Adelorhagus lateralis Horn, 1890

Otto, Robert L., 2013, Description of a new species of Adelorhagus Horn, 1890 (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) from Honduras with a key to the species, Insecta Mundi 2013 (297), pp. 1-4 : 3-4

Adelorhagus lateralis Horn, 1890

Figures 5-8

Adelorhagus lateralis Horn, 1890: 254-255

Diagnosis. Uniformly pale reddish-yellow coloration with darker lateral sides, along with yellow antennomere XI and an evenly rounded anterior lateral pronotal ridge will distinguish the species from the new species, A. bicoloratus .

Materials studied. Three syntypes of A. lateralis from the Natural History Museum of London were studied and compared with the new species. All three specimens were taken in Panama. Two different sexes are represented in the series.

Discussion. Adelorhagus bicoloratus , in all aspects of the generic features present within the group is best placed in Adelorhagus , despite the differing aedeagal structure when compared with A. lateralis . The lateral lobes are simple and not bilobed in A. bicoloratus , bilobed in A. lateralis . The structure of the median lobe is very different between these two species. Although bilobed, the median lobe for A. bicoloratus is not spatulate or apically widened as found in A. lateralis .

Horn (1890) separated Adelorhagus from other eucnemid genera mainly by the acutely prolonged tip of the last visible ventrite. Adelorhagus is closely similar to Rhagomicrus Fleutiaux, 1902 , Adelothyreus Chevrolat, 1867 and Weyrauchiella Cobos, 1972 and is best separated from these groups by the form of the metacoxal plates rather than the last visible ventrite. Metacoxal plates in Adelorhagus are two times wider medially than laterally. Metacoxal plates for the other three genera are parallel-sided.

Only seven species of Neotropical Eucnemidae have an entirely red or orange pronotum and black elytra. They include: Rhagomicrus thoracicus ( Horn, 1890) , Ceratogonys spinicorne (Fabricius, 1801) , Fornax atripennis Horn, 1890 , F. notabilis Bonvouloir, 1872 , Eucalosoma sanguinicolle (Bonvouloir, 1872) , Phaenobolus bicolor Horn, 1890 and Suareziella bispinosa Cobos, 1964 . Adelorhagus bicoloratus can be distinguished from R. thoracicus based on several generic traits, that being the hypomeral antennal grooves, last abdominal ventrite and metacoxal plates. Adelorhagus bicoloratus can also be distinguished from Fornax species , E. sanguinicolle , P. bicolor and S. bispinosa by its hypomeral antennal grooves and metacoxal plates. Basally open, deep, lateral hypomeral antennal grooves as well as metacoxal plates being more than 2.5 times wider medially than lateral sides are present in Fornax species , E. sanguinicolle , P. bicolor and S. bispinosa . Notosternal antennal grooves in A. bicoloratus is apically indicated, but caudally obliterated. Metacoxal plates in A. bicoloratus are less than 2.5 times wider medially than laterally. Adelorhagus bicoloratus is further distinguished from C. spinicorne by the shape of the pronotum and surface. The basal 3/4 of the pronotum for A. bicoloratus is parallel-sided and dull with very closely punctate or granulose surface, whereas the pronotum is gradually narrowed apically with a shiny surface in C. spinicorne .

Figures

Figures 5-8. Adelorhagus lateralis Horn, syntype. 5-7) Dorsal, ventral and lateral. 8) Aedeagus, ventral view.