Scolytus Geoffroy, 1762

Smith, Sarah M. & Cognato, Anthony I., 2013, A New Species of Scolytus Geoffroy, 1762 and Taxonomic Changes Regarding Neotropical Scolytini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 67 (4), pp. 547-556 : 552-553

Scolytus Geoffroy, 1762

Scolytus multistriatus ( Marsham, 1802)

ARGENTINA: BUENOS AIRES: Castelar , 1983, S/ OLMO (USNM-5) ; MENDOZA: Mendoza , 1982, S/ OLMO (USNM-6) , BRAZIL: MATO GROSSO: Sinop , X.1975, M. Alvarenga (DEBC-1). New country records .

Wood (2007) reported the occurrence of S. multistriatus in Argentina and Chile, but never examined specimens to confirm the identification. D. E. Bright (personal communication) also expressed doubt regarding these records and considered them anecdotal. The specimens reported here are the first positively identified specimens collected from South America.

Scolytus proximus Chapuis, 1869

= Scolytus brevicauda Wichmann, 1915 . New synonymy

Scolytus brevicauda had previously been considered a synonym of Scolytus thoracicus Chapuis ( Schedl 1937) . Upon examination of the holotype of S. brevicauda , S. thoracicus , and a large series of S. proximus , it is apparent that S. brevicauda is a synonym of S. proximus . In S. brevicauda and S. proximus , the shape of the spine on male sternite 2 is long and narrow and has a hooked apex unlike that of S. thoracicus which is long and narrow with a blunt and bifurcate apex appearing as though it is composed of two ‘steps’. The male frons of S. brevicauda and S. proximus is flattened on the dorsal half and weakly transversely impressed on the apical third, and the median line is slightly elevated and bearing a median callouslike tumescence. In contrast, in S. thoracicus the frons is flattened on the dorsal half and strongly, transversely impressed on the lower third, and the median area is laterally subcarinate and bears a strongly dorsoventrally compressed tubercle. The male epistoma is broadly and weakly emarginated in S. proximus and narrowly and deeply emarginated in S. thoracicus .

Scolytus thoracicus Chapuis, 1869

= Scolytus plaumanni Wood, 2007 . New synonymy

The holotype of S. thoracicus , the female paratype of S. plaumanni , as well as a large series of specimens from Santa Catarina, Brazil ( S. thoracicus ) are morphologically identical.