Thyreocephalus rufipennis Sharp, 1885

Márquez, Juan & Asiain, Julieta, 2016, Taxonomy of the Mexican species of Thyreocephalus Guérin-Méneville (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Xantholinini), Zootaxa 4169 (2), pp. 251-285 : 266-268

Thyreocephalus rufipennis Sharp, 1885

( Figs. 3 c, d, 5g, 9f, 11g, 12b)

Thyreocephalus rufipennis Sharp, 1885: 500

Thyreocephalus rufipennis Smetana, 1977: 349

Diagnosis. Thyreocephalus rufipennis is distinguished from T. cribripennis by denser umbilicate punctures on the dorsal and ventral surface of the head ( Figs. 3 c, d), head almost as long as wide (proportion = 1.02 times), neck with two cavities connected by an anterior fine suture ( Fig. 3 c) and aedeagus of median size, with their parameres slender and acute apically ( Figs. 9 f, 11g); whereas T. cribripennis has a lower density of umbilicate punctures on the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the head, with some of these punctures forming two close central rows, head 1.12 times as long as wide, neck with only one large cavity resulting from the clear connection of the two lateral cavities, and a large aedeagus, with wide parameres, with apex slightly acute. Also, it is distinguished easily from the remaining three species of the group by the lower density of umbilicate punctures on the dorsal and ventral surface of the head, and because the head is more convex.

Discussion. We agree with the observation by Sharp (1885) in respect to T. rufipennis , T. cribripennis and T. puncticeps : "This and the following species are readily distinguished from T. salvini and its allies by the fact that the prosternum is acutely carinate behind, and the punctation more evenly distributed over the upper surface of the head". Thanks to the designation of the lectotype made by Smetana (1977), the drawing of the aedeagus, the distinctive characteristics he provided, and the advantage that we reviewed this specimen, the recognition of the species was facilitated. A pending aspect is the only specimen in the type series mentioned by Sharp (1885) from Guatemala (San Geronimo), which was not studied by Smetana (1977) nor by us in this work to corroborate that it belongs to the same species, in which case it can be considered as paralectotype. It is interesting that with exception of the unique specimen from Guatemala, the remaining known specimens of this species are from few localities of the Sierra Madre del Sur in the state of Oaxaca.

Natural history. It is possible that this species has the same life habits as remaining species of this group, as it has been collected on rotten "nopales" ( Opuntia sp.), rotten mandarins, and with flight interception traps.

Distribution ( Fig. 12 b). Mexico (Oaxaca) and Guatemala (San Geronimo) ( Table 2 ) ( Sharp 1885, Navarrete- Heredia et al. 2002).

Type material examined. Lectotype (male): “ Thyreocephalus rufipennis . Type D. S. Oaxaca, Mexico . Höge/ aedeagus on the plate/ genital segment on the plate/ Type / Oaxaca, Mexico, Hoege/ B. C. A. Col. I. 2. Thyreocephalus rufipennis Sharp / Sharp Coll. 1905,-313/ Lectotype Thyreocephalus rufipennis Sharp. A. Smetana des. 1977” ( BMNH).

Additional material examined. “ Mexico: Oaxaca, San Miguel Chimalapa , Benito Juárez, El Puerto, altitud 1,250 m, trampa de intercepción de vuelo, 9-VI a 9-VII-2013, L. Delgado y E. Mora cols.” (1♀, 2♂, IEXA) . “ Mexico: Oaxaca, San Juan Chicomesuchitl , Río Grande, N20°18.729”, W 96°30.600”, 1436 m, en nopal y mandarina podrida, 16-XI-1999, J. Márquez col.” (1♀, MZFC) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Thyreocephalus puncticeps: a) dorsal view of the head and pronotum; b) ventral view of the head (mandibles excluded). Thyreocephalus rufipennis: c) dorsal view of the head and pronotum; d) ventral view of the head (mandibles excluded). Scale = 2 mm.

FIGURE 9. Ventral view of the aedeagus of: a) Thyreocephalus unicolor, b) T. sp. aff. subtilis, c) T. jalapaensis, d) T. scutellaris, e) T. cribripennis, f) T. rufipennis, g) T. halffteri. Scale = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 12. Geographic distribution and individual track of: a) T. puncticeps (black squares) and T. unicolor (black circles); b) T. arizonicus (gray squares), T. jalapaensis (black circles) and T. rufipennis (white circles).