Folia Entomológica Mexicana ISSN: 0430-8603 [email protected] Sociedad Mexicana de Entomología, A.C. México Shepard, William D.; Roughley, Rob E.; Porras, Wendy The natural history of lepicerus inaequalis motschulsky (coleoptera: myxophaga: lepiceridae) in Costa Rica, and additional morphological descriptions Folia Entomológica Mexicana, vol. 44, núm. Su1, noviembre, 2005, pp. 97-105 Sociedad Mexicana de Entomología, A.C. Xalapa, México Disponible en: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=42409912 Cómo citar el artículo Número completo Sistema de Información Científica Más información del artículo Red de Revistas Científicas de América Latina, el Caribe, España y Portugal Página de la revista en redalyc.org Proyecto académico sin fines de lucro, desarrollado bajo la iniciativa de acceso abierto Folia Entomol. Mex., 44 (Supl. 1): 97-105 (2005) THE NATURAL HISTORY OF LEPICERUS INAEQUALIS MOTSCHULSKY (COLEOPTERA: MYXOPHAGA: LEPICERIDAE) IN COSTA RICA, AND ADDITIONAL MORPHOLOGICAL DESCRIPTIONS W ILLIAM D. SHEPARD*, ROB E. ROUGHLEY** AND WENDY PORRAS*** *Essig Museum of Entomology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA, [email protected], (510) 243- 1843, FAX (510) 642-7428 **Department of Entomology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2, [email protected] , (204) 474-6023, FAX (204) 474-7628 ***Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Santo Domingo, Heredia, Costa Rica Shepard, W.D., R.E. Roughley and W. Porras. 2005. The natural history of Lepicerus inaequalis Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Myxophaga: Lepiceridae) in Costa Rica, and additional morphological descriptions. Folia Entomol. Mex., 44 (Supl. 1): 97-105. ABSTRACT: New information on the habitat, natural history, and behavior is provided which should make collecting of Lepicerus more successful. New morphological descriptions are provided, especially to answer questions resulting from previous work. Key Words: Lepicerus inaequalis, Lepiceridae, biology, Costa Rica, behavior, description. Shepard, W.D., R.E. Roughley y W. Porras. 2005. Historia natural de Lepicerus inaequalis Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Myxophaga: Lepiceridae) en Costa Rica, y descripciones morfológicas. Folia Entomol. Mex., 44 (Supl. 1): 97-105. RESUMEN: Se proporciona nueva información referente al hábitat, historia natural y comportamiento, lo cual ayudaría en realizar las colectas de Lepicerus en forma mas eficiente. Se proporcionan además descripciones en base a morfología y en particular información a preguntas correspondientes a trabajos anteriores. Palabras Clave: Lepicerus inaequalis, Lepiceridae, biologia, Costa Rica, conducta, descripción. The literature about members of the family Le- Obispo, Panama1 . Sharp (1882) described Cya- piceridae is not numerous, scattered and in three thocerus horni from Guatemala, being unaware languages. Hinton reviewed all the literature up of Motschulsky’s description. Later, Hinton to 1936, and Reichardt reviewed that published (1933) described C. bufo from Mexico. Eventua- between 1936 and 1976. Currently, Lepiceridae lly Hinton (1936) discovered Motschulsky’s ear- contains only two valid species: Lepicerus inae- lier description and synonymized Cyathocerus qualis Motschulsky, 1855 and L. bufo (Hinton, under Lepicerus. Then Reichardt (1976) exami- 1933) (Reichardt, 1976). The taxonomy of Lepi- ned the type of L. inaequalis and synonymized L. ceridae is a bit convoluted given the small num- ber of species involved. In 1855 Motschulsky pu- blished his description of L. inaequalis from 1 Motschulsky’s description was in a letter to M. Ménétriés, written in 1854 while at sea. The letter was published in 1855 by Motschulsky in his annual volume on entomological studies. Shepard et al.: Lepicerus biology horni under L. inaequalis. mens of L. inaequalis known from Costa Rica. A Lepicerus bufo is known from the states of Me- re-examination of that collection site led to xico, Sonora and Morelos within Mexico (Arce- collection of additional specimens and eventually Pérez, 1997; Arce-Pérez and Novelo-Gutiérrez, to their discovery at other locations. Thus, suffi- 1988) while L. inaequalis is known from Central cient specimens have accumulated for more America and Venezuela (Grouvelle, 1889). Ad- extensive study and description. ditional distributional data for Lepicerus spp. are presented by Chandler (1973). Beutel (1998/99) MATERIAL AND METHODS has redescribed L. inaequalis (as L. horni) and The first specimens to be collected were pre- discussed the phylogenetic position of Lepiceri- served in ethyl alcohol. Those are now pointed dae relative to other families in the suborder and in the collection at INBio. Additional spe- Myxophaga. Dorsal habitus drawings of adults cimens have been collected and are currently are presented in Reichardt (1976) and Arce-Pérez being studied in various ways at different insti- y Novelo-Gutiérrez (1988). A partial ventral ha- tutions. Some of those specimens were used in bitus drawing and drawings of other selected studies reported here. adult parts are presented in Beutel (1998/99). A collection of living specimens was initially No immature stages have ever been found, and divided into four containers on 16 December even for adults very few specimens are known. 2002. Two round containers (7 cm dia) were set The paucity of specimens has resulted in little up to hold 20 specimens each. About 2.5 cm of study of the external morphology, and none of sand from the source habitat was placed in the the internal morphology. This lack of analysis bottom of each container. These containers were has led to various questions. One question con- the main ones used for observing their behavior. cerns the presence or absence of a plastron. Hin- Observations were made only during the daytime. ton (1933) mentions none in his description of Two other containers, similar to the first two but Cyathocerus bufo and in his comments on Cya- slightly larger, were used to maintain most of the thocerus horni (=L. inaequalis). Reichardt living specimens. They contained an unknown (1976) said the specimens of L. bufo he examined number of individuals and only a few observa- had a ventral plastron, leading him to call the tions were made on these specimens. All contain- adults aquatic. Beutel (1998/99) cites the absence ers were provided with a fine nylon screen mesh of a plastron on the abdominal ventrites of L. beneath the lid of the container. The sand in all horni (= L. inaequalis). Motschulsky (1855) says containers was wetted with distilled water as ne- the body is covered with a clayey crust. A second cessary to maintain a moist habitat as similar as question deals with the genders. Reichardt (1976) possible to the moisture levels at the source site. has noted the co-occurrence of the two species Observations were made under an Olympus dis- and raised the question of whether or not they secting scope with a fiber optic light source. might represent the two genders of one species. Specimens examined using scanning electron A third question concerns a supposed fungal microscopy (SEM) were air-dried, mounted symbiosis. Crowson (1981) cited “sub-antennal either on a stub with double stick tape or glued to cavities on the head which could serve” as fungal a minuten pin held in a vise-like stub. After spore storage and transport structures. mounting, specimens were gold-coated and ima- In the course of a survey of the aquatic beetles ged in a Zeiss DSM 940 SEM. of Costa Rica for the Instituto Nacional de Biodi- versidad (INBio), we collected the first speci- 98 Folia Entomol. Mex., 44 (Supl. 1) (2005) RESULTS AND DISCUSSION took L. bufo at the air-water interface amid aqua- Collection Records. Specimens were collected tic plants. The exposed sand on the sand bars at from the following localities: COSTA RICA: Ni- Rio Carmona is free of almost all organic mate- coya Peninsula, Provincia Guanacaste, Nan- rial. At Quebrada Blanca, L. inaequalis was co- dayure, Rio Carmona at Finca Agua Fria, 10-30m llected on accumulated sand just below a small elevation, 1-7 March 2002, L_N_222550, bedrock waterfall. Rio Diria is a large river with 399550 (or 10°01'23"N 85°14'22"W), W. Porras broad banks of gravel and sand. Lepicerus inae- coll., 7 specimens; same locality but 26 Novem- qualis was taken only in areas with coarse sand ber 2002, W. Porras, R. E. Roughley and W. D. and at a distance of about 0.5 m from the water Shepard colls., 7 specimens; same locality but 15 margin. The Manglar Javilla site is a mangrove- December 2002, W. Porras coll., $ 100 speci- lined estuary, and the specimens here were taken mens; same locality but 15 January 2003, W. near a light. Porras, A. E. Z. Short and R. E. Roughley colls., Lepicerus inaequalis has been reported from mercury vapor lamp on river bank, $ 10 spe- “piles of damp trash left ... by the alternate rising cimens; COSTA RICA: Nicoya Peninsula, Pro- and receding of the river” (Hinton, 1933) and vincia Guanacaste, Manglar Javilla, 11 December from “river drift, left on the banks of the arroyo 2002, 0-10 m, 9 specimens, W. Porras coll.; after two days of heavy rain” (Chandler, 1973). COSTA RICA: Nicoya Peninsula, Provincia Grouvelle (1889) cites this species as living Puntarenas, Res. Karen Mogenson, 6 February under rocks, in dry, slightly sandy spots. Mots- 2003, on sand banks of Quebrada Blanca, W. chulsky (1855) collected the original specimens Porras and R. E. Roughley colls., $ 20 speci- by sifting plant debris found on the edges of ri- mens; COSTA RICA: Provincia Guanacaste San- vers. Lepicerus bufo has been reported co- ta Cruz, Bosque Nacional Diria, 10.1020°N occurring with L. inaequalis by Hinton (1933) 85.3539°W, sand banks of Rio Diria, 9 February and Chandler (1973). However, Arce-Pérez & 2003, W. Porras and R. E. Roughley colls., ca 20 Novelo-Gutiérrez (1988) found L. bufo alone at specimens; COSTA RICA: Guanacaste, 6.6 km the air-water interface amongst aquatic and emer- N of Rt. 18 on road to Barra Honda, unnamed gent vegetation. At Rio Carmona, L.