Acalanthis Erichson

Acalanthis Erichson, 1842: 446; Crowson, 1970: 13 (in key),16 (larvae assigned); Kolibáċ, 2005: 40. Type species: A. quadrisignata Erichson 1842 (by monotypy).

Three known species of this genus are endemic to southern Chile and Argentina. They are relatively large, heavily sclerotised, somewhat clerid-like beetles, dorsally clothed with scattered long setae and with 10- segmented antennae bearing a two-segmented antennal club (but with antennomere 9 narrower than 10, so that the club may appear to be 1-segmented, Figs. 2, 6). This genus was redescribed by Kolibáč (2005) who illustrated the hind wing and mouth parts, but his illustration of the antenna (Pl. 1, fig. 5) is clearly wrong and belongs to a taxon of Trogossitinae.

Acalanthis is very similar to Paracalanthis Crowson described from southern Queensland (Lamington National Park) but is distinguished by a lack of a spine on external margin of hind tibia and a sparser clothing of long setae. The antennal club in Paracalanthis is also more clearly 1-segmented.