Bolitogyrus silex Brunke

Brunke, Adam J. & Solodovnikov, Alexey, 2014, A revision of the Neotropical species of Bolitogyrus Chevrolat, a geographically disjunct lineage of Staphylinini (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), ZooKeys 423, pp. 1-113 : 62-63

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Staphylinidae

Bolitogyrus silex Brunke sp. n. Figs 6A, 17 L–O, 23K, 26H, 31C (map)

Type locality.

GUATEMALA, Zacapa, 3.5 km SE La Union.

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (SEMC): Guatemala, Zacapa, 3.5 km SE La Union, 1500 m, 23-25 June 1993, J. Ashe & R. Brooks, #102, ex: flight intercept trap [white printed label] / SM0038000 [white barcode label] / Holotype, Bolitogyrus silex Brunke, sp. n. [red printed label].

Paratypes (2♂, 3 ♀, SEMC, UTCI, ZMUC): GUATEMALA:Zacapa, 3.5 km SE La Union, 1500 m, 25-VI.1003, J. Ashe and R. Brooks, #115, ex. crustose mushrooms, SM0037985, 1 ♂ (SEMC), same except: 1600 m, R. Anderson, #93-20, ex. cloud forest, SM0037988 1 ♀ (SEMC); 2 km SE La Union, 14.94661, -89.27612 ± 21 m, 1555m, 12 to 15.V.2009, Malaise trap, secondary cloud forest, LLAMA#Ma-B-03-1-02, DNA Voucher (S. Chatzimanolis), extraction SC-180, extracted i.23.2010, 1 ♀ (UTCI), same except: 14.34707, -89.27606 ± 7 m, 1560 m, secondary cloud forest, Malaise trap, LLAMA Ma-B-03-1-01, 1 ♂ (SEMC), same except: 14.95390, -89.27638 ± 200 m, 1430 m, cloud forest, sifted leaf litter, LLAMA Wa-B-03-2-all, 1 ♀ (ZMUC, DNA extracted).

Diagnosis.

Within Bullatus Lineage: elytra with strigulose patch (Fig. 9F); posterior protuberances large and glossy, creating expansive impunctate areas (Fig. 6A).

Description.

Measurements ♂ (n=2): HW/HL 1.39-1.50; PW/PL 1.30-1.36; EW/EL 1.08-1.12; ESut/PL 0.85-0.96; PW/HW 1.06; forebody length 4.2 mm.

Measurements ♀ (n=2): HW/HL 1.36-1.42; PW/PL 1.25-1.28; EW/EL 1.17-1.19; ESut/PL 0.88-0.89; PW/HW 1.03-1.07; forebody length 4.0-4.4 mm.

Similar to Bolitogyrus strigifrons and differing only in the following: forebody distinctly longer; body dark brown, head and elytra with bronze to bluish-green metallic reflection due to sculpture, pronotum with bronze metallic reflection; abdomen with apical margins paler, sometimes with pale stripe on lateral border of sternites; antennomeres I–V reddish-orange, VI–XI gradually darkening to dark brown apex; legs bicolored: procoxa entirely yellowish (male) or with basal and apical darkening (female), profemur yellow with basal (male) or basal and apical darkening (female), tibia brown to dark brown with medial face lighter, meso- and metacoxa yellow with dark areas (male) or dark brownish yellow (female); median frontal impression indistinct, in most specimens, obliterated by punctures; base of head with posterior protuberances creating expansive impunctate areas; dorsal surface of head with dense, coarse and often rugose to strigulose punctures, punctures rarely forming short longitudinal ridges; pronotum slightly less transverse; lateral areas of pronotum with deep, coarse, often confluent and rugose micropunctures; pronotum slightly less transverse; elytra slightly less transverse, strigulose sculpture limited to small area mediolaterally; impunctate areas on abdominal tergites III–VI subequal; median lobe cylindrical, in lateral view slightly sinuate, narrowed to a short, broad and triangular apical portion, further narrowed to a thin, ventrally produced apex (Fig. 17N); in parameral view, median lobe narrowed at midlength and then dilated to subapex, apical portion short, broad, apex obtuse (Fig. 17L); shape of paramere as in Fig. 17L; peg setae along lateral edges of paramere in apical half, a pair of clusters at apex (Fig. 17O); internal sac with a pair of large, heavily sclerotized, talon-shaped sclerites (Fig. 17M); male sternite VIII with emargination slightly shallower but still distinct; sternite IX with base only weakly asymmetrical, apical emargination slightly deeper (Fig. 23K); female tergite X broad, apex obtuse and with shallow, narrow emargination (Fig. 26H); basal margin of laterotergal sclerites fused and thickened across base of tergite X, female laterotergal sclerites expanded and overlapping with tergite X (Fig. 26H).

Distribution.

Figure 31C. Known only from Zacapa state in Guatemala.

Bionomics.

Specimens were collected in cloud forests at elevations ranging from 1430-1600 m, in flight traps, by sifting litter and on 'crustose mushrooms’, during May and June.

Etymology.

The species epithet is a Latin noun meaning ‘stone’ or ‘flint’ and refers to the pair of heavily sclerotized sclerites of the internal sac that appear weighty, like stones. It is to be used as a noun in apposition.

Comments.

Among sympatric species, Bolitogyrus silex not easily confused with any other species and is easily recognized by the strigulose patch on the elytra.