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Pseudomorpha santarita
| Pseudomorpha santarita | |
|---|---|
| |
| Pseudomorpha santarita | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Beetle |
| Suborder: | Adephaga |
| Family: | Carabidae |
| Genus: | Pseudomorpha Kirby, 1825 |
| Species: | P. santarita |
| Binomial name | |
| Pseudomorpha santarita Erwin & Amundson, 2013
| |
Diagnosis
With the attributes of the species group as described above and color tawny (Fig. 6), color tone of dorsum uniform; form broad and stout; head with preapical lobe prominent, slightly exceeding gena-eye line; pronotum (Fig. 6) slightly wider at base than elytra across humeri; elytron slightly tapered from humerus to narrower truncated apex and with a bare trace of costae, interneurs of finely impressed zig-zag striae, intervals micropunctate, setae very short, fine, and wide-spaced.
Description
Size: Medium for genus, ABL = 5.3 to 5.7 mm, SBL = 5.1 to 5.7 mm, TW = 4.4 to 4.5 mm. Preocular lobe-eye ratio (L/L): 0.551 to 0.693. Pronotum ratio (L/W): 0.225 to 0.286. Elytron ratio (L/W): 1.545 to 1.681. Color: Head, pronotum and elytra tawny, their lateral margins somewhat diaphanous rufous, appendages flavotestaceous. Luster: Dorsal surface moderately alutaceous, moderately matte. Microsculpture: Dorsal surface with very fine flat isodiametric sculpticells. Head: (Fig. 12) Eye setiferous. Clypeal suture effaced at middle. Frons and vertex with very sparse micropunctulate, setigerous pores with very short setae widely scattered, no transverse line of setae present. Occiput medial to hind margin of eye without small group of coarse setiferous pores. Prothorax: Pronotum (Fig. 6) moderately convex with broad explanate sides, wider than long, without fringe of long stout setae along lateral margin although present at both anterior and hind angles, fringe of short setae present along anterior and posterior margins; anterior margin bead effaced medially, posterior margin discolored but not beaded; disk with longitudinal pigmented line.Pterothorax: Elytron (Fig. 6) with interval micropunctate, setigerous pores very widely spaced, finely impressed; interneurs very finely zig-zag striate. Metepisternum longer than wide, surface sparsely setiferous anteriorly. Metasternum sparsely setiferous medially. Metathoracic wing fully developed. Abdomen: Sternum III broadly and shallowly incised medially. All sterna sparsely setiferous, IV broadly and densely so medially; male with dense patches of setae medially on sterna V and VI, their width coequal to the combined length of posterior basitarsomere plus tarsomere 2. Male genitalia: (Fig. 16) Phallobase crested; phalloshaft arched nearly 90°, then straight and depressed in lateral aspect to phalloapex; phalloapex narrowed both in lateral and dorsal aspects to acute tip. Parameres in ventral aspect with left shorter than right and somewhat narrower, distal margins of both narrowly rounded, asetose.
Holotype.USA: Arizona, Pima County, Santa Rita Ranch, 31.946°N, 110.758°W, 1080m, July 1978 (R. Lenczy) (NMNH: ADP110388, male).
The epithet “santarita” is a singular feminine noun used in apposition and is based on the name of the upland range, Santa Rita Mountains in the Coronado National Forest, which includes the type locality of this species. This area was once the home of the indigenous peoples, Papago.
Distribution
Arizona, New Mexico
Other specimens examined. USA: Arizona, Santa Cruz County, Pajarito Mountains, Peña Blanca Canyon, 31.386°N, 111.093°W, 1191m, 2 July 1980 (S. McCleve) (UATC: ADP110817, male paratype); Graham County, Galiuro Mountains north, Ash Creek, 32.514°N, 110.139°W, 1400m, 16–17 August 1982 (D.R. Maddison, G.E. Ball & S. McCleve) (DRMC: ADP110591, male paratype); Pima County, Santa Rita Mountains, Madera Canyon, 31.724°N, 110.880°W, 1487m, 11 July 1963 (V.L. Vesterby) (UCDC: ADP111898, female paratype), Madera Canyon, 1499m, 31.724°N, 110.880°W, 8 July 1970 (K. Stephan) (FSCA: ADP112570, male paratype). New Mexico, Hidalgo County, Animas Mountains, Double Adobe Creek, 31.614°N, 108.779°W, 1755m, 11 July 1981 (S. McCleve) (UATC: ADP110861, male paratype).
Biology
These beetles are macropterous and have been recorded at lights, hence capable of flight; they are swift and agile runners. Accordingly, the species may be expected to be more broadly distributed across a wider geographical range than current records indicate. Adults are likely found in ant nests and the surrounding vicinity; females are ovoviviparous (Liebherr and Kavanaugh 1985); larvae are ant nest inquilines (Erwin 1981). Members of Pseudomorpha santarita occur at midland and upland altitudes in between the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts in the riparian vegetation zones with Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis L.) and Cottonwood (Populus Fremontii S. Wats.) and desert scrub on the slopes. Adults are active in July –August, very hot months in this area.