Skelley, Skelley, 2009

Skelley, Paul E., 2009, Pleasing fungus beetles of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Erotylinae), Insecta Mundi 2009 (82), pp. 1-94 : 43-45

Genus CUBYRUS Skelley , new genus

Types species: Ischyrus sapphirus Skelley 1998b: 58 , here designated. Diagnosis. Cubyrus is distinguished from other Tritomini by: an ovoid body shape, coarsely faceted eyes, femora with marginal bead, triangular mentum, broad antennomere IX, metallic blue body, pale antennal club, and elytral striae coarsely punctate at base, otherwise absent ( Fig. 10 , 73 ).

Description. Length: 3.5-4.6 mm; width: 2.0- 2.7 mm. Body short, ovoid, flattened; surface glossy; dorsal punctation fine to coarse; unicolorous black with metallic blue sheen; antennal club, palpi, and tarsi light brown, terminal antennomere pale.

Head punctures distinct, anteriorly puncture size = 0.33 x ocular facet diameter, separated by 2-3 x their diameter, punctures becoming smaller and sparser towards base; ocular striae present, not surpassing antennal base anteriorly; stridulatory files absent. Eyes prominent, coarsely faceted. Antennae elongate, attaining the pronotal base; antennomere II globose, length = width; antennomere III length = 2 x width, length = length of antennomeres IV+V combined; antennomeres IV-VIII shortened, length = width; antennomere VIII little wider than VII, apically angled, not appearing as part of club; antennomere IX broad, trapezoidal at base ( Fig. 22 ), width = 1.5 x length. Mentum with triangular plate, length = 0.75 x width. Terminal maxillary palpomere symmetrical, semicircular, width = 1.5 x length. Terminal labial palpomere expanded medially, asymmetrical, length = 0.75 x width, width = 0.6 x width of terminal maxillary palpomere. Genal lobes weakly developed, sharply edged, rounded.

Pronotum with anterior marginal bead only behind eyes; base lacking marginal bead; sides at anterior angle arch toward eyes; base with small group of very coarse punctures in shallow depression on either side of midline. Wings present, fully developed.

Prosternum with anterior marginal bead, weakly pinched medially. Mesosterum posteriorly sinuate, transverse, width = 1.5 x length, punctation fine, indistinct. Mesocoxal lines on metasternum moderate in length, distinct. Metasternum normal length, distance between meso-and metacoxae = approximately 2 x intermesocoxal width, sternal line faint medially. Meso- and metafemora angled in cross-section, with sharp posterior marginal bead ( Fig. 18 ). Male genitalia with flagellum thin and hair-like, not thickened or modified ( Fig. 76 ).

Distribution. Endemic to Cuba.

Etymology. The generic name is an intentional abbreviation and merging of “Cuban Ischyrus ”. Gender is masculine.

Figures

Figure 2-11. Key characters. 2-3) Anterior view of head and pronotum. 2) Iphiclus suturalis. 3) Notaepytus flavitarsis. 4-5) Lateral habitus. 4) Aegithus clavicornis. 5) Iphiclus suturalis. 6-11) Dorsal habitus. 6) Aegithus clavicornis. 7) Aegithus lebasii. 8) Iphiclus guadeloupensis. 9) Iphiclus suturalis. 10) Cubyrus sapphirus. 11) Ischyrus quadripunctatus.

Figure 73-78. Dorsal habitus and genitalia. 73, 76) Cubyrus sapphirus, paratype (genitalia from Skelley 1998b). 74, 77) Epytus cyaneus. 75, 78) Ischyrus quadripunctatus (genitalia from Skelley 1998b). Genitalic sale lines = 0.66 mm.

Figure 18-25. Key characters. 18-21) Mesofemur. 22-25) Antenna. 18, 22) Cubyrus sapphirus. 19, 23) Ischyrus quadripunctatus. 20, 24) Epytus cyaneus. 21, 25) Notaepytus flavitarsis.[White arrow points at posterior marginal bead, or note its absence, on mesofemur.]