Epytus cyaneus ( Duponchel 1825 )

Skelley, Paul E., 2009, Pleasing fungus beetles of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Erotylinae), Insecta Mundi 2009 (82), pp. 1-94 : 46-48

Epytus cyaneus ( Duponchel 1825)

Figure 1b , 15 , 20, 24 , 74, 77 , 79-80

Erotylus cyaneus Duponchel 1825: 60 #56, pl. 2, f. 56.

Epytus cyaneus (Duponchel) ~ Dejean 1836: 429; Dejean 1837: 452; Alvarenga 1965: 84; Alvarenga 1994: 17.

Eptyus [sic] cyaneus (Duponchel) ~ Peck 2005: 134.

Ischyurus [sic] cyaneus Duponchel ~ Curran 1944: 5 [misspelling as synonym. of O. cyaneus ].

Oocyanus cyaneus (Duponchel) ~ Curran 1944: 5.

Epytus azureus Dejean 1836: 429 [nomen nudum, as synonym of E. cyaneus ] ~ Dejean 1837: 452 [as synonym of E. cyaneus ]; Sturm 1843: 305.

Epyptus [sic] azureus Dejean in Gundlach 1891 -1894: 127 [nomen nudum, as synonym of O. violaceus ].

Erotylus violaceus Sturm 1826: 82 , 139, pl. IV f. 38 ~ Hope 1841: 113-114.

Epytus violaceus (Sturm) ~ Dejean 1836: 429 [as synonym of E. cyaneus ]; Crotch 1876: (57) 433; Skelley 1998b: 14.

Ischyrus violaceus (Sturm) ~ Curran 1944: 5 [in synonymy of O. violacea ].

Oocyanus violaceus (Sturm) ~ Lacordaire 1842: 196; Jacquelin du Val 1856: 133-134; Guérin-Méneville 1857: 322; Gemminger and Harold 1876: 3696; Gorham 1898: 335; Gundlach 1891 -1894: 127; Kuhnt 1909: 64; Kuhnt 1911: 44; Leng and Mutchler 1914: 412; Deelder 1942: 83; Curran 1944: 5; Blackwelder 1945: 465; Roberts 1958: 283 [larva].

Diagnosis. This is the only erotylid with dull blue body and pale yellow antennae, tibiae, and tarsi ( Fig. 74 ).

Description. Length: 4.5-7.0 mm; width: 2.5-4.0 mm. Body broad, ovate, narrowed at the ends; strongly microreticulate, dull; color blue; tibiae, tarsi, antennae, and palpi yellow; antennomeres IX-XI slightly paler.

Head interocular width = 3 x ocular width; vertex puncture size = 0.5 x ocular facet diameter, separated by 2 x their diameter. Eyes coarsely faceted. Antennomere III length = 3 x width, length = length of antennomeres IV+V combined; antennomeres IV-VII equal in length, each with length = 1.5 x width; antennomere VIII wider than VII, apically angular; antennomere XI subcircular, length = antennomere IX ( Fig. 24 ). Terminal maxillary palpomere triangular, symmetrical, length = 0.6 x width. Terminal labial palpomere triangular, asymmetrical, width = 2 x length, expanded medially, width = terminal maxillary palpomere ( Fig. 15 ).

Pronotum with punctures on disc slightly finer than those on head, evenly distributed, separated by 2 x their diameter; base with small group of large punctures at each side of base, puncture size = 2 x disc puncture diameter. Scutellum pentagonal, length = 0.75 x width. Elytra with strial puncture size = pronotal disc punctures, separated by 2-3 x their diameter; intervals finely punctate, punctures obscured in microreticulation, punctures with fine short setae visible on clean specimens.

Prosternum length = 2.5 x intercoxal width ( Fig. 80 ); prosternum flat, not punctate; sternal lines continuous around coxal cavity. Mesosternal lines divergent anteriorly, continuous around coxal cavity, or just barely broken; length = width; mesosternal surface with scattered punctures. Metasternum with lines meeting medially, impressed; continuous around mesocoxal cavity; punctures fine, scattered, separated by 4 x their diameter, obscured in lateral microreticulations. Abdomen with coxal lines meeting medially; continuous around metacoxal cavity; punctures fine, scattered, obscure; ventrite with coarser punctures at apex. Male genitalia with flagellum slightly swollen near acute apex ( Fig. 77 ).

Distribution. Endemic to Cuba.

Type Material. Duponchel (1825) cited his material of Erotylus cyaneus from “collection de M. le Comte Dejean.” Dejean (1836) later stated the species was from Cuba. The Dejean collection is reported to be in the MRSN, but no specimen was located with this name, thus the present repository is unknown.

Sturm (1826) cited his material of Erotylus violaceus from “... der Insel Cuba in Westindien. Von Herrn Escher-Zollikofer in Zürich mitgetheilt,” however the present repository is unknown.

The identity of this unique taxon is based on original and subsequent descriptions, and early illustrations. Lacordaire’s comment (1842: 196) that differences in the two named species do not exist and only one valid species is confirmed in this revision.

Specimens Examined. A total of 80 specimens were studied. Their label data are presented in the Appendix.

Remarks. Lacordaire (1842) cited erroneous page numbers for Duponchel’s description of E. cyaneus as “p. 31. 562.” These numbers were repeated by nearly all subsequent workers until Alvarenga (1994) cited them correctly. Also, Duponchel’s monograph is frequently cited as 1824, which is also apparently in error. Blackwelder (1957) cited for Duponchel 1824 “See 1825". A copy of Duponchel (1825) was directly examined and the correct year and page numbers are cited in the synonymy above.

Figures

Figure 1. West Indian maps. 1a) Map of West Indian countries mentioned in the text. 1b) Map indicating species occurring on specific islands with distribution of Notaepytus flavitarsis (Lacordaire) indicated by the white triangles.

Figure 12-17. Key characters. 12-15) Ventral view head and mouthparts. 12) Dacne ducke. 13) Antillengis epochthidius. 14) Notaepytus flavitarsis. 15) Epytus cyaneus. 16-17) Anterior diagonal view of head. 16) Altisessor ater. 17) Notaepytus flavitarsis.

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.]

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 79-80. Epytus cyaneus. 79) Head and pronotum, lateral-anterior view. 80) Venter.