Recognition and revision of the Phelister blairi group (Histeridae, Histerinae, Exosternini) Author Caterino, Michael S. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2597-5707 Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA mcateri@clemson.edu Author Tishechkin, Alexey K. California Dept. of Food and Agriculture Plant Pest Diagnostics Center, Sacramento, CA 95832, USA text ZooKeys 2020 2020-12-09 1001 1 154 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1001.58447 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1001.58447 1313-2970-1001-1 5914D476D746459ABCBFF86C8BD0A78B CED36F5A3D7453A2919A619A767B3367 33. Phelister striatinotum Wenzel & Dybas, 1941 Figs 19G, H , 20E, F , Map 12 Phelister striatinotum Wenzel & Dybas, 1941: 463. Phelister striatinotus ; Mazur, 2011: 29. Type material. Holotype , of undetermined sex: "Villavicencio, VII:24:38 Colombia" / "col. by H.Dybas" / "Collection R. L. Wenzel" / "Type Phelister striatinotum Wenzel + Dybas" / " Phelister striatinotum Wenzel & Dybas" (FMNH). Other material. Argentina : Corrientes, Rio Riachuelo, Peunte Pexoa at 27.560°S , 58.723°W , 50 m, 12/20/12-12/25/12, K.P. Tomkovich (AVSC, 1ex.); Bolivia : Cochabamba, Est. Biol. Valle Sajta, 67.5 km E Villa Tunari ( -17.1053 , -64.7825 ), 300 m, 2/9/99-2/13/99, FIT, lowland rain forest, F. Genier , EXO-03490 (CMNC, 1ex.); Cochabamba, 117 km E Cochabamba, at Lagunitas ( -17.1061 , -65.6825 ), 1000 m, 2/8/99-2/12/99, FIT, mountain evergreen forest, F. Genier , EXO-03491 (CMNC, 1ex.); Santa Cruz, Amboro National Park, Los Volcanes, c. (-18.1, -63.6), 1000 m, 11/20/04-12/12/04, FIT, Mendel, H. & Barclay, M.V.L., EXO-03492 (NHMUK, 1ex.); Santa Cruz, ~ 5 km SSE Buena Vista, Flora y Fauna Hotel, 17.498°S , 63.652°W , 440 m, flight intercept trap, 14-31.xii.2003, S. & J. Peck (AKTC, 2ex.); Brazil : Acre, Cruzeiro do Sul (-7.6333, -72.6), January-February 1988, FIT, EXO-03496 (CHND, 1ex.); Mato Grosso, Mpio. Cuiaba, Fazenda Mutuca ( -15.3145 , -55.9703 ), 9/23/08, FIT, F.H. Gava & J.R. Rocha, EXO-03497 (CEMT, 1ex.); Costa Rica : Guanacaste, Est. Pitilla, P.N. Guanacaste, 9 km S Sta. Cecilia (10.99, -85.4), 700 m, January 1994, C. Moraga (INBIO, 2ex.); Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva, 3 km S Pto. Viejo ( 10.4333 , -84.0167 ), 7/27/76, H.A. Hespenheide, EXO-03495 (INBIO, 1ex.); Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva, 3 km S Pto. Viejo ( 10.4333 , -84.0167 ), 6/20/91, Riding Atta cut leaf, H.A. Hespenheide, EXO-03494 (INBIO, 1ex.); Limon, Amubri, A.C. Amistad (9.5, -82.9), 70 m, 5/2/94-5/31/94, G. Gallardo, INBIO CRI001 872229 (INBIO, 1ex.); Ecuador : Napo, Tena (-1, -78), 2000ft, 2/14/23-2/28/23, FX William, EXO-03493 (USNM, 1ex.); Orellana, Est. Biodiv. Tiputini ( -0.6376 , -76.1499 ), 7/30/08, FIT, A. Tishechkin, EXO-00702 (AKTC, 1ex.); Orellana, Est. Cientifica Yasuni , mid. Rio Tiputini (-0.675, -76.4), 7/4/99-7/17/99, FIT, C. Carlton & A. Tishechkin, LSAM 0045446 (LSAM, 1ex.); French Guiana : Regina , Res . Natur. des Nouragues ( 4.0378 , -52.6725 ), 2/19/10, FIT, SEAG, EXO-00807 (CHND, 1ex.); Roura (8.4 km SSE) ( 4.6781 , -52.2236 ), 200 m, 5/29/97-6/10/97, FIT, J. Ashe & R. Brooks, EXO-03488 (CMNC, 1ex.); Mont Tabulaire Itoupe ( 3.022 , -53.0842 ), 800 m, 3/30/10, FIT, SEAG, EXO-03487 (CHND, 1ex.); Guyana : Mazaruni-Potaro, Takutu Mountains (6.25, -58.9167), 12/8/83, FIT, in montane rainforest near logging area, P.D. Perkins & W.E. Steiner, EXO-00366 (USNM, 1ex.); Kurupukari ( 4.6667 , -58.6667 ), September-November 1992, Malaise/FIT, EXO-03489 (NHMUK, 1ex.); Paraguay : Cazaapa, San Rafael Reserve, Hermosa, prop. Lopez family ( -26.3081 , -55.7508 ), 80 m, 12/1/00-12/3/00, FIT, Z. Falin, EXO-00447 (SEMC, 1ex.); Cazaapa, San Rafael Reserve, Hermosa, prop. Lopez family, bank Rio Tebicuary ( -26.2897 , -55.7186 ), 80 m, 12/1/00-12/4/00, FIT, Z. Falin, SM0275458 (SEMC, 1ex.); Peru : Loreto, Compamento San Jacinto ( -2.3125 , -75.8628 ), 175-215 m, 7/3/93-7/12/93, FIT, R. Leschen, EXO-03499 (CHSM, 1ex.); Loreto, Iquitos (-3.74, -73.27), 90 m, 5/7/92, FIT, J. Danoff-Berg, EXO-03498 (SEMC, 1ex.); Madre de Dios, Rio Alto Madre de Dios, Pantiacolla Lodge ( -12.655 , -71.2317 ), 11/14/07-11/19/07, FIT, D. Brzoska, EXO-03500 (SEMC, 1ex.). Diagnostic description. Length: 1.97-2.60 mm (avg. 2.34 mm); width: 1.65-2.21 mm (avg. 1.97 mm). Body elongate, widest at humeri, slightly flattened, rufescent, with moderately dense and conspicuous ground punctation; frons broad, only weakly depressed at middle; supraorbital stria absent; frontal stria complete, weakly recurved at middle; labrum weakly emarginate at apex; left mandible with broad basal tooth, right mandible with narrower blunt tooth; prescutellar impression very wide, with anterior edge sinuate, ~ 6 x as wide as the scutellum; pronotal disk with slightly larger secondary punctures interspersed at sides; median pronotal gland openings annulate, ~ 1/3 behind anterior margin; marginal pronotal stria complete along sides and front; submarginal stria absent; elytron with single, complete epipleural stria; outer subhumeral stria complete, inner absent; dorsal striae 1-4 and sutural complete, 4th arched to sutural stria, 5th obsolete in basal 1/3; propygidium with sparse, small secondary punctures, pygidium largely lacking secondary punctures; prosternum emarginate at base, striae convergent to apex; prosternal lobe rather long, subtruncate, with deep, complete marginal striae; mesoventrite strongly produced, with complete marginal stria continued at sides by postmesocoxal stria, which ends freely at middle of lateral portion of metaventrite; mesometaventral stria angulate at middle, reaching middle of mesoventrite, continued at sides by lateral metaventral stria to inner 1/3 of metacoxa; 1st abdominal ventrite with one complete and one incomplete lateral striae; protibia rather strongly dentate, with ~ five marginal spines; spines of meso- and metatibiae fine and long, but largely confined to distal 1/2; ventral setae of tarsi simple, not flattened. Male: basal piece 1/3 length of tegmen; tegmen with sides subparallel in basal 2/3, abruptly narrowed to ventrally hooked apices; medioventral process absent; median lobe ~ 1/3 tegmen length. Distribution. This species is very widely distributed, from Costa Rica in the north to Argentina in the south, with most other records coming from western Amazonia. The species is also known from the Guianas. Remarks. This is a widespread and rather variable species. The very wide prescutellar impression, with its anterior margin distinctly sinuate, is its most consistent diagnostic feature. This, along with pronotal gland openings that are near the anterior third of the pronotal disk, will identify it unambiguously. Compared to other species treated in this paper, its frons is relatively weakly depressed, and the tooth on the base of the left mandible is quite strong. Its relationships to species immediately above are not very strongly supported, since this species has a completely divided male 10th tergite (it is partly or completely fused in all the preceding species of the Phelister amazoniae subgroup). Nearly all specimens have been collected using flight interception traps. However, one specimen from La Selva, Costa Rica was 'Riding [an] Atta Cut Leaf' , suggesting that leafcutter ant nests would be worth exploring for this species.