Diastolinus hoppae Hart and Ivie, 2016

Hart, Charles J. & Ivie, Michael A., 2016, A Revision of the Genus Diastolinus Mulsant and Rey (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 70 (3), pp. 485-540 : 485-540

Diastolinus hoppae Hart and Ivie , new species

( Figs. 80–85 , 106 )

Ctesicles insularis ; Marcuzzi 1977: 25 (in part, Martinique records only), 1984: 79 (in part, Martinique records only), 2001: 251 (in part, Martinique records only); Peck 2010: 46 (in part, Martinique records only); Peck 2011b: 29 (in part, Martinique records only), 2016: 159 (in part, Martinique records only); Soldati and Touroult 2014: 99 (in part, Martinique records only).

Commments. Marcuzzi (1977) lists three specimens of C. insularis in Naturalis, Leiden to anchor this record, but two of these specimens are actually in Marcuzzi’ s collection in Genoa (MSNG). We have examined those, and they are not C. insularis but are conspecific with D. hoppae . The specimens are actually not from the island of Martinique, but from Martinique’ s satellite island, Îlet Hardy, so, strictly speaking, the early Martinique records are errors. Although this record seems to belong here, the Îlet Hardy material is not included in the type series. In 2001, Marcuzzi recorded C. insularis from mainland Martinique, but we have seen no vouchers for that record. We include it here provisionally.

Blapstinus (Diastolinus) n. sp. Ivie 2009: 68.

Blapstinus undescribed species Peck 2016: 159.

Type Material. HOLOTYPE: Male. ST. LUCIA: Louvet Beach ; 13.9608°N, 60.8786°W; 05 JULY 2009; K.J. Hopp / WIBF 035596 (from WIBF, deposited in NMNH) . PARATYPES (92 specimens): 30 females and 23 males with the same label data as the holotype ( WIBF 035597-035643 , WIBF 035451 , WIBF 034911-034915 ). ST. LUCIA;Edmunds For. Res. 521m; 13.84007°N, 60.99821°W; 06 MAY 2009, brlse strmlitr; I.A. Foley and R.C. Winton / WIBF 035644 (1 male, WIBF). ST. LUCIA; Micoud Dist.; Fond Bay Beach, 1m; 13.83165°N, 60.89300°W; 29 APRIL 2009; I.A. Foley / WIBF 035645 (1 male, WIBF). St. Lucia; gros-ilet/ 11.4.78; F. Chalumeau (4 females and 6 males, from HNHM, WIBF 035646 – 035655 ). St. Lucia, W. I.; Vieux Fort, 28-V-; 1987, R. E. Woodruff; sand dunes, at night (13 females and 14 males, OSUC 0404538 – 0404564 , OSUC) .

Other Material Examined. See Appendix 1.

Etymology. This species is named for Katie J. Hopp. She collected the holotype and a large number of paratypes as well as contributing greatly to the knowledge of West Indian Tenebrionidae in her revision of Nesocyrtosoma Marcuzzi ( Hopp and Ivie 2009) .

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished by its small size (6.5 mm or less), large punctures covering the entire body surface, upper surface covered with yellow pubescence, and relatively shallow strial puncation that rarely interrupts or overflows onto the interstriae.

Description. Male. Length 4.8–6.0 mm, width 1.9–2.3 mm. Body ( Fig. 80 ) black, except antennae pitchy red, last 3–4 antennomeres testaceous, sometimes tarsi reddish; upper surface dull, venter weakly shiny; ovate-oblong; moderately convex; scattered, yellow setae covering body.

Head ( Fig. 80 ) with epistoma flattened; punctures greater than diameter of ommatidium, covering dorsal surface, spaced less than 1X puncture diameter; setae 1.5–2.0X length of puncture diameters. Labrum densely punctate, punctation smaller than that on frons. Antenna clavate. Dorsal and ventral portions of eye somwhate oblong-ovate, roughly equal in size and shape. Gular horns short, not prominent.

Pronotum ( Fig. 80 ) widest at anterior 1/3, anterior width equal to basal width; apical margin evenly, shallowly emarginate; apical corners rounded, lateral margin widened from apex to anterior 1/3, then sides gradually narrowed to base; basal width narrower than width across humeri; basal margin bisinuate; dorsal surface broadly, evenly convex; all margins narrowly beaded, except obsolete at middle of anterior margin and middle of posterior margin; heavily punctate, puncture diameter slightly greater than that of punctures on head, spaced much less than 1X puncture diameter on pronotal disc, almost confluent; distinct yellow, recumbent setae originating from punctures. Hypomeron covered in deep punctures ( Fig. 81 ). Prosternal process short, bluntly rounded, punctate, with scattered yellowish, semi-erect setae.

Scutellum ( Fig. 80 ) small, triangular, about 2X wider than long. Elytron ( Figs. 80, 82 ) broadening from base to widest point opposite abdominal ventrite 1, then evenly arcuate to apices; striae impressed; strial punctures somewhat shallow, not confluent; intervals broadly convex, punctation minute. Stria 7 ending in lateral stria at humeral angle.

Mesoventrite punctate. Metaventrite short, punctate on anterior border behind mesocoxae.

Leg ( Fig. 81 ) surfaces setose and heavily punctate. Profemora somewhat expanded and clavate. Protibia narrow, expanding gradually distally; dorsolateral margin nearly straight; posteroventral surface with stout spines in apical 2/3; apex obliquely truncate, ringed by stout spines. Protarsus with tarsomeres 1–3 expanded, ventrally with golden, densely setose pads, tarsomere 2 widest, 1.5X width of tarsomere 4. Mesotarsus with tarsomeres 1–3 weakly expanded, ventrally with densely setose pads. Metatarsus narrow, subequal in length to metatibia, without setose pads; 1 st tarsomere 2X length of 2 nd.

Abdominal ventrites ( Fig. 83 ) heavily punctate; covered in semi-erect, yellowish setae; ventrites 1–2 flattened medially; anterior border of ventrite 1, just behind hind coxae, with row of heavy confluent punctures; ventrite 5 flattened medially, posterior margin evenly rounded. Aedeagus ( Figs. 84, 85 ) with basal piece and parameres arched, about 1/2 elytral length; parameres parallel in basal 1/2, then slightly widened and gently rounded to apex, apex bluntly rounded; parameres with weakly sinuate lateral margin, without upturned tips in lateral view.

Female. Length 5.1–6.5 mm, width 2.1– 2.8 mm. Similar to male except body typically larger, more ovate and robust than male. Pro- and mesotarsi not expanded. Abdominal ventrites 1– 3 slightly convex medially; ventrite 5 slightly convex.

Biology. Adults have been collected on sand dunes at night and on beaches.

Distribution. St. Lucia * (HNHM, OSUC, WIBF), Îlet Hardy* ( Martinique, MSNG) ( Fig. 106 ).

Diastolinus hoppae Hart and Ivie

MARTINIQUE, Islet Hardy ; W, 11.II.1964 / Ctesicles insularis Champ. (2 MSNG) .

Figures

Figs. 80–85. Diastolinus hoppae, paratype. 80) Dorsal habitus; 81) Head and thorax, ventral view; 82) Humeral angle, lateral view; 83) Abdominal ventrites; 84) Aedeagus, dorsal view; 85) Aedeagus, lateral view.

Fig. 106. Map of the distributions of Diastolinus species in the Lesser Antilles.