Callotillus bahamensis Vaurie, 1952

Burke, Alan F. & Zolnerowich, Gregory, 2016, Taxonomic revision of the New World genus Callotillus Wolcott (Cleridae, Tillinae), with the description of the new genus Neocallotillus, and an illustrated key of identification to species, ZooKeys 617, pp. 65-89 : 82-83

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Cleridae

Callotillus bahamensis Vaurie, 1952

Holotype depository.

American Museum of Natural History(AMNH). Holotype locality: South Bimini Island, Bahamas, British West Indies.

Distribution.

The Bahamas, Cayman Islands (Fig. 8D).

Differential diagnosis.

Callotillus bahamensis is most similar to Callotillus eburneocinctus . The two species can be differentiated with ease based on the color pattern on the elytral disc. Callotillus bahamensis has the elytral disc predominantly piceous, except a light testaceous area surrounding the humeral angles, this testaceous area extends from the anterior fourth of the epipleural fold and may reach the scutellum or not (Fig. 1G). Callotillus eburneocinctus has the anterior half of the elytral disc rufous and the posterior portion fuscous, this coloration shift is interrupted by a transverse, moderately elevated, pale band which runs from the elytral suture to the epipleural fold (Fig. 1H).

Redescription.

Form: Moderately robust; elytra gradually expanded toward apex, then abruptly narrowing behind distal fourth. Color: Anterior portion of femora, trochanters, coxae, and anterior fourth of the elytral disc light testaceous, this testaceous pattern on the elytral disc reaches the humeral region laterally and the scutellum internally; remaining body uniformly fuscous; the elytral disc is devoid of any bands or fasciae (Fig. 1G).

Head: Including eyes not wider than pronotum; eyes taller than wide, not bulging laterally, rather small, finely faceted, strongly sub-triangularly emarginate; integument rugose, feebly punctate, punctuation rather small; antennal notch located in front of emargination; frons not bi-impressed. Antennae of males composed of 10 antennomeres; second antennomere short, robust, beadlike in shape; third antenno mere about 2 × the length of previous antennomere, moderately serrate; fourth antennomeres slightly longer than third antennomere; antennomeres 4-9 about the same length, strongly serrate; last antennomere elongate, about 2.5 × the length of ninth antennomere, slightly ovoid in shape, laterally compressed (Fig. 3G).

Thorax: Pronotum globose, slightly broader than long; surface shiny, finely, deeply punctate; sides subparallel, then abruptly constricted on posterior fourth; disc strongly convex; anterior transverse depression and subbasal tumescence absent. Prosternum wider than long; surface smooth. Mesoventrite rugulose; surface finely punctate, feebly vested with fine, pale, semierect setae. Metepisternum partially visible in lateral view; conspicuously clothed with recumbent, pale setae. Metaventrite globose; strongly convex; surface shiny; longitudinal depression present; metaventral process absent.

Elytra: Convex, robust; humeri indicated, gradually expanding toward elytral apex, then abruptly narrowing behind elytral fourth; conspicuously vested with fine, pale, recumbent and semi-recumbent setae, vestiture density is reduced on anterior fourth where elytral disc acquires a testaceous tone; elytral disc rugulose throughout the surface; elytral apices rounded, moderately dehiscent; epipleural fold complete, narrowing toward apex.

Legs: Femora swollen anteriorly; surface shiny, smooth, very finely rugulose. Tibiae longitudinally rugulose; two tarsal denticles, outer denticle digitiform, interior denticle triangular in shape.

Abdomen: Ventrites 1-4 broadly convex, smooth, subquadrate, feebly punctate, not depressed laterally. Fifth visible ventrite convex, shiny and moderately depressed medially; lateral margins subparallel; posterior margin broadly truncate. Sixth ventrite triangular in shape; small; moderately excavated; shiny; feebly punctate; conspicuously broader than long; lateral margins strongly oblique, feebly arcuate; posterior margin small, broadly, deeply emarginate; posterolateral angles broadly rounded (Fig. 5G). Fifth tergite subquadrate; strongly convex; rugulose; feebly punctate; posterior margin truncate. Sixth tergite subquadrate; rugulose; wider than long; surface moderately convex; coarsely punctate; lateral margins oblique, posterior margin truncate; posterolateral angles rounded. Sixth tergite extending beyond apical margin of sixth ventrite, fully covering sixth ventrite in dorsal view.

Aedeagus: Not available.

Female variation: Females of Callotillus bahamensis can be distinguished from male specimens based on the antennal structure and the shape of the last abdominal segment. The females have antennomeres 4-9 moderately serrate (Fig. 3I), rather than strongly serrate, as observed in males (Fig. 3G). Additionally, the last ventrite and the last tergite are subquadrate in shape (Fig. 5H), and not emarginate, as in males (Fig. 5G).

Material examined.

ALLOTYPE: 1 female: South Bimini Island, Bahamas, B. W. I., VI-1951, M. Cazier and C and P Vaurie, handwritten red label, allotype depository: SMNH.

Additional material examined (N=2).

1 male, 1 female: Cayman, Little Cayman, 3 km SE of Spot Bay, 27-V-2009, R. Turnbow.

Remarks.

In her original description, Vaurie (1952) indicated that Callotillus bahamensis is most closely related to Callotillus crusoe . After examination of specimens of Callotillus bahamensis , this species is most similar to Callotillus eburneocinctus . Based on Wolcott’s description (1921), we place Callotillus crusoe within Neocallotillus . Examination of material of Callotillus crusoe will be essential to clarify the status of this rare species.