Carpophilus jamaicensis Powell and Schnepp, 2020

Powell, Gareth S. & Schnepp, Kyle E., 2020, Review of Carpophilus (Ecnomorphus) Motschulsky, 1858 (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Carpophilinae) in the West Indies, Insecta Mundi 2020 (840), pp. 1-8 : 4-6

Carpophilus jamaicensis Powell and Schnepp , new species

( Fig. 1A–B , 2A )

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0DF10552-F331-40C0-806C-1B19272CBB5B

Specimens examined. Holotype (Deposited in CNC) , HOLOTYPE: JAMAICA, 4000′ | Hardwar Gap | VII.10.1966 | Howden & Becker || HOLOTYPE | Carpophilus jamaicensis | Designated by | Powell & Schnepp, 2020.

Paratypes. 15 additional specimens: 8 specimens, same data as holotype (4 CNC, 2 FSCA, 2 GSPC) ; 6 specimens, same data as holotype except date collected ( CNC), VII.8.1966 (1), VII.9.1966 (1), VII.13.1966 (2), VII.23.1966 (2). 1 specimen: JAMAICA, St. And. , St. Peters , VII.9.1966, Howden and Becker ( CNC) .

Description (holotype male). Overall weakly elongate, moderately dorso-ventrally flattened. Length 2.1 mm, width 0.8mm. Color dark brown, elytra lighter ( Fig. 1A ). Ventral body surface brown, legs light brown. Surface sculpturing on dorsal body surfaces moderately glossy; coarse golden pubescence.

Head much narrower than pronotum, finely punctured. Punctures uniform in distribution, becoming finer towards clypeus. Frontoclypeal region truncate, labrum deeply emarginate at midline, mandibles toothed, light brown. Maxillary palps reaching less than one half length of the mandibles, terminal palpomere fusiform. Labial palps short and broad, terminal palpomere truncate at apex. Eyes small, finely faceted, inter-ocular distance 0.38 mm. Antennal total length slightly less than width of head; antennomere 1 robust and curved, antennomere 2 long, slightly shorter than basal antennomere, antennomeres 2 and 3 about equal in length, antennomeres 2–8 expanding apically, antennomeres 4–8 each about one half length of antennomere 2, antennomere 8 with medial expansion, antennomeres 9–11 forming strong, compact club, slightly longer than wide.

Pronotum 1.5 times as wide as long, sides broadly rounded, both anterior and posterior angles broadly obtuse. Posterior margin with well-developed marginal line, particularly at middle. Disc flattened, moderately glossy, evenly punctured. Scutellar shield feebly pentagonal, reaching obtuse point posteriorly. Anterior of scutellar shield finely granulate, gradually becoming glabrous.

Elytra subequal in width to pronotum, also as wide as long. Elytra with long, sparse, thick gold setae. Humeri pronounced. Elytral anterior angles almost 90°, sides weakly arcuate; posterior angles almost 90°; elytral apices truncate, retreating towards midline. Two abdominal tergites dorsally visible.

Venter overall lighter, submentum narrow and transverse, antennal grooves well-developed. Prosternum finely punctate, punctures with fine golden setae, prosternal process flat in lateral profile, posteriorly rounded, widened behind coxae. Mesothoracic ventrite finely punctured; setose, sparsely and coarsely punctate at middle, punctures becoming finer and denser laterally. Abdominal ventrite 1 almost as long as metathoracic ventrite; abdominal ventrites 2–3 very short, almost hidden; ventrite 4 very elongate, as large as metathoracic ventrite, ventrite 5 large, equal to abdominal ventrite 1, granulate, slightly more coarsely punctate than previous ventrites. Pygidium rounded with distinct, evenly spaced punctures.

Legs somewhat short, femora robust, covered with fine golden pubescence. Tibiae expanded apically, with 4–5 apical tibial spurs. Basal 3 tarsomeres densely pubescent beneath.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 2A ), well sclerotized, in lateral view lateral lobes strongly curved, internal and external margins converging towards sharp apical points. Apex and apical third of internal margin lined with long setae.

Variation. Overall color varies in the type series from brown to dark brown, total body length ranges from 2.0– 2.4 mm (n = 4) and width 0.7–0.8 mm (n = 4). Females with less robust femora and much less setae on tarsomeres.

Geographical distribution. This species is known from Jamaica. ( Fig. 3 ).

Natural history. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet was chosen by the original worker that recognized the need for this taxon to be described but unfortunately was unable to complete that work, Oldrich Marek, and is in reference to the type locality being the island of Jamaica. The epithet is an adjective.

Diagnosis. The separation between antennomeres 9 and 10 place this species within the subgenus Ecnomorphus . Carpophilus jamaicensis differs from C. thomasi in the parallel lateral margins of the pronotum (broadly rounded in C. thomasi ) and smooth prosternum (reticulate in C. thomasi ). Carpophilus jamaicensis is distinguished from C. tempestivus by coloration (dark brown in C. jamaicensis , orange in C. tempestivus ) and elytral apices (shorter at midline in C. jamaicensis , truncate in C. tempestivus ). Carpophilus jamaicensis clearly has close affinities to C. dufaui but is diagnosed by the length of the visible abdominal tergites (penultimate longer in C. jamaicensis , terminal segment longer in C. dufaui ). This combination of characters with the addition of long gold primary setae on the elytra also serves to diagnose C. jamaicensis from other Carpophilus (Ecnomorphus) in surrounding regions (i.e. lack of long dorsal setae and shorter penultimate abdominal tergite in Carpophilus ligneus Murray ).

Figures

Figure 1. Caribbean Carpophilus spp. A–B) Carpophilus jamaicensis sp. nov., holotype. C) Carpophilus tempestivus Erichson (lectotype MNHUB).D–E) Carpophilus thomasi sp. nov., holotype. F) Carpophilus dufaui Grouvelle (lectotype MNHN). A, C–D, F, dorsal habitus. B, E, ventral habitus.

Figure 2. Line drawings of male genitalia in lateral view for new species. A) Carpophilus jamaicensis sp. nov. B) Carpophilus thomasi sp. nov.

Figure 3. Distributions of Carpophilus (Ecnomorphus) in the West Indies. Carpophilus dufaui Grouvelle (red square), Carpophilus jamaicensis sp. nov. (pink circle), Carpophilus tempestivus Erichson (orange triangle), Carpophilus thomasisp. nov. (green hexagon).