Aphelocerus coalitus, OPITZ, 2005

OPITZ, WESTON, 2005, Classification, Natural History, And Evolution Of The Genus Aphelocerus Kirsch (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2005 (293), pp. 1-128 : 32-33

Aphelocerus coalitus , new species Figures 9 , 27 , 31 , 55 , 97–101 , 128, 129 ,

155 ; map 4

HOLOTYPE: Male. Mexico: Nayarit: San Blas , 24­VI­1968, I. Bassols ( MNHM). (Specimen pin mounted; support card with affixed sex label, white, machine printed; locality label, white, machine printed; MNHM repository label, white, machine printed; holotype label, red, machine printed; plastic vial with abdomen and aedeagus.)

PARATYPES: Thirteen specimens. Mexico: Sinaloa: Mazatlan , 3.1 km N Sinaloa, 23­VII­ 1972, J. & M. A. Chemsak & A. & M. Michelbacher ( EMEC, 1): Oaxaca: 13 km S Matias Romero, 2­VII­1964, C. D. Johnson ( WOPC, 1): Colima: Lange, ( MNHN, 1): Guerrero: Chilpancingo, J. Flohr G. ( ZMHB, 1): Jalisco: Careyes, Hotel Costa Careyes, 7­VII­1991, J. Rifkin, P. Gum ( JNRC, 1) ; 5–6­VII­1991, tropical deciduous forest, beating, J. Rifkind, P. Gum ( JNRC, 2) ; Est. Biol. Chamela , 2­VII­ 1995, R. L. Westcott ( WOPC, 1) ; vic. Est. UNAM, 9–19­VII­1993, J. Heuther ( JPHC, 1; JEWC, 1; WOPC, 1) ; Mexico, Playa Teopa , 6­VII­1991, beating vines ( JNRC, 1) ; ‘‘ Mexico’ ’: Lange ( MNHN, 1) .

DIAGNOSIS: The dense vestiture of white decumbent 28 setae on the pronotum and elytra of these beetles will easily distinguish them from A. leucomelas (Chevrolat) of similar size. The elytral setal streaks (fig. 27) become confluent posteriorly (fig. 31).

DESCRIPTION: Size: Length 8.5–9.3 mm; width 3.4–4.0 mm. Integument: Picine. Vestiture: Body densely vested with white setae; with dense aggregate of white setae on pronotal lower sides, metepisternum, and elytral suture; mesoscutellum matted with white setae; elytral disc densely vested with short white decumbent setae that are proclinate in anterior half, reclinate in posterior half, and sometimes arranged into distally confluent longitudinal rows; posterior half of epipleuron densely lined with band of white setae. Head: Width across eyes slightly narrower than width across widest part of pronotum (48:53); finely punctated; interocular depressions and frontal umbo shallow; eyes oblong, convex; antenna as in figure 55. Thorax: Pronotum elongate (53:60), slightly narrower than width of elytra across humeri (53:63), coarsely punctate, tendency towards scabrous, side margins feebly arcuate, subapical depression faintly visible; elytra with asetiferous punctations, elytra feebly convex in posterior half, depth at humerus 35, greatest depth in posterior half 40, surface scabrous. Abdomen: Male pygidium as in figures 97 and 101, sixth visible sternum (fig. 98) deeply incised at distal margin; female pygidium as in figure 99, sixth visible sternum as in figure 100. Male genitalia (fig. 155): Aedeagus moderately sclerotized, tegmen as in fig. 128, ventral sinus twice length of dorsal sinus, phallic plicae (fig. 129) particularily well developed. Male internal reproductive system: Two pairs of accessory glands; medial gland undivided and coiled; lateral gland divided into two branches.

VARIATION: The elytra may be subcarinate and may reflect a brunneus cast. In some specimens the humerus is testaceous and the linear arrangement of white setae on the elytal disc is not clearly defined.

NATURAL HISTORY: Specimens were captured during June and July. One specimen was taken in a tropical deciduous forest, at light.

DISTRIBUTION (map 4): The distribution of this species seems to be restricted to Mexico, along the western slopes of the Sierra Madre Occidental and the more southern Sierra Madre del Sur.

ETYMOLOGY: The trivial name coalitus is derived from the Latin adjective coalesco (unite). I refer to the posterior coalescence of the white setal lines near the elytral apex that is clearly visible in some specimens.

REMARKS: The specimens of A. leucomelas (Chevrolat) referred to by Corporaal in his note 37 (1949: 343) actually refer to members of this species.

Figures

Figs. 2–12. Various organs. 2–8. Aphelocerus nitidus. 2. Cranium (ventral view). 3. Mandible. 4. Labrum. 5. Labium. 6. Maxilla. 7–8. Pronotum (7, lateral view; 8, ventral view). 9. A. coalitus, elytral outline (lateral view). 10. A. coactus, elytral outline (lateral view). 11. A. myrmecoides, elytra (lateral view). 12. A. coactus, alimentary canal.

Figs. 25–28. Habitus views. 25. Aphelocerus ciliaris, dorsal. 26. A. inconstans, dorsal. 27. A. coalitus, dorsal. 28. A. inconstans.

Figs. 29–32. Habitus views. 29–30. Aphelocerus leucomelas (29, dorsal view; 30, lateral view). 31. A. coalitus, lateral view. 32. A. bufustis, lateral view.

Figs. 47–61. Habitus view and antennas. 47. Aphelocerus formicoides (habitus, lateral view). 48– 61. Antennas. 48. A. ciliaris. 49. A. inconstans. 50. A. domus. 51. A. echinatus. 52. A. bispineus. 53. A. citimus. 54. A. leucomelas. 55. A. coalitus. 56. A. inbatus. 57. A. coactus. 58. A. nitidus. 59. A. lividus. 60. A. cornuatus. 61. A. acutus.

Figs. 85–120. Antennae, pygidia, and sixth visible abdominal sterna. 85–90. Antennae. 85. Aphelocerus affaniatis. 86. A. dispilis. 87. A. formicoides. 88. A. cheliferous. 89. A. panus. 90. A. calvus. 91– 120. Pygidium and/or sixth visible abdominal sternum. 91–94. A. ciliaris. 91–92. male (91, pygidium; 92, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 93–94. female (93, pygidium; 94, sixth visible dominal sternum). 95. A. coactus, female pygdium. 96. A. domus, female pygidium. 97–100. A. coalitus, male (97, pygidium; 98, sixth visible abdominal sternum), 99–100. Female (99, pygidium; 100, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 101. A. leucomelas, male pygidium. 102–104. A. coactus. 102–103. male (102, pygidium; 103, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 104, female, pygidium. 105–106. A. acutus, pygidea (105, male; 106, female). 107–109. A. lividus. 107, male (pygidium). 108–109, female (108, pygidium; 109, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 110–113. A. sagittarius. 110–111, male (110, pygidium; 111, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 113, female, pygidium. 114–115. A. humerus, female (114, pygidium; 115, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 116–117. A. naevius, female (116, pygidium; 117, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 118–119. A. triangulus, female (118, pygidium; 119, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 120. A. arenatus, male, pygidium.

Figs. 121–138. Tegmina or phalli. 121. Aphelocerus inconstans, tegmen. 122. A. inconstans, tegmen. 123. A. citimus, tegmen. 124. A. argus, tegmen. 125. A. echinatus, tegmen. 126–127. A. leucomelas (126, tegmen; 127, phallus). 128–129. A. coalitus (128, tegmen; 129, phallus). 130. A. acutus, tegmen. 131. A. lividus, tegmen. 132. A. irroratus, tegmen. 133. A. acutus, tegmen. 134. A. arenatus, tegmen. 135–136. A. sagittarius tegmina (135, ventral view; 136, lateral view). 137. A. sculptillus, tegmen. 138. A. protenus, tegmen.

Figs. 154–157. Aedeagi. 154. Aphelocerus ciliaris. 155. A. coalitus 156. A. coactus. 157. A. nitidus.