Four new species of Cymatodera Gray from Mexico (Coleoptera, Cleridae, Tillinae)

Abstract Four new species of Cymatodera from Mexico: Cymatodera bogcioides sp. n.; Cymatodera pueblae sp. n.; Cymatodera mitae sp. n.; and Cymatodera lineata sp. n. are described based on adult male and female specimens. Male genitalia and other characters of taxonomic value are presented.


Introduction
Cymatodera, a group of checkered beetles composed of generalist predators, represents one of the largest genera of North and Central American Cleridae (Barr 1972). The genus has never been revised and much descriptive work at the species level needs to be done. Most described species are known from the southwest United States (Corporaal 1950;Barr 1952), which may be an artifact of uneven collecting. Moreover, the area encompassed by Mexico, especially the central and southern portion of the country, are areas where faunal surveys have been infrequent. Geographically, the terrain of Mexico is very heterogeneous, with a wide array of ecological niches and climates. This cluster of habitats is accompanied by a considerable diversity of organisms, and a number of species of clerids undoubtedly remain to be described from these areas. same data as holotype except male collected 4-7-VII-1991 and female collected 6-7-VII-1991 (JNRC); 1 male: Mexico, Jalisco, Estacion Biologica Chamela, 10-20-VII-1985, E. Giesbert (FSCA); 1 male: Mexico, Jalisco, Estacion de Biologia Chamela, UNAM, 14-IX-1993, Black light, Morris, Huether and Wappes, (RFMC); 1 female: Mexico, Jalisco, vic. Chamela UNAM, 19-IX-1993, J. E. Wappes (JEWC).
Differential diagnosis. Males of Cymatodera bogcioides are characterized by the presence of a broad, rather deep carina that extends transversely on the first visible ventrite (Fig. 30). Bogcia oaxacae Barr, Cymatodera limatula Burke, and C. obliquefasciata Schaeffer also have a transversal carina on the first visible ventrite and similar antennae. From these, C. bogcioides is most similar to the sympatric B. oaxacae (Fig. 5) and can be distinguished from B. oaxacae by the shape of antennomeres 4-11 (Figs 6,10). Cymatodera bogcioides has the antennomeres 4-10 longer than broad and the posterior distal angle of these is somewhat blunt or rounded, the last antennomere is longer than the ninth and tenth antennomeres, and its distal margin is compressed medially (Fig. 6). Bogcia oaxacae has antennomeres 4-10 as broad as long and the posterior distal angle sharply pointed, and the last antennomere is about the same length as the tenth antennomere, with its distal margin moderately oblique (Fig. 10). Differences in the protarsal unguis and abdominal segments are also evident for these species. The position of the protarsal claw is very close to the denticle in B. oaxacae, but conspicuously separated in C. bogcioides. In addition, the male of C. bogcioides has the posterior margin of the sixth visible ventrite moderately emarginate (Fig. 16), and the posterior margin of the sixth tergite broadly rounded (Fig. 17), while the male of B. oaxacae has the posterior margin of the sixth visible ventrite and sixth tergite narrowly truncate . The female terminalia of these two species is very similar (Figs 26,29); as a result, identification of the female of C. bogcioides is only possible in combination with male specimens. Likewise, differences in the male genitalia are also apparent for these species. Cymatodera bogcioides has the lateral margin of the tegmen triangular, with the parameres moderately developed (Fig. 11) while B. oaxacae has the lateral margins of the tegmen subparallel with the anterior 1/3 strongly oblique, and the parameres are poorly developed (Fig. 15).
Description. Holotype. Medium-sized, rather robust, posterior wings fully developed, TL= 12.75 mm. Color: Head, pronotum, prosternum, mesosternum and metasternum ferruginous, remainder of body uniformly brown. Each elytron with two pairs of dark maculae, the first pair dark brown, located on the humeral angles, the second pair on the median region of the elytral ground, this pair extends from the second to the fifth stria (Fig. 1).
Females in the type series differ from males by having the first visible ventrite moderately longer than males, and ventrites 1-2 posteriorly truncate and lacking the moderately elevated transversal carina (Fig. 31). Other abdominal differences in the female are as follows: fifth visible ventrite rugulose; lateral margins oblique; posterior margin shallowly, moderately broadly emarginate. Sixth visible ventrite semicircular; rugulose; feebly convex; lateral and posterior margins broadly rounded (Fig. 26). Fifth tergite rugulose; subtriangular; lateral margins oblique; posterior margin shallowly, moderately broadly and triangularly emarginate. Sixth tergite subtriangular; rugulose; broader than long; surface inconspicuously convex; lateral and posterior margins strongly oblique, producing a rather continuous and semicircular margin. Sixth tergite extending beyond sixth visible ventrite.
Variation. Length of males 12.2-14.9 mm, length of females 12.3-15.2 mm; n= 4. Length to width ratio of head: males average 0.65, females 0.74. Length to width ratio of thorax: males average 1.53, females average 1.49. Length to width ratio of elytra: males average 2.33, females average 2.39. Two males and one female have a slightly more obscure coloration on the elytral ground, these individuals have the humeral maculae completely black, rather than dark brown, as in the holotype.
Distribution. The type series was collected in two localities close to each other in the western portion of the state of Jalisco, Mexico. The first locality is in Costa Careyes, in the Costalegre region, and the second locality is the UNAM Biological Research Station located in the Chamela-Cuitzmala natural reserve (Fig. 34).
Legs: Femora clothed with short, recumbent setae interspersed with few erect and semierect setae; tibiae vested with short and long erect and semierect setae; femorae and tibiae transversely, moderately rugose.
Females differ from males by having the posterior margin of the fifth visible ventrite longitudinally truncate; the sixth visible ventrite is rather convex, rugose and broader than long, the lateral margins are strongly oblique, giving the appearance of a broadly rounded margin (Fig. 27); posterior margin of fifth tergite broadly, very shallowly, triangularly emarginate; sixth tergite subtriangular, rugulose, surface moderately convex, broader than long, lateral and posterior margins strongly oblique, forming a semicircular perimeter.
Variation. Length of males 7.9-9.65 mm, length of females 8.85-10.2 mm; n= 5. Length to width ratio of head: males average 0.71, of females 0.83. Length to width ratio of thorax: males average 1.42, females average 1.6. Length to width ratio of elytra: males average 1.82, females average 1.94. One male and one female are darker than the rest of the type series; the mid-elytral fascia of one female is paler and the legs display a paler, yellowish coloration.
Distribution. The type series of this species was collected at different localities in south-central Mexico, a high-altitude region characterized by various ranges surrounded by semiarid plateaus. Two males and two females were collected in the central and south region of the state of Puebla, Mexico; three females were collected in the vicinity of Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico; and one female was collected in km 41, highway Texcoco -Calpulalpan in the State of Mexico, a region that borders the centralwestern portion of the state of Puebla. The vegetation type in all collecting localities is predominantly a low to mid-altitude mixture of Quercus -Juniperus -Cupressus spp. in association with thorny species (Fig. 34).
Differential diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from congeners by its small size (Fig. 3), antennomeres 4-10 gradually becoming serrate distally, and the conspicuously robust and elongate eleventh antennomere (Fig. 8). The fifth and sixth abdominal segments (Figs 20-21) and genitalia (Fig. 13) of the male also serve to separate this species from remaining Cymatodera species. Together with C. bogcioides, C. mitae is part of a group of species characterized by a broad, rather deep carina that extends transversely across the first visible ventrite of males (Figs 30, 32).
Description. Holotype. Small, somewhat robust, posterior wings fully developed, TL= 7.75 mm. Color: head, pronotum, prosternum, mesosternum and metasternum ferruginous-brown, remainder of body uniformly brown. Each elytron with a brown macula located on humeral angle and a pair of irregular, obliquely directed fasciae located on median region of elytral length, the first fascia diffuse, yellowish-testaceous, extending from first stria to epipleuron, the second black, posteriorly adjacent to first fascia, extending from second stria to seventh stria (Fig. 3).
Variation. Length of males 6.9-8.1 mm, length of females 7.15-8.7 mm; n= 6. Length to width ratio of head: males average 0.59, females average 0.66. Length to width ratio of thorax: males average 1.6, females average 1.62. Length to width ratio of elytra: males average 2.18, females average 2.21. Two males and one female show a slightly darker integument on the elytral disc; also, these individuals display the humeral maculae completely black, rather than dark brown, as seen in the holotype. One male in the type series displays a feebly paler coloration on the elytral disc. The black fascia is variably marked among individuals, ranging from strongly marked to rather diffuse.
Distribution. The type series was collected primarily in Punta Mita, at the southwestern tip of the state of Nayarit, Mexico. One female specimen was collected in the Cuitzmala region of Jalisco, about 50 km southeast of Punta Mita, Nayarit (Fig. 34).
Etymology. The specific epithet refers to Punta Mita, Nayarit, Mexico, the locality where the holotype was collected.
Differential diagnosis. The distinctive dark, longitudinal fasciae on the elytral ground, unique among all Cymatodera species, serve to separate C. lineata from those species with a similar metathorax and anterior elytral margin.
Elytra: EL= 6.05 mm, EW= 2.8 mm; length to width ratio of holotype 2.16. Base narrower than pronotum; humeri very feebly indicated; sides subparallel; widest at posterior 1/3; disc feebly convex; surface rugose; apices rounded; strongly dehiscent; clothed with erect setae of three sizes; sculpture consisting of coarse punctations arranged in irregular striae that gradually become smaller, shallower and less numerous before apex; interstices at elytral base about 1.5× the width of punctuation.
Variation. The female has a length of 8.2 mm. Length to width ratio of head: 0.52. Length to width ratio of thorax: 1.51. Length to width ratio of elytra: 2.11. The female shows a moderately brownish coloration, somewhat lighter than the male, and the antennomeres 5-10 are filiform, rather than feebly serrate, as observed in the male.
Distribution. The holotype was collected in the state of Michoacán, at the centralwestern portion of Mexico, on km 23 on the Morelia-Pátzcuaro highway, a region that has suffered extensive logging and was originally covered by a high to mid altitude Pinus -Quercus association; the female was collected in the state of Durango, 26 km west of the city of Durango, Mexico (Fig. 34).
Etymology. The specific epithet comes from the Latin linea (= line) and refers to the longitudinal fasciae on the elytral ground of this species.
Comments. Although it is not usually desirable to describe a new species based on two specimens, this species is strikingly different from all other known Cymatodera species. In addition, the urgent need for identifying and cataloging this diverse group of beetles justifies this description, particularly if such species inhabit poorly known or threatened environments (Rifkind 2012).
for his invaluable observations and recommendations prior to the preparation of this manuscript. This article is Contribution No. 14-171-J from the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station (KAES) and was supported in part by KAES Hatch Project No. 353,Insect Systematics.