Pseudomorpha (Pseudomorpha) santarita Erwin & Amundson, 2013

Erwin, Terry L. & Amundson, Lauren M., 2013, Beetles that live with ants (Carabidae, Pseudomorphini, Pseudomorpha Kirby, 1825): A revision of the santarita species group, ZooKeys 362, pp. 29-54 : 42-43

Pseudomorpha (Pseudomorpha) santarita Erwin & Amundson sp. n. Figures 6 , 12 , 16 , 18

Holotype.

USA: Arizona, Pima County, Santa Rita Ranch, 31.946°N, 110.758°W, 1080m, July 1978 (R. Lenczy) (NMNH: ADP110388, male). Paratypes are listed below; see other specimens examined.

Derivation of specific epithet.

The epithet " santarita " is a singular feminine noun used in apposition and is based on the name of the upland range, Santa Rita Mountains in the Coronado National Forest, which includes the type locality of this species. This area was once the home of the indigenous peoples, Papago.

Proposed english vernacular name.

Santa Rita False-form beetle.

Diagnosis.

With the attributes of the species group as described above and color tawny ( Fig. 6 ), color tone of dorsum uniform; form broad and stout; head with preapical lobe prominent, slightly exceeding gena-eye line; pronotum ( Fig. 6 ) slightly wider at base than elytra across humeri; elytron slightly tapered from humerus to narrower truncated apex and with a bare trace of costae, interneurs of finely impressed zig-zag striae, intervals micropunctate, setae very short, fine, and wide-spaced.

Description.

( Figs 6 , 12 , 16 ) Table 6 . Size: Medium for genus, ABL = 5.3 to 5.7 mm, SBL = 5.1 to 5.7 mm, TW = 4.4 to 4.5 mm. Preocular lobe-eye ratio (L/L): 0.551 to 0.693. Pronotum ratio (L/W): 0.225 to 0.286. Elytron ratio (L/W): 1.545 to 1.681. Color: Head, pronotum and elytra tawny, their lateral margins somewhat diaphanous rufous, appendages flavotestaceous. Luster: Dorsal surface moderately alutaceous, moderately matte. Microsculpture: Dorsal surface with very fine flat isodiametric sculpticells. Head: ( Fig. 12 ) Eye setiferous. Clypeal suture effaced at middle. Frons and vertex with very sparse micropunctulate, setigerous pores with very short setae widely scattered, no transverse line of setae present. Occiput medial to hind margin of eye without small group of coarse setiferous pores. Prothorax: Pronotum ( Fig. 6 ) moderately convex with broad explanate sides, wider than long, without fringe of long stout setae along lateral margin although present at both anterior and hind angles, fringe of short setae present along anterior and posterior margins; anterior margin bead effaced medially, posterior margin discolored but not beaded; disk with longitudinal pigmented line. Pterothorax: Elytron ( Fig. 6 ) with interval micropunctate, setigerous pores very widely spaced, finely impressed; interneurs very finely zig-zag striate. Metepisternum longer than wide, surface sparsely setiferous anteriorly. Metasternum sparsely setiferous medially. Metathoracic wing fully developed. Abdomen: Sternum III broadly and shallowly incised medially. All sterna sparsely setiferous, IV broadly and densely so medially; male with dense patches of setae medially on sterna V and VI, their width coequal to the combined length of posterior basitarsomere plus tarsomere 2. Male genitalia: ( Fig. 16 ) Phallobase crested; phalloshaft arched nearly 90°, then straight and depressed in lateral aspect to phalloapex; phalloapex narrowed both in lateral and dorsal aspects to acute tip. Parameres in ventral aspect with left shorter than right and somewhat narrower, distal margins of both narrowly rounded, asetose.

Dispersal potential.

These beetles are macropterous and have been recorded at lights, hence capable of flight; they are swift and agile runners. Accordingly, the species may be expected to be more broadly distributed across a wider geographical range than current records indicate.

Way of life.

Adults are likely found in ant nests and the surrounding vicinity; females are ovoviviparous ( Liebherr and Kavanaugh 1985); larvae are ant nest inquilines ( Erwin 1981). Members of Pseudomorpha santarita occur at midland and upland altitudes in between the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts in the riparian vegetation zones with Sycamore ( Platanus occidentalis L.) and Cottonwood (Populus Fremontii S. Wats.) and desert scrub on the slopes. Adults are active in July -August, very hot months in this area.

Other specimens examined.

USA: Arizona, Santa Cruz County, Pajarito Mountains, Peña Blanca Canyon, 31.386°N, 111.093°W, 1191m, 2 July 1980 (S. McCleve) (UATC: ADP110817, male paratype); Graham County, Galiuro Mountains north, Ash Creek, 32.514°N, 110.139°W, 1400m, 16-17 August 1982 (D.R. Maddison, G.E. Ball & S. McCleve) (DRMC: ADP110591, male paratype); Pima County, Santa Rita Mountains, Madera Canyon, 31.724°N, 110.880°W, 1487m, 11 July 1963 (V.L. Vesterby) (UCDC: ADP111898, female paratype), Madera Canyon, 1499m, 31.724°N, 110.880°W, 8 July 1970 (K. Stephan) (FSCA: ADP112570, male paratype). New Mexico, Hidalgo County, Animas Mountains, Double Adobe Creek, 31.614°N, 108.779°W, 1755m, 11 July 1981 (S. McCleve) (UATC: ADP110861, male paratype).

Geographic distribution.

( Fig. 18 ). This species is currently known from Arizona and New Mexico.

Figures

Figure 18. Distribution map for species of the santarita group of Pseudomorpha.

Figure 1 - 6. 1 Pseudomorpha huachinera sp. n., male holotype, ADP 110112; Arroyo El Cocono, Sierra Huachinera, Sonora, Mexico. Habitus, dorsal aspect, ABL = 5.88 mm 2 Pseudomorpha patagonia sp. n., male holotype, ADP 110694; Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mountains, AZ. Habitus, dorsal aspect, ABL = 4.39 mm 3 Pseudomorpha penablanca sp. n., female holotype, CAS 8111005; Pena Blanca Lake, Arizona. Habitus, dorsal aspect, ABL = 6.37 mm 4 Pseudomorpha pima sp. n., female holotype, CAS 8111006; Madera Canyon (lower), Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona. Habitus, dorsal aspect, ABL = 6.76 mm 5 Pseudomorpha santacruz sp. n., male holotype, ADP 111870; Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona. Habitus, dorsal aspect, ABL = 5.78 mm 6 Pseudomorpha santarita sp. n., male holotype, ADP 110817; Pajarito Mountains, AZ. Habitus, dorsal aspect, ABL = 5.33 mm.

Figure 7 - 12. 7 Pseudomorpha huachinera sp. n., male holotype, ADP 110112; Arroyo El Cocono, Sierra Huachinera, Sonora, Mexico. Head, dorsal planar aspect 8 Pseudomorpha patagonia sp. n., male paratype, ADP 110694; Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mountains, AZ. Head, dorsal planar aspect 9 Pseudomorpha penablanca sp. n., female holotype, CAS 8111005; Pena Blanca Lake, Arizona. Head, dorsal planar aspect 10 Pseudomorpha pima sp. n., female holotype, CAS 8111006; Madera Canyon (lower), Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona. Head, dorsal planar aspect 11 Pseudomorpha santacruz sp. n., male holotype, ADP 111870; Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona. Head, dorsal planar aspect 12 Pseudomorpha santarita sp. n., male holotype, ADP 110817; Pajarito Mountains, AZ. A Head, dorsal planar aspect.

Figure 13 - 17. 13 Pseudomorpha huachinera sp. n., male paratype, ADP 110961; Pajarito Mountains, AZ. Male genitalia, median lobe and parameres labeled as in repose in male, A right lateral aspect, B left lateral aspect, and C dorsal aspects. 14 Pseudomorpha patagonia sp. n., male paratype, ADP 110694; Harshaw Creek, Patagonia Mountains, AZ 15 Pseudomorpha santacruz sp. n., male holotype, ADP 111870; Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mountains, AZ 16 Pseudomorpha santarita sp. n., male paratype, ADP 110388; Santa Rita Ranch, Santa Rita Mountains, AZ 17 Pseudomorpha pima sp. n., female paratype, ADP 109219; Bog Springs, Santa Rita Mountains, AZ. Ovipositor sclerites, Legend: gc 1 gonocoxite 1; gc 2 gonocoxite 2; lt laterotergite; b base of gonocoxite 2; bl blade of gonocoxite 2. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.