Russian Entomol. J. 19(1): 47–49© RUSSIAN ENTOMOLOGICAL JOURNAL, 2010

Description of a new species of the genus Iliotona(Coleoptera: Histeridae) from GuatemalaÎïèñàíèå íîâîãî âèäà ðîäà Iliotona (Coleoptera: Histeridae)èç Ãâàòåìàëû
Alexander V. Sokolov1 & Alexey K. Tishechkin2Àëåêñàíäð Â. Ñîêîëîâ1, Àëåêñåé Ê. Òèøå÷êèí2
C.A.S. Aqua Logo, Ostrovityanova St. 30/2–228, 117321 Moscow, Russia. E-mail: margarinotus@yandex.ru.
ЗАО «Аква Лого», 117321 Москва, ул. Островитянова, 30/2–228.
2c/o Louisiana State Arthropod Museum, Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University, 404 Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge,
LA 70803-1710, USA. E-mail: atishe8@gmail.com.
11KEY WORDS: Coleptera, Histeridae, Histerinae, new species, Guatemala.
КЛЮЧЕВЫЕ СЛОВА: Coleptera, Histeridae, Histerinae, новый вид, Гватемала.
ABSTRACT. The fourth species of the Central
American gunes Iliotona Carnochan, 1917 from Guatemala, I. gilli sp. n., is described and illustrated. An
updated key to the species of the genus is included.
РЕЗЮМЕ. Описывается четвёртый вид центральноамериканского рода Iliotona Carnochan, 1917 изГватемалы — I. gilli sp.n. Приводится дополненныйключ для определения видов рода Iliotona.

Introduction
The genus Iliotona Carnochan, 1917 is known to be
distributed in arid areas of California, Mexico and Cuba
and includes three described species [Schaeffer, 1907;
Carnochan, 1917; Sokolov, 2005]. All species are reported to be predators of soft bodied insect larvae inside
decaying stems of various cacti [Kovarik & Caterino,2005; Sokolov, 2005]. Below, we describe a new Iliotona species from Guatemala.

Methods
Illustrations were prepared with digital camera Canon EOS 40D. Measurements are abbreviated as follows: L — total length of pronotum and elytra, Lp —pronotal length, Wpb — pronotal width across base,Wpmax — maximal pronotal width, We — elytral
width across humeri.

Taxonomic part
Iliotona gilli Sokolov et Tishechkin sp. n.
Figs 1–4
MATERIAL. Holotype, #, labeled “GUAT: Zacapa 3km W
Teculutan 3.VI.1991 B.D.Gill 300m / Holotype Iliotona gilli sp. n.
des. A. Sokolov and A. Tishechkin.” Paratypes, 1# and 1$, labeled

as the holotype except with paratype instead of the holotype
designation labels. The holotype is deposited in the Canadian
National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Ottawa;paratypes — in private collections of B. D. Gill, Ottawa, and A.V.
Sokolov, Moscow.

DESCRIPTION. Habitus as illustrated (Fig. 1). L=10.1
mm. Black, elongate, almost parallel-sided. Pronotum
opaque, elytra smooth. Legs black, club of antennae grey.
Head massive, subopaque. Front flattened, with very shallow and sparse punctures, those being much coarser anddenser at occipital area. Supraorbital striae well developed, reaching the anterior edge of eyes. Front with twoshallow impressions around short, but distinct frontal striae. Punctures in this impressed area somewhat coarser anddenser. Mandibles straight, feebly curved near apex, punctured. Basal parts of mandibles dilated, each inner edge
with large, acute, transverse basal tooth and very small one
proximally. Female paratype has additional median small
obtuse tooth.
Pronotum opaque laterally, subopaque on disk, markedly transversal, lateral sides rounded, widest near apical
one-third, Wpmax=8.2 mm; Wpb=7.9 mm; Lp=4.6 mm.
Median longitudinal stria fine, occupies basal two-thirdsof pronotal length. Pronotal disk with punctures as onhead. Marginal stria presents in anterior one-third only.
Lateral pronotal sides with two striate grooves extending
inwardly and anteriorly, one longer and deeper, irregularlyinterrupted around its midpoint, runs from basal angle,
another shorter and shallower — from around midpoint oflateral margin (Fig. 2). Small striate fragment presents
near anterior end of basal groove. Apical pronotal angles
strongly flattened, with rugose puncturation, without notches apically.
Elytra smooth, as wide as pronotum at base, feebly
dilated at humeri, slightly narrowing posteriorly, withsparse and fine punctures, We=8.4 mm. Humeral stria
extends from humeri posteriorly, abbreviated at apex. First
dorsal stria short, basal, about one-fourth of elytral length.
Several irregular, short, deep striae present around anterior angles. Second dorsal stria thin, but distinct, long,slightly reduced basally, somewhat fragmented apically,

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Alexander V. Sokolov & Alexey K. Tishechkin

2134Figs 1–4. Iliotona gilli sp.n. 1 — habitus; 2 — pronotum; 3–4 — aedeagus; 1–3 — dorsal view; 4 — lateral view.
Рис. 1–4. Iliotona gilli sp.n. 1 — габитус; 2 — переднеспинка; 3–4 — эдеагус; 1–3 — сверху; 4 — сбоку.

Description of a new species of the genus Iliotona
extreme fragments extend almost to apex. No traces ofother dorsal striae present. Outer apical angles opaque as
surfaces of head and pronotum. Visible parts of 5-th tergite
opaque, with coarse sparse punctures. Propygidium opaque,with a mixture of sparse smaller and larger punctures,
being coarser, larger and slightly denser laterally. Pygidium opaque, evenly coarsely and densely punctured (distances between punctures equal to1.0–1.8 punctures diameters), punctures being somewhat shallower towards apex;
with circular impression at each side. Mesosternum withmarginal stria widely interrupted anteriorly. Discs of mesoand metasternum opaque, their sides rugose, with shortthick redish-brown setae. Lateral metasternal striae long,almost reaching metacoxa. Upper surface of meso- andmetatibia covered pale reddish setae; setae being longer
along outer and inner edges and are arranged into tworows, outer row being situated above teeth.
Sexual dimorphism. In males, body is relatively wider
than in females, male heads are more massive, mandibles arelonger. Mandibles in females with an extra tooth.
Aedeagus as in illustrated (Figs 3–4).
ETYMOLOGY. The new species is dedicated to its collector, Bruce Gill, in recognition of our long term collaboration and his contributions to tropical beetle collecting.
BIOLOGY. All specimens of I. gilli sp.n. were collectedfrom rotting decaying section of a giant cactus.
COMPARATIVE REMARKS. The new species is similar to I. dorcoides Lewis, which is the only other species ofthe genus possessing lateral pronotal grooves. I. gilli sp.n.
can be distinguished from the latter by the larger size, distinctly opaque pronotum and shape of its grooves. Following
key [updated from Sokolov, 2005] can be used to separate theIliotona species:49

KEY FOR ILIOTONA CARNOCHAN, 1917 SPECIES
1 Pygidium without marginal stria ................................. 2— Pygidium with sulcate marginal stria along apex ..........
......................................... I. cacti (J.L. LeConte, 1851)
2 Lateral sides of pronotum with angular projection, without lateral grooves ........ I. markushevae Sokolov, 2005
— Lateral side of pronotum without angular projection, withdeep lateral grooves .................................................... 33 Smaller (L=6.4–8.5 mm). Pronotum smooth, its lateralgrooves transversally oriented .......................................
............................................. I. dorcoides (Lewis, 1888)— Larger (L=10 mm). Pronotum opaque, posterior lateralgrooves more or less longitudinal, anterior grooves oblique ............................................................ I. gilli sp.n.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. We are grateful to Bruce
Gill (Ottawa), who made specimens of this prominent new
species available for description. Special thanks are due toProf. K.V. Makarov (Moscow) for this help with the photosof holotype.

References
Carnochan F.G. 1917. Hololeptinae of the United States // Annals of
the Entomological Society of America. Vol.10. P.367–398.
Kovarik P.W. & Caterino M.S. 2005. Histeridae Gyllenhal, 1808.
Handbuch of Zoology. Vol.4(38). P.190–222.
Sokolov A.V. 2005. Additions to hister beetles (Coleoptera, Histeridae) fauna of Cuba, with description of new species of genus
Iliotona Carnochan, 1917 // Russian Entomological Journal.
Vol.14. No.1. P.83–85.
Schaeffer C. 1907. Notes on Histeridae // Entomological News.
Vol.18. P.301–306.