Pseudotoglossa obscurella (Bates)

Erwin, Terry L., 2004, The beetle family Carabidae of Costa Rica: The genera of the Cryptobatida group of subtribe Agrina, tribe Lebiini, with new species and notes on their way of life (Insecta: Coleoptera), Zootaxa 662, pp. 1-54 : 46-47

Pseudotoglossa obscurella (Bates)

(Figs. 27, 28, 39)

Otoglossa obscurella Bates 1878:608 . Holotype. Male, MNHP (Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris). Type locality: NICARAGUA, Chontales.

Common name. Dull false­tongued carabid beetle.

Diagnosis. With the attributes of the genus as described above and head, antennal scape, prothorax, and elytra rufopiceous to black, elytra with faint metallic bluish reflections; venter of head, thorax and legs except tarsi black; abdomen, apical sixth of elytron and tarsi rufous; antennal flagellum and palpi infuscated. Eye diameter to gena length ratio: 0.73 to 0.83. Pronotum markedly narrow, side margin beaded, not explanate, moderately sinuate anterior to hind angle, subangulate at mid­lateral setiferous pore.

Description. (Fig. 27). Size small: ABL = 4.67 to 5.33 mm, SBL = 4.0 to 4.87 mm, TW = 1.67 to 2.0 mm. Color: See Diagnosis. Wings grey. Luster: Very shiny. Microsculpture: Dorsal surface of head and elytra with very shallowly impressed isodiametric meshes, meshes slightly transverse on pronotum. Head: Markedly broader across eyes than pronotum; frontal furrows shallowly impressed to midpoint of eye delimiting convex frons; eyes large, hemispheric; ultimate labial palpomere slightly securiform; antennae of moderate length, reaching just posterior of humerus. Eye diameter to gena length ratio: 0.73 to 0.83. Prothorax: Moderately convex, side margin narrowly beaded, subangulate at mid­lateral setiferous pore, moderately sinuate anterior to hind angle. Hind angle lobed posterior to seta. Pterothorax: Normal for Agrina, fully winged. Legs: Normal for Agrina. Abdomen: Sterna normal for Agrina, mostly glabrous, except normal paired ambulatory setae and a few very short and scattered setae on sterna 3–5; males and females with two pairs long setae on sternum 6. Male genitalia: Phallus ( Fig. 28 ) with ostium 1/3 its length, catopic; phallus apex moderately elongate; endophallus with long flagellum, flagellum apex barbed. Parameres asymmetric, left larger that right, right small.

Way of life. Nevermann recorded these beetles on rotting logs. The known altitudinal range of this species is between 10 and 150 meters above sea level. Adults have been obtained east of the Cordillera Central in February, April, June, August, and October, hence they are active in both the dry and rainy seasons in the lowlands.

Other specimens examined. COSTA RICA. 1 female, HEREDIA, 3.0 km S Puerto Viejo, Finca La Selva , Estación Biologica La Selva , 50–150 m, 10° 25' 55” N, 084° 00' 32” W, June (H.A. Hespenheide)( HAH: ADP 102308); LIMÓN, Rio Reventazon, Ebene, Hamburg Farm, 10 m, 10° 15' 0 N, 083° 28' 0 W, February (F. Nevermann)( NMNH: ADP008588), June, ( NMNH: ADP008586), April (F. Nevermann)( NMNH: ADP008598, ADP008602, ADP008604), May ( NMNH: ADP008584), June, ( NMNH: female, ADP008586, male, ADP008583), October ( NMNH: ADP008590, ADP008591, ADP008589), 1 female, R.V.S. Jaguarandi, Sector Cerro Cocori, Finca de E. Rojas, 150 m, 10° 32' 24” N, 083° 42' 59” W, August (E. Rojas)( INBIO: CRI 001136340).

Geographic distribution. ( Fig. 39 ). Known from Belize south to Colombia.

Figures

FIGURE 28. Phallus, dorsal, ventral, left lateral aspects of Pseudotoglossa obscurella (Bates), specimen # ADP 008585.

FIGURE 39. Geographical distribution map of the species of Pseudotoglossa in Costa Rica: P. marginella (Bates) (solid circle,), P. obscurella (Bates) (open circle,), P. ufitarsis (Chaudoir) (open box,), P. terminalis (Chaudoir) (diamond,).