Oiceoptoma rugulosum Portevin, 1903

Mullins, Patricia L., Riley, Edward G. & Oswald, John D., 2013, Identification, distribution, and adult phenology of the carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) of Texas, Zootaxa 3666 (2), pp. 221-251 : 228-229

Oiceoptoma rugulosum Portevin, 1903

Figs. 8 , 22 , 35 , 48

Silpha inaequalis var. rugulosa Portevin, 1903: 333 .

Diagnosis. Body length 13–16 mm, broadly oval to subparallel, entirely black. Head with small eyes, short row of long erect hairs behind each eye. Pronotum broadest at base, disc with short black hairs. Elytral apices conjointly rounded; humerus with tooth; disc tricostate, intervals distally with rugulose sculpturing; epipleuron narrow in posterior half with upper horizontal portion nearly equal in width to lower vertical portion, coloration not differing from remainder of body. Hind femur of males unmodified.

Range. North Carolina south to Florida, west to Texas (Peck & Kaulbars 1987).

Texas distribution. See Fig. 48 . This species is widespread in the Texan and Austroriparian biotic provinces of Texas, with scattered records from the Balconian province and two records from the Kansan province (Lubbock County in the Texas Panhandle). It occurs in the following Texas vegetational areas: pineywoods, gulf prairies and marshes, post oak savannah, blackland prairies, cross timbers and prairies, south Texas plains, and Edwards Plateau. Confirmed counties (29): Anderson, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Brazos, Comal, Dallas, Denton, Galveston, Gillespie, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Kerr, Lamar, Lee, Limestone, Lubbock, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Polk, Refugio, Robertson, San Jacinto, Travis, Tyler, Uvalde, Victoria, Walker. Collections: EGRC, PLM, TAMU, SHSU, SFAC, SRSU, TTU, UTIC.

Seasonality in Texas. See Fig. 35 . Adults of this species have been collected in Texas in almost every month of the year. The adult seasonality profile of this species (based on 89 occurrence records: Appendix I) is bimodal, with large peaks in the spring and fall.

Biological Notes. Peck and Kaulbars (1987) state that this species is active in the cooler months of the year and is found in both forested and open habitats.

Data from examined labels. Collecting methods: UV light trap, pit-fall traps, dung beetle traps, hanging carrion trap, pit fall trap. Habitat records: sandy meadows [pit-fall trap], under bark and in dog food. Carrion records: snake [hanging carrion trap], deer, opossum, rabbit, cow, beaver, cat and snake. This species is found mostly in the eastern forested regions of Texas, with a few records from the plains regions of Texas. The Texas seasonality profile for this species shows a distinctly bimodal distribution with very few occurrence records from May to September, supporting the statement by Peck and Kaulbars (1987) that the species is active in cooler months. Life history data for this species are lacking.

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 11. Details of Texas Silphidae. 7. Oiceoptoma inaequale, ventral view, wide elytral epipleuron; 8. Oiceoptoma rugulosum, ventral view, narrow elytral epilpeuron; 9. Nicrophorus carolinus, pronotum; 10. Nicrophorus americanus, pronotum; 11. Nicrophorus americanus, tarsal empodium quadrisetose.

FIGURES 18 – 23. Habitus of Texas Silphidae. 18, Necrophila americana; 19, Necrodes surinamensis; 20, Oiceoptoma inaequale; 21, O. noveboracense; 22, O. rugulosum; 23, Thanatophilus truncatus. All scale bars = 10 mm.

FIGURES 31 – 36. Adult seasonality profiles based on occurrence records for Texas Silphidae, Silphinae. 31, Necrophila americana; 32, Necrodes surinamensis; 33, Oiceoptoma inaequale; 34, O. noveboracense; 35, O. rugulosum; 36, Thanatophilus truncatus. For an explanation of occurrence record calculations, see Methods.

FIGURES 44 – 49. Distribution maps for Texas Silphidae, Silphinae. 44, Necrophila americana; 45, Necrodes surinamensis; 46, Oiceoptoma inaequale; 47, O. noveboracense; 48, O. rugulosum; 49, Thanatophilus truncatus.