Dorcadion pusillum subsp. vasiliscus Dascălu 2018, ssp. nov.
Creators: name: Dascălu, Maria-Magdalena
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Cerambycidae
Dorcadion
Dorcadion pusillum
Dorcadion pusillum vasiliscus

description: Dorcadion pusillum vasiliscus ssp. nov.
Figs 1E, 2A, 4J–O, 5J, K, 6D, F–H.
Description. Male. Body length: 8.4–10.7 mm (n = 32); body width: 3.2–4.1 mm (n = 32). Body black. Antenna usually black, except sometimes basal half or more reddish-brown. Legs black to dark brown with tibiae reddishbrown basally and sometimes fore tibia almost entirely reddish. Pronotum 0.71–0.98× as wide basally as long (n = 32), with setiferous punctures distinctly separated mesally and denser and partly conjugated on sides; lateral tubercle small, with acute, moderately long spine. Pronotum dorsally with brown background pubescence, a median white stripe and sparse whitish pubescence laterally, mostly on tubercle. Elytra moderately convex, 1.73– 1.99× longer than wide (n = 32), with dense, fine microsculpture and sparse small setiferous punctures; punctuation deeper and denser on humeral depression. Humeral carina roughly sculptured basally and well visible in basal third of elytra. Background elytral pubescence blackish-brown. Humeral stripe reduced to a small humeral spot of white pubescence; exceptionally (one specimen) with sparse off-white setae towards apex of elytra (Fig. 4N). Dorsal stripe completely absent (Fig. 4J–M, O). Sutural stripe white. Small confluent spots of velvety black pubescence along sutural stripe form a subsutural stripe with irregular, sinuate border. Elytra without a mottled pattern as velvety black spots of pubescence on elytral disc absent (Fig. 4J–O). Lateral stripe similarly white on and above epipleuron, in most specimens not mottled. Endophallus with the same morphology as the nominal subspecies (Fig. 6D, F–H).
Female. Differs from male by larger size (body length 9.7–12.6 mm, n = 21), proportionately wider elytra, with more developed humeral and dorsal carinae; the pronotum with more prominent, sharper spines.
Androchrome females (with a male-like elytral pubescence pattern) (Fig. 5J, K) frequent. Autochrome females very rare (Fig. 1E). In these females background elytral pubescence brown, humeral and dorsal stripes light gray, without spots of black pubescence. Humeral stripe wider than dorsal (about as wide as interval between humeral and dorsal stripes or wider), both fused at elytral apex. Sutural stripe white. Subsutural stripe in form of small, more or less confluent spots of velvety black pubescence along sutural stripe.
Etymology. From the Romanian word vasilisc (Latin basiliscus), a legendary creature variously represented as a combination of a snake and a rooster. Noun in apposition. The general resemblance of D. pusillum vasiliscus ssp. nov. with other two species (D. murrayi Küster and D. axillare) inspired its name.
Remarks. The new subspecies does not have the elytral pubescence pattern of the nominal subspecies. Thus, males of D. p. vasiliscus differ from those of D. p. pusillum by the complete absence of the elytral stripes and black elytral spots and by their darker antenna. They differ from the geographically close D. p. ochrolineatum by the white colour of the sutural and median pronotal stripes (pale yellow to rusty-yellow in D. p. ochrolineatum) and by the complete absence of the dorsal and humeral elytral stripes and black elytral spots. Males of D. p. vasiliscus resemble those of D. p. tanaiticum (located on the opposite extremity of the species distribution range) in the dark colour of background pubescence and the absence of the black elytral spots, but differ by the absence of humeral and dorsal elytral stripes which in D. p. tanaiticum are present even if hardly visible (Fig. 4P). Also, in D. p. tanaiticum, the subsutural stripe is visible only under certain angles of light.
By the elytral pattern of males, D. p. vasiliscus ssp. nov. resembles two other species from the same geographic area, D. murrayi (Fig. 2A, B) and D. axillare (Fig. 6 in Dascălu & Fusu 2012). In all three taxa the males have elytra with uniform dark pubescence and without pale stripes except for the white sutural stripe. However, in the morphology of the endophallus (Fig. 6A, B, D, F–K) and other characters detailed in Table 2, the three mentioned taxa can be easily distinguished. Even if by external morphology D. p. vasiliscus resembles D. murrayi or D. axillare, the endophallus of D. p. vasiliscus is as in D. p. pusillum (Fig. 6C, D).
In the pattern of the elytral stripes and background pubescence, the rare autochrome females of D. p. vasiliscus (Fig. 1E) resemble those of D. murrayi, D. a. axillare and D. a. moldavicum Dascălu & Fusu; the androchrome females are also similar as discussed above for the males (compare Fig. 5J, K with Fig. 2C, D and Fig. 6 in Dascălu & Fusu 2012). The frequency of autochrome females further differentiates D. p. vasiliscus from the other three subspecies of D. pusillum. In this subspecies the vast majority of the females are androchrome, in D. p. pusillum and D. p. ochrolineatum androchrome females are extremely rare while in D. p. tanaiticum the female is always autochrome (Kasatkin 2002).
Distribution. Romania: Curvature Subcarpathians (Vrancea and Buzău counties) (Fig. 7).
D. p. vasiliscus ssp. nov. D. murrayi D. axillare
body length: 8.4–10.7 mm (n = 32) body length: 11.3–14.5 mm (n = 27) body length: 9.6–14.3 mm (n = 79)
antenna black, except sometimes basal half antenna totally black antenna black with first joint lighter, or more, reddish-brown brownish-red
pronotum with sharp spines pronotum with more obtuse spines pronotum with sharp (ssp.
moldavicum) to blunt spines (nominal
subspecies)
elytra 1.73–1.96 times longer than wide elytra 1.95–2.29 times longer than elytra 1.71–2.09 times longer than wide (n=32) (except one with 1.99)* wide (n=27) (except one with 1.91)* (n=79)
elytra convex, with humeral carina visible in elytra dorsally flattened, with well elytra convex, with humeral carina the basal third developed humeral carina reaching visible in the basal third
almost to the apex
elytra with blackish-brown background elytra with blackish-brown elytra with pure black background pubescence background pubescence pubescence
humeral white spot present humeral spot absent or present humeral white spot present
subsutural stripe formed by confluent spots subsutural stripe in form of a black subsutural stripe absent of black pubescence band of pubescence
legs black to dark brown with tibiae reddish- legs black with tibiae reddish-brown legs brownish-red brown basally basally
medial tube basad of central bladder swollen a second smaller bladder absent a second smaller bladder absent forming a second smaller bladder
angle between central trunk and central central trunk is turned to the central angle between central trunk and central bladder obtuse, yet central bend distinct bladder at an acute angle hence central bladder obtuse and dorsal swelling very (Fig. 6D) bend very distinct (Fig. 6A) reduced hence central bend almost
indistinct (Fig. 6B)
ventral swelling of central bladder simple, ventral swelling of central bladder ventral swelling of central bladder not bifid (Fig. 6H); dorsal swelling not bifid (Fig. 6K); dorsal swelling simple, not bifid (Fig. 6B); dorsal expanded (Fig. 6G) expanded laterally (Fig. 6J) swelling not expanded
apical bulb covered with larger microspines apical bulb covered with smaller apical bulb covered with smaller (about 21–25 µm) (Fig. 6F, G) microspines (about 14–19 µm) (Fig. microspines (about 14–17 µm)
6I, J)
(*) the difference between mean values statistically significant (t-test, p = 2.4×10-16)
Type material. Holotype, ♂: Romania, Vrancea, Beceni, Izvoru Dulce, mal Slănic peste râu [over Slănic river], 30.IV.2011, leg. Dascălu, Fusu & Chinan / Holotypus Dorcadion pusillum vasiliscus ssp. nov. Det. Dascălu M. M. 2016 [MDCO]. Paratypes: ROMANIA: Vrancea, Beceni, Izvoru Dulce, mal stâng, râu Slănic [left bank of Slănic river], 30.IV.2011, leg. Dascălu, Fusu & Chinan (18♂♂, 4♀♀ androchrome, 2♀♀ autochrome, one without head and pronotum, the other one abraded); Romania, Vrancea, Beceni, Izvoru Dulce, mal Slănic peste râu [over Slănic river], 30.IV.2011, leg. Dascălu, Fusu & Chinan (8♂♂, 3♀♀ androchrome); Romania, Buzău, Pădure Spătaru [Spătaru forest], 30.IV.2011, leg. Dascălu, Fusu & Chinan (36♂♂, 12♀♀ androchrome) and 26. IV.2017, leg. Fusu & Chinan (13♂♂); Romania, Buzău, Câlnău river, 29–30.IV.2011, leg. Dascălu, Fusu & Chinan (2♂♂, 2♀♀ autochrome, 2♀♀ androchrome); Romania, Buzău Co., Slănic river, near Aldeni, 30.IV.2011, leg. Dascălu, Fusu & Chinan (1♀ androchrome); Buzău, 2 km from Joseni village, on Sărăţel river border, 29.IV.2012, leg. Dascălu, Fusu, Chinan & Mânzu (5♂♂, 1♀ androchrome, 1♀ autochrome) [MDCO]; Dealul Balauru, la vest de [west of] Izvoru Dulce Beceni, Buzău, 15.IV.2002, leg. Viorel Ungureanu (1♀ autochrome) [MGAB, Nr. 206, Serafim coll.]; Pădure Spătaru, Costești (BZ), 12.V.1987, leg. N. Găldean (6♂♂, 1♀ autochrome) [MGAB, Nr. 199, Serafim coll.].
Abraded specimens excluded from the type series: La poalele Dealului Balauru, la vest de Izvoru Dulce Beceni, pe malul Slănicului, 12.V.2004, leg. Viorel Ungureanu (1♀ autochrome) [MGAB, Nr. 206, Serafim coll.]; Roumanie, Cornurile Prahova, A. L. Montandon (1♀ autochrome, Fig. 1E) [MGAB, Nr. 199, Serafim coll.].
Comparative material of Dorcadion murrayi. Romania: Vaslui Co., Gara Tălăşman, 4.VI.2003, leg. Dascălu M. M. (3♂♂); Vaslui Co., Chirceşti, 27.IV.2006, leg. Dascălu, Fusu & Chinan (2♂♂); Vaslui Co., Chiţcani, 11.V.2008, leg. Fusu & Chinan (8♂♂); Vaslui Co., Gara Banca, 11.V.2008, leg. Dascălu, Fusu & Chinan (3♂♂); Galaţi Co., Bălăbăneşti, 13.V.2008, leg. Fusu L. (2♂♂); Vaslui Co., Gara Roşieşti, 29.V.2010, leg. Gherghel I. (1♂); Buzău Co., Aldeni, 30.IV.2011, leg. Dascălu, Fusu & Chinan (1♂); Buzău, Pădure Spătaru [Spătaru forest], 30.IV.2011, leg. Dascălu, Fusu & Chinan (4♂♂); Buzău, 2 km from Joseni village, on
Sărăţel river border, 29.IV.2012, leg. Dascălu, Fusu, Chinan & Mânzu (1♂); Buzău Co., Pâclele, Berca, 29.IV.2012, leg. Dascălu, Fusu, Chinan & Mânzu) (1♂); Dolj Co., Murta, 25.V.2013, leg. Iorgu I. (1♂). Comparative material of Dorcadion axillare: specimens listed in Dascălu & Fusu (2012).
description: Published as part of Dascălu, Maria-Magdalena, 2018, The subspecific structure of Dorcadion (Cribridorcadion) pusillum Küster (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) with description of two new subspecies from Romania, pp. 43-62 in Zootaxa 4442 (1) on pages 55-59, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4442.1.2, http://zenodo.org/record/1301410