Genus Pyesexora gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 6EA58217-4FF6-471D-BD61-01C244A63265

Type species

Crioceris detrita Fabricius, 1801, by present designation.

Diagnosis

All of the named species in this genus were most recently placed in Pyesia Clark, 1865, but they dramatically differ from true members of that genus. Among other things, the aedeagus of Pyesexora gen. nov. is symmetrical in dorsal view, while that of Pyesia is strongly asymmetrical. See the following key for additional diagnostic characters.

Etymology

The name ‘ Pyesexora ’ is a combination of Pyesia and Exora . It should be treated as a female noun.

Remarks

This new genus occurs from Mexico through much of South America, as well as in the Lesser Antilles. It includes P. detrita detrita (Fabricius, 1801) [originally named in Crioceris Geoffroy, 1762], P. detrita laevicollis (Jacoby, 1887) [originally named in Malacosoma Chevrolat, 1837], P. detrita meridionalis (Bechyné, 1958) [originally named in Pyesia], P. elytropleuralis elytropleuralis (Bechyné, 1958) [originally named in Pyesia], and P. elytropleuralis subalutacea (Bechyné, 1958) [originally named in Pyesia], all comb. nov. The genus is in need of taxonomic revision. Our examinations show that there are numerous species, markedly differing from each other in aedeagal shape. Some of the differences we have seen may correspond to the named subspecies, and, if so, these should be elevated to species rank. Other aedeagal differences surely correspond to unnamed species. See Figs 63, 145, 148, 156, 189, and 196 for a habitus illustration and morphological details. See Bechyné (1958) for a key to distinguish some of the putative species and subspecies (cited as Pyesia).