Teslasena femoralis ( Lucas, 1857 )

Rosa, Simone Policena, 2014, Phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic revision of Physodactylinae (Coleoptera, Elateridae), Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (São Paulo) 54 (18), pp. 217-292 : 229-231

Teslasena femoralis ( Lucas, 1857)

( Figs. 2 , 32 , 34B )

Anelastes femoralis Lucas, 1857: 71 .

Physodactylus femoralis ; Bonvouloir, 1875: 711.

Teslasena femoralis ; Fleutiaux, 1892: 411; Schwarz, 1906: 313; Schenkling, 1927: 509; Chassain, 2005: 66.

Teslasena lucasi Fleutiaux, 1899: 206 ; Schenkling, 1927: 509; syn. nov.

Redescription (male, Fig. 34B ): Integument with variable color patterns: 1) entirely light brown or with antennomeres III-XI black; 2) brown to black with antennomeres I-II and legs lighter ( Fig. 34B ); 3) brown to dark brown with elytra lighter; 4) brown to black with antennomeres I-II, legs and elytra light- er; 5) brown to black with legs light brown, pronotum light brown with anterior, lateral and posterior borders each one with a triangular black spot, anterior and posterior spots short or elongate and contiguous along the median longitudinal area; 6) as the former but head with light brown spots on frontal and occipital areas; 7) as color pattern 5 but elytral base light brown; 8) as color pattern 5 but elytra light brown with sutural and lateral borders black; 9) black with antennomeres III-XI light brown or black, elytra bicolored as in the pattern 7; 10) as the former but with pronotum light brown with the median longitudinal third darker; 11) black with antenna, tibiae and tarsus light brown. Total length 7.5-12.0 mm; elytra 2.6 times longer than pronotum. Head ( Figs. 2B, C ) convex or with a median circular depression, frontal carina straight or rounded; IEP 0.21-0.45 antenna reaching the base of pronotal hind angle or surpassing it by one antennomere. Pronotum 1.11-1.3x wider than long, with double punctation on disc, larger punctures 1-3 diameters apart, denser on lateral borders; discal, anterior and lateral borders glabrous, posterior border pilose with short setae; some specimens with a few pronotal discal or lateral punctures with a minuscule seta ( Fig. 32E ). Scutellum covered with short setae. Elytra tapered apicad from humerus or anterior third.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 2 T-V): Phallobase 0.27-0.32x the total length of aedeagus, 0.84-1.13x longer than wide, ratio between lateroposterior and median parts 3.8-6.7; penis: basal triangular part with sides straight, apical part 0.77-1.47 as long as the triangular basal part; with or without ventral sclerite.

Homeotype of T. femoralis : [Jatahy, prov. Goyas Brèsil, Sept. a Nov. 97], [ Teslasena femoralis Luc , comparé 1899, Collection FLEUTIAUX], [Muséum Paris, Coll. E. Fleutiaux]; [ Teslasena femoralis (Lucas) J. Chassain det. 05], male (MNHN).

Material examined: BRAZIL. Rondônia: 3 exs. ( MZUSP) ; Mato Gosso: 65 exs. ( MNHN) , 50 exs. ( MNRJ) , 32 exs. ( MZUSP) ; Mato Grosso do Sul: 66 exs. ( MZUSP) ; Goiás: 1 ex. ( IBSP) , 2 exs. ( DZUP) , 7 exs. ( MNHN) , 6 exs. ( MZUSP) .

Distribution: BRAZIL. Rondônia: Vilhena; Mato Grosso: Utiariti, Chapada dos Parecis, Chapada dos Guimarães, Campo Verde; Goiás: Mineiros, Jataí; Mato Grosso do Sul: Cassilândia, Costa Rica, Três Lagoas, Maracaju, Porto Murtinho.

Remarks: Fleutiaux (1899) distinguished Teslasena lucasi from T. femoralis by its “body short and black, sides of pronotum narrowed near the base but not sinuous and punctation weaker”. The holotype of T. lucasi and similar specimens from Jataí and Chapada dos Guimarães examined bear ratio between the body length and width (without head) 2.73-3.04. These are the smaller measurements of a ratio that varies from 2.73-3.29, with relatively short and long specimens found in populations from same region, as those from Três Lagoas with body ratio 2.95-3.29. Body entirely black as in T. lucasi holotype is found in some specimens from Chapada dos Guimarães, which also includes specimens with the color pattern 8. Some specimens with long body from Três Lagoas, Campo Verde and Mineiros also exhibited body entirely black. The specimens from Vilhena are black as T. lucasi specimens, but they have body relatively longer and larger punctation. The holotype and two specimens of T. lucasi identified by Fleutiaux have the smallest punctation and the smallest eyes (IEP 0.21-0.26), however these features were also found polymorphic in specimens of T. femoralis of a same region. Therefore, specimens of T. lucasi do not present any unique combination of characters that differentiates them from specimens of T. femoralis examined. For this reason I propose synonymy T. lucasi under T. femoralis .

Besides the polymorphisms in the body color pattern, pronotal punctation, eye size and relative body length, specimens of T. femoralis exhibit high variability in the antennal length, shape of the sternite VIII and in the ratio between the apical and basal parts of the penis. Specimens from Vera, Nova Mamoré and a specimen of T. lucasi have the shortest penis apical part (0.77-0.96x the basal length), while specimens from Três Lagoas have apical part ranging from 0.77-1.47x the basal length. Ventral sclerite of penis is usually absent in T. femoralis , except in the specimens from Chapada dos Guimarães and Chapada dos Parecis, which present a small sclerite.

Figures

FIGURE 2: Teslasena femoralis (male): A, antenna; B, C, head (dorsal, anterior); D, labrum, E, mandible (dorsal); F, G, H, prothorax (ventral, dorsal, lateral); I, J, K, pterothorax (ventral, lateroventral, lateral); L, pterothorax (dorsal) and abdominal tergite I; M, hind wing; N, O, abdomen (ventral, lateral); P,tergite VIII; Q, sternite VIII; R, sternite IX; S, tergites IX and X; T, U, V, aedeagus (ventral, dorsal, lateral). Abbreviations: af, mf and pf: anterior, median and posterior field sclerotizations; llpp: length of lateroposterior part of phallobase, lp: length of prosternum, lpp: lateroposterior part of phallobase, mp: median part of phallobase, ppp: posterior part of penis; tbpp: triangular basal part of penis, wp: width of prosternum.

FIGURE 32: Teslasena femoralis. A, maxilla; B, detail of maxillar base; C, labium; D, pronotum (laterodorsal); E, pronotal punctation; F, elytral striae; G, elytron (dorsolateral); H, I, J, pro-, meso and metathoracic legs; K, protarsus; L, claw.

FIGURE 34: Habitus. A, Margogastrius schneideri (13.0 mm); B, Teslasena femoralis (9.0 mm); C, T. foucarti (9.5 mm); D, Idiotropia henoni (4.5 mm); E, Oligostethius capensis (10 mm); F,Toxognathus bakeri (6.0 mm); G, T. beauchenei (9.0 mm); H, T. coomani (6.5 mm); I, T. costulatus (11.0 mm); J, T. doherty (8.0 mm); K, T. fairmairei (7.5 mm); L, T. mouhoti (5.0 mm); M, Dactylophysus hirtus sp. nov. (10.5 mm); N, D. capixabensis nom. nov. (9.0 mm); O, D. tibialis (12.0 mm); P,Heterocrepidius mendax (9.0 mm); Q, Physodactylus asper sp. nov. (9.5 mm); R, P. besckei (11.0 mm). A, D = lectotypes; E-G, I, J, L, M, P, Q = holotypes.