Aegialia punctata Brown 1931

Aegialia (Aegialia) punctata Brown

Aegialia (Aegialia) conferta punctata Brown, 1931:47—Gordon and Cartwright, 1977:43

Aegialia (Aegialia) conferta var punctata—Hatch, 1971:442

Aegialia (Aegialia) punctata—Stebnicka, 1977:455

DESCRIPTION—Length 360 to 475 mm, greatest width 180 to 250 mm Form elongate, oval, widest in apical third Color reddish brown to piceous, prosternum, leg always paler than remainder of venter Head granulate, lacking punctations; clypeal apex distinctly emarginate, gena not or feebly produced Pronotum smooth, feebly alutaceous, distinctly punctate except in lateral fourth, discal punctations moderately coarse, separated by less than to twice a diameter, becoming fine and sparse laterally; base with marginal line Elytron with interval convex, nearly impunctate, stria distinctly impressed, with fine punctations separated by a diameter Metasternum smooth, impunctate medially, alutaceous, impunctate laterally Functional wings present Middle tibia slender, with surface denticles in basal half, incomplete transverse carina in apical third, apical spurs slender, inner spur as long as first 4 tarsal segments, outer spur as long as first 3 tarsal segments; hindfemur with apical flange produced, inner angle rounded or obsolete; hindtibia slender to slightly robust with some scattered surface denticles, incomplete transverse carina in apical third, apical spurs foliaceous, outer spur as long as first 3½ tarsal segments, inner spur as long as first 3 tarsal segments Male genitalia as in Figure 62; female genital plate as in Figure 63

TYPE LOCALITY—California, Tulare Co, Kaweah

TYPE DEPOSITORY—CNC

REMARKS—This species and A spinosa, new species, are very similar in appearance except for the apical flange on the hindfemur which has the inner angle rounded or obsolete in A punctata, hooked or right-angled in A spinosa The male genital armature also differs (See “Remarks” under A conferta) We include populations from the St Anthony dunes, Idaho, and Churchill and Humboldt counties, Nevada, as being A punctata, but there are subtle differences in size, pronotal punctation, width of hindtibia, and genital armature that cause some doubt as to the accuracy of this decision It is possible that cross breeding trials would indicate that there are actually 2 or more species represented The distribution listed below is based on specimens actually examined, exclusive of type material

DISTRIBUTION—Mexico, Baja California: Ensenada USA, California: Carmel; Claremont; Kaweah; Kern Co, Walker Pass; Los Angeles; Pasadena; Pico; Pomona; Poway; Mono Co, dunes at north end of Mono Lake; Orange Co; Riverside Co, Santa Ana River Park near Pedley; San Diego Co; San Francisco; Santa Barbara Co; Santa Clara Co; Sonoma Co, Austin Cr, 3 mi (5 km) sourth of Cazadero; Tulare Co, Ash Mtn; Ventura Co, San Nicolas Island; Vista Idaho: Jefferson Co, St Anthony dunes Nevada: Churchill Co, Sand Mountain; Humboldt Co, Silver St Valley, “BFW Farms dunes”; Humboldt Co, sand dunes near Winnemucca; Mineral Co, 5 mi (8 km) west of Marietta, sand dunes 6300 ft (1920 m) North Dakota: Sheldon Utah: Kane Co, Coral Pink Sand Dunes