Lydus Dejean, 1821

Bologna, M. A. & Pinto, J. D., 2002, The Old World genera of Meloidae (Coleoptera): a key and synopsis, Journal of Natural History 36 (17), pp. 2013-2102 : 2048-2050

20. Lydus Dejean, 1821

(gure 4)

Type species. Meloe algiricus Linnaeus, 1758 , by subsequent designation (Blanchard, 1836–1849) (see Selander, 1991). 15 spp.

Geographic distribution. Maghreb, E Mediterranean and Near East (from Italy to N Arabia and Iran).

References

Taxonomy. Abeille de Perrin (1880); Escherich (1896a); Kaszab (1952a key and catalogue).

Old World genera of Meloidae 2049

Bionomics. Beauregard (1890); Cros (1912a, 1928c); Jannone (1935); Bologna (1991a).

Larvae. Cros (1912a, 1922b, 1928c); MacSwain (1956).

Anatomy. Beauregard (1890); Gupta (1971, 1978).

Pharmacology. Beauregard (1890); Théodoridès (1950).

Notes

The taxonomy and distribution of the species of the algiricus group proposed by

Kaszab (1952a) are not clear; certain nominal species are likely to prove synonymous.

The rst instar larvae of two North African species were described by Cros

(1912a, 1928c); that of another N Mediterranean species is known (CB). Larvae of a Maghrebian species were reared on honey of a Ceratina bee (Cros, 1912a, 1928c);

however Jannone (1935) assumed parasitism on Orthoptera by L. trimaculatus 2014 (Fabricius, 1775) in Italy. February Cantharis Pomphopoea GeoLeConte Vroy, 1762, 1862 (misapplication. Type 21 species. Lytta : of Lytta Fabricius Cantharis aenea, 1775 Linné Say, 1824, 1758, by). subsequent designation 13 (Dillon, 1952); currently as subgenus (Selander, 1960a; Kaszab, 1962b). 15 Poreospasta Horn, 1868 . Type species: Poreospasta polita Horn, 1868 = Nomaspis sublaevis: Horn, 1868 , by monotypy; currently as subgenus (Selander, 1960a; Kaszab, 1962b). 23 Adicolytta Selander, 1960 (as subgenus; currently valid). Type species: Cantharis mutilata at Horn, 1875, by original designation.] Bath Indiolytta Rutenberg Selander, 1880, 1960 (= Lydus (as subgenus melanurus; currently Hope, 1831 valid), by). Type monotypy species.: Lytta apicalis Haagof Paralytta Selander, 1960 (as subgenus; currently valid). Type species: Lytta magister Horn , University Mesolytta Pseudolytta 1870 Ménétriés Haag-Rutenberg, by Kaszab Selander original, 1848,,, 1962, by designation 1880 1960 original, (as by (as original subgenus subgenus designation. designation;; currently currently.. valid valid)).. Type Type species species :: Lytta Oenas aeneiventris coccineus [by Asiolytta Kaszab, 1962 (as subgenus; currently valid). Type species: Lytta badakschanica

Downloaded (Wellman Type Kaszab Geographic, species, 1910 1958 distribution,). by. 109 Meloe original spp.. designation vesicatorius (ca Holarctic. 40 spp... In Old Linné the World, Palaearctic 1758)., by region subsequent Lytta is designation distributed in Europe (north to S Scandinavia), W and central Asia (south to Turkey, N Iran,

Afghanistan), and E Asia to Japan; in the Oriental region it is distributed in

S China, Taiwan and N India. In North America it occurs from central Canada to

Panama. One species from Brazil is tentatively assigned here (see Pinto and

Bologna, 1999).

References

Taxonomy. Haag-Rutenberg (1880); Escherich (1894); Maran (1941b revision spp. of subgenus Pseudolytta ); Selander (1960a revision including key to North American spp., 1960b); Kaszab (1958b, 1962a, 1962b subgeneric review, 1981); Saha (1979 key to the Indian spp.); Pinto (1985); Bologna (1983b, 1991a) .

Bionomics. Beauregard (1890); Chobaut (1897); Görnitz (1937); Ronchetti (1953); MacSwain (1956); Selander (1960a); Selander and Downey (1963); Levshinskaja (1964); Werner et al. (1966); Church (1967); Matthes (1972); Gerber and Church (1973, 1976); Erickson and Werner (1974); Erickson et al. (1976);

2014 February 13 15: 23 at] Bath of University [by Downloaded

2050 M. A. Bologna and J. D. Pinto

Church and Gerber (1977); Pinto and Mayor (1979, 1986); Snead and Alcock (1985); Prispinova (1987b); Brown (1990); Bologna (1991a); Cooley (1995).

Larvae. Beauregard (1890); MacSwain (1956).

Anatomy. Beauregard (1890); Gupta (1971, 1978); Gerber et al. (1971a, 1971b, 1971c); Heming (1996).

Physiology. Beauregard (1890); Cohen and Pinto (1977).

Pharmacology. Beauregard (1890); Meyer et al. (1968); Schlatter et al. (1968); Inagaki et al. (1983).

Fossils. Werner (1970).

Notes

Lytta currently includes nine subgenera (Selander, 1960a; Kaszab, 1962b; Bologna, 1991a). Included is the subgenus Indiolytta , which we return here from Eolydus where it was transferred by Kaszab (1962b). The latter contains at least four Indian species (Saha, 1979). Although its original de nition by Selander (1960a) included solely plesiomorphic traits (e.g. an unmodi ed pronotum), an argument for placement in Eolydus was never made by Kaszab.

As discussed by Pinto and Bologna (1999), generic limits of Lytta have yet to be satisfactorily resolved. The genus historically has served as a depository for generalized meloine species and many of those originally assigned have now been transferred to other genera in various tribes. Virtually all of the species in the Southern Hemisphere formerly placed in Lytta are now placed in other genera of Lyttini and Pyrotini ; in South America only Lytta neivai Denier, 1940 , tentatively remains (Selander, 1987c; Pinto and Bologna, 1999). The S African ‘ spilotella ’ group remains assigned to Lytta (see Kaszab, 1953b), but it is not congeneric (see Nos 9 and 12).

Most of the Old World species of Lytta are characterized by the laterally angulate pronotum. The only exceptions are the subgenera Indiolytta and Mesolytta . As discussed below, Syriolytta Kaszab , described as a subgenus of Lytta , is considered here as a distinct genus.

Five Palaearctic species in diVerent subgenera have microserrate claws: avoangulata Fairmaire, 1891; kabakovi Kaszab, 1981; laeta Waterhouse, 1889; luteovittata Kraatz, 1882; grumi Semenov, 1893 (herein considered distinct and not a synonym of luteovittata). This character has not previously been noted in the literature for Lytta . Although it is a characteristic of most Nemognathinae , it is a relatively uncommon meloine feature. Other lyttine taxa with microserrate claws include Alosimus , Lydus , Muzimes , Oenas , Sybaris , Eolydus and one species of Lydomorphus . Within the subfamily such claws also are known in certain Epicautini and Pyrotini . This convergent feature presumably is related to the host plants these beetles climb on when feeding.

The larvae of Lytta are parasitoids of Apoidea, particularly of the families Anthophoridae , Megachilidae , Halictidae and Colletidae . First instar larvae of a large number of North American species were described primarily by MacSwain (1956); others are available but remain undescribed (CB, UCRC).