Parygrus maya Barr and Shepard 2020, new species
Creators: name: Barr, Cheryl B.
name: Shepard, William D.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Dryopidae
Parygrus
Parygrus maya

description: Parygrus maya Barr and Shepard, new species
(Figs 1, 4, 12, 13)
http://zoobank.org/ DCFAFCB8-D6F7-4454-95DA-54A02957EF03
Type material. Holotype male. MEXICO. “ MEXICO: Quintana Roo / Isla de Cozumel, W side / 4.5km S Chankanaab NP / 12-X-1997 coll. C.B. Barr // shallow roadside / ditch/wet grassy area // HOLOTYPE / Parygrus maya / Barr & Shepard” [red label, handwritten] (UNAM). Paratypes (78; 43 M, 35 F). BELIZE (17 M, 13 F). BELIZE: Cayo / Dist., Mile 66 / Western Hwy., W.D. Hasse / VII-5-1969 [?] // Property of Florida / State Collection of / Arthropods (1 F, FSCA); BELIZE: Cayo Dist / Belmopan airport / 8.VIII.1993 / at blacklights // William D. / Shepard, leg. (1 M, EMEC); BELIZE: Cayo Dist. / Las Cuevas Field / Station, Millionario / Camp, Tapir Pond / 30-VI-2019, D.L.Post // 16.75275, -89.00840 / elevation 605 m (1 M, 2 F, EMEC); BELIZE: Stann Cr. Dist. / Bocawina – Pond / near Silk Grass Creek / 07-VIII-2017, D. L. Post (10 M, 7 F, EMEC; 1 M, 1 F, FSCA; 1 M, 1 F, NHMUK; 1 M, 1 F, USNM); BELIZE: Toledo District: Hickatee / Cottages, 2.6 km W of Punta Gorda / on Ex-Serviceman Rd. 15-21.vi.2008 / 16°05′40′′N 88°49′57.9′′W 10m, ex: / mercury vapor lamp, F.G. Andrews (2 M, CSCA). COSTA RICA (2 M, 7 F). La Pacifica, 4 Km / N.W. Canas, Costa / Rica, Guanacaste / Prov., VIII-26-71 / P.A.Opler, collr. // U. V. light trap (1 F, EMEC); COSTA RICA: Guanacaste / 8 km NW Filadelfia / 16 VI 2003 280′ / Roadside pool // William D. / Shepard, leg. (1F, EMEC); C.R., Heredia, La / Selva Biol.Sta. 2 Km. / S.Pt.Viejo:VI-3-5-84 / Riley, Rider & LeDoux (1 M, LSAM); C.R., Heredia / 1 Km S. Pt. Viejo / VI-4-5-84: E.Riley / D.Rider & D.LeDoux (3 F, LSAM); COSTA RICA: Heredia / Pr: La Selva Biol.Sta. / 3 km S Pto. Viejo / 10°2′6N 84°01′W // 20. v. 1990 / H.A. Hespenheide (1 F, EMEC); COSTA RICA: Heredia / Est. Biol. La Selva / 03 July 2001 / CL & SL Staines / Taken / at light (1 M, EMEC); COSTA RICA: Heredia / La Selva Biol. St. / 14-15-I-2005 / HG-vapor lights / A.E.Z.Short, leg. (1F, EMEC). GUATEMALA (2 M, 1 F). GUATEMALA: Dept. Iza- / bal, Quirigua Ruins, / near Los Amates, 61m / 4-IX-1976 / Edward S. Ross / Cal. Acad. Sci. Coll. (1M, CASC); GUATAMALA [GUATEMALA]: Izabel [Izabal] / Ruinas Quirigua / VII-5-1977 / E.M.Fisher coll. (1M, CSCA); GUATEMALA: Peten: / Ruinas Tikal / 245m. 7/10 July 77 / E.M. & J.L.Fisher (1 F, CASC). MEXICO (15 M, 14 F). MEXICO: Quintana Roo / 17km NW Felipe / Carrillo Puerto / 17-VI-1990 / coll. M.C. Thomas (1 M, FSCA); MEX: Quintana Roo / 20 Km. N. Felipe Car- / rillo Puerto: VI- / 12-14-83: E.Riley (1 M, 1 F, LSAM); MEXICO: Quintana Roo / Isla de Cozumel, SW side / 2 mi. W Cedral, 6-X-1993 / C.B.Barr & W.D.Shepard // shallow roadside / ditch/wet grassy area (2 M, 2 F, EMEC); MEX- ICO: Quintana Roo / Isla de Cozumel, SW side / 2 mi. W Cedral, 8-X-1993 / C.B.Barr & W.D.Shepard // shallow
roadside / ditch/wet grassy area (1 M, 1 F, EMEC); MEXICO: Quintana Roo / Isla de Cozumel, E end / Cross Island Rd., 7-X-1993 / C.B.Barr & W.D.Shepard // shallow / roadside pond (1 F, EMEC); MEXICO: Quintana Roo / Isla de Cozumel, W side / 4.5km S Chankanaab NP / 11-X-1997 coll. C.B. Barr // shallow roadside / ditch/wet grassy area (2 F, EMEC); MEXICO: Quintana Roo / Isla de Cozumel, W side / 4.5km S Chankanaab NP / 12-X-1997 coll. C.B. Barr // shallow roadside / ditch/wet grassy area (3 M, 2 F, EMEC; 1 M, 1 F, UNAM); MEXICO: Quintana Roo / Isla de Cozumel, W side / 4.4km S Chankanaab NP / 13-X-1997 coll. C.B. Barr // shallow roadside / ditch/wet grassy area (4 M, 2 F, EMEC; 3 M, 1 F, UNAM); MEXICO: Veracruz / Experiment Sta. / Cotaxtla / 24.VI.1958 / In light trap (1 F, CASC). NICARAGUA (1 M). NICARAGUA: Granada Prov., Domitila Reserva / Silvestre Privada ESE / Nandaime, elev. 400’ / 11°42.5′N, 85°57.2′W // 9-VI-2005, C.B. Barr / C.S. Chaboo & W.D. / Shepard, collected at / blacklight near river (1 M, EMEC). PANAMA (6 M). PANAMA: Canal Zone / Fort Kobbe: 9 June 1976 / coll: E. G. Riley / black light trap (2 M, UMC); PANAMA: Prov. Coclé / 5 rd. km S of Anton / nr. Los Pantones, BL/MV / 29-VIII-2006, C.B.Barr // 08°21.342′ N / 80°16.515′ W / elevation 59 ft. (1M, EMEC); PANAMA: Coclé / 5 km S Anton / 29 VIII 06 59′ / Black & MV lights // Doug / Post, leg. (3 M, EMEC; 1M, STRI). All paratypes also have the following final label: PARATYPE / Parygrus maya / Barr & Shepard [yellow label, printed].
Diagnosis. The male genitalia of Parygrus maya n. sp. (Fig. 13) are distinctive (among species for which the genitalia are known), although they are somewhat similar to those of P. erichsoni (Fig. 7) in that they bear a subapical tooth on each paramere. In the latter species, however, the penis is longer, nearly reaches the paramere teeth, while in P. maya n. sp. the penis does not closely approach the teeth. Externally they are also dissimilar as follows: Parygrus maya n. sp. is covered in setae that are moderately long, fine, yellow, and semi-erect on the dorsum; and the pronotum is usually almost as wide at apex as base. Parygrus erichsoni has setae that are longer, coarse, dark, and erect on the dorsum; and the pronotum is wider at base than apex.
Description. Holotype male. Cuticle dark brown, legs, antennae and mouthparts lighter; elongate, subcylindrical; length 4.35 mm (pronotum + elytra), width 1.60 mm; body covered with erect and semi-erect, long, golden setae and much shorter, recumbent setae (Fig. 12).
Head dark brown; punctuation fine, dense, punctures separated by about 1x puncture diameter; setae moderately long; vertex with shallow median depression; frons raised and protruding forward between antennal bases, anterior margin arcuate, distance between antennal bases less than length of antennomere 1. Antenna with antennomeres 1 and 2 light brown, setose, antennomeres 3–11 yellow, densely setose; antennomere 1 nearly as long as antennomere 2; antennomere 2 covering antennomeres 3–5. Clypeus densely setose, coarsely punctate, barely emarginate. Maxillary palpus with terminal palpomere elongate, subcylindrical, weakly curved. Labrum emarginate, densely setose, border fringed with long setae. Labial palpus with terminal palpomere subrectangular, slightly flattened; length about 2/3 that of terminal maxillary palpomere.
Pronotum dark brown; weakly convex, disc slightly flattened at center; length 1.00 mm, width 1.25 mm, widest at middle. Anterior margin straight except at strongly acute, depressed, anterolateral angles; lateral margins nearly parallel, weakly sinuate at lateral angles, narrowly margined, fringed with erect setae; posterolateral angles acute, explanate; posterior border trisinuate. Disc punctuation fine, slightly coarser than on head, punctures separated by slightly less than 1x puncture diameter; setae moderately long. Scutellum: dark brown; subcircular; anterior margin weakly arcuate between two anterolateral notches; disc weakly convex; punctation very fine.
Elytron dark brown, length 3.40 mm, width 0.80 mm, convex, narrowest at basal 1/3, widest at apical 1/3. Humeral angle rounded; lateral margin widened and shallowly sulcate at basal 1/3, entire length narrowly margined; apex acute. Disc strongly punctate and striate with deep, closely spaced punctures distinct from near base to apex, intervals weakly convex; setae shorter than on pronotum, semi-erect and recumbent, uniformly distributed. Hind wing: macropterous.
Legs. Profemur red-brown, covered with fine, evenly spaced punctures and long, recumbent golden setae; protibia red-brown, mostly bare and shiny, dorsal surface with sparse, very long setae, ventral surface with dense row of short, stiff setae, deflexed and slightly swollen at apical 1/2, ventral apex with ventral granulate carina and narrow spines; protarsus yellow-brown, shiny, dorsal surface with sparse, very long setae, ventral surface with row of short, erect setae, protarsomeres 4 and 5 each with a few much-longer dorsal setae. Mesofemur similar to profemur; mesotibia red-brown, ventral setae much longer than those of protibia; mesotarsus similar to protarsus except ventral setae much longer, weakly arcuate at apical 1/2 with spinose ventral apex. Metafemur, and metatarsus similar to those of mesoleg, metatibia straight with spines at ventral apex.
Venter red-brown; heavily setose; finely to coarsely punctate. Prosternum with anterior border narrowly margined; prosternal process wide between procoxae, parallel-sided with thick margins; process with median longitudinal carina, bordered laterally by shallow sulci, terminating in an elongate protuberance near apex. Metaventrite with intercoxal process margined and depressed; posterior disc weakly depressed at junction of sulcate metakatepisternal suture and metathoracic discrimen. Abdomen with some setae longer than on rest of body except legs; ventrite 1 with triangular intercoxal process weakly depressed between metacoxae, thickly margined laterally; ventrites 2–4 of equal length, finely and evenly punctate at center of disc, coarser laterally, aligned with faint, transverse strigae; ventrite 5 longest, disc coarsely punctate, covered with long setae prominent at margins.
Genitalia. Aedeagus stout (Fig. 13). Phallobase about 1.5x longer than parameres and a little wider than paramere bases together. Parameres each blade-like, inner surface concave; in dorsal view each with an inward-facing tooth just before apex; teeth overlap with apices not contacting, producing an apical notch; in lateral view each paramere wide, curved ventrally, ventral surface broadly arcuate, dorsal surface sinuate, paramere tip acute. Penis about 2/3 length of parameres, in dorsal view wider at midlength than paramere at midlength; elongate-oval, dorsum strongly longitudinally carinate, apex pointed.
Intraspecific variation. Other than size and sexually dimorphic characters, there is very little discernable difference among individuals. There is about 1 mm variation in length among specimens of the same sex, and females are slightly larger than males: males 4.10–4.95 mm long (n=22); females 4.30–5.45 mm long (n=16). Males have deflexed protibiae, each with a granulate carina on the ventral apex; females have protibiae arcuate and lack carinae. In both males and females there is slight variation between individuals in respect to the shape of the pronotal lateral margins, the scutellar shape, and the degree of prosternal process sculpturing. Some specimens are much paler in color and are likely teneral.
Geographic distribution. Southern Mexico through Central America (Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama) (Fig. 4).
Etymology. This new species is named in honor of the Maya, the indigenous people of northwestern Mesoamerica who inhabit part of the area where this species occurs.
Habitat and behavior. At the type locality and two other collection sites on the Isla de Cozumel, Mexico, P. maya n. sp. was found in shallow water in roadside ditches and small ponds with a primary substrate of limestone bedrock. The most productive collecting site was mostly shaded, with cool water and abundant emergent vegetation (Fig. 1). The beetles occurred together with Pelonomus on the submerged stems of emergent plants and could be seen beneath the water surface encased in silvery bubbles of air. One of the beetles captured in a net was released to observe its behavior: It initially floated atop the water for a few seconds, then struggled to break through the surface film in order to submerge itself. After doing so, it crawled upside-down beneath the film until it encountered and grasped the submerged portion of a grass stem. In Panama we collected P. maya n. sp. at black and mercury vapor lights adjacent to a drainage ditch and rice fields.
All but one of our collections of P. maya n. sp. have been in conjunction with collections of Pelonomus. Both genera are semiaquatic and appear to share the same types of lentic habitats.
description: Published as part of Barr, Cheryl B. & Shepard, William D., 2020, Hiding in plain sight: rediscovery and review of Parygrus Erichson, 1847, with description of five new species from the Neotropics (Coleoptera: Byrrhoidea Dryopidae), pp. 99-128 in Zootaxa 4755 (1) on pages 111-114, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4755.1.4, http://zenodo.org/record/3724261