adults are found in and around ant nests and in the surrounding vicinity; females are ovoviviparous ( Liebherr and Kavanaugh 1985); larvae are known to be ant nest inquilines ( Lenko 1972; Erwin 1981), or perhaps living with termites ( Ogueta 1967). Of adults found at lights (UV, MV, and white light), most are males.
Geographic distribution.
Members of this genus are known to occur from Oregon, Idaho, and Colorado in the north to Argentina in the south, including the Caribbean area, and in southern Australia. They should be looked for in southern Wyoming, where they are also likely to occur. The only eastern species, Pseudomorpha excrucians Kirby, is related to species from the Caribbean and South America, not to those lineages from the American west and southwest.
Habitat.
Dry loamy or sandy soil where ants prefer to build nests from MASL -72m to 2606m altitude in deserts, grasslands, and open and closed forests.
Description.
Head (cf. Figs 7-12 View Figure 7–12 ) with two supraorbital setigerous punctures per eye near their posterior corner, however, numerous accessory setae in some groups obscure them; frontal impressions absent. Clypeus markedly wide, trapezoidal with rounded anterior angles and shallowly lobed posterior margin; posterior margin in some adults very shallow, or effaced, bearing a single long seta each side near anterior corner. Eyes flat, or slightly convex; small gena with numerous stout setae. Antenna of varying length, either shorter, or longer than distance from antennal base to anterior coxae; antennomeres 3-9 slightly wider distally and appearing flattened. Labrum visible, about 2/3 as wide as clypeus, rectangulate, bearing six setae along anterior margin. Mandible markedly flattened with a very short and acute apex; outer margin ventral of the scrobe with short stout setae. Maxillary palpi markedly short, 3-segmented, palpomeres slightly depressed, palpomere 3 truncate apically. Labial palpus with short bisetose palpomere 2; palpomere 3 markedly securiform and robust, its distal margin mostly membranous with sensory organs.
Prothorax. Pronotum (cf. Figs 1-6 View Figure 1–6 ) wider than head, transverse, with broadly explanate margins, or in cylindrical species narrowly explanate margins; without a pair of setigerous punctures each side, apical, lateral and posterior margins with border of stout setae; hind angles obtuse, broadly rounded. Proepisternum with prosternal process multisetiferous apically, intercoxal process feebly margined.
Pterothorax. Metepisternum elongate though not exceptionally so, the outer margin about 1.5 times greater in length than the anterior margin, posterior margin about 0.5 times anterior margin.
Elytra. Elytron rectangulate, slightly narrower apically, wider or narrower (depending on species group) than pronotum at widest point, apical margin subtruncate, outer margin broadly rounded, interneurs present or effaced, of fine or course punctures; parascutellar stria present or absent, parascutellar puncture present, marked; intervals flat to slightly convex without fixed setae, rather variously setiferous, or glabrous. Lateral marginal (umbilical) series of 10-15 setae, concentrated and narrowly spaced in anterior third, widely spaced in posterior two-thirds; lateral margin with border of stout setae.
Hind wings. Macropterous. Venation not studied (see Baehr 1997 for illustration of related species, and Erwin 2013).
Legs. Short and depressed, femur posteriorly channeled for reception of tibia in repose; antennal comb notch very shallow; tibial spurs normal; anterior tarsi of male with tarsomeres 1-2 dilated slightly, ventrally with two rows of adhesive articulo-setae.
Abdomen. Abdominal sterna III-VII with patches of short setae and each of IV-VII with a single row of erect ambulatory setae numbering 2 to 8 setae; V and VI in male with dense row of yellowish robust setae medially.
Male genitalia (cf. Figs 13-16 View Figure 13–17 ). Phallobase hooded with small orifice, dorsum crested or not; phalloshaft straight or markedly arched at basal third, diameter sub-rounded or somewhat depressed dorso-ventrally; phalloapex produced, acute or rounded, depressed dorso-ventrally; endophallus with scattered microtrichia, not in patches. Parameres large, nearly equal in length, left slightly longer and broader than right, each apically glabrous or setiferous.
Female ovipositor (cf. Fig. 17 View Figure 13–17 ). Gonocoxite 2 (gc 2) falcate, base (b) about as long as blade (bl), latter relatively short, pointed distally; margins with several ensiform setae (en); with or without short preapical nematiform setae (n).
The species groups of Pseudomorpha Kirby 1825 and their known distributions (note that some species group names are based on yet undescribed species in Erwin in prep.)
Alleni group. AZ, UT
Augustata group. AZ, CA, NV, NM, TX, UT, México
Behrensi group. CA, CO, ID, NV, NM, OR, UT
Caterinoi group. CA
Consanguinea group. AZ, CA
Cronkhitei group. AZ, CA
Chumash group. CA
Cylindrica group. NM, TX, México
Excrucians group. AR, GA, LA, MS, SC, Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic
Falli group. CA
Hubbardi group. AZ, NM, TX
Parallela group. CA, Haiti
Peninsularis group. AZ, CA, CO, NV, NM, OR, UT, México
Phiara group. TX
Pilatei group. TX, Costa Rica, Guatemala, México
Santarita group. AZ, NM, México
Subsulcata group. NM
Tenebroides group. AZ, CA, NV, NM, UT
Vindicata group. CO, ID, UT
Key to the species of the santarita group of Pseudomorpha Kirby 1825
(Taxa referred to in the key are arranged alphabetically in the Species Group Account below)
| 1 | Pronotum planar, aspect apparently flat with anterior margin on same plane as posterior margin ( Figs 1 View Figure 1–6 , 2 View Figure 1–6 , 4 View Figure 1–6 , 5 View Figure 1–6 , 6 View Figure 1–6 ) | 2 |
| 1' | Pronotum not planar, aspect humped, anterior margin lower (in lateral view) than posterior margin ( Fig. 3 View Figure 1–6 ) | Pseudomorpha penablanca Amundson & Erwin, sp. n. |
| 2(1) | Elytron with intervals slightly convex and easily observed with low power magnification ( Figs 2 View Figure 1–6 , 4 View Figure 1–6 ) | 3 |
| 2' | Elytron with intervals effaced and not obvious with low power magnification ( Figs 1 View Figure 1–6 , 5 View Figure 1–6 , 6 View Figure 1–6 ) | 4 |
| 3(2) | Small-sized for group, ABL = 4.9 to 5.2 mm, and dark rufous with forebody paler than elytra; margins of elytra parallel in basal two-thirds ( Fig. 2 View Figure 1–6 ) | Pseudomorpha patagonia Erwin & Amundson, sp. n. |
| 3' | Large-sized for group, ABL = 6.3 to 6.8 mm, and completely piceous; margins of elytra tapered toward apex ( Fig. 4 View Figure 1–6 ) | Pseudomorpha pima Amundson & Erwin, sp. n. |
| 4(2') | Eye flat in dorsal view, not protruding beyond gena/preocular lobe plane ( Figs 7 View Figure 7–12 , 11 View Figure 7–12 ) | 5 |
| 4' | Eye slightly convex in dorsal view, protruding beyond gena/preocular lobe plane ( Fig. 12 View Figure 7–12 ) | Pseudomorpha santarita Erwin & Amundson, sp. n. |
| 5(4) | Pronotum wider than elytra across humeri ( Fig. 1 View Figure 1–6 ); preocular lobe of even width throughout ( Fig. 7 View Figure 7–12 ) | Pseudomorpha huachinera Amundson & Erwin, sp. n. |
| 5' | Pronotum slightly narrower than elytra across humeri ( Fig. 5 View Figure 1–6 ); preocular lobe slightly wider anteriorly ( Fig. 11 View Figure 7–12 ) | Pseudomorpha santacruz Erwin & Amundson, sp. n. |
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Pseudomorpha Kirby, 1825
| Erwin, Terry L. & Amundson, Lauren M. 2013 |
Pseudomorpha
| Kirby 1825 |