Tohlezkus Vít

Jałoszyński, Paweł & Wakimura, Ryotaro, 2023, A new genus, new species and new records of Eucinetidae in Japan and Taiwan (Coleoptera), Zootaxa 5351 (1), pp. 122-138 : 130

Genus Tohlezkus Vít

Tohlezkus Vít, 1977: 920 .

Type species: Tohlezkus ponticus Vít, 1977 .

Subulistomella M. Sakai, 1980: 83 . Type species: Subulisomella rufa M. Sakai, 1980 .

Tohlezkus was defined as a small-bodied (BL <2 mm) eucinetid genus with suctorial mouthparts (i.e., labrum and prelabium strongly elongate, subtriangular and apically pointed), pentagonal head with frons not constricted at level of antennal insertions, which are not exposed in dorsal view; galea vestigial, lacinia much longer than stipes, slender, lacking distomesal setae; maxillary palpomere 4 rapidly narrowed distally; labial palpomere 2 pipe-shaped and strongly elongate, labial palpomere 3 slender, broadest near proximal 1/4, then narrowing toward strongly elongate, slender distal half; antennae massive, compact, with most antennomeres transverse and antennomere 11 truncate at apex; elytra lacking adsutural striae and transverse strigulae and with epipleura gradually narrowing posteriorly; parameres lacking setae.

Tohlezkus currently includes four species distributed in the Asian part of Turkey and European Russia ( T. ponticus Vít, 1981 ), Taiwan ( T. orientalis Vít, 1981 ), Japan ( T. rufus (M. Sakai, 1980)) , and southeastern USA ( T. inexpectus Vít, 1995 ). Tohlezkus orientalis was described based on two females; herein for the first time the aedeagus of this species is illustrated. A new species of this genus was discovered in Okinawa-jima, Japan, and is described below. All nominal species of Tohlezkus can be identified using the following key: