Lathrobium (Apteralium) carolinae (Casey, 1905)

Haberski, Adam & Caterino, Michael S., 2024, A review of Nearctic Lathrobium (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), with revision and descriptions of new flightless species from the mountains of the southeastern U. S., ZooKeys 1198, pp. 193-277 : 193

Lathrobium (Apteralium) carolinae (Casey, 1905)

Apteralium carolinae Casey, 1905: 78.

Lathrobium (Apteralium) carolinae : Bernhauer and Schubert 1912: 257.

Type material.

Lectotype, Apteralium carolinae Casey, herein designated (USNM): "♂ / Highlands NC, Jun 6 88 / CASEY bequest 1925 / [red] Apteralium carolinae - 2, TYPE USNM 38105 / Lectotype Apteralium carolinae Casey Desg. Haberski & Caterino."

Other material.

USA: Georgia: Rabun Co.: Satoloh, 13 Jun 1957, R. M. Mason (3, CNC); Rabun Co. : Rabun Bald, 11 May 2021, M. Caterino (1, CUAC); Dillard Co. : 15 Apr 1948, F. Rapp (1, CNC); Union Co. : Brasstown Bald, 02 Jul 2020, M. Caterino (1, CUAC); same locality, 17 Sep 2020 (1, CUAC); Union Co. : Little Bald Mountain , 02 July 2020, M. Caterino (2, CUAC) . North Carolina: same data as holotype (1, USNM); Macon Co.: Hwy 64 near Dry Falls NW Highlands , 16 May 1986, A. Smetana (1, CNC): Macon Co. : near Cliffside Lake Campground NW highlands 16 May 1986, A. Smetana (3, CNC); Macon Co. : Van Hook Glade, 4 mi W Highlands, 30 Aug 1967, J. M. & B. A. Campbell (1, CNC); Macon Co. : Copper Ridge Bald, 09 Jul 2019, M. Caterino (2, CUAC); Macon Co. : Forest Service Rd 77, 10 Jul 2020, A. Deczynski (1, CUAC); Macon Co. : Hickory Branch Trail, 26 Jul 2015, M. Caterino, S. Langton-Myers, hardwood litter (5, CUAC); Macon Co. : Hickory Gap, 16 Jul 2015, M. Caterino, S. Langton-Myers (1, CUAC); Macon Co. : Jones Gap, 16 July 2015, M. Caterino, S. Langton-Myers, litter around bracket fungus (8, CUAC); same data, except 22 July 2015, hardwood litter against logs (4, CUAC); Macon Co. : Wayah Bald Rd, 18 Apr 2020, C. Harden, under rock by seep (1, CUAC); Clay Co. : Chunky Gal Trail, 01 Sep 2020, M. Caterino, S. Langton-Myers (1, CUAC); Clay Co. : Riley Knob, 11 May 2020, M. Caterino (1, CUAC); Clay Co. : Shooting Creek Bald, 11 May 2020, M. Caterino (1, CUAC); Caly Co. : Tusquitee Bald, 06 Jul 2021, M. Caterino (1, CUAC); Cherokee Co. : London Bald Trail, 26 Jul 2015, M. Caterino, S. Langton-Myers, hardwood litter (4, CUAC); Graham Co. : Cherohala Skyway, 27 Sep 2020, C. Harden (1, CUAC); Graham Co. : Huckleberry Knob, 04 May 2020, M. Caterino (1, CUAC); same data, except 13 Oct 2020 (2, CUAC); Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest , 24 Jun 2015, M. Caterino, S. Langton-Myers (8, CUAC); same data, except 20 Jul 2015 (7, CUAC); Graham Co. : Teyahalee Bald, 09 Jul 2019, M. Caterino (1, CUAC); Haywood Co. : Balsam Mountain Trail , 05 Sep 2020, M. Caterino (1, CUAC); Haywood Co. : Pisgah National Forest , 14 July 2020, A. Deczynski (1, CUAC); Swain Co. : Miller Cove Trail, 20 July 2015, M. Caterino, S. Langton-Myers (1, CUAC); Swain Co. : Smokemont Campground, 10 km N Cherokee, 09 Jun 1982, A. Davies (9, CNC); Swain Co. : Lakeshore Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park , 18 July 2003, A. Tishechkin (2, LSAM); Transylvania Co. : Twentymile Trail near Twentymile Creek , 19 Oct 2007, I. M. Sokolov, litter on rock explosion (1, LSAM) . Tennessee: Blount Co.: Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park , Jun 1954, H. Howden (1, CNC); Blount Co. : Greenbrier Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park , 27 Jun 2001, C. Carlton, A. Tishechkin, V. Moseley (1, LSAM); Monroe Co. : Indian Boundary Camp, 28 May 2020, C. Harden (1, CUAC) .

Diagnosis.

This species can be distinguished from L. camplyacra only by the genitalia. Aedeagi are similar but the ventral processes of L. carolinae are straight, not bent as those of L. camplyacra . The terminalia of female L. carolinae lack subgenital plates and are shorter and wider than those of L. camplyacra . No intermediate forms are known.

Lathrobium carolinae can be distinguished from L. brevipenne by the same characters given for L. camplyacra .

Description.

The original description lacked a description of the genitalia. We present descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia, as well as the first description of the mature larva.

♂: Aedeagus 1.7 mm long (Fig. 4D, E ), median lobe well sclerotized; ventral process relatively straight, distal tip not bending beyond median foreman in lateral view; dorsal plate long; internal sac with three patches of rugose flagella, visible as two structures when invaginated.

♀: Paraprocts undivided anteriorly, apices shorter than basal portion; proctiger conical; sternum IX with coxites and valvifers fully divided, coxites ¾ length of valvifers (Fig. 4A ); subgenital plate absent.

Second instar larva: Larvae were associated with adults by DNA barcoding. Body elongate, ~ 5 mm long; well sclerotized (Fig. 28A ); head, thoracic, and abdominal tergites brown, appendages light yellow, intersegmental membrane white, translucent.

Head ovate, widest at stemmata and slightly tapered posteriad (in dorsal view), dorsoventrally flattened, 1.3 × as long as wide; dorsal setae as in Fig. 28A ; head 2.9 × as wide as neck; dorsal ecdysial lines bifurcate 3/8 distance between neck and nasale margin; six stemmata present, arranged as in Fig. 28B ; anterior margin of nasale (Fig. 28C ) with nine blunt teeth pointing anteriorly, one round median tooth with edge serrated, a pair of paramedian teeth, and three pairs of lateral teeth; innermost lateral teeth are small and indistinct; paramedian and lateral teeth armed with nodular setae, and a pair of nodular setae separate median and paramedian teeth; Apotome of gula reaching tentoral pits.

Antennae (Fig. 28F ) length ratios: 1.0:2.7:2.8:1.5; antennomere I triangular; antennomere II with two pores; antennomere III with three elongate macrosetae, three solenidia, one pore, and a curved sensory appendage 2/3 as long as terminal antennomere; antennomere IV club-shaped with apical solenidia; sensory appendage 0.6 × as long as antennomere IV.

Mandibles (Fig. 28D ) long, falciform, serrate along middle 1/3 of inner margin, with a single seta near base on outer ventral edge. Maxilla (Fig. 28D ) with cardo triangular; stipes elongate, 1.3 × longer than cardo; mala digitiform, tapering toward apex, 0.7 × as long as palpomere I, with apical sensory appendages and two pores; palpifer with one seta. Maxillary palpomere length ratios: 1.0:1.2:2.2; palpomere II with two setae; palpomere III with one basal sensory appendage and numerous small apical appendages. Labium with prementum trapezoidal, basal ¾ strongly sclerotized; ligula with elongate membranous apex, 3 × as long as wide, densely fimbriate, separated from prementum by a distinctly sclerotized transverse strip; palpomere I 1.8 × as long as II; palpomere II bent near apex and bearing short sensilla at apex.

Dorsal sclerites of thorax with ecdysial lines along midline of body (Fig. 28A ); prothorax narrow, 1.3 × as long as wide, widest posteriorly and narrowing anteriorly, chaetotaxy as in Fig. 28A ; thoracic tergites II and III subequal in width and length; abdominal sclerites well sclerotized, with two small pleural sclerites per segment on each side; urogomphi broken off of only known specimen.

Distribution and ecology.

Lathrobium carolinae inhabits mid-elevation (600-1600 m) hardwood forests in the Appalachian Mountains, from Georgia to the French Broad River basin in North Carolina (Fig. 28 ), except in those ranges occupied by L. camplyacra as described above. Collected Feb-Oct.

Subgenus Lathrobium Lathrobioma Casey, 1905: 72.

Figures

Figure 4. Lathrobium carolinae A female terminalia B female sternite VIII C male sternite VIII D aedeagus in ventral view E aedeagus in lateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 28. Lathrobium carolinae second instar larva A habitus B head in lateral view C nasale D mandible E maxilla F antenna. Scale bars: 1 mm (A, B); 100 μm (C); 250 μm (D, E, F).