Anthicus (Aulacoderus), LaFerte-Senectere, 1849

Kejval, Zbyněk & Chandler, Donald S., 2020, Generic revision of the Microhoriini with new species and synonymies from the Palaearctic Region (Coleoptera: Anthicidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 60 (1), pp. 95-154 : 110

Aulacoderus LaFerté-Sénectère, 1849

( Figs 9, 10 , 49 , 124, 125 )

Anthicus subg. Aulacoderus LaFerté-Sénectère, 1849b: 133 . Type species: Anthicus transversalis LaFerté-Sénectère, 1849, by original designation; currently a junior homonym, replaced with Anthicus mutatus Gemminger, 1870.

Anthicus (Aulacoderus) : LAFERTÉ- SÉNECTÈRE (1849c): 266 (repeated description); HEYDEN (1883): 141 (catalogue); HEYDEN (1891): 268 (catalogue); REITTER (1906): 445 (catalogue); WINKLER (1927): 850 (catalogue); VAN HILLE (1961): 232 (characters, species-groups); VAN HILLE (1971): 368 (list); VAN HILLE (1984): 2, Figs 2–4 , 7–8 (monograph); VAN HILLE (1985): 56 (characters, key to species-groups).

Aulacoderus : BONADONA (1974): 108 (list); UHMANN (1976): 173 (key to genera); UHMANN (1978): 76, 79 (checklist); BUCCIARELLI (1980): 175, 218 (characters, key to genera and species, Italy); ANGELINI et al. (1995): 24 (checklist, Italy); CHANDLER et al. (2004): 113, 117 (nomenclature, list); CHANDLER et al. (2008): 429 (catalogue); KEJVAL (2015): 178 (characters, relationships); KEJVAL (2017): 57 (redescription, biology, distribution, variation, key to species, Palaearctic Region).

Species/specimens examined. Aulacoderus mutatus (Gemminger, 1870), South Africa, Simons Town, J. C. van Hille det. ( ZKDC). In addition, nearly all Palaearctic species ( KEJVAL 2017), and members of most species-groups proposed by VAN HILLE (1984).

Diagnosis. (i) Mandibles with uneven cutting edge, at most with small denticle distally on right mandible; (ii) anterior margin of procoxal cavity nearly evenly concave, lacking distinct incision, Fig. 49 ; (iii) intercoxal process of proventrite reduced; (iv) postcoxal bridge with median projection; (v) mesoventrite subtriangular, Fig. 9 ; (vi) mesepisterna shallowly impressed, lacking transverse groove, Fig. 10 ; (vii) mesepisterna distinctly separate medially on anterior margin; (viii) pore of mesothoracic gland situated at margin of mesothorax, orifice inconspicuous; (ix) intercoxal process of abdomen rather short and wide, mostly rounded apically, subtriangular and pointed in some species; (x) posterior transverse carina of metacoxae distinct and fully developed; (xi) meso- and metatibiae with single terminal spur; (xii) basal-piece of tegmen tubular and well-developed (mostly longer or about as long as apical portion).

Distribution. Afrotropical and Palaearctic Region (about 140 species). The genus is extremely speciose in southern Africa, however no records are known from Madagascar. In the Palaearctic Region it is restricted to the western subtropical areas (27 species); its northernmost reliable records originate from Armenia, Croatia, Italy, and the easternmost records are from Afghanistan ( CHANDLER et al. 2008, KEJVAL 2017).

Relationships. Aulacoderus is a distinctive genus, closely related to Falsophilus as indicated by the following shared features. The characters i, iii, v–viii (symplesiomorphies) and ii, iv, x (synapomorphies) are shared with this genus ( KEJVAL 2017). As for differences (ix, xi, xii), the shape of the intercoxal process of the abdomen (ix) is variable, but never narrow and subtruncate (as it is in Falsophilus) or narrowed and sharply pointed apically (plesiomorphic condition). The reduced number of terminal spurs of the meso- and metatibiae (xi) is undoubtedly derived and seems to be stable, however, this character, as well as the well-developed, tubular basal-piece of the tegmen (xii), are shared with numerous Microhoria .

In addition, Aulacoderus seems to lack any metathoracic and/or abdominal foveae or setose impressions that are known in Liparoderus , many Microhoria , and numerous Falsophilus.

Figures

Figs 7–14. Mesothorax in ventral (left) and lateral (right) view: 7, 8 – Neocrohoria melanura (Fairmaire & Germain, 1863), Chile, Malleco prov., 4 km W Victoria (DCDC); 9, 10 – Aulacoderus mutatus (Gemminger, 1870); 11, 12 – Liparoderus venator (Dufour, 1849); 13, 14 – Microhoria oedipus (Chevrolat, 1860). Scale bars: 100 μm (Figs 7–10); 200 μm (Figs 11–14).

Figs 47–53. 47, 48 – Neocrohoria melanura (Fairmaire & Germain, 1863), O’Higgins prov., Cuesta Chada (ZKDC): 47 – aedeagus in lateral (left) and ventral (right) view; 48 – fused baculi of endophallus. 49, 50 – Prothorax in ventro-cranial view: 49 – Aulacoderus mutatus (Gemminger, 1870); 50 – Liparoderus venator (Dufour, 1849). 51, 52 – Right mandible: 51 – Microhoria oedipus (Chevrolat, 1860); 52 – Liparoderus insignis (Lucas, 1843). 53 – M. oedipus, metendosternite. Scale bars: 0.2 mm – A (Figs 51, 52); 0.5 mm – B (Fig. 50), C (Fig. 53), D (Figs 47, 48, 49).

Figs 123–137. Habitus: 123 – Neocrohoria melanura (Fairmare & Germain, 1863), O’Higgin prov., Cuesta Chada (ZKDC); 124 – Aulacoderus mutatus (Gemminger, 1870); 125 – A. tuberculifer (van Hille, 1985), Western Cape, Soutpan (ZKDC); 126 – Falsophilus minutus (Pic, 1894), Western Cape, Cape Point (ZKDC); 127 – Liparoderus insignis (Lucas, 1843), Spain, Farlete (ZKDC); 128 – Microhoria caeruleicolor (Pic, 1906) comb.nov.; 129 – M. fugiens (Marseul, 1896) comb. nov.; 130 – M. posthuma (Krekich-Strassoldo, 1931) comb. nov., India, Loharket (ZKDC); 131 – M. fasciata (Chevrolat, 1834); 132 – M. vosseleri (Pic, 1894); 133 – M. heydeni (Marseul, 1879) comb. nov.; 134 – M. longiceps (LaFerté-Sénectère, 1849) comb. nov.; 135 – M. proterva (Krekich-Strassoldo, 1931), syntype (BMNH); 136 – M. antalya sp. nov.; 137 – M. globipennis (Pic, 1897), Turkey, Şenköy (ZKDC).

Figs 1–6. 1 – Liparoderus venator (Dufour, 1849), Spain, Zaragoza (D. Molina det., photo by B. Campo, www.biodiversidadvirtual.org.). 2 – Microhoria raveli (Pic, 1899), female internal reproductive structures, after DE MARZO (1996). 3–6 – Aedeagus in ventral view: 3 – Sapintus oceanicus (LaFerté- Sénectère, 1849), India, Tamil Nadu, Poovar (ZKDC); 4 – Anthelephila cyanea (Hope, 1833), South Africa, Western Cape prov., Greyton (ZKDC); 5 – Microhoria garavuti sp. nov., holotype; 6 – M. cervi sp. nov., paratype, Al Mughsayl (a = parameral plate, b = phallobase, c = baculi of endophallus, d = primary gonopore). Scale not specified.