Paxillus forsteri Luederwaldt, 1927

Mattos, Ingrid & Mermudes, José Ricardo M., 2013, Synopsis of Paxillus MacLeay, 1819 (Coleoptera: Passalidae): distributional records and descriptions of four new species from Brazil, Zootaxa 3652 (3), pp. 327-342 : 330-332

Paxillus forsteri Luederwaldt, 1927

( Figs. 6–7 )

Paxillus forsteri Luederwaldt, 1927: 38 ; Fonseca & Reyes-Castillo, 2004: 13 (list).

Type locality. Campinas, currently part of the Goiania city (Goiás, Brazil).

Diagnosis. Female. Length 15–19 mm. Head ( Fig. 6 ): anterior frontal area opaque and punctate, punctures coarse and sparse; anterior margin slightly sinuous and strongly notched medially; secondary medial frontal tubercles with distinct angles. Median frontal area usually smooth, without elevation. Anterior and posterior frontal ridges feebly elevated. Inner tubercles evident and smaller than median frontal tubercles, median frontal tubercles robust. Lateral frontal area slightly uneven with scarce and fine punctures. Bridge salient and smooth. Central tubercle free and distinct; lateral posterior tubercles salient and evident. Lateral post-frontal area usually smooth. Antennal club ( Fig. 7 ) with first antennomere very reduced usually ¾ width of succeeding antennomere. Pronotum: anterior margin slightly sinuate, anterior angles slightly protracted. Anterior and lateral marginal grooves narrow and finely punctate ( Fig. 6 ); weakly defined scar obscured by the coarse punctures; lateral area of pronotum with scarce and fine punctures. Lateral marginal grooves of pronotum with wide smooth area, elongate and uneven. Median area of pronotum with fine punctures, posterior margin with dense pubescence in the middle. Prosternal process flat and opaque. Scutellum flat and smooth. Elytra: humeri glabrous or with sparse pubescence. Mesosternum: lateral area strongly depressed in anterior ⅔, with elongate and rugose scar at apex, surface opaque. Metasternum: depressed disc, evident by row of fine punctures; lateral median area smooth; anterior and posterior lateral area with sparse punctures. Mesotibia dorsally pubescent, with 1–2 spines medial-laterally. Metatibia with 0–1 spines. Abdomen: sternites rugose and punctate at sides. Aedeagus: described and illustrated by Büuhrnheim (1978: 19, Figs. 4–6 ): “Phallus globose; parameres elongate and weakly broader in the apex, with aspect trifidus”.

Type material. Lectotype and 22 paralectotypes examined. Brazil (Goias), Campinas (currently part of Goiania city), VI.1927, P. Foster leg., deposited MZSP. The lectotype was designated by Reyes-Castillo (1988).

Material examined. Pará: Jacarecanga, 2 females (dissected), XII.1968, Alvarenga leg. (DZUP).

Distribution. Luederwaldt (1931): Peru, Bolivia, Brazil (Pará, Goiás). Luederwaldt (1931) gave the specific localities Goiânia and Serra Geral in Goiás.

Remarks. Paxillus forsteri is distinguished from the other species of the genus mainly by the anterior margin of head slightly sinuate and strongly notched, secondary medial frontal tubercles with distinct angles ( Fig. 6 ), and aedeagus with three-prong aspect of parameres (unique in the genus). Luederwaldt (1927) cited anterior margin of head either the notch in middle or with distinct tooth. We interpreted that the protuberant sides of the central notch are the same that the secondary medial frontal tubercles with distinct angles ( Fig. 6 ). These characters are variable based on the type material examined.

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 7. Paxillus forsteri, female: 6, head and anterior margin of pronotum, dorsal; 7, antennae, dorsal. Scale = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 1 – 5. Paxillus leachi, male: 1, head and anterior margin of pronotum, dorsal. 2, antennae, dorsal. 3 – 5. Aedeagus: 3, dorsal; 4, lateral; 5, ventral (ph, phallus; pp, parameres; phb, phallobase). AFA, anterior frontal area; MFA, median frontal area; MFT, medial frontal tubercle; LFT, lateral frontal tubercle; CT, central tubercle; LPT, lateral posterior tubercle; FF, frontal fossae. Scale bars = 0.5 mm (Figs. 3 – 5 to the same scale).