Aeletes nicolasi

Leivas, Fernando W. T., Mise, Kleber M., Almeida, Lúcia M., Macari, Bruna P. & Gomy, Yves, 2012, New species and key of Aeletes Horn (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Abraeinae) from Brazil, Zootaxa 3175, pp. 63-68 : 64-67

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.212866
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6165722
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/291E8939-FFD1-FC13-F99B-547A82B5FD17
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Aeletes nicolasi
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Aeletes View in CoL (s. str.) nicolasi Leivas sp. nov.

Type material. Holotype: (3) [“Curitiba – PR – Brazil /Centro Politécnico/ 25º26’S 49º14’W - 919 meters/ 12-X- 2009 - Macari, B.P. col.”, “Rabbit carcass/Modified Pitfall trap”] ( DZUP). Paratypes (18): Same data and labels as the holotype, except the date [05-X-2009] (1 3 and 1 Ƥ DZUP), [06-X-2009] (1 3 and 4 Ƥ DZUP), [12-X-2009] (1 Ƥ DZUP), [14-X-2009] (1 3 DZUP), [15-X-2009] (1 Ƥ DZUP), [16-X-2009] (1 Ƥ and 1 3 PCYG), [21-X- 2009] (1 Ƥ PCYG), [11-X-2009] (1 Ƥ MNHN), [“ 15-X-2008] (1 3 and 1 Ƥ MNHN) and collector in the following labels [“ 08-I-2008 - Mise, K.M. col.”] (1 Ƥ PCND) and (1 Ƥ DZUP).

Diagnosis. Body oval and convex, covered dorsally and ventrally by small bristles; marginal espistomal stria complete; posterior edge of pronotum with stronger punctuation, antescutellar stria represented by a series of punctuation; prosternum broader than long and anterior margin wider than posterior; mesosternal disk with a row of strong sulci which are longest at middle; postmesocoxal plate rugulose; pygidium rugulose anteriorly with marginal stria complete; parameres tapered and curved at the apex; coxites with long bristles on the posterior region in dorsal view.

Description. Length ranging from 0.74 mm–0.84 mm. Body oval and convex; covered dorsally and ventrally by small bristles; brown; shining ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 A–D). Front, epistoma, labrum and mandibles with sparse short bristles; antennae inserted between eyes ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 A), club with basal and central region strong sclerotized; marginal espistomal stria complete ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 A). Pronotum convex; with an arcuate antescutellar stria, it is represented by a series of punctuation; antescutellar interval glabrous or with few small bristles; posterior edge with stronger punctuation ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 B); marginal stria complete. Prosternum broader than long, with an orifice in each side in median line, weakly emarginate posteriorly, anterior margin wider than posterior; prosternal keel flattened, carinal stria following up the prosternal keel entirely with exception of the posterior margin where is weak or interrupted at middle ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 C). Anterior margin of mesosternum with a projection at middle; marginal mesosternal stria interrupted at middle; mesosternal disk with a row of strong sulci which are longest at middle; meso-metasternal suture weakly marked laterally ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 C), but appearing complete due to the strong sclerotization. Metasternum with punctuation sparser and thicker on the disk; lateral metasternal stria is a continuity of the mesosternal stria and it extends to the metasternal-mesepimeral suture; postmesocoxal stria present; postmesocoxal plate rugulose ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 D; 2C). Elytra rugulose along the sutural region and with insertions of some bristles linked by simple rugula; dorsal striae absent ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 B); complete marginal stria. Pro-, meso- and metafemurs with bristles; protibiae with a series of setae very close on external and internal margin; meso and metatibiae without a series of setae similar to protibiae; pro-, meso- and metatarsi longer than half the metatibiae. Pygidium longer than propygidium and rugulose anteriorly; marginal stria complete.

Male genitalia: Eighth tergite with broad emargination anteriorly ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 A); eighth ventrite composed of two sclerites ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 A, B); ninth tergite elongated and strongly emarginated anteriorly with a V-shaped ridge posteriorly; ninth ventrite almost entirely membranous except at the apex where it is marked for two little sclerites ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 B); tenth tergite subtriangular situated between this ridge ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 A). Aedeagus without basal piece visible; parameres tapered ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 C, D) and curved at apex ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 E), in dorsal view entirely sclerotized, but ventrally with a gap where the median lobe is extruded ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 D).

Female genitalia: Coxites covered with spread bristles and with long bristle on the posterior region in dorsal view ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 F); outer sides of the coxites carinate; the bristle of the styli longer than styli ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 F, G).

Remarks. This new species has the anterior projection and a row of sulci of the mesosternum similar to A. gulliver ( Marseul, 1856) , and the prosternum and carinal stria resembles A. jamaicus Gomy, 1981 . The rugula of the postmesocoxal plate, the antescutellar stria and interval antescutellar of these two species are different from the new species. Aeletes (s. str.) nicolasi sp. nov. differs from A. troglodytes Wenzel among other characters by the presence of an antescutellar stria, elytra punctuate where the bristles are inserted; prosternum with anterior margin wider than posterior margin; different patterns of shape and distribution of the sulci at mesosternal disk. It also differs from Aeletes (Acritinus) floridae (Marseul) by the overall denser punctuation, absence of a faint and oblique stria on each humeral region, metasternum with punctuation sparser and thicker on the disk, basal tarsomeres of posterior legs shorter than the next three tarsomeres together, and aedeagus wider and shorter. The specimens exhibit sexually dimorphic elytra: at the apex of the sutural region, the females have the rugula stronger than males. Similar sexual dimorphism exist in A. floridae and also was reported by Wenzel (1944) for Acritus nigricornis Hoffmann, 1803 and A. simpliculus Marseul, 1856 in which the elytral punctures of the male are simple but are strongly aciculated in the female.

Etymology. We dedicate the new species to Nicolas Degallier in recognition of his great help in our studies.

Ecological data. The specimens of Aeletes (s. str.) nicolasi sp. nov. were collected underneath a decomposing rabbit carcass during the putrefaction and dry stages of decomposition and buried in the soil directly below, in Curitiba, State of Paraná, Brazil, Araucaria Forest, at 919 meters above sea level (25º25’S; 49º14’W). The beetles appeared to dwell between soil and the carcass and as soon as the carcass was lifted, they used the crevices created by Diptera larvae in the crust of decomposing body fluids to disappear from sight and bury themselves. The species was encountered in a few days of spring (October) and summer (January). The ambient conditions in spring were: mean relative humidity 84.93%; mean temperature ranging from 17 to 22ºC. The environmental data for the summer was not available. Aeletes politus ( LeConte, 1853) was reported having active flight from late spring to mid Summer in the Nearctic region ( Levesque & Levesque 1995), a similar pattern may be found in A. nicolasi sp. nov. in the Neotropical region.