Scirtes flavoguttatus, Champion, B, 1918

Yoshitomi, Hiroyuki & Ruta, Rafał, 2010, Revision of the Scirtes flavoguttatus species-group (Coleoptera: Scirtidae: Scirtinae) 2467, Zootaxa 2467 (1), pp. 1-74 : 5

Scirtes flavoguttatus species-group

Diagnosis. Body moderate to large, TL 2.8–6.2 mm, oblong-oval, slightly convex above; maxillae ( Fig. 1B ) with elongated brush-like galea; labial palpomere 1 as long as palpomere 2 ( Fig. 1C ); mandibles symmetrical, without denticles on mesal edges, pointed at apices ( Fig. 1A ). Setation of abdominal sternites peculiar: sternites III–IV sparsely covered with short setae, setae longer on mesal portion of sternite III and IV, sternite IV with two transverse areas devoided of setation situated close to its anterior margin; sternites V–VII closely covered with long regular setae; caudal margin of sternite VII often shallowly emarginate ( Fig. 2A ). Tergites I–VII in males lacking apodemes in anterior portion ( Fig. 2B ) (tergite VII in females with apodemes); tergite VIII broad; sternite IX lightly sclerotized; tergite IX almost membranous; tegmen usually symmetrical, Ushaped, with distinct parameres; penis symmetrical, club-like, articulated with tegmen. Sternite VII of females often with a pair of small foveae; prehensor distinct and strongly sclerotized; bursal sclerite indistinct or absent ( Fig. 3A ).

In addition to the above; the elytra often have a colour pattern; the anntenae often with contrasting coloration; basal 3 antennomeres yellow, remaining antennomeres brown to black; the elytral apices in females of some species are modified, with obliquely depressed excitators (sensu Ruta 2008) and the females, where known, are often darker than males, either entirely black ( S. laosensis sp. n. and S. niisatoi sp. n.) or with indistinct yellow elytral pattern (spp. cf. luteomaculatus ).

Notes. Scirtes flavoguttatus species-group is similar to the japonicus species-group in the oblong-oval shape of the body ( Nyholm 2002), but is distinguished from the latter by the following characteristics: mandibles symmetrical, simply pointed; tegmen U-shaped; penis club-like, articulated with tegmen.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Mouthparts of Scirtes luteomaculatus Pic, male. A) mandible, B) maxilla, C) labium.

FIGURE 2. Abdominal segments. A) sternites III–VII of Scirtes schawalleroides sp. n., B) tergite VII of Scirtes luteomaculatus Pic.

FIGURE 3. Female genitalia of Scirtes niisatoi sp. n. A) genital tract, B) prehensor, C) sternite VIII, D) tergite VIII.