Sellio, Species-Group

Hart, Charles J. & Ivie, Michael A., 2016, A Revision of the Genus Diastolinus Mulsant and Rey (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 70 (3), pp. 485-540 : 485-540

“ Sellio ” Species-Group

Diagnosis. This species-group can be distinguished by a combination of small to large size (6.1–10.6 mm in length); constricted anterior 1/3 of the elytra, anterior of the point where stria 8 joins the lateral stria, to narrower than the basal width of the pronotum (the elytra sometimes expand anteriorly from the constricted point to subequal the width of the posterior edge of the pronotum or the posterior edge of pronotum wider than the base of the elytra); femora typically swollen and clavate, especially in the male fore legs; and male protibia often armed with a distinct stout spine. This group contains all of the former members of the genus Sellio and several species originally described in Diastolinus . The previous classification of Sellio as a separate genus had issues as there were species that were intermediates in form. What formerly was considered a separate genus is merely a grade, although useful for identification purposes. This group is distributed throughout Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands ( Figs. 102–104 ).

“ Sellio ” Species-Group

D. azuaensis Hart and Ivie , new species................ .............................................................Hispaniola

D. coarctatus ( Mulsant and Rey, 1859) .................. ............................................................ Hispaniola D. estebani Garrido, 2004 , new synonymy

D. desecheo Hart and Ivie , new species................. .................................................Desecheo Is. (PR)

D. doyeni Hart and Ivie , new species..................... ........................................................... Puerto Rico

D. espoloni Garrido, 2007 ......................Hispaniola

D. gladiator ( Garrido, 2004) ..................Hispaniola

D. tibidens ( Quensel, 1806) ................................. ..... Puerto Rico, Culebra, St. Thomas, St. John, Jost van Dyke, Tortola, Guana (TOR), Prickly Pear Is. (VG), St. Croix, Buck Is. (STX)

D. vaderi Hart and Ivie , new species....Hispaniola

D. victori Garrido, 2002 ..................... Puerto Rico D. elongatus Marcuzzi, 1977

Figures

Fig. 102. Map of the distributions of Diastolinus species-groups on Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Lesser Antilles.

Fig. 103. Map of the distributions of Diastolinus species on Hispaniola.

Fig. 104. Map of the distributions of the “sellio” species-group of Diastolinus species on Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. Symbols on Puerto Rico represent collecting localities, and symbols on the Virgin Islands represent island distributions, not all collection events.