Nemognatha (Pauronemognatha)

Bologna, Marco A. & Riccieri, Alessandra, 2023, Taxonomic and faunistic study of four almost unknown Brazilian Meloidae (Coleoptera), Revista Brasileira de Entomologia (e 20230041) 67 (3), pp. 1-7 : 5-6

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1590/1806-9665-RBENT-2023-0041
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/181B7B0C-A30B-FA1F-8A5E-FEE0FDA8D123
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Nemognatha (Pauronemognatha)
status

Treatment

Nemognatha (Pauronemognatha) cfr. gounellei Pic, 1910

Nemognatha gounellei Pic, 1910: 115

Fig. 4 View Figure 4 aA-f

Material examined. 4 exx., “Faz. (= Fazenda) Sta. (= Santa) Carlota, Cajuru, SP, BR ” with different dates (2 ex. 12.X.1990; 1 ex. 23.X.1990; 1 ex. 16.X.1991) .

2 exx., “ Serra do Japì , Jundalai, SP, BR ” with different dates (1 ex. 26.IX.1995; 1 ex. 22.V.1996) .

1 ex., “Faz. (= Fazenda) Ecol. (= Ecológica) Santa Cecilia, Patrocinio Paulista, SP, BR ”, 1.X.1993 .

Taxonomy.This species ( Fig.4a View Figure 4 /c) is black with the elytral colouration brown-hazelnut, variable at apex, as it could be metallic violet on the apical third-fourth (50% of the specimens; three localities) or apically only infuscate without distinct violet colouration, but this might be related to the scarce sclerotization being the individuals extracted from the nests of their hosts (37%; one of the previous localities). In one specimen elytra are completely broken posteriorly. Both head and pronotum are red ( Fig. 4a View Figure 4 /b), but in three specimens the head is black, and in one of them also the pronotum is dark. The abdomen is usually orange.

As in the previous two species, the head is very short and galeae are quite short, reaching at most the anterior ventral angle of the eye. The modified ventral areas ( Fig. 4d View Figure 4 ), permit to assign for the first time this species to the subgenus Pauronemognatha . Male genitalia are represented in Fig. 4e View Figure 4 /f.

Remarks. Until now, this species was recorded only from Brazil. We refer tentatively the examined specimens to N. gounellei because of the correspondence of most of the description ( Pic, 1910a). Doubts are due to the lack of a small violet spot at the base of the elytra, but since the great variability in colouration of the Brazilian Nemognatha , numerous specimens should be examined to define their variation.

For information about the bee host see above.