Belonotus Kirejtshuk et Kovalev, 2022

Kirejtshuk, Alexander G. & Kovalev, Alexey V., 2022, Monograph on the Cillaeinae (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) from the Australian Region with comments on the taxonomy of the subfamily, Zootaxa 5103 (1), pp. 1-133 : 21

6. Subgenus Belonotus Kirejtshuk et Kovalev , subgen. nov.

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8EF3D76B-57A2-4E2C-9C94-04947D5BEC24

Type species: Adocimus (Belonotus) bartenevi sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Body rather narrow and subparallel-sided elongate; elytra distinctly striate; head gradually narrowed to base, with rather small and extremely finely faceted eyes located rather anteriorly; prothoracic lateral carinae comparatively expressed and visible from above; pronotal anterior angles with narrowly rounded (subangular) tip; scutellar shield subtriangular; all tibiae moderately wide and moderately dorsoventrally compressed (not swollen at apex) and without group of short and thick spines at apex; femora moderately wide, thick; tarsi with narrowly lobed tarsomeres 1–3.

Notes on systematic position. This new taxon is proposed for a group of species rather similar to the species of Adocimus s. str. with the type species— A. bellus and the crucial differences between the former and latter consist mostly in the presence or absence of the prothoracic carinae, structure of head, shape of prothorax and structures legs segments. Adocimus bellus and closest still undescribed species, in contrast to other cillaeines, have swollen prothoracic sides which demonstrate only lateral rollers in places where the lateral carinae are located in other groups.

Both these groups ( Adocimus s. str. and subgenus Belonotus subgen. nov.) are very similar and seem to be very closely related to each other. Taking into consideration diversity of both them, including undescribed species, many their characters show parallel transformations and, as a result, these taxa can be distinguished only by the characters indicated in the above key to Australian cilaeine genera and subgenera and above diagnosis. It necessary to add that different species of the new subgenus and Ithyphenes (including undescibed species) show many structural parallelisms and their hiatus is the most distinctly expressed in the structures of head (length, position of eyes, expression of antennal grooves), while the lateral carinae of the prothorax and tibiae in some Ithyphenes are also very similar to those in Belonotus subgen. nov. The subgeneric rank of Belonotus subgen. nov. is rather preliminary and it can be changed after a further wider revision of both Adocimus s. str. and Belonotus subgen. nov. At this moment it can be noted that the widely distributed Belonotus subgen. nov. seems to be most generalized, apparently quite numerous in species but not very variable in structures and apparently with the greatest number of plesiomorphic characters. Ithyphenes is most diverse in structures and number of species and rather wide in its range. Adocimus s. str. is the most specialized and rather small group, which is rather uniform in structures, showing many apomorphic characters and very restricted in the distribution.

Etymology. The name of this genus is formed from the Greek βελόνη (“spearhead”, “spike”, “needle”) and suffix “ tus ”. Gender masculine.

Composition. This subgenus includes two described species ( Adocimus (Belonotus) bartenevi sp. nov. and A. (B.) nitidulus comb. nov. (? = modiglianii ), although some species of it are still waiting for description.

Distribution. Widely spread through the Indo-Malayan and Australian regions and apparently with most diversity in Sunda Islands.