Revision and Phylogeny of the Genus Phausis (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) with the Description of Three New Species
Author
Hodson, Alicia M.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
Author
Branham, Marc A.
Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
text
Zootaxa
2024
2024-05-27
5458
1
1
52
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5360.3.8
journal article
297361
10.11646/zootaxa.5458.1.1
7fc7d516-2d2c-4a34-b91f-346a0b6d45a7
1175-5326
11348272
7480BACF-7F14-48C2-80CB-AB4C54812D10
Phausis skelleyi
Fender
in Hatch, 1962
(
Figs 16
;
18F
;
22
Hh–Jj; 24L)
Phausis skelleyi
Fender 1962: 42
Diagnosis.
Male
.
Phausis skelleyi
can be differentiated from congeners by the following characters: eyes are small and separated, not obstructing labium postventrally; basal piece (dorsal view) wider than long, v-shaped, segments contiguous (segments touching), and deeply sclerotized (brown to dark brown); dorsal opening present on median lobe (
Fig. 22
Hh).
Phausis skelleyi
is one out of three species of
Phausis
whose medial lobe extends forward ventrally beyond the parameres (
Fig. 22
Ii).
Phausis skelleyi
looks similar to
Phausis nigra
and
Phausis milleri
. Species differs from
Phausis nigra
by the following characters: pronotum transverse, broadly subelliptical, with lateral margins more arcuate and explanate than anterior margin (
Fig. 18F
); having a pronotal angle (a tangent line drawn from lateral margin of pronotum meeting a parallel line drawn from the basal margin of the pronotum) equal to 55 degrees (
Fender 1962
,
1966
); antennomeres 3 to 10 subequal in length; sensorium ovate; elytral lateral margins expanded, but not as expanded as in
P. nigra
; abdominal segment VII quadrate; basal piece of aedeagus v-shaped, segments contiguous (segments touching), and deeply sclerotized (dark brown)(
Fig. 22
Hh); median lobe exceeds tips of parameres and extending forward ventrally (
Fig. 22
Ii); ventral opening absent; dorsal opening absent.
Phausis skelleyi
differs from
Phausis milleri
by the following characters: overall coloration darker; head vertex transversely concave; eyes large, not obstructing the labium postventrally; clypeus and apices of mandibles testaceous; antennomere 11 ovate; sensorium ovate; pronotal hind angles dentate; central pronotal disc punctate (
Fig. 18F
); metathorax without posterior apex notched; finely punctate; elytral costae absent; the shape of the apical fourth of the median lobe is curved upward and acute (
Fig. 22
Ii) less than
Phausis milleri
(
Fig. 22T
).
FIGURE 16.
Detail of North American distribution of
Phausis skelleyi
.
Redescription.
Male
(
Figs. 18F
;
22
Hh–Jj). Length 5.0–6.0 mm. Width
1.3–1.7 mm
.
Color.
Body brunneous, sometimes infuscus (blackish-brown) beneath; eyes brown to ferruginous; mouthparts brunneous; clypeus and apices of mandibles testaceous; antennae brunneous; central pronotal disc brunneous to castaneus; scutellum brunneous; thorax brunneous to infuscus; trochanters along apical-medial margin, apical margin of femora, and tarsi paler than rest of body; coxae, femora, an tibiae brunneous; lateral margins of elytra paler than elytral disc; abdomen brunneous; photic organs absent on abdominal segments VI VII and VIII; pubescence brunneous to cinereous. Anterior vitreous areas (pronotal spots) present.
Head
small and transverse (frontal view); vertex transversely concave with dense coarse punctures. Eyes small but not as large as
P. reticulata
,
and separated, not obstructing labium postventrally. Mandibles long (more than apices of mandibles crossing frontally), subfalcate, begins tapering at half the length of mandible; incisor region less than half of total length of mandible; outer margin straight; basal angle greater than 90 degree angle dorsally. Maxillary palps with three palpomeres, last palpomere securiform. Labial palps reduced, with two palpomeres.
Antennae
filiform, long, extending to almost the posterior end of metathorax. Scape as long as pedicel, but sometimes can appear 2.0× as long on some specimens. Pedicel approximately 1/3 the length of antennomere 3. Antennomere 3 as long as antennomeres 4 to 10. Antennomere 11 ovate at apex. Flagellomeres feebly compressed, but not as compressed as in
Lucidota
or
Ellychnia
; when viewed laterally, flagellomeres are wider than in ventral view. Sensorium present on the distal end of antennomere 11, semi-transparent, small, and ovate.
Pronotum
transverse, broadly subelliptical (
Fig. 18F
); longitudinal median carina present, extending from base to apex of pronotum; lateral margins more arcuate and explanate than anterior margin; all margins reflexed, very strongly so anteriorly on the side and frontal margins, becoming flattened toward the hind angles; basal margin undulate and slightly reflexed medially; hind angles dentate. Central pronotal disc present; rectangular, shiny, and finely sparsely punctured. Anterior vitreous areas (spots) present, large (less than one width of spot between them), reniform, and punctate throughout.
FIGURE 17.
Dorsal habitus of male
Phausis
(A–F). (A)
Phausis branhami
sp. nov.
; (B).
Phausis californica
; (C)
Phausis dorothae
; (D)
Phausis inaccensa
; (E)
Phausis luminosa
; (F)
Phausis marina
.
Scutellum
subspatulate; sides weakly curving inward and posterior apex rounded with longitudinal groove; surface with very fine longitudinal rugae (
Fig. 18F
).
Elytra
well developed; overall rugose to punctate (
Fig. 18F
); more punctate basally than apically, becoming more finely punctate apically. Costae absent on each elytron. Longitudinal elevated and transverse lines weakly present; transverse lines somewhat irregular in the interstitial spaces giving elytra a wrinkled appearance.
Venter.
Thorax elongate, subrhomboidal; finely sparsely punctate ventrally. Episternum densely punctate laterally. Metathorax with posterior apex without notched; medial line present; surface sparsely punctate. Tergal apicolateral angles strongly lobed. Abdominal segments VI and VII not bearing photic organs. Photic organ absent on abdominal segment VIII. Abdominal segment VII quadrate, apical margin emarginated. Abdominal segment VIII elongate, apical margin pointed.
FIGURE 18.
Dorsal habitus of male
Phausis
(A–F). (A)
Phausis milleri
sp. nov.
; (B)
Phausis nigra
; (C)
Phausis reticulata
; (D)
Phausis rhombica
; (E)
Phausis riversi
; (F)
Phausis skelleyi
.
Male Genitalia.
Basal piece (dorsal view;
Fig. 22
Hh) wider than long, v-shaped, segments contiguous (segments touching), and deeply sclerotized (brown to dark brown). Median lobe (dorsal view;
Fig. 22
Hh) exceeds tips of parameres, overall shape elongate and rounded (greater than 45 degrees) at apex; median lobe position extending ventrally from parameres (
Fig. 22
Ii); sensilla absent; dorsal inner-basal margins rounded; dorsal opening present (
Fig. 22
Hh), elliptical, comprising of apical 1/4 of median lobe; longitudinal dorsal carina absent; lateral line absent (lateral view); ventral opening absent. Parameres (dorsal view;
Fig. 22
Hh) elongate, slender, sub-parallel; inner lateral margins convex; outer lateral margins arcuate; apex roundly acute (lateral view;
Fig. 22
Ii); proximal flanges (extensions of parameres that curve or extend outward from inner margin) absent (dorsal view). Sensilla absent.
Female.
Unknown.
Larva.
Unknown.
FIGURE 19.
Phausis christineae
sp. nov.
Male (A–D). (A) Dorsal habitus of holotype; B–D, aedeagus of holotype (top to bottom: dorsal, lateral, ventral).
FIGURE 20.
Ventral view of adult male photic organs (A–C). (A)
Phausis christineae
sp. nov.
(paratype); (B)
Phausis luminosa
; (C)
Phausis reticulata
.
FIGURE 21.
Phausis reticulata
Female (A–F). (A–C) Habitus of female (left to right: dorsal, lateral, ventral); (D) Close up of female mouthparts (ventral view); (E) Dissected female head (dorsal view); (F) Dissected female head (ventral view).
Eggs.
Unknown.
Etymology. Named after Dr. Leo Skelley of McMinnville,
Oregon
.
Specimens Examined.
Type Material
.
Holotype
(
Figs.18F
;
24L
).
USA
:
OREGON
:
YAHILL Co.,“
McMinnville
, Ore.
VI
.24.1949 [
Fender 1962
, collection date of holotype
VI
.29.1939],
Coll. K.M. Fender
, HOLOTYPE
Phausis skelleyi
Fender
, California
Academy of Sciences Type No
9806”,
1 ♂
(
CAS
).
Paratype
. “McMinnville, Ore. 19??,
Coll. K.M.
&
D.W. Fender
”,
1 ♂
(
OSCA
); “Skye Wash 7–6–36,
Kenneth M. Fender Collection
1988 and 1992, Gifts to the California
Academy of Sciences
,” [upside-down label “
Phausis nigra
Det. Ralph Hopping
”, followed by paratype label],
1 ♂
(
CAS
)
.
FIGURE 22.
Phausis
aedeagi (A–Jj) (from left to right: dorsal, lateral, ventral view). (A–C)
Phausis branhami
sp. nov.
; (D–F)
Phausis californica
; (G–I)
Phausis dorothae
; (J–L)
Phausis inaccensa
; (M–O)
Phausis luminosa
; (P–R)
Phausis marina
; (S–U)
Phausis milleri
sp. nov.
; (V–X)
Phausis nigra
; (Y–Aa)
Phausis reticulata
; (Bb–Dd)
Phausis rhombica
; (Ee–Gg)
Phausis riversi
; (Hh–Jj)
Phausis skelleyi
.
FIGURE 23
. Sensilla of
Phausis
aedeagi (A–D). (A)
Phausis luminosa
(medial lobe, ventral view); (B)
Phausis dorothae
(paramere, dorsal view); (C)
Phausis riversi
(paramere, dorsal view); (D)
Phausis marina
(paramere, lateral view). Not pictured is
Phausis californica
which also has sensilla on the apical tip of the parameres (holotype, dorsal view).
Other material.
USA
:
WASHINGTON
:
KING
Co.
,
Issaquah-Preston Reg. Trail
nr.
Highpoint
,
carrion pitfall trap
,
Thuja-Acer
forest
, beside
E.
Issaquah Creek
,
500ft
,
16.I to 1.
VII
.2003,
Coll. A.S. Ramsdale
,
Det. A.S. Ramsdale
,
2 ♂
(MTEC).
Distribution. Restricted to regions of the Pacific Northwest (
Oregon
,
Washington
) (
Fig. 16
).
Phenology. Occurs in late June to early July.
Remarks.
Fender (1966)
stated that antennal morphology is “submonofiliform”, but in fact it is closer to filiform (i.e., each antennomere is not divided into distinct beads).
Fender (1966)
separated
P. skelleyi
from
P. nigra
by the shape of their pronota (broadly subelleptical versus subelleptical). He also separated them by measuring the angle of an imaginary tangential line to the curved side of the prontom, that meets a line parallel to the base of the pronotum. He stated
Phausis skelleyi
has a 55 degree angle versus a 70 degree angle in
P. nigra
(Fender, 1961;
Fender, 1966
). The lead author (A. Hodson) found this morphological character to be true but it was difficult to measure accurately and was inconsistent among specimens examined. Other localities where
Phausis skelleyi
has been collected are: Skye,
Washington
; Newport,
Oregon
; and Spring Creek, Baker Co.,
Oregon
(
Fender 1962
,
1966
).
Variation. None identified.
Biology. Unknown.