The small Caribbean island of Navassa (U.S. possession) is unoccupied by humans, but recent surveys have detected a surprising number of endemic (precinctive) invertebrates. A new species of May beetle, Phyllophaga navassa, is here described and compared to the Hispaniolan Phyllophaga fauna

Steiner, Warren E.

Woodruff, Robert E.

English

Hochschulschriftenserver - Universität Frankfurt am Main

CENTER FOR SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY, INC., Gainesville, FLA new species of Phyllophaga Harris from the island of Navassa in theCaribbean (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae)Robert E. WoodruffFlorida State Collection of ArthropodsP.O. Box 147100Gainesville, FL 32614, USAWarren E. Steiner, Jr.Department of Entomology, NHB-187Smithsonian InstitutionWashington, D.C. 20013, USADate of Issue: March 11, 2011INSECTAMUNDI A Journal of World Insect Systematics0157Robert E. Woodruff and Warren E. Steiner, Jr.A new species of Phyllophaga Harris from the island of Navassa in the Caribbean(Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae)Insecta Mundi 0157: 1-6Published in 2011 byCenter for Systematic Entomology, Inc.P. O. Box 141874Gainesville, FL 32614-1874 U. S. A.http://www.centerforsystematicentomology.org/Insecta Mundi is a journal primarily devoted to insect systematics, but articles can be published onany non-marine arthropod. Topics considered for publication include systematics, taxonomy,  nomencla-ture, checklists, faunal works, and natural history. Insecta Mundi will not consider works in theapplied sciences (i.e. medical entomology, pest control research, etc.), and no longer publishes book re-views or editorials. Insecta Mundi publishes original research or discoveries in an inexpensive andtimely manner, distributing them free via open access on the internet on the date of publication.Insecta Mundi is referenced or abstracted by several sources including the Zoological Record, CABAbstracts, etc. Insecta Mundi is published irregularly throughout the year, with completed manu-scripts assigned an individual number. Manuscripts must be peer reviewed prior to submission, afterwhich they are reviewed by the editorial board to ensure quality. One author of each submitted manu-script must be a current member of the Center for Systematic Entomology.Managing editor: Paul E. Skelley, e-mail: insectamundi@gmail.comProduction editor: Michael C. Thomas & Ian Stocks, e-mail: insectamundi@gmail.comEditorial board: J. H. Frank, M. J. PaulsenSubject editors: G.B. Edwards, J. Eger, A. Rasmussen, F. Shockley, G. Steck, Ian Stocks, A. Van Pelt,J. ZaspelPrinted copies deposited in libraries of:CSIRO, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaMuseu de Zoologia, São Paulo, BrazilAgriculture and Agrifood Canada, Ottawa, ON, CanadaThe Natural History Museum, London, Great BritainMuzeum i Instytut Zoologiczny PAN, Warsaw, PolandNational Taiwan University, Taipei, TaiwanCalifornia Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USAFlorida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gainesville, FL, USAField Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USANational Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USAZoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint-Petersburg, RussiaElectronic copies in PDF format:Printed CD mailed to all members at end of year.Florida Center for Library Automation: http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/insectamundiUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln, Digital Commons: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi/Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main: http://edocs.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/volltexte/2010/14363/Author instructions available on the Insecta Mundi page at:http://www.centerforsystematicentomology.org/insectamundi/Printed copies deposited in libraries (ISSN 0749-6737)Electronic copies in PDF format (On-Line ISSN 1942-1354, CDROM ISSN 1942-1362)Copyright held by the author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CreativeCommons, Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, dis-tribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/10157: 1-6 2011A new species of Phyllophaga Harris from the island of Navassa in theCaribbean (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae)Robert E. WoodruffFlorida State Collection of ArthropodsP.O. Box 147100Gainesville, FL 32614, USABobsGems@aol.comWarren E. Steiner, Jr.Department of Entomology, NHB-187Smithsonian InstitutionWashington, D.C. 20013, USASteinerW@si.eduAbstract. The small Caribbean island of Navassa (U.S. possession) is unoccupied by humans, but recent surveyshave detected a surprising number of endemic (precinctive) invertebrates. A new species of May beetle, Phyllophaganavassa, is here described and compared to the Hispaniolan Phyllophaga fauna.IntroductionThe large genus Phyllophaga Harris is estimated to contain over 500 species (Morón 1997:229);perhaps the largest genus of New World Scarabaeidae. In the recent revision of the species for the islandof Hispaniola (Woodruff and Sanderson 2004), 48 species were treated, of which 22 were described as new.All 48 are endemic only to Hispaniola, and many have restrictive distributions within the island.The Island of Navassa lies only 56 km west of the tip of Haiti, so it was somewhat surprising to learnthat this endemic new species was abundant there. Discovery of these, and a narrative of the survey of theisland, was documented by Steiner and Swearingen (1998, 2000), and Swearingen (1999). They reportedcollecting more than 600 terrestrial arthropod morphospecies, estimated to be 30% endemic. Additionalinformation on habitat was provided by Nearns and Steiner (2006) in the description of a new species ofPlectromerus Haldeman (Cerambycidae), and by Steiner (2008) in a report on Carabidae known from theisland.The island has been a U.S. possession since 1856, when it was claimed under the “Guano Act”, and itwas mined for phosphates during the latter part of the 19th century. The U.S. Coast Guard operated alighthouse there from 1929 to 1996. It was acquired by the U.S. Department of Interior, and in 1999 itwas designated as the Navassa National Wildlife Refuge under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Theherpetology of the island was treated by Powell (1999).The island is only 5 kilometers square, with no beaches, and abrupt cliffs reaching heights of 20meters. The central forest is about 70 meters elevation, where many specimens were collected. Thegeology was studied by Burne, Horsfield, and Robinson (1974), and the island was estimated to be 2-5million years old, but never connected to another larger landmass. This isolation would explain much ofthe endemism found. It is composed of Eocene limestone with rugged karst surface and red oolitic soil(reminiscent of the bauxite areas near Cabo Rojo in the Dominican Republic). It has a significant forestcover, dominated by 4 species of tropical trees: Sideroxylon foetidissimum Jacquin, Ficus populneaWildenow var. brevifolia (Nuttall) Warb., Coccoloba diversifolia Jacquin, and Metopium brownei (Jacquin).A brief botanical reconnaissance was made by Proctor (1959).Phyllophaga navassa Woodruff and Steiner, new speciesHolotype male. Navassa Island [U.S.], central forest area, 70M, 18º24.08’N, 75º00.694' W, 28 July1998, collrs. W. E. Steiner, J. M. Swearingen, et al. / At blacklight in gap in mixed forest (Ficus, Metopium,Coccoloba, Thrinax) on limestone. [U.S. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution].2 • INSECTA MUNDI 0157, March 2011 WOODRUFF ASND STEINERGeneral description (Fig. 4, habitus). Medium sized (L. 15mm, W. 8mm), shiny, uniformly darkmahogany brown, convex, nearly glabrous dorsally, unremarkable for genus; genitalia simple, but dis-tinctive, cylindrical, parameres fused ventrally at tip, aedeagus recessed, partly sclerotized, tip upturned(Fig. 8-15).Head (Fig. 4, 5). Clypeus barely emarginate, lateral angles smoothly rounded, medial indentation slight,margin carinate; clypeal punctures dense, with most coalescing, not setose. Head punctures similar toclypeus, with a few separated by a puncture diameter, and a typical impunctate band near base. Eyeslarge with setose canthus near center.Antenna (Fig. 1,3). Nine segmented, 3 club segments nearly equal in length, antennomere 1 nearlyequal to next 3 combined, 3rd and 4th more cylindrical and smaller than 2nd or 5th; 6th small and com-pressed.Pronotum (Fig. 4,5). Convex, shiny, punctures sparse, shallow, non-setiferous; lateral margin slightlycrenulate at origin of long, curved lateral golden setae; anterior margin complete, posterior margin barelyindicated, fading medially, smooth with only few scattered punctures.Scutellum. Triangular, slightly convex, punctate, posteriorly flattened.Elytra (Fig. 4) Convex, flattened medially, somewhat rugulose horizontally, striae barely indicated,disc glabrous, lateral third and humerus with fine scattered setae; marginal golden setae longest belowhumerus, similar to pronotal setae. Sutural interval raised, broadest in posterior fifth; terminating inslight projection (not toothed).Pygidium (Fig. 6). Broadly oval/triangular,evenly convex, shiny, glabrous, with few, shallow, non-setigerous punctures; posterior lateral margin carinate (inaccurately termed “bead” in older literature)with elongate, golden setae medially.Legs (Fig. 2-5, 7). Relatively long, especially tarsi; all claws not cleft with sharp termination, middletooth small, nearer base than tip (anterior right claw in Fig. 3). Anterior tibia tridentate (Fig. 5), anterior tooth elongate, middle sharp, triangular, posterior toothreduced; teeth spaced nearly equidistant; spur narrow, cylindrical, sharp, half length of 1st tarsal seg-ment. Anterior tarsal segments cylindrical, nearly equal in diameter, segments 2-4 subequal in length.Meso-and metatibia with longitudinal carina and incomplete transverse carina (Fig. 7), teeth promi-nent with long, golden setae. Metatibial spurs (Fig. 2) moveable, long (reaching near middle of tarsalsegment 2), narrow, slightly curved, inner surface flattened, inner spur about 20% longer than outerspur; terminus not noticeably notched; fringe of spines 14-16. Metatarsal segments long, cylindrical, 2ndlonger than 1st; claws as in other legs.Male Genitalia (Fig. 8-15). Of a simplified form, and unremarkable aedeagus. Parameres sym-metrical, lateral views (Fig. 8-9) nearly identical. Caudally (Fig. 10) with large broadly oval opening,parameres fused ventrally; dorsally (Fig. 14) opening v-shaped posteriorly. Each paramere with smoothlyrounded lateral carina (Fig. 12-13) about half length; nearly truncate ventrally. Aedeagus cylindrical,partly sclerotized, longer than parameres when extended (Fig. 8, 9, 11). Cylinder twisted and open at tip,with distinctive upturned medial dorsal process, barely protruding in repose (Fig. 12, 13, 15).Female. Unknown. Because all specimens are males and were collected at light and flight intercepttraps, the unknown females may be flightless and subterranean (as are some Hispaniolan high altitudespecies, see Woodruff and Sanderson 2004). On a small windswept island such adaptation would obviouslyhave survival value.Relationships. Because 48 species of Phyllophaga are known from the nearest land mass (Hispaniola),it would be significant to establish the relationships of this isolated species. The simplicity of both bodyhabitus and male genitalia imply that it may be a relictual, primitive species. Its colonization of NavassaIsland suggests an old, durable, survivor from ancestral stock. DNA investigations may elucidate itsrelationships.It does not appear closely related (morphologically) to any other Caribbean Phyllophaga known to us.It is most similar to P. hogardi Blanchard, one of the most abundant, widespread (and economic) specieson Hispaniola. It does not possess the distinctive spine-like projections on the elytra sutural tip, and itlacks the “brain-like” mass at the aedeagal tip of that species.INSECTA MUNDI 0157, March 2011 • 3 A NEW PHYLLOPHAGA FROM NAVASSA ISLANDFigure 1-7. Phyllophaga navassa, n.sp. 1) Right antenna. 2) Right metatibial apex. 3) Right protibial claw. 4)Habitus, adult male. 5) Left protibia, tarsus, clypeus (line = 5mm). 6) Pygidium (caudal view). 7) Right metatibia(line = 5mm).4 • INSECTA MUNDI 0157, March 2011 WOODRUFF ASND STEINERSpecimens examined [57]. Holotype and 56 paratype males. All from Navassa Island, collected by W.E. Steiner, J. M. Swearingen, et al. (numbers of paratypes in brackets): Central forest area, 70m.,18o24.08’N, 75o00.69’W, 28 July 1998, at black light in gap of mixed forest (Ficus, Metopium, Coccoloba,Thrinax) on limestone [3]; bluff of southwest rim, 65m., 18o23.75’N, 75o00.94’W, 25-30 July 1998, flight-intercept/yellow pans in Malaise trap, open mixed forest (Metopium, Coccoloba, Ficus) at rim of upperterrace, limestone and red oolitic soil [1]; central forest area, 70m., 18o23.99’N, 75o00.67’W, 26 July-4August 1998, flight-intercept/yellow pans in Malaise trap in gap of mixed forest (Ficus, Metopium,Coccoloba, Sideroxylon, Thrinax) on limestone [3]; same except Malaise trap in gap of mixed forest(Ficus, Metopium, Coccoloba, Sideroxylon, Thrinax) on limestone [1]; E. end of east savanna, 65m.,18o23.75’N, 75o00.52’W, 1 August 1998, at black light at edge of grass savanna and mixed forest (Ficus,Metopium, Coccoloba) on limestone and red oolitic soil [3]; near lighthouse, 80m., 18o23.82’N, 75o00.74’W,Figure 8-15. Phyllophaga navassa, n.sp., male genitalia. 8,9,11) Aedeagus extended. 10,12-15) Aedeagus inrepose. 8) Left lateral. 9) Right lateral. 10) Caudal. 11) dorsal/caudal. 12) Right lateral. 13) Laterocaudal. 14)Dorsal. 15) Left lateral (note upturned aedeagal tip).INSECTA MUNDI 0157, March 2011 • 5 A NEW PHYLLOPHAGA FROM NAVASSA ISLAND24 July-4 Aug. 1998, taken in Malaise Trap, edge of open weedy scrub and mixed forest (Ficus, Metopium,Thrinax) on limestone [2]; same except 26 July 1998, at black light in open weedy scrub near mixed forest(Ficus, Metopium, Thrinax) on limestone and red oolitic soil [1]. Paratypes deposited in the U. S. NationalMuseum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., the Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Gainesville,Florida, and the Illinois Natural History Survey, Urbana, Illinois.Etymology. The specific name navassa is the same as this remote island, the only locality from which itis known. It is applied as a noun in apposition.AcknowledgmentsThe U.S. Coast Guard provided logistical support and transportation to and from Navassa via theU.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for WES and Jil M. Swearingen, who conducted insectsampling. Support for travel and equipment was provided by the Smithsonian Office of Biodiversity Pro-grams (grant to W. N. Mathis for Caribbean aquatic insect surveys) and by the Center for Marine Conser-vation, Washington, D.C. The other members of the Navassa “Dry Team” (Bill Buck, Bob Halley, JimOland, Bob Powell, Michael Smith, and Tom Zanoni) also assisted in fieldwork. Dr. Paul Skelley, FloridaState Collection of Arthropods, provided assistance with the illustrations. The following reviewers pro-vided useful suggestions for manuscript improvement: Dr. Gino Nearns, Dr. Milton Sanderson, andWilliam Warner. This is Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Entomology Contri-bution Number 1187.Literature CitedBurne, R. V., W. T. Horsfield, and E. Robinson. 1974. The geology of Navassa Island. CaribbeanJournal of Science 14: 109-114.Morón, M. A. 1997. Melolonthidae. p. 205-264 In: M. A. Morón, B. C. Ratcliffe, and C. Deloya. Atlas delos escarabajos de México. Coleoptera: Lamellicornia. Vol. 1, Familia Melolonthidae. Sociedad Mexicanade Entomología, Mexico City. ix+264p.Nearns, E. H., and W. E. Steiner, Jr. 2006. A new species of Plectromerus Haldeman (Coleoptera:Cerambycidae) from Navassa Island, Greater Antilles. Zootaxa 1163: 61-68; 2 fig.Powell, R. 1999. Herpetology of Navassa Island, West Indies. Caribbean Journal of Science 35(1-2): 1-13.Figure 16-17. The Island of Navassa. 16) Outline map with major features (courtesy of Wikipedia). 17) Aerialview of the island from satellite imagery (courtesy of NASA).6 • INSECTA MUNDI 0157, March 2011 WOODRUFF ASND STEINERProcter, G. R. 1959. Observations on Navassa Island. Journal of the Geological Society of Jamaica,Geonotes 2: 49-54.Steiner, W. E., Jr., and J. M. Swearingen. 1998. Entomology on Navassa Island. Entomological News[Entomology Department, Smithsonian Institution] 12(9): 3-4.Steiner, W. E., Jr., and J. M. Swearingen. 2000. An entomological survey of Navassa Island, withnotes on species richness and endemism. Abstracts, 27th Annual Natural Areas Conference. Manag-ing the Mosaic: Connecting People and Natural Diversity. Natural Areas Association 2000: 39.Steiner, W. E., Jr. 2008. Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of Navassa Island, West Indies. Annalsof Carnegie Museum 77 (1): 129-134.Swearingen, J. M. 1999. Natural history on a little-known island: Cracking Navassa’s oyster. ParkScience [U.S. National Park Service] 19: 5-7.Woodruff, R. E., and M. W. Sanderson. 2004. A revision of the Phyllophaga of Hispaniola(Coleoptera:Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae). Insecta Mundi 18(1-4): 1-154; 727 fig.Received November 15, 2010; Accepted February 1, 2011.

A new species of Phyllophaga Harris from the island of Navassa in the Caribbean (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae)

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Hochschulschriftenserver - Universität Frankfurt am Main