Tomoglossa decora ( Casey, 1910 ) Gusarov, 2002

1. Tomoglossa decora ( Casey, 1910) View in CoL , comb. nov. ( Figs. 1­28 View FIGURES 1­12 View FIGURES 13­20 View FIGURES 21­28 , 31 View FIGURES 29 ­ 33 )

Noverota decora Casey, 1910: 91. View in CoL

Type material: Lectotype (here designated),, UNITED STATES: “Miss[issippi].” [Vicksburg], “ decora Csy. ”, “Casey bequest 1925”, “ TYPE USNM 39100” (red label), “ Lectotype Noverota decora Casey. V.I.Gusarov des. 2002” (red label) (NMNH). While describing N. decora , Casey did not specifically state how many specimens were available.

Additional material: UNITED STATES: Vermont:, Windsor Co., 8 km SEE Springfield, Hwy. I­91, 43º14.00'N 72º26.81'W, 250m, in forest litter, Acer , Betula , Tsuga , Quercus , 21.ix.1998 (V.I.Gusarov) (DESPU); Pennsylvania:, Easton, 5.x.1917 (J.W.Green) (CAS);, ditto but 24.viii.1917 (CAS); Arkansas:, Garland Co., 28.6 km NWW Hot Springs, Ouachita National Forest, Lake Ouachita, CR127, 34º36.67'N 93º20.75'W, 300m, in forest litter, Quercus , 19.iii.2000 (V.I.Gusarov) (DESPU).

Diagnosis. Tomoglossa decora is close to the Palaearctic T. luteicornis but has lighter coloration and different shape of the aedeagus and spermatheca ( Figs. 21­26 View FIGURES 21 ­ 28 in this paper and Lohse 1989: Fig. 123). Tomoglossa decora differs from T. ornatella and T. improvisa in having quadrate antennal articles 4­5 ( Figs. 29­31 View FIGURES 29 ­ 33 ), from T. arizonica and T. floridana in having quadrate antennal articles 4­5, less transverse articles 6­10 ( Figs. 31­33 View FIGURES 29 ­ 33 ) and longer body. In comparison to T. floridana and T. ornatella , T. decora has thinner spermatheca with different shape of umbiculus ( Figs. 26 View FIGURES 21 ­ 28 , 36 View FIGURES 34 ­ 37 , 45 View FIGURES 43 ­ 46 ). In T. decora the female accessory sclerite is smaller than in T. ornatella , but larger than in T. floridana ( Figs. 28 View FIGURES 21 ­ 28 , 37 View FIGURES 34 ­ 37 , 46 View FIGURES 43 ­ 46 ). Tomoglossa decora also differs from T. arizonica in having longer apex of the median lobe of aedeagus (in lateral view) ( Figs. 21 View FIGURES 21 ­ 28 , 40 View FIGURES 38 ­ 42 ).

Description. Length 2.0­ 2.1 mm. Head and elytra dark brown; elytra and antennal articles 2­11 and article 3 of maxillar palpus brown; pronotum reddish brown; abdominal segments III­V and VII­VIII reddish yellow; apical third of elytra, legs, mouthparts and antennal article 1 yellow.

Head transverse, surface on disk glossy, without visible (at x100) microsculpture, with strong punctures, distance between them equal to their diameter. Antennal article 2 longer than 3, 4­5 quadrate, 5­10 slightly transverse, last article as long as 9 and 10 combined.

Pronotum transverse, width to length ratio 0.41 mm: 0.33 mm (average for 5 specimens), wider than head (pronotum width to head width ratio 0.41 mm: 0.35 mm); surface glossy, without visible microsculpture, with finer puncturation than on head, distance between punctures equals ½­1 their diameter. Elytra measured from humeral angle shorter than wide (0.43 mm: 0.48 mm), glossy, without microsculpture and with puncturation as on pronotum.

Abdominal terga glossy, without microsculpture, and with fine and sparse puncturation, puncturation becoming finer towards abdominal apex, on terga III­V distance between punctures within rows equal to their diameter and between rows 2­3 times their diameter, on tergum VI distance between punctures within rows equal to 1­2 times their diameter and between rows 3­4 times their diameter, on tergum VII distance between punctures equal to 3­5 times their diameter. Tergum VII with white edge.

Median lobe of aedeagus with narrow apex ( Fig. 22 View FIGURES 21 ­ 28 ). Internal sac with a deeply concave sclerite ( Figs. 23­24 View FIGURES 21 ­ 28 ). Copulatory piece without apical process ( Figs. 23, 25 View FIGURES 21 ­ 28 ).

Spermatheca with wide umbilicus ( Fig. 26 View FIGURES 21 ­ 28 ).

Distribution. Known from Eastern United States (Vermont, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Mississippi) ( Fig. 47 View FIGURE 47 ).

Natural History. Casey (1910) did not provide habitat information. I collected two specimens by sifting forest litter. Interestingly, the Palaearctic species of Tomoglossa for which ecological information is available inhabit various kinds of wetlands, including salt marshes.