Center for Systematic Entomology, Gainesville, Florida

 

Title

Pleasing fungus beetles of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Erotylinae)

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

7-24-2009

Comments

Published in Insecta Mundi 0082: 1-94 Published in 2009 by Center for Systematic Entomology, Inc., P. O. Box 141874, Gainesville, FL 32614-1874 U. S. A. http://www.centerforsystematicentomology.org/

Abstract

The pleasing fungus beetle fauna (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Erotylinae) of the West Indies is reviewed. Keys to adults of all genera and species, descriptions, illustrations, and distribution maps are presented. Representative larvae for most genera are also diagnosed and illustrated.

Four new genera are described: Altisessor (type species Altisessor ater, new species), Antillengis (type species Oocyanus brunnipes Kuhnt 1910), Cubyrus (type species Ischyrus sapphirus Skelley 1998b), and Notaepytus (type species Ischyrus flavitarsis Lacordaire 1842). Within Dacne Latreille 1796, a new subgenus is created: Ameridacne (type species Dacne brodzinskyi Skelley 1997a).

Seventeen new species are described: Altisessor ater, Altisessor centralis, Altisessor hottensis, Altisessor oriens, Altisessor viridis, Antillengis epochthidius, Notaepytus baorucoensis, Notaepytus cubanacan, Notaepytus cyanoros, Notaepytus cyclosignatus, Notaepytus decoregens, Notaepytus elateroides, Notaepytus elongatus, Notaepytus ignotensis, Notaepytus inversus, Notaepytus lavegaensis, and Notaepytus neibaensis. Most species previously placed in Epytus Dejean 1836 (=Oocyanus Hope 1841) are transferred to Notaepytus resulting in the following five new combinations: Notaepytus flavitarsis (Lacordaire 1842), Notaepytus fulvitarsis (Lacordaire 1842), Notaepytus haitensis (Curran 1944), Notaepytus modestus (Olivier 1807), and Notaepytus tarsalis (Lacordaire 1842). The species Oocyanus gundlachi Zayas 1988 is transferred to Altisessor, resulting in Altisessor gundlachi (Zayas) new combination. These changes restrict Epytus to a single species, Epytus cyaneus (Duponchel 1825). Three species previously synonymized under other taxa are reinstated as valid species: Oocyanus tarsatus Lacordaire 1842 new status, Brachysphaenus (Oogaster) suturalis Lacordaire 1842 new status, and Oocyanus brunnipes Kuhnt 1910 new status. They are transferred into different genera resulting in three new combinations: Notaepytus tarsatus (Lacordaire), Iphiclus (Neoogaster) suturalis (Lacordaire), and Antillengis brunnipes (Kuhnt). Three additional new combinations presented are Cubyrus sapphirus (Skelley), Dacne (Ameridacne) brodzinskyi (Skelley) and Dacne (Ameridacne) ducke (Skelley).

To stabilize nomenclature, lectotypes are designated for the following six species: Brachysphaenus suturalis Lacordaire 1842, Erotylus modestus Olivier 1807, Ischyrus flavitarsis Lacordaire 1842, Ischyrus tarsalis Lacordaire 1842, Galleruca guadeloupensis Fabricius 1792, and Oocyanus tarsatus Lacordaire 1842. Additionally, the lectotype of Galleruca guadeloupensis Fabricius is here designated as the neotype of E. marginatus Olivier 1792, thus fixing the identity of both names by creating an objective synonym.