Anillinus comalensis Sokolov & Kavanaugh

Sokolov, Igor M., Reddell, James R. & Kavanaugh, David H., 2014, Life beneath the surface of the central Texan Balcones Escarpment: genus Anillinus Casey, 1918 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Bembidiini): new species, a key to the Texas species, and notes about their way of life and evolution, ZooKeys 417, pp. 71-101 : 80-82

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Carabidae

Anillinus comalensis Sokolov & Kavanaugh sp. n. Figs 4G, 5D, 6 K–M, 7F, 8

Type material.

HOLOTYPE, a male, deposited in CAS, point-mounted, dissected, labeled: \ TX: Comal Co., 7mi W New Braunfels, 27.I.1995, A. G. Grubbs \ Texas Memorial Museum Invertebrate Zool Coll #27.151 \ Holotype Anillinus comalensis Sokolov & Kavanaugh 2014 [red label] \ CAS Type No. 18871 \. PARATYPES: 2 females, one in CNC and one in TMM, both dissected, labeled same as holotype, except each with the following label: \ Paratype Anillinus comalensis Sokolov & Kavanaugh 2014 [yellow label].

Type locality.

U.S.A., Texas, Comal County, 7mi W New Braunfels.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a Latinized adjective in the masculine form based on the name of Comal County, from which the new species is described.

Recognition.

Adults of this new species are distinguished from those of other Texan species of the genus by the following combination of external characters: slightly ovoid and narrow elytra, rather short and transverse pronotum and rounded apex of elytron; and males are further distinguished by the unmodified hind legs.

Description.

Medium-sized for genus (SBL range 1.72-1.86 mm, mean 1.78 ± 0.072 mm, n=3).

Habitus. Body form (Fig. 5D) subdepressed, slightly ovate, slightly elongate (WE/SBL 0.37 ± 0.002), head normally proportioned for genus (WH/WPm 0.76 ± 0.015), pronotum rather narrow in comparison to elytra (WPm/WE 0.80 ± 0.015).

Color. Body rufotestaceous, appendages testaceous.

Microsculpture. Distinct over all dorsal surfaces of head, pronotum and elytra, with slightly transverse polygonal meshes of more or less scaly appearance on elytra.

Prothorax. Pronotum (as in Fig. 2D) relatively short (LP/LE 0.37 ± 0.022) and markedly transverse (WPm/LP 1.31 ± 0.046), with lateral margins almost rectilinear and moderately constricted posteriorly (WPm/WPp 1.29 ± 0.027). Anterior angles indistinct, posterior angles slightly obtuse (100-110°). Width between anterior and posterior angles of equal length (WPa/WPp 1.00 ± 0.037). Basal margin almost straight.

Elytra (as in Fig. 2G). Widely depressed along suture, comparatively long (LE/SBL 0.61 ± 0.010) and narrow for genus (WE/LE 0.61 ± 0.010), with traces of 4-5 striae. Humeri distinct, rounded, in outline forming right angle with longitudinal axis of body. Lateral margins subparallel, slightly divergent at basal fourth, evenly rounded to apex in apical third, without subapical sinuation. Vestiture of elytra short (less than one-third length of discal setae). Apex of elytron rounded.

Legs. Male protarsomere 1 markedly dilated apico-laterally with adhesive setae ventrally. Male hind legs unmodified (Fig. 4G).

Abdomen. Ventrite 5 of male without depression.

Male genitalia. Median lobe of aedeagus (Fig. 6K) with short basal lobe (bl), long arcuate shaft (sh), and enlarged apex, rounded at tip. Dorsal margin strongly sclerotized along basal two thirds of the shaft length. Ventral margin enlarged in apical half, with numerous poriferous canals on wall of shaft medially. Dorsal sclerite (ds) in form of a curved blade-like structure with very short basal prolongations. Ventral sclerite (vs) in form of semicurcular plate narrow in middle and abruptly widened at both ends, surfaces of which are totally spinose. Distinct spines are absent from internal sac. Enlarged apical area (aa) of median lobe with a dark spine-like structure (ss). Right paramere enlarged, very short and wide with numerous (>8) long setae (Fig. 6M) with length approximately equal to length of paramere. Left paramere of normal shape (Fig. 6L), without long setae.

Female genitalia. Spermatheca with distal part of cornu only slightly dilated, gradually tapered to the proximal part. Nodulus short, ramus undifferentiated (Fig. 7F).

Geographical distribution.

This species is known only from the type locality in the New Braunfels area, Comal County, Texas (Fig. 8, white diamond), in the Balcones Fault Zone.

Way of life.

The type specimens were taken from the underside of limestone rocks in talus.

Relationships.

The unusual structure of the male median lobe and unmodified hind legs of males suggest that this species is not closely related to any of the other Texan anillines.