Phloeosinopsioides Schedl, 1964b : 317

Beaver, Roger A., 2011, A review of the genus Phloeosinopsioides Schedl (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), Zootaxa 3012, pp. 59-63 : 60

Genus Phloeosinopsioides Schedl, 1964b: 317 .

Type species: Phloeosinopsis triseriata Schedl, 1964a: 297 .

(This species is synonymised with P.formosanus ( Schedl), 1935 : 497 below)

Diagnosis. The genus was originally placed by Schedl (1964a) in the tribe Hylesini [sic], but later workers have included it in the tribe Phloeosinini ( Wood 1986; Wood & Bright 1992; Alonso-Zarazaga & Lyal 2009; Jordal 2010). Within the tribe, the genus is characterised by the following combination of characters: 1.4–2.5 mm long, 2.1–2.4 times longer than wide. Antennal funicle 5-segmented, club large, flattened, with two transverse, septate sutures, slightly constricted at each suture. Anterior margin of eye shallowly, broadly emarginate. Pronotum wider than long, widest slightly before the base, asperate antero-laterally, with a mixture of larger flattened setae and smaller bristle-like setae directed posteriorly and/or medially towards the summit of the pronotum close to its base. Scutellum minute, barely visible from above. Elytra with coarsely punctured striae, the punctures without setae; interstriae either very narrow or about as wide as the striae, bearing a median row of flattened setae, with or without additional ground vestiture; interstriae 10 extending to the level of the metacoxae. Mesal groove of elytra behind scutellum without interlocking nodules and cavities. Metepisternum with most scales bifid, a row of very small sclerolepidia along the length of the ventral margin. Procoxae moderately separated. Protibiae strongly widened distally, bearing a small uncrus on the inner side at the apex, 3–4 large socketed teeth on the lateral and apical margins, and 3–4 smaller teeth laterally in the basal half of the tibia. Sexual dimorphism shown in the frons, which is slightly to deeply impressed in the male, convex in the female.

The genus appears to be most closely similar to Phloeosinus and Hyledius Sampson , but is distinguished from these two genera by the transverse (not oblique) sutures of the antennal club, the shallowly emarginate (not entire) eye, and the presence of asperities on the pronotum. Of the other palaeotropical genera, it is distinguished from Phloeoditica Schedl , Microditica Jordal , Phloeocranus Schedl and Asiophilus Jordal by the emarginate (not entire) eye, and from the first two of these genera by the form of the protibia, which is more strongly widened apically, armed by distinctly socketed (not apparently unsocketed) teeth, and has a much smaller uncus; from Hyleops Schedl by the 5-segmented (not 7-segmented) antennal funicle, and asperate (not smooth) pronotum; from Cladoctonus Strohmeyer by the elongate (not subglobular) antennal club, and non-contiguous procoxae. According to Wood (2007), the monospecific neotropical genus Cortisinus Wood keys to Phloeosinopsioides in Wood (1986), but is distinguished by its 6-segmented funicle, which is longer than the scape, the antennal club with weakly oblique sutures, the smaller and more restricted asperities on the pronotum, and the presence of a circular, subrugosely punctured scutellum. The species of Phloeosinopsioides have a superficial resemblance to certain species of Ficicis Lea in the tribe Hylesinini (e.g. F.v a r i a n s Lea, F.maculipennis [Schedl]), but Ficicis can be easily distinguished by the 7-segmented not 5-segmented antennal funicle, and the larger, distinct scutellum amongst other characters.

Biology. Almost nothing is known of the biology of the genus. The only published host records are from unidentified lianas ( Wood 1985; Wood & Bright 1992). The gallery system has not been described. The majority of genera in the tribe Phloeosinini are monogamous and phloeophagous, making uniramous or biramous galleries in the bark of trees. Eggs are laid in separate niches along the gallery and packed in with frass. The larval galleries radiate in the phloem from the maternal gallery ( Wood 1986). However, Kirkendall (1983) and Wood (1986, 2007) note some exceptions. There are two bigynous species of Phloeosinus and one of Chramesus LeConte , and a few polygynous species of Hyledius . The species of the American genus Dendrosinus Chapuis , and three species of Chramesus are xylophagous, and one species of Chramesus is myelophagous, breeding in the pith of twigs ( Wood 2007). The larvae of the Australian species, Hyleops glabratus Schedl , become xylomycetophagous in the later stages of development ( Wood 1986). Given the variety of habits which occurs within the Phloeosinini , it is hoped that the biology of Phloeosinopsioides will soon be investigated and compared with other genera in the tribe.