Brasiella bellorum, Acciavatti, Robert E., 2011

Acciavatti, Robert E., 2011, Taxonomic Revision of Hispaniola Tiger Beetles in the Genus Brasiella Rivalier 1954 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Cicindelinae), ZooKeys 147, pp. 99-182 : 110-113

Brasiella bellorum sp. n. Figs 12

Holotype.

Male! labeled "DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La / Vega. Cordillera Central / 4.1 km SW El Convento. /18-50-37N, 70-42-48W, / 1730 m, 31 May 2003" [typeset black on white label]; "J. Rawlins, R.Davidson, / C. Young, C. Nunez, P. / Acevedo,dense secondary / evergreen forest with / pine, hand collected / Sample 22242" [typeset black on white label]; "Carnegie Museum / Specimen Number / CMNH-310,643" [typeset black on white label]; "HOLOTYPE / Brasiella / bellorum / Acciavatti" [typeset black on red label]. [Genitalia in glycerin in a microvial pinned beneath specimen.]

Allotype.

Female! labeled with same locality data as the holotype; "Carnegie Museum / Specimen Number / CMNH-307,997" [typeset black on white label] "ALLOTYPE / Brasiella / bellorum / Acciavatti" [typeset black on red label].

Paratypes.

Specimens! as follows: 1) 17 males and 38 females labeled with the same locality data as the holotype; "PARATYPE / Brasiella / bellorum / Acciavatti" [typeset black on blue label]; [these paratypes each labeled with a CMNH Unique Number on file]; 2) 1 male and 1 female labeled "DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La / Vega. Cordillera Central / 4.1 km SW El Convento. /18-50-37N, 70-42-48W, / 1710 m, 14 November 2002" [typeset black on white label]; "W.A. Zanol, C. Young, / C. Staresinic, J. Rawlins, / secondary broadleaf / forest, hand collected / Sample 20249" [typeset black on white label]; "PARATYPE / Brasiella / bellorum / Acciavatti" [typeset black on blue label]; these paratypes each labeled with a CMNH Unique Number; 3) 6 males and 4 females labeled "DOM.REP.-LA VEGA / PROV.-Constanza-Rancho / Guaraguao, 1538m / 18°53.1'N, 70°41.2'W / D. Br / zoska 19-X-2005" [typeset black on white label]; "PARATYPE / Brasiella / bellorum / Acciavatti" [typeset black on blue label].

Additional Specimens.

Two specimens! (one each sex), not paratypes, labeled "Constanza / Aug. '38, Dom. Rep. / 3-4000 ft. / Darlington" [typeset black on white label]; "C. (Brasiella) / dominicana Mandl / det. R. Freitag / April 1988" [typeset black on white label]; "Brasiella / bellorum / Acciavatti" [typeset black on white label]. These specimens appear to be conspecific with the holotype based on the male genitalia, but the female specimen has most of the middle band missing, although the humeral and apical lunules match specimens from the type series. Because of these slightly different elytral markings, and their lack of a specific collection site, these specimens were not designated paratypes. Both of these specimens are at MCZH.

Type Depositories.

Holotype, allotype, 55 paratypes at CMNH, each with CMNH Unique Number stored in data files at CMNH. Ten paratypes at DWBC.

Type Locality.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Vega Province, Cordillera Central, 4.1 km SW El Convento, 18°50'37"N, 70°42'48"W, 1730 m. Aerial view in Fig. 18A.

Diagnosis.

Distinguished from other Brasiella species on Hispaniola by the following combination of characters: 1) head shiny black brown, blue brown, or copper; 2) pronotum shiny black brown to copper, color not contrasting with duller elytral color; 3) proepisterna shiny black green to copper; 4) eyes prominent, not bulging laterally; 5) elytral apices evenly rounded with sutural spine feebly withdrawn from apex; 6) elytral markings tawny, narrow, slightly contrasting with the darker elytral ground color; humeral lunule and middle band narrow, thinned or broken medially ending in an enlarged spot on disc; apical lunule narrow; 7) male genitalia with long aedeagus neck and a short, recurved apex; 8) aedeagus apical spine field forming a long and narrow pad; 9) aedeagus inner sac stylet short, tip bent and unevenly tapered to a broad point rounded in some specimens or sharply pointed in others; 10) large tooth short, broad and rounded at tip; shield rounded distad; arched piece long and thin; 11) lateral gibbosities on 6th female sternum large.

Description.

General.Figs 1A, 2A. Body. Formelongate; head broad, eyes prominent, not bulging laterally; pronotum square; elytra broadened distad, apices evenly and separately rounded. Size.Males, length 6.3-6.8 mm, width 2.1-2.2 mm; females, length 6.7-7.2 mm, width 2.2-2.4 mm.

Head. Figs 1B, 1D, 2D, 2F. Shiny dark black brown, blue brown or copper dorsally, shiny black green ventrally; entire surface glabrous except for two pairs of supraorbital sensory setae. Frons finely and longitudinally rugose. Vertex more coarsely rugose, transverse rugae along anterior margin narrow and irregularly arranged, 13-16 more or less complete longitudinal rugae between eyes and middle where rugae converge into an arcuate pattern; rugae transition abruptly into a posterior area with a finely and irregularly granulate surface. Eyes prominent, not bulging laterally, less prominent in female than male. Genae longitudinally rugose. Clypeus finely and irregularly granulate, narrowed mesad. Labrum testaceous with a dark brown margin, subrectangular, width to length ratio 3 in holotype male, ratio 2.5 in allotype female; anterior margin slightly sinuate, medial tooth minute or absent, sinuation larger, more prominent at middle in female than in male; posterior margin distinctly arcuate mesad; medial carina broad and distinctly raised; 6-9 setae in an irregular row near middle arranged on either side of medial carina. Maxillae and labium mainly testaceous, only distal palpal segments dark brown with metallic blue green reflections. Mandibles sexually dimorphic; in male, surface mainly testaceous, only teeth metallic green; in female, surface only testaceous in basal half, apical half and teeth shiny brown; mandibles symmetrical, four teeth distad of molar, apical tooth longest, first and third tooth coequal in length, second tooth shortest; gaps between teeth wider in female than in male; first and second teeth without a gap between them in male. Antennae 11 segmented; scape dorsall y shiny green and ventrally pale yellow, occasionally pale yellow with a single subapical sensory seta; antennomeres 2-4 shiny green, glabrous except for a few, short erect setae along their length and distally; antennomeres 5-11 dull brown, sheathed with dense short sensory setae.

Prothorax.Figs 1C, 1D, 2C, 2D. Pronotum shiny black brown to copper. Proepisterna shiny black green to copper, surface wrinkled dorsad. Prosternum shiny green. Pronotum glabrous except for short, decumbent, white setae distributed in several, irregular rows medially directed, originating close to and lying in a narrow band distinctly removed from lateral suture, in a sparse narrow band transversely and anteriorly oriented within broad anterior margin, and in a sparse narrow band laterally oriented on each side of midline extending nearly to the narrow posterior margin; transverse submarginal sulci distinct, anterior sulcus shallow, posterior sulcus deeper and deepest at posterior angles; transverse rugae within broad anterior margin irregular and shallow, interrupted at middle by an irregularly arranged pattern, within posterior margin more distinctly and deeply engraved especially medially and extending onto midline; surface sculptured by fine, transverse rugae angled on disc and interrupted by a finely engraved longitudinal midline, and more finely and irregularly sculptured elsewhere. Proepisterna glabrous except for white, erect and appressed setae arising from small setigerous punctures scattered over most of the surface in males, only in ventral half in females. Prosternum glabrous, surface smooth.

Pterothorax.Figs 1C, 2C. Mesepisterna glabrous except for appressed setae near ventral margin; female coupling sulcus represented by a shallow, circular depression medially situated with a slightly deeper center, a distinct groove extends only dorsally from center, surface smooth below center. Mesepimeron with sparse appressed setae. Metepisterna with scattered appressed setae, more abundant in male than female. Prosternum and mesosternum glabrous, smooth to slightly wrinkled; metasternum glabrous except for long, dense white appressed setae laterad, surface smooth mesad and coarsely sculpted laterad where setae originate. Scutellum triangular, cupreous.

Legs.Figs 1A, 2B. Segmentstestaceous brown with metallic brown green reflections. Coxae shiny metallic brown green; trochanters testaceous or dark brown; femora and tibiae testaceous with metallic green reflections anteriorly in most specimens, metallic green except for testaceous distal end of each segment in other specimens; tarsomeres dark metallic violet black or brown; white, appressed setae on front and middle coxae, and laterally on hind coxae; erect setae and suberect closely spaced forming several regular and irregular rows on all femora; setae widely spaced in a few rows on all tibiae; middle tibiae with patch of appressed setae dorsally along distal half; tarsomeres with short scattered setae on ventral surface; distal tarsomeres with two asymmetrical rows each with a few to several small, erect setae; an erect subapical seta present only on front trochanter, absent on middle and hind trochanters; males with dense pad of erect setae ventrally on proximal three tarsal segments; tarsal claws small.

Elytra.Figs 1A, 2A. Form narrow in male, broadened distad and broadest at outer apical angle in female; evenly curved along posterior margins with apices separately rounded; sutural spine small and inconspicuous, feebly withdrawn from apex; posterior margins finely microserrulate. Surface finely granulate, impunctate, numerous small, irregular, metallic green or blue green flecks of various sizes scattered over a dull, dark copper brown background; elytral pattern thin, narrow slightly contrasting with the darker elytral ground color; setigerous punctures with short, erect, transparent setae indistinct in subsutural rows on disc, but distinct at elytral base, and at inner humeral angles, each surrounded by a metallic fleck slightly larger than flecks elsewhere on elytra; surface slightly depressed in humeral area and on disc creating a slight but distinct raised area basally. Elytral markings tawny, forming pattern of narrow markings reduced in width in most specimens, or partially missing in other specimens; pattern consisting of a narrow humeral lunule thinned medially and broken before terminating as a spot on disc in most specimens, or reduced to a small dot in other specimens; middle band sinuate with irregular margins, thinned medially or broken, slightly enlarged near suture, slightly expanded along lateral margin in most specimens, or reduced to small terminal spots in a few specimens; apical lunule narrow and broadened along suture in all specimens examined. Elytral epipleura testaceous except for a narrow, metallic green to copper green band along dorsal margin.

Abdomen.Figs 2B, 2E. Surface of 1st-5th sterna shiny black with green reflections, 6th sternum entirely shiny black to black brown; posterior margins of male 3rd-5th sterna and female 3rd-4th sterna narrowly black; posterior margin female 5th sternum broadly black; 3rd-5th sterna medially smooth with scattered, fine, erect setae in both sexes; male 1st-6th sterna and female 1st-5th sterna laterally covered with dense, scattered, appressed white setae and roughened from setal punctures; male 6th sternum glabrous medially with a broad, deep concave notch; female 5th abdominal sternum with moderately raised transverse wrinkles and a wide membranous band at midline extending anteriorly along most of the sternum from a large membranous wedge along posterior margin; female 6th sternum entirely glabrous, posterior margin with a row of 6-10 erect spines and with a large lateral gibbosity on each side.

Male Genitalia.Figs 1E, 1F, 1G. Shape narrow near base, broad in middle half, slim distally with neck short and narrow, apical hook evenly rounded, tip shortened and at acute angle to aedeagus, aedeagus apical spine field forming a long and narrow pad. Aedeagus inner sac sclerites: stylet tip short and bent; shield rounded distad; large tooth short, broad and rounded at tip with large root and small dark fields; arched piece long and thin.

Ecology.

This species occurs on the clay slopes of road cuts and adjacent dirt roads within dense secondary evergreen and broadleaf forests with pines on slopes in the central parts of the Cordillera Central between 915 to 1730 m elevations. At the type locality, adults and larvae of this species were present and abundant in May when Robert L. Davidson collected the large type series (Figs 18B-18D). The two adults taken the previous November at the type locality may not truly represent how abundant this species can be at that time year when less avid collectors visited the type locality. However, this species may actually be less abundant in November than earlier in May. Indeed, David W. Brzoska, who is an accomplished tiger beetle collector, was only able to collect 11 specimens of Brasiella bellorum in November at a locality at 1538 m only about 5 km away from the type locality. The specimens he collected were found near wet areas around puddles on exposed red clay along a grassy dirt road. Thus, adult activity for Brasiella bellorum spans seven months with adults more abundant in May than later in August and November.

Distribution.

Fig. 22. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Vega Province, El Convento, Rancho Guaraguao, and Constanza. This species likely occurs in suitable habitats throughout the Constanza Valley and surrounding mountainous areas of the central portions of the Cordillera Central.

Etymology.

This Latinized plural eponym, genitive case, based on the family name of Ross T. Bell honors both Ross and his wife, Joyce, for their entomological careers and contributions as world authorities on the Rhysodidae. Ross and Joyce have been friends, colleagues, and mentors to a multitude of entomologists and taxonomists specializing in Carabidae. Both Ross and Joyce Bell were honorees of the Bell Fest Symposium held in Burlington, Vermont, June 2010, and this Festschrift is dedicated to them.

Remarks.

Brasiella bellorum , new species, and Brasiella philipi , new species, both occur in the Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic, the former species in the central areas and the latter species on the northern slopes of this mountain range. The elytral pattern of both species are very similar and only differ in the form of the elytral lunules; narrowed and broken in Brasiella bellorum , but wide and more developed in Brasiella philipi , especially in the shape of the hook at the discal end of the middle band. Despite this superficial similarity, there seems little doubt that these two species are distinctive based on differences in the form of the sclerites within the aedeagus of males for each species. A comparison of the other morphological characters presented in the key and the descriptions for each species further support their distinctiveness. The geographic range of both these species, although apparently allopatric based on the limited collection data currently available, may be found to coincide more with additional collecting in the Cordillera Central. Despite their distinctiveness as separate species and apparent allopatry, it is interesting to note that these two species seem to occupy a similar habitat type in these mountains with adults of both species active during the same summer months. Their geographic distributions in close proximity to each other in similar high elevation habitats suggest a common lineage.