Brachygluta (Nisa) miccosukee Bückle, 2015

Chandler, Donald S., Sabella, Giorgio & Bückle, Christoph, 2015, A revision of the Nearctic species of Brachygluta Thomson, 1859 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Zootaxa 3928 (1), pp. 1-91 : 16-19

4. Brachygluta (Nisa) miccosukee Bückle , sp. n.

( Figs 4–5 , 35 C)

Material examined, 6 specimens. HOLOTYPE, male: USA: Florida: Miami-Dade Co.: // Cutler, FLORIDA, Matheson Hammock, 28.IV.62, R.S. Howard leg./ Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Orlando Park Pselaphidae Colln. / [red label] HOLOTYPE Brachygluta miccosukee Bückle // ( FMNH). PARATYPES, 5: eutopotypical ( FMNH, 1M, 2F). Pinellas Co.: St. Petersburg, III-29-1922 ( MCZC, H.C. Fall Collection, 1M). Only state on label: “Fla.” ( DSCC, 1M).

Description. BODY: Length 2.60–2.68 mm; yellow-brown to orange-brown; setae short, curved and suberect on pronotum, decumbent over rest of body. Head: surface smooth, shining, punctures minute. Median vertexal fovea usually not apparent, to represented by small setose patch or (1 specimen) punctiform and setose, clearly smaller than lateral foveae when present. Antennae strongly modified in male, form for sexes discussed below. Pronotum: surface appearing lightly granular in some due to distinct close punctation, varying to surface smooth with punctures separated by about one puncture diameter. Median antebasal fovea one-half to two-thirds width of lateral antebasal foveae. Elytra: surface microreticulate, opaque, punctures faint; discal striae extending to about four-fifths of elytral length. Abdomen: surface smooth, punctures distinct and dense. Basal striae of tergite 1 lacking, base with small setose brush at middle about one-fifth tergite width, indistinct in female.

MALE: Antennomeres III and V slightly longer than wide, IV and VI as wide as long, VII slightly transverse, VIII transverse with length about one-third width, ventral portion slightly more acutely pointed than dorsal, IX enlarged and broadly cup-shaped, apical margin broadly emarginate dorsally, X transverse with stem continuing from ventral side and inserting offset into IX, with conical tubercle arising from basal portion of incurved side, with setal tuft at apex ( Figs 5 A–B), XI symmetrical, obconical. Protrochanter with short basal blunt angulation, mesotrochanter at base with elongate ventral spine, spine blunt at apex ( Figs 4 C–D). Metaventrite broadly and circularly impressed at middle, with dense elongate setae in impression, particularly near margins. Metatibiae narrow basally, slightly widening through length to apex, with dense comb of setae on mesal margin in apical fifth where slightly curved medially ( Fig. 4 B). Abdomen with tergites gently convex, unmodified ( Fig. 4 A); ventrites 2–4 flattened in middle half, 5 shallowly impressed at middle. Aedeagus 0.48 mm long; parameres with abrupt preapical constriction on lateral margins, with three thick setae on outer margin of preapical constriction that reach paramere apex, preapical hyaline setae inserted near mesal margin, broadly and evenly wide through length; internal sac with three large curved spines, one spine straight, two curved ( Fig. 5 C).

FEMALE: Antennae lacking modifications, antennomeres III and V longer than wide, IV and VI–VII as long as wide, VIII transverse, IX about as long as wide. Legs with simple trochanters, ventral margins smoothly curved. Metaventrite with disc lightly longitudinally impressed, apex between metacoxae with short fringe interrupted at middle. Metatibiae similar to those of male. Abdominal ventrites convex.

Collecting data. Both sites are near or at the Atlantic coast of Florida, with the specimens taken in March and April.

Distribution ( Fig. 35 C). This species has been taken from two widely separated sites on the Atlantic coast of Florida, indicating a wide distribution in the state.

Comments. This is the sister-species of B. luniger based on antennal form in the males, the short or absent discal carinae of tergite 1, and the lack of a spine on the male metatrochanters. It is easily separated from B. luniger by the more quadrate form of antennomere X in the male of B. miccosukee , which is strongly transverse in B. luniger .

Etymology. The name is taken from one of the groups of American Indians that lived in southern Florida.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Brachygluta miccosukee Bückle (Florida, Miami-Dade Co., paratype). A: Abdomen, dorsal view. B: Left metatibia, anterior view. C: Left protrochanter, posterior view. D: Left mesotrochanter, anterior view.

FIGURE 5. Brachygluta miccosukee Bückle. A: Right antenna (Florida, Miami-Dade Co., paratype). B: Antennomeres 9 - 11 of right antenna (Florida, Miami-Dade Co., paratype). C: Aedeagus (Fla.).

FIGURE 35. Distribution map of Brachygluta cavicornis species-group. A: Brachygluta cavicornis (Brendel). B: Brachygluta luniger (LeConte). C: Brachygluta miccosukee Bückle. (Red dot: material examined, green dot: only state on label).