Tomoglossa decora ( Casey, 1910 ) Gusarov, 2002

Gusarov, Vladimir I., 2002, A revision of Nearctic species of the genus Tomoglossa Kraatz, 1856 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Zootaxa 30, pp. 1-19 : 6-10

1. Tomoglossa decora ( Casey, 1910) , comb. nov. ( Figs. 1­28 , 31 )

Noverota decora Casey, 1910: 91.

Type material: Lectotype (here designated),, UNITED STATES: “Miss[issippi].” [Vicksburg], “ decora Csy. ”, “Casey bequest 1925”, “ TYPE USNM 39100” (red label), “ Lectotype Noverota decora Casey. V.I.Gusarov des. 2002” (red label) (NMNH). While describing N. decora , Casey did not specifically state how many specimens were available.

Additional material: UNITED STATES: Vermont:, Windsor Co., 8 km SEE Springfield, Hwy. I­91, 43º14.00'N 72º26.81'W, 250m, in forest litter, Acer , Betula , Tsuga , Quercus , 21.ix.1998 (V.I.Gusarov) (DESPU); Pennsylvania:, Easton, 5.x.1917 (J.W.Green) (CAS);, ditto but 24.viii.1917 (CAS); Arkansas:, Garland Co., 28.6 km NWW Hot Springs, Ouachita National Forest, Lake Ouachita, CR127, 34º36.67'N 93º20.75'W, 300m, in forest litter, Quercus , 19.iii.2000 (V.I.Gusarov) (DESPU).

Diagnosis. Tomoglossa decora is close to the Palaearctic T. luteicornis but has lighter coloration and different shape of the aedeagus and spermatheca ( Figs. 21­26 in this paper and Lohse 1989: Fig. 123). Tomoglossa decora differs from T. ornatella and T. improvisa in having quadrate antennal articles 4­5 ( Figs. 29­31 ), from T. arizonica and T. floridana in having quadrate antennal articles 4­5, less transverse articles 6­10 ( Figs. 31­33 ) and longer body. In comparison to T. floridana and T. ornatella , T. decora has thinner spermatheca with different shape of umbiculus ( Figs. 26 , 36 , 45 ). In T. decora the female accessory sclerite is smaller than in T. ornatella , but larger than in T. floridana ( Figs. 28 , 37 , 46 ). Tomoglossa decora also differs from T. arizonica in having longer apex of the median lobe of aedeagus (in lateral view) ( Figs. 21 , 40 ).

Description. Length 2.0­ 2.1 mm. Head and elytra dark brown; elytra and antennal articles 2­11 and article 3 of maxillar palpus brown; pronotum reddish brown; abdominal segments III­V and VII­VIII reddish yellow; apical third of elytra, legs, mouthparts and antennal article 1 yellow.

Head transverse, surface on disk glossy, without visible (at x100) microsculpture, with strong punctures, distance between them equal to their diameter. Antennal article 2 longer than 3, 4­5 quadrate, 5­10 slightly transverse, last article as long as 9 and 10 combined.

Pronotum transverse, width to length ratio 0.41 mm: 0.33 mm (average for 5 specimens), wider than head (pronotum width to head width ratio 0.41 mm: 0.35 mm); surface glossy, without visible microsculpture, with finer puncturation than on head, distance between punctures equals ½­1 their diameter. Elytra measured from humeral angle shorter than wide (0.43 mm: 0.48 mm), glossy, without microsculpture and with puncturation as on pronotum.

Abdominal terga glossy, without microsculpture, and with fine and sparse puncturation, puncturation becoming finer towards abdominal apex, on terga III­V distance between punctures within rows equal to their diameter and between rows 2­3 times their diameter, on tergum VI distance between punctures within rows equal to 1­2 times their diameter and between rows 3­4 times their diameter, on tergum VII distance between punctures equal to 3­5 times their diameter. Tergum VII with white edge.

Median lobe of aedeagus with narrow apex ( Fig. 22 ). Internal sac with a deeply concave sclerite ( Figs. 23­24 ). Copulatory piece without apical process ( Figs. 23, 25 ).

Spermatheca with wide umbilicus ( Fig. 26 ).

Distribution. Known from Eastern United States (Vermont, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Mississippi) ( Fig. 47 ).

Natural History. Casey (1910) did not provide habitat information. I collected two specimens by sifting forest litter. Interestingly, the Palaearctic species of Tomoglossa for which ecological information is available inhabit various kinds of wetlands, including salt marshes.

Figures

FIGURE 47. Geographical distribution of Nearctic Tomoglossa. T. ornatella (Casey) (c), T. improvisa (Casey) (⌂), T. decora (Casey) (z), T. arizonica Gusarov, sp. nov. (S), T. floridana Gusarov, sp. nov. („).

FIGURES 1­12. Mouthparts of Tomoglossa decora (Casey) (Vermont). 1, left mandible, ventral view; 2, left mandible, dorsal view; 3, right mandible, dorsal view; 4, left maxilla, ventral view; 5, right galea, ventral view; 6, right galea, dorsal view; 7, left lacinia, dorsal view; 8, labrum; 9, epipharynx; 10, prementum; 11, hypopharynx; 12, mentum. Scale bar 0.1 mm (1­9, 12), 0.07 mm (11), 0.05 mm (10).

FIGURES 13­20. Details of Tomoglossa decora (Casey) (Vermont (13­15, 20), Pennsylvania (16­ 18), lectotype (19)). 13, pronotum; 14, right metatarsus, posterior view; 15, mesometathorax, ventral view; 16, apical margin of female sternum VIII; 17, female tergum VIII; 18, female sternum VIII; 19, male tergum VIII; 20, male sternum VIII. Scale bar 0.2 mm (13­15, 17­20), 0.1 mm (16).

FIGURES 21­28. Genitalia and terminalia of Tomoglossa decora (Casey) (Vermont (21­25), Pennsylvania (26­28)). 21, median lobe of aedeagus, lateral view; 22, median lobe of aedeagus, ventral view; 23, internal sac of aedeagus, in packed state; 24, deeply concave sclerite of internal sac; 25, copulatory piece; 26, spermatheca; 27, left portion of female sternum IX; 28, female accessory sclerite. U ­ umbilicus. Scale bar 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 29 ­ 33. Antennae of Nearctic Tomoglossa. 29, T. ornatella (Casey) (lectotype); 30, T. improvisa (Casey) (lectotype); 31, T. decora (Casey) (Pennsylvania); 32, T. arizonica Gusarov, sp. nov. (holotype); 33, T. floridana Gusarov, sp. nov. (holotype). Scale bar 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 21 ­ 28. Genitalia and terminalia of Tomoglossa decora (Casey) (Vermont (21 ­ 25), Pennsylvania (26 ­ 28 )). 21, median lobe of aedeagus, lateral view; 22, median lobe of aedeagus, ventral view; 23, internal sac of aedeagus, in packed state; 24, deeply concave sclerite of internal sac; 25, copulatory piece; 26, spermatheca; 27, left portion of female sternum IX; 28, female accessory sclerite. U ­ umbilicus. Scale bar 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 34 ­ 37. Details of Tomoglossa ornatella (Casey) (lectotype). 34, female tergum VIII; 35, female sternum VIII; 36, spermatheca; 37, female accessory sclerite. U ­ umbilicus. Scale bar 0.2 mm (34 ­ 35), 0.1 mm (36 ­ 37).

FIGURES 43 ­ 46. Details of Tomoglossa floridana Gusarov, sp. nov. (holotype). 43, female tergum VIII; 44, female sternum VIII; 45, spermatheca; 46, female accessory sclerite. U ­ umbilicus. Scale bar 0.2 mm (43 ­ 44), 0.1 mm (45 ­ 46).

FIGURES 38 ­ 42. Details of Tomoglossa arizonica Gusarov, sp. nov. (holotype). 38, male tergum VIII; 39, male sternum VIII; 40, median lobe of aedeagus, lateral view; 41, median lobe of aedeagus, ventral view; 42, internal sac of aedeagus, in packed state. Scale bar 0.2 mm (38 ­ 39), 0.1 mm (40 ­ 42).