Belicinus Arce-Pérez and Shepard, 2012

Arce-Pérez, Roberto, Shepard, William D. & Morón, Miguel A., 2012, Belicinus Rhomboideus, a new genus and species of Psepheninae (Coleoptera: Byrrhoidea: Psephenidae) from Belize, Zootaxa 3157, pp. 31-40 : 32

Belicinus Arce-Pérez and Shepard gen. nov.

( Figs. 1 , 2, 4, 5, 6, 9)

Description. Head ( Fig. 1 ) long, eyes spherical, very prominent; antennae short (e.g. hardly reaching the apex of scutellum), filiform and subserrated, 11 antennomeres, scape more robust and larger than remainder of antennomeres (globose); clypeus subtrapezoidal, declivous at an angle of less than 45 degrees from the plane of the frons, distal margin slightly lifted and bent backwards. Pronotum ( Figs. 1 , 4) trapezoidal, with a longitudinal glabrous line and a fine carina in the distal half, with posterior margin quite smooth, never crenulate or rugose; lateral margins rounded, unexpanded at posterior half. Legs with fore coxae and middle coxae not far apart (Fig. 2); fore femora robust subtriangular; tibiae (Figs. 5, 6) slender, clearly arched, with tiny teeth on their internal margin; basal four tarsomeres triangular ( Fig. 7 ), flattened and widely emarginate at apex, fifth tarsomere (Fig. 5) longest, as long as preceding ones together, cylindrical; tarsal claws entire, never bifid or split, widely separate, widened at base and without teeth or accessory membranes. Male genitalia (Fig. 9) in ventral view subrectangular, trilobate; phallobase shorter than parameres; parameres shorter than median lobe; median lobe long and of expanded rhombic shape.

Remarks. Other Psepheninae genera can be distinguished from Belicinus gen. nov. by the following characters: Psephenus has the posterior half of the pronotum occasionally expanded; tibiae straight; four basal tarsomeres slender and subcylindrical, slightly emarginate at apex, with delicate, minute setae or papillae ventrally (Fig. 22); and the median lobe of the male genitalia is mostly membranous and subcylindric. Psephenops has the pronotum expanded laterally on posterior half; tibiae straight; tarsomeres 1 and 2, and occasionally 3, with wide ventral expansions that cover apical tarsomeres (Fig. 19); and the median lobe of the male genitalia is mostly membranous, subtriangular or finger-like. In Pheneps , the body is more slender; the antennae are long approximately 0.75 times the length of the elytra; tibiae straight; tarsomeres 1 2 clearly stouter than any of the three apical tarsomeres (Fig. 15); and the phallobase is notably larger than the parameres. Psephenotarsis has the antennae short, moniliform or filiform; pronotum expanded laterally in posterior half; tibiae straight; and the median lobe of the male genitalia is long, subcylindric and sclerotized, or finger-like and membranous. Psephenopalpus has the maxillary palpus extremely long, extending beyond sixth antennomere (Fig. 18); tibiae straight; and the median lobe of the male genitalia is finger-like.

Type species. Belicinus rhomboideus

Distribution. Belize

Etymology. Named for the first record of the family in Belize; Belicinus .

Figures

FIGURES 1 6. Belicinus rhomboideus sp. nov. 1. Head and pronotum, dosal view. 2. Head and prosternum, ventral view. 3. Labrum and maxillary palpus, ventral view. 4. Midline of pronotum with a fine carina in the distal half. 5 6. Protibiae slender, clearly arched toward the exterior, with tiny teeth on their internal margin.

FIGURES 7 12. Belicinus rhomboideus sp. nov. 7. First four tarsomeres (dorsal and lateral view). 8. Abdominal ventrites. 9. Aedeagus on ventral view, showing phallobase, parameres and middle lobe (penis). 10. Aedeagus, dorsal view. 11. Aedeagus, close-up of penis, ventral view. 12. Aedeagus, dorsal view.