Aphelocerus delicatulus (Barr)

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 : 39

BISPINEUS GROUP Aphelocerus delicatulus (Barr) Figures 193 , 256 ; map 24

Placopterus delicatulus Barr, 1976: 31 . HOLO­ TYPE: Female. Mexico, 6.5 mi E Patrellos, Sinaloa, 21­VIII­1964, M. E. Irwin (CASC). (Specimen point mounted, sex label attached to paper point, white, machine printed; support card, white; locality label, white, machine print­ ed; holotype label, red, hand printed; California Academy of Sciences repository label­type # 12, 697; plastic genitalia vial with aedeagus.) NEW COMBINATION.

PARATYPES: Three paratypes from the same locality as the holotype ( UCRC, 1) ; 20­VIII­ 1964 ( WFBC, 1). Mexico: Morelos: Tepotzlan, 26­IX­1957, R. & K. Driesbach, ( MSUC, 1) .

DIAGNOSIS: The testaceous coloration of the humeral region of the elytra (fig. 256) easily distinguishes the members of this species from all other aphelocerans.

DESCRIPTION: Size: Length 4.0–6.0 mm; width 1.2–2.5 mm. Integument: Lower half of frons, lower gena, clypeus, mouthparts, antenna, legs, sides of pronotum, prosternum, and lateral portion of basal half of elytra testaceous, remainder steel blue; covered with short pale and long dark setae; pale setae form rudimentary aggregate at mid elytron. Head: Width across eyes slightly narrower than width across pronotum (38:40); clypeus and frons coarsely punctated, vertex finely punctate; eyes subspherical, moderately convex; antenna as in figure 256. Thorax: Pronotum feebly transverse (40:35), considerably narrower than width of elytron across humerus (40:48), finely punctate, subapical depression feebly defined, side margins strongly arcuate; elytra shallow, depth at humerus 18, greatest depth in posterior half 18, surface finely punctate. Abdomen: Pygideal posterior margin evenly arcuate, aedeagus as in figure193, medially acuminate.

VARIATION: The paratype specimen from Tepotzlan and the one from Ixcateopan have the cranium and pronotum purely steel blue.

NATURAL HISTORY: Specimens have been collected during August through October, at altitudes ranging from 609 to 1870 m.

DISTRIBUTION (map 24): This Mexican species is distributed along the western slopes

of the Sierra Madre Occidental and western regions of the Transvolcanic Sierra.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: I have examined 60 specimens from Mexico: Sinaloa: 14 km, NE La Cap. De Taxte , 1–5­X­1990, J. E. Wappes ; Highway 40, 1870 m, 20­VIII­ 1974, M. E. Erwin: Morelos: Tepotzlan, 26­ IX­1957, R. & K. Dreisbach: Oaxaca: 50 km NE Huaj de Leon, 11­X­1994, E. Giesbert: Colima: vic. El Terrero, E road, 609–1821 m 3­5­X­1992, J. Huether ; 8­X­1992, R. Turnbow: Durango: 3 km W El Palmito , 2­III­ 1976, E. Giesbert: Guerrero: 6 km NW Ixcateopan, 20­IX­1989, R. Turnbow: Nayarit: Volcan Ceboruco, 12–16 km S Jala, 10­X­ 1992, R. Turnbow: Jalisco: 14 km SW Cocul, 28­IX­1991, E. Giesbert ; 15 km SW Mazamitla , 6­X­1992, R. Turnbow. Specimens are deposited in BMNH, CASC, CMNC, DEIC, EMEC, FMNH, FSCA, JEWC, MSUC, NMLN, PURC, RFMC, RHTC, SEMC, TAMU, USNM, WFBC, WOPC, and ZMHB .

Figures

Figs. 193–214. Tegmina and phalli. 193. Aphelocerus delicatulus, tegmen. 194–195. A. bispineus (194, tegmen; 195, phallus). 196. A. aeneus, tegmen. 197. A. acuticolis, tegmen. 198. A. sculptillus, tegmen. 199. A. sabulosus, tegmen. 200–201. A. akis (200, phallus; 201, tegmen). 202–203. A. chelonus (202, tegmen; 203, phallus). 204. A. scalenus, tegmen. 205. A. ebenus, tegmen. 206. A. hespenheidei, tegmen. 207–208. A. ciliaris (207, tegmen; 208, phallus). 209. A. turnbowi, tegmen. 210. A. improcerus. 211. A. anticus, tegmen. 212. A. inbatus, tegmen. 213. A. chondrus, tegmen. 214. A. monteverde. tegmen.

Fig. 256. Aphelocerus delicatulus habitus.