Parygrus elateroides Grouvelle, 1896

Barr, Cheryl B. & Shepard, William D., 2020, Hiding in plain sight: rediscovery and review of Parygrus Erichson, 1847, with description of five new species from the Neotropics (Coleoptera: Byrrhoidea Dryopidae), Zootaxa 4755 (1), pp. 99-128 : 108-110

Parygrus elateroides Grouvelle, 1896

(Figs 2, 10)

Holotype specimen. BRAZIL: “ Pery-Pery / (Pernambuco) / Gounelle 11.12.1892 [off-white label with black bor- der, printed] // Type [off-white label, printed] // TYPE [red label, printed] // MUSEUM PARIS / 1917 / Coll. Grouvelle [light blue label, printed] // Pargrus [sic] elateroides / ty. Grouv [off-white label, handwritten]”. Depository, MNHN. The type specimen itself was not examined, only the photographic image and label data from the photo.

Additional specimens examined (2). BRAZIL: “80.43 // Parnus / elateroides [illegible letters] / Braz. [handwritten] // [red label with no writing]” (abdomen missing); “Brazil. / Castlenau [Castelnau?][on mounting card] // Sharp Coll. / 1905-313 [printed] // Pelonomus / elateroides [illegible letters] / Bras.” [blue label, handwritten]”. Depository NHMUK. These may not be conspecific with the type or with each other; see Discussion below .

Provisional diagnosis. The explanate lateral margins of the pronotum and small size (about 5 mm long), serve to separate P. elateroides ( Fig. 10 ) from the other species of Parygrus . The only other species with an explanate pronotum is P. parallelus ( Fig. 11 ), which is 7–8 mm long.

General description. Since we were unable to examine the holotype, only a limited description is possible based on the original descriptions ( Grouvelle 1896b) and images of the type ( Fig. 10 ). From a translation of the original Latin and French descriptions: 5 mm long; convex; pronotal lateral border raised in a thin rim; scutellum oval, acuminate apically; elytra wider than pronotum, fairly strongly punctate-striate. To this we add that the prono- tum is quite convex and deeply punctate, widest at the base, lateral margins are arcuate and moderately explanate, and posterolateral angles broadly explanate.

Distribution. Brazil, described from the Province de Pernambuco (Fig. 2).

Etymology. Grouvelle did not cite an etymology, but the name probably refers to the resemblance of the species to an elaterid or click beetle. The ending –oides, from the Greek –eides and - eidos, means “like, resembling, having the form of.”

Comments. Grouvelle (1896b) described the species in both Latin and French, the French description being the more detailed. The specimen was noted as being 5 mm long, however, measurement of the type image using the included scale indicates it is closer to 5.5 mm long. On the determination label of the holotype the genus is misspelled as “Pargrus” ( Fig. 10 ).

In his description of Parygrus elateroides, Grouvelle (1896b, p. 34) stated the type locality as “ Brésil: Province de Pernambuco (Pery-Pery). – Collection Gounelle.” He reported that he had seen specimens of P. elateroides from S. Paul ( Brésil) belonging to the Fry Collection, that were larger and more stocky. We examined two specimens labeled as P. elateroides from the NHMUK, cited above in Additional specimens examined, however, neither of these has Fry Collection labels. Without actually examining the type specimen we are unable to confirm these determinations and, in fact, suspect they are incorrect. At 7.5 and 8.5 mm long the specimens are at least 2.0–3.0 mm longer than the type, and one of them does not resemble the type image. In addition, they are likely not conspecific due to morphological dissimilarities (i.e., puncto-striation, setation, scutellar shape).

Figures

FIGURES 8–11. Parygrus species: 8) Parygrus angustatus, holotype: dorsal habitus; specimen labels; 9) Parygrus angustatus, false holotype: dorsal habitus; specimen labels; 10) Parygrus elateroides, holotype: dorsal habitus; specimen labels; 11) Parygrus parallelus, non-type: dorsal habitus; specimen labels (images 8, 10, 11 provided by the MNHN collection-Paris).