Euderces reichei LeConte, 1873

Euderces reichei LeConte, 1873 View in CoL

( Figs 16–21 View FIGURES 16–21 )

Euderces reichei LeConte, 1873: 202 View in CoL .

Redescription. Female. Integument mostly black; postclypeus dark brown close to frons, light brown close to anteclypeus; anteclypeus and labrum light brown; mandibles light brown except blackish apex; ventral mouthparts with dark-brown and light-brown areas, except yellowish-brown apex of palpomeres; scape light brown with irregular darker areas; pedicel dark brown, slightly lighter toward apex; antennomere III dark brown; antennomere IV dark brown except dark reddish-brown apex; antennomere V dark reddish brown on basal quarter, dark brown on remaining surface; antennomere VI orangish brown on basal third, dark brown on remaining surface; antennomere VII orangish brown on basal quarter, dark brown on remaining surface; antennomeres VIII–XI dark brown. Elytra with transverse, elevated, pale-yellow band from about middle of dorsal surface to near epipleural margin. Trochanters mostly orangish, protrochanters lighter. Base of profemoral peduncle reddish brown; base of meso- and metafemoral peduncles orangish brown. Tarsomeres orangish brown. Apex of abdominal ventrites 1–4 dull yellowish brown.

Head. Frons coarsely rugose-punctate; with a few long, erect whitish setae and sparse whitish pubescence close to eyes. Area between antennal tubercles coarsely rugose-punctate toward frons, longitudinal posteriorly; with a few moderately short, erect whitish setae. Remaining surface of vertex longitudinally striate, with moderately coarse punctures interspersed, except asperate area close to prothorax; with a few short, decumbent whitish setae. Area behind upper eye lobes and between them and beginning of lower eye lobes finely rugose-punctate; glabrous. Area behind lower eye lobes coarsely striate-punctate; with a few long, erect whitish setae. Genae coarsely striate-punctate posteriorly, somewhat rugose-punctate frontally, except smooth apex; with a few long, erect whitish setae posteriorly and sparse whitish pubescence frontally, except glabrous smooth area. Antennal tubercles slightly elevated, with acute apex; mostly smooth, glabrous. Wide central area of postclypeus coarsely rugose-punctate close to frons, somewhat finely punctate close to anteclypeus; with sparse, short, bristly yellowish setae, one very long, erect whitish seta on each side close to frons and a few long, erect whitish setae close to anteclypeus. Sides of postclypeus smooth, glabrous. Labrum somewhat abundantly, finely punctate posteriorly, smooth anteriorly; with somewhat sparse, both short and long, erect whitish setae, with short fringe of yellowish setae close to anterior margin. Gulamentum sparsely, finely punctate, mostly glabrous, except sparse, both short and long, erect whitish setae on intermaxillary process. Antennae 1.2 times elytral length, reaching posterior third of elytra. Scape sparsely, finely punctate; with sparse, long, erect whitish setae dorsally and on outer surface, a few short, erect whitish setae on inner surface, glabrous ventrally. Pedicel with a few long, erect whitish setae on apical half. Antennomere III cylindrical, slightly widened apically; with short spine on inner apex; with sparse, short, erect whitish setae dorsally and laterally and sparse, long, erect yellowish-white setae ventrally.Antennomeres IV–VI slightly, gradually widened from base to apex; inner apex of IV with short spine; inner apex of V with spicule; inner apex of VI unarmed; mostly glabrous basally, with sparse whitish pubescence toward apex; with sparse, long, erect whitish setae interspersed on apical third. Antennomere VII pedunculate; mostly glabrous basally, with moderately abundant whitish pubescence on remaining surface; with a few, moderately long, erect whitish setae on apical quarter. Antennomeres VIII–IX slightly widened from base to apex; with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument; with a few long, whitish setae on apex. Antennomere X cylindrical, with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument. Antennomere XI cylindrical on basal 3/4, distinctly narrowed toward apex on apical quarter; with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III (excluding apical spines): scape = 0.63; pedicel = 0.29; IV = 0.45; V = 0.63; VI = 0.58; VII = 0.50; VIII = 0.37; IX = 0.34; X = 0.31; XI = 0.42.

Thorax. Prothorax distinctly longer than wide; narrowly parallel-sided posteriorly, rounded on remaining anterior 4/5, strongly narrowed, parallel-sided on posterior fifth. Pronotum convex on anterior 4/5, distinctly and moderately abruptly declined at the posterior fifth; anterior 2/3 abundantly, finely, longitudinally striate; central region of anterior 2/3 somewhat abundantly, asperate-punctate, especially from anterior fifth; posterior third subsmooth; with sparse, long, erect whitish setae on anterior quarter and sides of anterior 2/3, setae almost absent on remaining surface, except sides of area close to posterior margin with dense white pubescence and a few long, erect whitish setae interspersed. Sides of prothorax abundantly, finely punctate on anterior 2/3, subsmooth on posterior third; with a few long, erect whitish setae and moderately abundant white pubescence toward prosternum on anterior half, pubescence not reaching anterior quarter. Posterior 2/3 of prosternum somewhat finely rugose-punctate, except submooth central third of prosternum; with abundant white pubescence partially obscuring integument, with a few long, erect whitish setae interspersed, except glabrous subsmooth area. Anterior third of prosternum sparsely, finely punctate close to anterior margin, transversely striate-punctate close to posterior 2/3; with sparse, long, erect whitish setae. Prosternal process very finely rugose-punctate on anterior 2/3, smooth on posterior third; subglabrous; narrowest area 0.5 times procoxal width. Ventral surface of meso- and metathorax subsmooth, almost entirely glabrous. Mesoventral process 0.45 times mesocoxal width. Scutellum elongated, slightly concave laterocentrally, with rounded apex; mostly smooth and glabrous. Elytra. Subparallel-sided on anterior third, gradually widened toward posterior 3/4, then distinctly narrowed toward apex; anterior 3/4 slightly convex, in lateral view, flattened from anterior region to after middle, then slightly elevated and gradually rounded inclined toward apex; dorsal surface of anterior quarter with somewhat large and elevated, subelliptical gibbosity with rounded dorsal surface, gibbosity lies nearer to suture than to sides, with dense, confluent, deep punctures; remaining anterior 2/3 densely, somewhat coarsely and asperate punctate, less so laterally, except for the smooth extreme base, humeral region, and elevated pale-yellow transverse band; posterior third slightly rugose on some areas, with sparse, shallow, fine punctures throughout; with sparse, long, erect yellowish-white setae, slightly more abundant on posterior third and sparser laterally; apex rounded, with sutural angle slightly projected. Legs. Femora with a few short, both bristly and decumbent whitish setae throughout, except dense white pubescence near apex of inner surface; with long, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed. Tibiae with moderately abundant, erect whitish setae dorsally and laterally, except abundant yellowish-white pubescence on apical half of sides of protibiae; ventral surface of protibiae with sparse whitish pubescence on basal third and dense, bristly whitish pubescence on remaining surface; ventral surface of meso- and metatibiae with sparse whitish pubescence on basal half, and abundant, bristly whitish pubescence on apical half. Dorsal surface of tarsi with sparse, both short and long white setae; metatarsomere I 1.35 times II–III together.

Abdomen. Ventrites with very sparse, both short and decumbent and long and erect whitish setae. Apex of ventrite 5 slightly rounded, with central region slightly projected.

Dimensions in mm. Total length, 4.35; prothoracic length, 1.20; anterior prothoracic width, 0.85; posterior prothoracic width, 0.60; maximum prothoracic width, 1.05; humeral width, 1.05; elytral length, 2.70.

Material examined. MEXICO, Veracruz: 14–16 km W. Sntecompn [Sontecomapan], 1 female, 10–13.IV.1993, J.E. Wappes leg. ( CSCA) .

Remarks. In the redescription of this species, Giesbert & Chemsak (1997) described the gibbosity on the anterior region of the elytra as “feebly gibbose near base on each side of suture.” However, we believe that it cannot be described as “feebly gibbose” because it is very distinct ( Fig. 18 View FIGURES 16–21 ) in the female examined. Apparently, the shape of the anterior gibbosity is variable in this species. Therefore, the key may lead the reader to an incorrect identification. LeConte (1873) also described the gibbosity as “paulo gibbosis [slightly gibbous].” This species is variable and may have the head, prothorax, and about anterior half of elytra reddish or orangish, or has these areas entirely black. Also, the length of the apical spine of the antennomere III is very variable: with spicule or with short but distinct spine. Giesbert & Chemsak (1997) also reported: “ Euderces reichei , with an unusually wide range from Ohio, Indiana and southern Illinois, southeast to Florida and west to Texas, through San Luis Potosí to Veracruz, Mexico (see Fig. 6 View FIGURES 6–15 ), has several character states which appear to intergrade clinally. Northern and eastern U. S. populations differ slightly by the dentate apices of the third and fourth antennal segments, and by the smooth, shining integument of the body. In Texas and south into Mexico, the antennae have fine, short spines and somewhat more alutaceous integument. Individuals seen from San Luis Potosí and Veracruz, Mexico differ by an increase in melanism: the integument in this part of the range is often all black and only feebly alutaceous.”

We decided to redescribe the species, based on a specimen from Mexico with predominantly black integument, in order to provide more detailed information and avoid errors in future identifications. Additionally, we are providing photographs of the specimen to facilitate identification.