Harpalus (Pseudoophonus) poncei, Will, Kipling W., 2001

Will, Kipling W., 2001, A New Species Of Harpalus Latreille (Coleoptera: Carabidae) From Southeastern North America, The Coleopterists Bulletin 55 (4), pp. 447-452 : 448-451

Harpalus (Pseudoophonus) poncei new species

Recognition. Specimens of H. poncei can be distinguished from all other North American Harpalus species by their large size in combination with reddish legs, presence of mentum tooth, and pronotum relatively broad at the base with wide lateral margins ( Fig. 2). Individuals are large relative to even larger specimens of Pseudoophonus , e.g., Harpalus pensylvanicus (DeGeer) , but are smaller than individuals of the subgenus Megapangus , e.g., H. katiae Battoni ( Fig. 1 ).

Type Material. HOLOTYPE?, ‘‘ Naples, FLA., Dec 30 1963, J.B. Williams’ ’ ( CUIC) . ALLOTYPE /, Same data and deposition as holotype (reproductive tract and defensive glands dissected).

PARATYPE?, Port Charlotte , FLA. 1963, W. Rosenberg Collection ( USNM) .

Description. Size and form: 20–23 mm long; body robust and slightly depressed ( Fig. 1 ).

Color: Upper body black; legs, antennae and palpi rufous; mandibles and labrum apically black, paler, nearly rufous basally; ventral surface medially dark rufo­piceous, more darkly infuscated laterally.

Head: In both sexes slightly transverse microsculpture scarcely visible on vertex, slightly more evident in female than male, generally shiny; mentum tooth simple, sagittiform.

Pronotum: Outline quadrate, sides nearly straight from middle to posterior angles ( Fig. 2); anterior angles moderately protruding; lateral marginal groove broad, widening posteriorly; groove and basolateral region punctulate­rugose with evident isodiametric or irregular mesh microsculpture; posterior bead broad and sharply delimited throughout, or slightly less defined laterally; posterior angles about right and slightly flexed ventrally; laterobasal fovea not separate from lateral groove; mediobasal fovea shallow and broadly impressed; disc convex with microsculpture in both sexes slightly transverse and scarcely visible; median longitudinal impression interrupted on disc, deeper near base and anterad near anterior transverse impression; anterior transverse impression very shallow, scarcely visible.

Legs: Protibial medioapical spur lanceolate or falcate, 5 lateroapical spines; metafemur with 4–6 setae on posterior margin; dorsal surface of all tarsi setose.

Elytra: Slightly depressed, parallel sided, subapical sinuation very slightly evident; humeral angle with small rounded tooth; elytral intervals slightly convex; striae impunctate or shallowly crenulate, sutural stria long; setose punctulae throughout intervals 7–9 and few small setae scattered along base of intervals 5–6; sloping base of elytra with few scattered setae; evident isodiametric or slightly irregular mesh microsculpture in both sexes; surface moderately shiny, female slightly duller from more evident microsculpture.

Abdomen: Sternites II–III with dense setae medially in addition to usual ambulatory setae.

Male genitalia: Blade straight in dorsal view, ostium slightly deflected left; tip scarcely flexed ventrally in lateral view ( Fig. 3 ). The apical portion of the median lobe of the male holotype was exposed and so studied but not further dissected. The genitalia of the paratype male was not intact so was not dissected. The study of the endophallic structures could not be done on these specimens .

Female genitalia and reproductive tract: Bursa copulatrix elongate with large apicoventral lobe and an elongate dorsal sclerotized region terminating in a small lobe ( Fig. 4 ); spermatheca simple, elongate, lightly constricted, inserted apically on bursa; spermathecal appended gland duct inserted basally, gland unknown, apparently lost during dissection; laterotergite broad, asetose; gonocoxite­1 elongate, asetose; gonocoxite­2 with two nematiform setae; median tergite IX with 20 apicomedial setae.

Defensive gland: Gland reservoir large; dorsal lobe well developed; collecting canal more than 23 length of reservoir.

Etymology of name: Genitive name based on Ponce de León, the Spanish explorer (1460–1521). In 1521 he lead an expedition intent on establishing a permanent settlement in the vicinity of Charlotte Harbor, FL. They were fierce­ ly attacked by Native Americans and he was mortally wounded by an arrow during the battle.

Discussion. This species is only known from the type specimens from two sites on the west coast of Florida. The two collecting localities are separated by only 65 miles and the two collecting events occurred in the same year, 1963. This peculiar situation—one collecting season collection, in two, relatively close coastal sites—suggests that this may be adventive rather than a native species. I attempted to identify specimens using the various keys to North American Harpalus cited above but found no species to which I could attribute them. Considering the possibility that this is an adventive species, I subsequently attempted to identify specimens using various keys for Palaearctic, Asian, and African faunas (e.g., Basilewsky 1950, 1951; Habu 1973; Trautner and Geigenmüller 1987). After an extensive search through the literature, inspection of specimens in major collections and consultation with people with expertise in Harpalus taxonomy, I concluded that even if these specimens represent a nonnative species, it has remained undescribed.

These specimens may represent another vanishing part of Florida’s unique fauna or, as is often the case, this species may be difficult to collect. Relatively few winter time collection records for Harpalus species are known ( Noonan 1991). Perhaps this species has an unusual life cycle and has not been observed because little collecting has been done during its period of activity. I hope that this paper challenges collectors in Florida to look carefully at winter active Harpalus that might otherwise be disregarded as uninteresting.

Figures

Fig. 1. Comparison of habitus. left) H. katiae from MS; middle) holotype H. poncei; right) H. pensylvanicus, from FL.

Fig. 3. Median lobe blade, H. poncei. a) left lateral view; b) dorsal view.

Fig. 4. Harpalus poncei Female reproductive tract ventral view.