Neocryphus Nunberg, 1956a: 139

Johnson, Andrew J., Hulcr, Jiri, Knížek, Miloš, Atkinson, Thomas H., Mandelshtam, Michail Yu., Smith, Sarah M., Cognato, Anthony I., Park, Sangwook, Li, You & Jordal, Bjarte H., 2020, Revision of the Bark Beetle Genera Within the Former Cryphalini (Curculionidae: Scolytinae), Insect Systematics and Diversity 4 (3), No. 1, pp. 1-81 : 66

Neocryphus Nunberg, 1956a: 139

( Fig. 34 )

Type of genus

Neocryphus argentinensis Nunberg, 1956 .

Diagnosis

This genus can be diagnosed by the combination of a broadly emarginated eye, antennae with a second funicle segment smaller than the first, and a large antennal club.

Female

Eye long and broadly emarginated. Frons with an arc-shaped transverse carina at upper level of eyes, lined with scale-like setae. Cuticle above and behind eye striate. Antennae with four funicle segments. Antennal club large, with three slightly procurved sutures. Pronotum with two marginal asperities, and pronotal asperities in approximately concentric rows. Pronotum and hypomeron covered in extensive scale-like and bifurcating setae. Elytra with extensive scale-like setae. Declivity with deeply impressed striae and raised interstriae.

Male

Presumably similar to female.

Distribution

South America.

Remarks

Monotypic. This genus is transferred to Corthylini based on the eye shape and the bisulcate declivity. This genus is dubiously distinct from Acorthylus and Stegomerus based on antennal characters. No material was available for dissection or molecular analyses, so there is insufficient evidence to warrant taxonomic changes. Distinguished from Acorthylus based on the second funicle segment, which is a similar size to the third.

The observed specimen has a unique morphology of the protibiae; the mucro extends approximately a third of the length of the rest of the protibia, and appears to widen at its tip. This structure has not been described from Cryphalini or any Scolytinae . It is potentially a sexually dimorphic character, although only one individual of an unknown sex was studied.

There is a remarkable similarity between this genus and some members of Ernoporus , which have very similar sculpturing on the pronotum and elytra, and very similar vestiture. The two genera can be distinguished by the eye shape and the antennal club.

Type material examined

None.

Included species

Neocryphus argentinensis Nunberg, 1956a: 141 .

= Phacrylus cristatus Schedl, 1979a: 61 (syn: Wood, 2007).

Figures

Figure 34. Images of Neocryphus argentinensis. A) Dorsal and lateral photographs. B) Frontal view. C) Photograph of protibial showing unusual projection at the apex.