Pyrotes, Kazantsev, Sergey V., 2004

Kazantsev, Sergey V., 2004, Phylogeny of the tribe Erotini (Coleoptera, Lycidae), with descriptions of new taxa, Zootaxa 496, pp. 1-48 : 21-23

Pyrotes gen. n. ( Figs. 31–35 )

Type species: Pyropterus sculpturatus Waterhouse, 1878

Description

Head transverse, slightly narrowed behind eyes. Plane of frons making right angle with vertex. Labrum transverse, feebly emarginated medially. Eyes relatively small, spherical. Mandibles evenly rounded, conspicuously bent inward when directed anteriorly, glabrous distally and pubescent basally ( Fig. 31 ). Maxillary palps slender, 4­segmented, with apical palpomere pointed and glabrous at apex. Labial palpi 3­segmented, slender, pointed and glabrous at apex. Gular area very short. Antennal prominence relatively inconspicuous, antennal sockets approximate. Antennae 11­segmented, filiform. Antennomeres 2 and 3 subequal in length and width, transverse and together about two thirds length of antennomere 4. Antennal pubescence decumbent in female and in male antennomeres 1 to 3, and semi­erect in male antennomeres 4 to 11. Pronotum small, considerably narrower than elytra, transverse, triangular anteriorly, widely margined, with moderately pronounced hind angles and conspicuous small, curved, rhomboidal median cell and lateral carinae.

Prosternum narrow, Y­shaped. Thoracic spiracles well sclerotized, but not protruding laterally beyond coxal limits. Scutellum relatively small, parallel­sided and emarginate at apex, showing anterior ridge of scutum on the notch. Elytra slightly widening posteriorly, with four robust equally developed primary costae, interstices with single row of transverse cells; elytral pubescence uniform. Metasternal suture complete. Metathoracic wings with wedge cell present. Mesocoxae separated; metacoxae with conspicuous trochantinal suture. Trochanters elongate, about 1.8 times longer than wide, connected to femora apically; tibiae subequal in length to femora, but slightly more flattened, tibiae with pair of similar short straight apical spurs; tarsomeres 3 and 4 slightly widened, tarsomere 1 with plantar pad occupying approximately apical half; all claws simple. Abdominal spiracles located dorsally at the very edge of ventrites. Spiculum gastrale narrow and moderately long, valvifers free, coxites fused basally with proctiger ( Fig. 32 ). Aedeagus with elongate, ventrally unsclerotized phallobase ( Fig. 33–35 ).

Studied material: holotype, female, “ Type ”, “ Sarawak. 7.24”, “ Pyropterus sculpturatus C.Waterh. ” (Waterhouseís manuscript label) (NNHM); male, “Borneo” (ICM).

Diagnosis and comments

Pyrotes gen. n. somewhat resembles Pyropterus in general appearance, but can be easily separated by the evenly rounded mandibles ( Fig. 31 ), pointed maxillary and labial palps, small and short pronotum with a rhomboidal areola (vs. a rounded one in Pyropterus ), long phallobase that is ventrally unsclerotized ( Fig. 33 ), coxites fused with proctiger ( Fig. 32 ), etc. Pyrotes seems to have more affinities with Coloberos Bourgeois , which belongs in the tribe Taphini and therefore is tentatively placed in that same tribe. Pyrotes is distinguishable from Coloberos by the shape of the pronotal areola, more conspicuous antennomeres 2 and 3, and the presence of a plantar pad on tarsomere 1 (absent in Coloberos ). The presence of basally fused coxites in Pyrotes is similar to Dictyoptera ( Fig. 17 ), whereas most of the Taphini have coxites fused not only with each other, but also with the valvifers ( Bocák & Bocáková, 1990: Fig. 182; 1991: Figs. 19–21 ).

Figures

FIGURES 31 – 35. Details of Pyrotes sculpturatus (Waterhouse). 31 — female genitalia; 32 — same, mandibles; 33 — same, aedeagus, ventrally; 34 — same, laterally; 35 — same, dorsally.

FIGURES 14 – 19. Ultimate female sternite. 14 — Platycis minuta (Fabricius); 15 — Eros humeralis (Fabricius); 16 — Pyropterus nigroruber (Degeer); 17 — Dictyoptera aurora (Herbst); 18 — Pyrotes sculpturatus (Waterhouse); 19 — Lopheros (Eulopheros) harmandi (Bourgeois).