Pyropterus nigroruber (Degeer, 1774)

BOCAK, L. & MATSUDA, K., 2003, Review of the immature stages of the family Lycidae (Insecta: Coleoptera), Journal of Natural History 37 (12), pp. 1463-1507 : 1488-1489

Pyropterus nigroruber (Degeer, 1774)

Diagnosis. Pyropterus nigroruber is the only known representative of the Erotini having longitudinally divided terga. The divided tergum A9 without urogomphi (figure 47) was found also in Metriorrhynchinae in Xylobanus angusticollis (Motschulsky) , X. kunashirensis L. N. Medvedev (Pototskaya, 1981) , and Porrostoma haemorrhoidale Waterhouse. Xylobanus spp. differs in having processes in the frontal part of the tergites T1 and Porrostoma haemorrhoidale differs, in addition, by longitudinal tubercles at the posterior margins of thoracic and abdominal terga (figures 115, 118).

Description of mature larva. Body cylindrical. Sclerites light brown, membranes yellowish-white. Head transverse (figures 50–52). Pleural part of head membranous (figure 52). Eyeless. Mandibles slightly curved. Palpifer transverse, shorter than maxillary palpi, membranous dorsally. Mala slender, membranous, with short setae. Maxillary palpi with two basal palpomeres transverse, apical palpomere slender, long (figures 50, 51). Ventral plate extensive, rounded laterally. Thoracic and abdominal terga divided by longitudinal median line in two parts (figures 44, 47), thoracic pleurites small, lightly coloured. Spiracles in segment T2 located approximately in middle of spiracular plate. Prosternum longer than wide, precoxale small, slender. Meso- and metasternum transverse, triangular, with rounded caudal part (figure 45). Episterna small and moderately sclerotized, epimera inconspicuous. Legs short, robust (figure 49). Abdominal segments A1–A8 with spiracle in upper pleurite, posterior spiracle one seta. Tergum of A9 emarginate at apex.

Measurements. BL 10.3–15.5 mm, PL 0.7–0.9 mm, PW 1.5–1.9 mm.

Material examined. Czech Republic, Moravia, Jívová , 4.v.1997, M. Bocakova and L. Bocak lgt., ( LMBC) one adult reared from larva ; one mature larva, Czech Republic, Český les, Výhledy , 27.v.1967, K. Hůrka lgt. ( LMBC) ; one mature larva, Poland, Pieniny, Facimiech , 26.v.1972, leg. B. Burakowski ( LMBC) .