Cryptothelypterus Leschen & Lawrence, 1991

Gimmel, Matthew L. & Leschen, Richard A. B., 2022, Revision of the genera of Picrotini (Coleoptera: Cryptophagidae: Cryptophaginae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 62 (1), pp. 61-109 : 82-83

Cryptothelypterus Leschen & Lawrence, 1991

( Figs 22–25 , 81 )

Cryptothelypterus Leschen & Lawrence, 1991: 330 . Type species:

Cryptothelypterus obrieni Leschen & Lawrence, 1991 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. This genus may be distinguished by the antennal club composed of three antennomeres, lack of tempora, evenly convex pronotum (without pits or impressions) with no teeth, platforms, or protruding anterior angles, the broad, flat prosternal process, and all five abdominal ventrites free. It appears to be closely related to Cryptosomatula , from which it differs by the coarsely faceted eyes ( Fig. 81 ), short discrimen (less than half length of metaventrite), wider pronotum (nearly as wide as or wider than elytra), and very light, nearly effaced elytral punctation.

Redescription. Length 2.10–3.10 mm. Body form ( Figs 22–25 ) elongate, parallel-sided or subfusiform, somewhat dull to shining dorsally, with sparse, moderate, or dense decumbent, short setae and often with sparse, longer, suberect setae dorsally; uni- or bicolored. Head without tempora; vertex without temporal depression immediately anterior to ridge; band of reticulate sculpture present. Frontoclypeus not projecting laterally; raised portion of frons between antennal insertions not constricted, wider than antennal club. Transverse ridge above antennal insertions absent. Eye ( Fig. 81 ) large, rounded, coarsely faceted, contacting antennal cavity; interfacetal setae absent. Antennal club consisting of 3 antennomeres; antenna inserted into small cavity; antennomere 9 subequal or equal in width to antennomere 10. Mandible with apex bifid, subapical serrations present. Maxillary palpomere 4 distinctly longer than to 3; palpomere 4 not subulate. Gena without antennal groove; genal spines acute. Gular sutures incomplete, not reaching occipital foramen. Pronotum not explanate and weakly to strongly constricted at base, narrower than elytra, widest at middle or anteriorly; anterior angles absent, not projecting anteriorly (not extending anterior to cervical foramen of prothorax), without a distinct flat glandular surface or platform; lateral carina present and complete, bearing weakly developed setigerous tubercles, without glabrous space, width of lateral bead wider than discal puncture and narrower than antennal funicle; disc with narrow, shallow transverse basal impression; paramedial carinae and paralateral plicae absent; posterolateral angles about right, not projecting. Prothoracic hypomeron separated from the prosternum by a suture. Prosternum with anterior margin on same plane as disc; prosternal process broad, flat, with lateral beads extremely weak to absent, process slightly expanded apically, broadly rounded and crenulate with minute setae; procoxal cavity with anterolateral notch. Scutellar shield clearly visible and transverse. Elytron without humeral tooth or impressions; subapical gape present (but weakly developed); punctation confused, weakly impressed and sparse; vestiture dual or somewhat uniform with a few short, sparse, suberect setae present laterally and on disc, setae not forming undulate pattern, often with discal setae uniformly directed posteromedially, sometimes uniformly directed posteriorly. Hind wing poorly developed (brachypterous). Mesoventrite with mesoventrital cavity shallow and flanked by sharp carinae. Mesanepisternal pit absent. Metaventrite without postcoxal lines; discrimen less than 1/2 length of metaventrite, posterior notch of metaventrite present. Metendosternite with anterior tendons widely separated or absent. Tarsi 5-5- 5 in female, 5-5- 4 in male; tarsi slender, tarsomere 5 as wide as preceding tarsomeres in lateral view; pro- and mesotarsomere 4 with many ventral setae; mesotarsomere 3 weakly lobed and setose; mesotarsomere 1 about 2× longer than tarsomere 4, mesotarsomeres 2 and 3 of subequal lengths, mesotarsomere 5 about as long as mesotarsomeres 1–3 combined. Abdominal ventrites free and with medial calli present and lateral calli absent, intersegmental crenulations absent; ventrite 1 with intercoxal process broadly rounded, without postcoxal lines; medio-basal thickenings of ventrites 3–5 absent; apex of ventrite 5 without crenulations. Abdominal spiracles on segment VII with openings present and larger in diameter than spiracle VI, texture granulate and atrium rounded and saclike. Aedeagus without tegminal strut, tegminal arms fused or separate; parameres separate and articulated to phallobase, inner surface not concave, length about 2–3× longer than wide; apices multisetose to asetose and lacking macrosetae; attachment point to phallobase not constricted, interparameral process absent; basipenis 4.5–5.0× longer than distipenis, with median carina; distipenis relatively short (about 1.2× longer than wide), outer rims tuberculate, with tubercles present on the inside surface of the sclerite, lateral lobes moderately widely separated, asymmetrical or symmetrical; internal sac with short, slender endophallites ( C. atomarioides ).

Remarks. This genus, like Cryptosomatula , is known only from the Juan Fernandez Islands. A key to the five included species can be found in LൾඌർHൾඇ & Lൺඐඋൾඇർൾ (1991).

Biology. Most specimens were found by sweeping ferns, but also have been collected on other plants by beating, and by other methods such as leaf litter extraction.

Distribution. Chile (Juan Fernandez Islands).

Included species (5). Cryptothelypterus atomarioides (Grouvelle, 1919) ; Cryptothelypterus obrieni Leschen & Lawrence, 1991 ; Cryptothelypterus pteropilosus Leschen & Lawrence, 1991 ; Cryptothelypterus skottsbergi ( Bruce, 1940) ; Cryptothelypterus splendens ( Bruce, 1940) .

Figures

Figs 19–27. Habitus of species of Picrotini. 19 – Connatocryptus utiku sp. nov.; 20 – Cordosomatula magnabagishae sp. nov.; 21 – Cryptosomatula longicornis Bruce, 1940; 22 – Cryptothelypterus atomarioides (Grouvelle, 1919); 23 – Cryptothelypterus obrieni Leschen & Lawrence, 1991; 24 – Cryptothelypterus pteropilosus Leschen & Lawrence, 1991; 25 – Cryptothelypterus splendens (Bruce, 1940); 26 – Foveocryptus chenyandongi sp. nov.; 27 – Humerocryptus tumidus (Broun, 1893). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figs 77–81. Characters of Picrotini. 77–78 – detail of pronotum. 77 – Chimaerocryptus johnsoni sp. nov.; 78 – Odonotosomatula carltoni sp. nov. 79 – pronotum and base of elytra, Humerocryptus n. sp. 1. 80 – antennal club, Paragnetaria slipinskii sp. nov. 81 – eye, Cryptothelypterus pteropilosus Leschen & Lawrence, 1991. Abbreviations: pp = paralateral plica.