Trypanaeus hispaniolus, Chatzimanolis, Caterino & Engel, 2006

Chatzimanolis, Stylianos, Caterino, Michael S. & Engel, Michael S., 2006, The First Fossil Of The Subfamily Trypanaeinae (Coleoptera: Histeridae): A New Species Of Trypanaeus In Dominican Amber, The Coleopterists Bulletin 60 (4), pp. 333-340 : 334-336

Trypanaeus hispaniolus new species

( Figs. 1–4 )

Diagnosis. The following diagnosis applies to females: Trypanaeus hispaniolus is most similar to T. montivagus Lewis but differs in the morphology of the pygidium and the punctures of the pronotum. In T. montivagus the pygidial disc is concave, while in T. hispaniolus it is convex. Furthermore, in T. montivagus the central area of the pronotal disc is impunctate, while in T. hispaniolus the pronotal disc has large and deep punctures throughout. In the original description of T. montivagus, Lewis (1888) mentioned the specimen he had was a male, which is likely wrong based on the description and figure he provided. Lewis (1912) and ( Kanaar 2003: p. 10) discussed the problem with previous misidentification of sexes in other species of Trypanaeus .

Description. Female (males unknown). Length 2.3 mm, width ca. 0.70 mm, pronotal length 1.3 mm, elytral length 1.0 mm. Color brown to reddish brown throughout. Head with frons depressed between eyes, less so anterad, with fine punctures covering the whole surface, slightly less dense along midline, especially between eyes; integument texture between punctures granulate anteriorly blending to transverse waves near vertex; apex of rostrum rounded; antennae with scape more densely punctate than frons, with elongate setae (slightly longer than scape width) on anterior surface. Pronotal sides parallel, with clearly defined marginal striae, continuous around anterior and posterior corners, extending mesad along about one-third of anterior margin, and just mesad of dorsal extension of mesepimeron along posterior margin; pronotal surface slightly irregularly covered with large punctures separated by slightly more than to twice an individual puncture, punctures slightly larger laterally and posteriorly, intervening surface with minute punctures, otherwise lacking microsculpture. Elytra with smaller, sparser punctures than pronotum, punctures more dense near sutural margin. Prosternal keel with sides weakly inwardly arcuate, and converging anterad to broadly-rounded anterior margin ( Fig. 4 ), marginal striae following edges and complete around anterior margin; hind margin deeply emarginate; prosternum irregularly, finely punctate throughout. Mesosternum as in Fig. 4 , with sides weakly converging between mesocoxae, then strongly narrowed to angulate anterior projection, with marginal striae following edges but interrupted at middle, without median groove, sparsely punctate. Metasternum with well-impressed median groove and lateral striae, the latter nearly continuous with marginal mesosternal striae, only vaguely interrupted at mesometasternal suture, extending posterolaterally to metepisternum; metasternal disc sparsely punctate. Pygidium convex, apically rounded, densely punctate, without obvious apical setae. Protibia with four well-delimited teeth on outer margin, a fifth (apical) tooth barely visible; teeth 2 and 3 larger than 1 and 4; mesotibia with five well-developed teeth on outer margin; metatibia lacking well-developed outer marginal teeth, but with fine spines near apex, and a strong tooth at inner apical corner.

Type material. Holotype, female, AMNH DR-14-360 , ( Figs. 1–4 ) (position of holotype shown with arrow in Fig. 1 ), preserved in Early Miocene ( Burdigalian ) amber from the Dominican Republic . Paratype female in the same amber piece, as shown in Fig. 1 ; head and right pro- and mesothoracic legs slightly damaged. The types are deposited in the Amber Fossil Collection, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY .

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from Hispaniola and refers to the island on which the Dominican Republic is located.

Remarks. The species described here is the sole species known from the island of Hispaniola. Though generally widespread in the neotropics, Trypanaeus is presently known only from Cuba in the West Indies.

Figures

Fig. 1. Photograph of the amber piece (AMNH DR-14-360) showing the relative positions of the holotype (arrow A) and the paratype (arrow B) of Trypanaeus hispaniolus n. sp.

Fig. 2. Trypanaeus hispaniolus n. sp. (AMNH DR-14-360), holotype female, dorsal view.

Fig. 3. Trypanaeus hispaniolus n. sp. (AMNH DR-14-360), holotype female, ventral view.

Fig. 4. Prosternum and mesosternum of Trypanaeus hispaniolus n. sp. (AMNH DR-14- 360). Scale bar 5 0.2 mm.