Monophylla californica (Fall, 1901)

Burke, Alan & Zolnerowich, Gregory, 2017, A taxonomic revision of the subfamily Tillinae Leach sensu lato (Coleoptera, Cleridae) in the New World, ZooKeys 179, pp. 75-157 : 125-129

Monophylla californica (Fall, 1901) Figs 4B, 10C, 12B, 20B

Synonyms.

Elasmocerus californicus Fall, 1901, Papers Calif. Acad. Sci. VIII, 251 ( Elasmocerus ).

Type material not examined.

Type locality.

Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Cruz Co., CA. Type depository: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University (MCZC).

Distribution.

USA: AZ, CA, NV, OR, TX, UT, WY; Mexico: Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Morelos(?).

Differential diagnosis.

Monophylla californica is most similar to M. pallipes . The two species have a broad, sympatric distribution and can be misidentified. These species, however, are separated with relative ease based on the number of antennomeres. The antennae of M. californica are composed of 9 antennomeres, while the antennae of M. pallipes have 10 antennomeres.

Redescription.

Male. Form: Small to moderately large, slender individuals. Color: Head, antennae, scutellum and legs testaceous to fuscus; pronotum testaceous to almost black, the anterior and posterior margins of the pronotum have a narrow to somewhat wide ferrugineous to testaceous band; thorax fuscous to almost black; elytra light testaceous to almost black, each elytron with a pale, narrow fascia on the median region of the elytral disc that initiates on the epipleural fold but does not reach the elytral suture; mouthparts fuscous, abdominal segments light testaceous to piceous (Fig. 4B).

Head: Including eyes narrower than pronotum; eyes moderately small, taller than wide, slightly bulging laterally, antennal notch located in front of emargination (Fig. 12B); integument coarsely punctate; clothed with fine, pale, semi-erect setae intermixed with erect, pale setae; antennae composed of 9 antennomeres; second antennomere robust, short, antennomeres 3-6 small, conspicuously compacted; antennomeres 7-8 short, serrate, ninth antennomere noticeably enlarged, conspicuously compressed laterally, much longer that remaining antennomeres combined; last antennomere of males sexually dimorphic (Fig. 10C).

Thorax: Pronotum subparallel, widest at middle, feebly to moderately constricted toward posterior margin; surface conspicuously punctate, rugose; elytral disc flat; clothed with fine, short, pale, recumbent setae interspersed with some long and very long, semi-erect and erect, dark setae, these setae are more abundant on lateral area of pronotum; anterior transverse depression feebly slightly impressed; subbasal tumescence absent. Prosternum as long as wide; rather punctate; punctation fine, shallow; surface vested to glabrous. Mesoventrite surface feebly to coarsely punctate, vested with fine, pale, semi-erect setae; moderately punctate, punctations wide, deep. Metepisternum visible throughout its length, not covered by elytra. Metaventrite: Surface smooth medially; moderately to strongly punctate laterally; punctation wide and shallow; clothed with fine, pale, recumbent setae; longitudinal depression present, metaventral process absent. Scutellum wide; clothed with pale, fine, semirecumbent setae; compressed medially.

Elytra: Anterior margin slightly broader than pronotum; elongate; subparallel, humeri feebly indicated, rounded; sides broadening toward distal end, widest on middle third then gradually narrowing toward apex; elytral apices subtriangular; inconspicuously dehiscent; elytral declivity gradual; surface vested with fine, short, pale and dark, semi-erect setae some pale, fine, long, semi-erect setae, the latter more abundant toward epipleural fold; conspicuously, conspicuously punctate, punctations small and shallow, punctations arranged irregularly arranged that reach the elytral apex; interstices smooth. Epipleural fold gradually narrowing toward apex.

Legs: Femora rugulose to smooth, widest on middle half, laterally compressed, clothed with some pale, fine, semirecumbent setae mixed with some semi-erect setae, surface feebly punctate, punctations small and shallow. Tibiae rugulose, slender, punctate; punctations shallow and small; vestiture consisting of fine, semi-erect setae.

Abdomen: Six visible ventrites. Ventrites 1-4 convex, smooth, shiny. First visible ventrite longer than second ventrite, integument rugulose. Ventrites 2-4 subquadrate, punctate, vested with fine, long, pale, recumbent setae and some long semi-erect setae; not compressed laterally; posterior margins truncate. Fifth visible ventrite strongly convex; subquadrate in shape; moderately punctate; punctations shallow, small; vested with fine, pale, recumbent setae; lateral margins subparallel, slightly arcuate; posterior margin broadly, shallowly emarginate. Sixth visible ventrite subtriangular; surface slightly rugulose, convex to almost flat, finely punctate; vested with moderately long and long, erect setae, vestiture more abundant on anterolateral margins; lateral margins oblique, strongly arcuate; posterior margin broadly, deeply emarginate, U-shaped emargination, posterolateral angles rounded. Fifth tergite subquadrate, surface convex; posterior margin truncate. Sixth tergite subquadrate; finely rugulose; surface convex posterior median region compressed; clothed with fine, pale, recumbent setae; lateral margins oblique; posterior margin broadly, deeply emarginate, U-shaped emargination, posterolateral angles rounded. Sixth tergite extending beyond apical margin of sixth visible ventrite, covering sixth ventrite in dorsal view.

Aedeagus: Phallobasic apodeme present; phallus with copulatory piece swollen at apex; phallic plate armed with a row of denticles; intraspicular plate present, elongate; phallobasic apodeme conspicuously short, expanded distally; phallobase trigonal; parameres free; tegmen incomplete, partially covering the phallus; parameres pointed anteriorly; endophallic struts long, truncate distally (Fig. 20B).

Sexual dimorphism: Females of M. californica have the ninth antennomere somewhat shorter than in males. In addition, antennomeres 8-6 are larger, subtriangular in shape, and moderately serrate in females, but conspicuously reduced and compressed in males. Finally, the last abdominal segment in females is broadly rounded, rather than emarginate posteriorly, as observed in males.

Material examined.

USA: 1 male, 2 females: San Diego Co., CA, 3 mi E of Jacumba, VII-14-1984, G. H. Nelson; 1 male: San Diego Co., CA, 5 mi E Jacumba, VI-29-1984, on Acacia greggii , G. H. Nelson; 1 male: Los Angeles Co., CA, Mount Baldy, VI-23-1973, E. Giesbert; 1 male: Imperial Co., CA, 15 mi E Calexico, VI-6-1961, [no collector data]; 1 female: Globe, AZ, IX-1-1933, F. H. Parker; 2 males, 1 female: Riverside Co., CA, VIII-4-1939, A. T. McClay; 2 males: Cochise Co., AZ, 2 mi S of Portal, VII-2-1960, M. Statham; 1 female: Warners, CA, X-12-1924, R. C. Casselberry; 3 females: Imperial Co., CA, Fish Springs, I-1-1939; A. T. McClay; 1 male, 1 female: Riverside Co., CA, 4-VII-1939, beating mesquite, A. T. McClay; 1 female: Pima Co., AZ, [no collecting date and collector]; 1 male: Los Angeles Co., CA; Westwood Hills, X-5-1939; 2 males, 1 female: Huachuca Mountains, AZ, VIII-19-1950, J. N. Knull; 2 females: Yuma, AZ, IV-1-1924, J. N. Knull; 2 males, 1 female: Cottonwood, AZ, VIII-18, J. N. Knull; 2 females: Cave Creek, AZ, VIII-20-1959, J. N. Knull; 8 males, 6 females: Oak Creek Canyon, AZ, VIII-15, D. J. and J. N. Knull; Grand Teton National Park, WY, VII-14-1939, D. J. and J. N. Knull; 2 males, 2 females: Valverde Co., TX, V-6-1941, D. J. and J. N. Knull; 1 male: Calipatria, CA, II-29-1924, J. N. Knull; 1 female: Palm Springs, CA, V-19-1941, D. J. and J. N. Knull; Mecca, CA, VI-19-1948, D. J. and J. N. Knull; 1 male, 1 female: Jacumba, CA, VI-24-1954, D. J. and J. N. Knull; 3 males, 1 female: Winterhaven, CA, VI-25-1952, D. J. and J. N. Knull; 1 male, 2 females: Tucson, AZ, D. J. and J. N. Knull; 1 male, 2 female: Palm Springs, CA, VI-30-1946, D. J. and J. N. Knull; 1 male: Santa Monica Co., CA, 1942, Rivers; 4 females: Santa Cruz Co., CA, Glenwood, VI-16-1968, Tyson; 1 male: Upper City, CA, VI-5-1932, A. T. McClay; 1 female: Imperial Co., CA, I-11-1934, D. J. and J. N. Knull; Riverside Co., CA, VIII-4-1939, A. T. McClay; 2 males: Tucson, AZ, VI-20-1935, Bryant; 1 male: Globe, AZ, VII-30-1949, F. H. Parker. MEXICO: 1 male, 1 female: Baja California [Sur], Mexico, 5 mi S La Paz; VIII-24-1976, E. Giesbert; 2 female: Baja California Mexico, V-29-1987, riparian palm oasis, G. H. Nelson; 1 male: Lower California, [Mexico], Santa Rosa, [missing collecting locality and date]; 1 male: Sonora, Mexico, Minas Nuevas, VIII-7-1952, C. P. Vaurie; 2 males, 1 female: Santa Rosa, Lower California, VII, D. J. and J. N. Knull; 3 males: Morelos, Mexico, Tlaquiltenango, Huaxtla, 18.37917°N 99.04581°W, Trampa de luz, V-23-2009, V. H. Toledo; 1 male: Morelos, Mexico, Tepalcingo, El Limón, 18°31'55.8"N, 98°56'17.2"W, trampa de luz, II-17-2007, V. H. Toledo and M. A. Corona.

Remarks.

We have examined a number of specimens tentatively identified as M. californica collected in Morelos, Mexico, which would indicate a considerable range expansion for this species. Additional samples are needed to corroborate if this species has a disjunct distributional range, or the present known distribution is the result of a lack of collecting.