Melanotus striatus, GUIMARAES, 1933

Johnson, Paul J. & Casari, Sônia A., 2014, Melanotus striatusGuimarães, a New Synonym OfChalcolepidius limbatusEschscholtz (Coleoptera: Elateridae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 68 (3), pp. 600-601 : 600

MELANOTUS STRIATUS GUIMARÃES , A NEW SYNONYM OF CHALCOLEPIDIUS LIMBATUS ESCHSCHOLTZ ( COLEOPTERA : ELATERIDAE )

PAUL J. JOHNSON Insect Biodiversity Lab., Box 2207A, South Dakota State University Brookings, SD 57007, U.S.A. [e-mail]

AND

SÔNIA A. CASARI Museu de Zoologia , Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Nazaré 481 04263-000 São Paulo-SP, BRAZIL [e-mail]

Melanotus striatus Guimarães (1933a) was a taxonomic anomaly since its original description. It is the only elaterid beetle described by its author and was described from one adult reared from a mature larva received from Entre Rios, Bahia, Brazil. The species was listed by Blackwelder (1944) and briefly considered by Hayek (1990), but otherwise apparently overlooked by other taxonomists. Drawings referenced in the original text are not present in the journal issues examined. Shortly after the original publication, the species description was repeated in O Campo (Guimarães 1933b) and the drawings of the larva and adult ( Figs. 1 – 2 ) were included. Our interpretations of the original description suggested that the beetle was probably a species of Chalcolepidius Eschscholtz. The discovery of the second description with figures provided the confirmation of our tentative assessment. Based on characters given in the description in combination with essential traits indicated in the drawings, we determined that M. striatus is the same as Chalcolepidius limbatus Eschscholtz, 1829 and is a new synonym.

Hayek (1990) was unable to locate the type of M. striatus . The type specimen reared by Guimarães was originally in the insect collection of the Laboratorio de Patologia Vegetal, Ondina, Bahia, which was part of the Instituto de Biologia da Bahia. When the laboratory was closed, the collections were thought subsequently absorbed by the Museu do Zoologia da Universidade Federal da Bahia. However, Adolfo Calor was unable to confirm the accession of this collection, or locate the type of M. striatus , at the Museu do Zoologia.

Figures

Fig. 1. Larva of Melanotus striatus with original legend. Reproduced from Guimarães (1933b).

Fig. 2. Reared adult of Melanotus striatus with original legend. Reproduced from Guimarães (1933b).