Cyrtothorax cyanescens Sharp, 1884

Brunke, Adam J. & Solodovnikov, Alexey, 2014, A revision of the Neotropical species of Bolitogyrus Chevrolat, a geographically disjunct lineage of Staphylinini (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), ZooKeys 423, pp. 1-113 : 18-21

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Staphylinidae

Cyrtothorax cyanescens Sharp, 1884 syn. n.

Type locality.

[Finca] Capetillo, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala (approximately 14.48, -90.80).

Lectotype (♂, here designated, BMNH): '♂, Cyrtothorax cyanescens , Capetillo, Guat.[emala], Champion’ [ Sharp’s handwriting on card] / 'Capetillo, Guatemala, Champion’ [printed label] / 'B.C.A. Col. I.2., Cyrtothorax cyanescens , Sharp’ [printed label] / 'Sharp Coll. 1905.-313' [printed label] / ‘Syntype’ [beige disc with blue border] / LECTOTYPE ♂, Cyrtothorax cyanescens Sharp, 1884, des. A. Brunke 2013 [red printed label] / Bolitogyrus buphthalmus (Erichson) Det. A. Brunke 2012 [white printed label].

Paralectotypes (9 total: 5 ♂, 1 ♀ examined, FMNH (2), BMNH (7)): same information as Lectotype, Paralectotype Cyrtothorax cyanescens Sharp, 1884, det. A. Brunke 2013 [yellow printed label] / Bolitogyrus buphthalmus (Erichson) det. A. Brunke 2012 [white printed label], 1 ♂ (BMNH); same as previous, except with: 'sp. figured’ [printed label] / ‘G’ [square handwritten label], 1 ♂ (BMNH); 'Capetillo, Guatemala, Champion’ / 'B.C.A. Col. I.2., Cyrtothorax cyanescens , Sharp’ / 'Sharp Coll. 1905.-313' / ‘Syntype’ [beige disc with blue border] / Paralectotype Cyrtothorax cyanescens Sharp, 1884, det. A. Brunke 2013 [yellow printed label] / Bolitogyrus buphthalmus (Erichson) det. A. Brunke 2012 [white printed label] 2 ♂ (BMNH); '♂, Capetillo, Guat.[emala], Champion’ [ Sharp’s handwriting on card] / 'Capetillo, Guatemala, Champion’ / 'B.C.A. Col. I.2., Cyrtothorax cyanescens , Sharp’ / 'Chicago Nat. Hist. Mus. (ex. D. Sharp Colln. by exchange with Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist.)' / Paralectotype Cyrtothorax cyanescens Sharp, 1884, det. A. Brunke 2013 [yellow printed label] / Bolitogyrus buphthalmus (Erichson) det. A. Brunke 2012 [white printed label], 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (FMNH).

Sharp (1884) described this species from southern Guatemala based on a series of 10 specimens, all possessing a striking deep purple metallic reflection on the forebody. Sharp (l884) also reported a relatively large body size and greater extent of dark markings on the legs. Study of the syntype series and several additional deep purple specimens from the same area of Guatemala revealed that both size and leg banding are variable within this group of specimens and that this variation falls within that of Bolitogyrus buphthalmus . More importantly, the pattern of peg setae, the shape of the paramere and the shape of the median lobe in both lateral and parameral view of the syntypes of Bolitogyrus cyanescens are consistent with Bolitogyrus buphthalmus , and Bolitogyrus cyanescens is therefore synonymized with it. To promote stability of nomenclature, a male syntype was selected and is here designated as a Lectotype of Cyrtothorax cyanescens Sharp, 1884.

Other material.

MEXICO: 'Sharp Coll. 1905.-313.', 1 ♂ (BMNH); ‘Mex.’, 1 ♂ (FMNH), 1 ♂ (BMNH); ‘Mexico’, Coll. C. Felsche, Geschenk 1907, 1 ♂ (DEI); ' Mexico’, 1 ♂ (NHRS). Puebla: Xicotepec de Juárez, Hidroeléctrica Patla, 487m, selva mediana [=tropical forest], en tronco [=in log], 6.III.2002, J. Asiain y J. Márquez, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (MZFC). Veracruz: ‘Cordova’ [= Córdoba], "Sharp Coll. 1905.-313.", Sallé, 2 ♂ (BMNH); same as previous except: Höge, 1 ♂ (FMNH); Jalapa, La Herrandura, bosque mesófilo de Montaña [=mountain cloud forest], ex. tronco caído podrido [=rotten fallen log], 21.II.1999, Q. Santiago and J. Márquez, 1 ♂ (MZFC); ‘Jalappa’ [=Jalapa], 1 ♂ (NMW); ‘Toxpam’ [=Tuxpan, IN ERROR], Sallé, 1 ♂ (BMNH). GUATEMALA:Chimaltenango: Yepocapa, La Jolla Grande (Finca Monserrat), NW slope of Volcan Fuego, 5700 ft., under log, 3.V.1948, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (FMNH). Escuintla: Zapote, El Zapote, 4000 ft., 7.VII.1948, ex. fungi, 1 ♂ (ZMUC). Quetzaltenango: 'Cerro Zunil’, '4-5000 ft.', Champion, 'Sharp Coll. 1905.-313.', 1 ♂ (BMNH); 14.4 km SW of Zunil, 1340m, 18.VI.1993, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, ex. crustose fungus on log, SM0037986 and SM0037987, 2 ♂ (SEMC). COSTA RICA:Cartago: Turrialba, 800m, 1 ♂ (ZMHB) [probably in error].

Diagnosis.

Head without central protuberance; antenna and legs distinctly bicolored (Fig. 5A, 11G); genital and abdominal segments VIII not distinctly paler than previous segments; abdominal sternites with fine transverse microsculpture, interspaces about as wide as lines (Fig. 13D); female procoxa completely dark; median lobe projecting ventrad, not recurved (Fig. 15B); paramere with convergent arms; paramere with fields of peg setae narrow and angulate at base of arms (Fig. 15 C–D); female tergite X with raised disc converging strongly toward apex (Fig. 25 E–F), strongly pigmented area sharply incised at apicolateral margin; female secondary gonocoxite not distinctly swollen at base.

Redescription.

Measurements ♂ (n=5): HW/HL 1.46-1.67; PW/PL 1.50-1.69; EW/EL 1.16-1.41; ESut/PL 0.69-0.79; PW/HW 1.14-1.17; forebody length 4.4-5.2 mm.

Measurements ♀ (n=3): HW/HL 1.47-1.50; PW/PL 1.32-1.41; EW/EL 1.24-1.25; ESut/PL 0.73-0.77; PW/HW 1.14-1.19; forebody length 5.1-5.5 mm.

Coloration: Body black, head and pronotum usually, elytra always with faint bronze to greenish-bronze (Mexico) or dark purple to dark bluish-purple (Guatemala) metallic reflection; lateral outline of pronotum paler in some specimens; apical fifth of abdominal tergites slightly paler in some specimens; abdominal segment VIII and genital segment entirely dark; maxillary and labial palpi pale to dark reddish-brown; antennomeres 1-5 reddish-orange, with some darkened areas, antennomeres 6-10 dark brown, contrasting with previous, apical segment usually distinctly paler, yellow to orange, occasionally only slightly paler or dark; legs bicolored: forecoxa yellow, often with some basal darkening (males) or completely dark brown (females), mid and hind coxa dark brown, femur yellow and distinctly darkened apically, tibia brown to dark brown, often with medial face lighter, tarsus light brown.

Head distinctly transverse, without central protuberance or pair of posterior protuberances, without wide impunctate areas.

Pronotum distinctly transverse, especially in some males; impunctate on disc, with one puncture in dorsal row (i.e., only marginal puncture), lateral portion explanate, and irregularly, shallowly punctate, these punctures without setae and sometimes run ning together; with protuberance, more pronounced in lateral view in males than in females (Fig. 7 E–F). Elytra weakly transverse, shorter than pronotum at middle, surface moderately to strongly uneven (Figs 9E, 10B); surface without microsculpture, with coarse irregularly spaced punctures.

Abdomen with sparse, dark brown pubescence; disc of tergites III–VI impunctate at middle; sternites III–V with basal transverse line sharply projected posteriad at middle; apical half of abdominal sternites with dense, fine, transverse microsculpture, interspaces about as wide as lines.

Median lobe in lateral view projected ventrad (Fig. 15B); apical portion of median lobe in parameral view sharply constricted to form narrow base and dilated midway to a variable degree (Fig. 15A); paramere divided into two lobes, convergent apicad (Fig. 15A), unevenly convex on inner surface; peg setae fields acute at base of parameral lobe and not continuing toward base (Fig. 15 C–D). Male sternite VII without distinct modifications. Male sternite VIII weakly emarginate, with triangular asetose area medially (Fig. 13A), transverse basal line complete medially; male tergite X with apex entire, rounded and weakly acute; male sternite IX distinctly emarginate, base strongly asymmetrical (Fig. 23A).

Female tergite X shield-shaped, apex weakly to strongly acute and produced, with many long setae, strongly pigmented area strongly incised at apicolateral margin (Fig. 25 E–F).

Distribution.

Figure 29A. Bolitogyrus buphthalmus is known from Puebla and Veracruz in Mexico, and in southern Guatemala. It is likely that the distribution in Mexico extends much further south but more collecting is needed in Oaxaca and Chiapas. The record for Oaxaca given by Navarrette-Heredia et al. (2002) based on an FMNH specimen corresponds to Bolitogyrus newtoni . Scheerpeltz (1974) included a record of Bolitogyrus buphthalmus from El Salvador but this is based on a misidentified specimen of Bolitogyrus bechyneorum . One male was seen from Turrialba, Costa Rica (ZMHB) but this isolated record is treated as doubtful as all other Costa Rican specimens seen were Bolitogyrus costaricensis . The label data from a specimen in Sharp’s collection (BMNH) from ‘Tuxpan’ is considered to be inaccurate as this city is located near the coast at approximately sea level, distinctly outside this species’ elevational range.

Bionomics.

Bolitogyrus buphthalmus has been collected in tropical and cloud forests from 487-1737m, in association with fungusy or rotten logs. Specimens have been collected in February to March and May to July.

Comments.

Bolitogyrus buphthalmus is most similar to and is only reliably separated from Bolitogyrus costaricensis by characters on the male genitalia. The pigmented area of female tergite X on the available, male-associated females is distinctly more incised at the apicolateral margin than in Bolitogyrus costaricensis . All confirmed specimens of Bolitogyrus buphthalmus south of Mexico (in Guatemala) are deep purple on the forebody, indicating that this population may be partially or entirely isolated from the population in Mexico. One male seen from Guatemala (Cerro Zunil) is metallic bronze-green and possesses peg setae fields characteristic of Bolitogyrus buphthalmus but the median lobe in lateral view is recurved dorsad as is characteristic of Bolitogyrus costaricensis . This specimen is difficult to assign to a species but may represent a hybrid between Bolitogyrus buphthalmus and Bolitogyrus costaricensis within the overlap of these two species’ distributions. Alternatively, the shape of the parameral peg setae fields may be shown to be unreliable with the study of additional material; this specimen would then be assigned to Bolitogyrus costaricensis based on the median lobe. All other males studied from Guatemala were unambiguously identified as either species.