Physodactylus Fischer von Waldheim, 1823

Rosa, Simone Policena, 2014, Phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic revision of Physodactylinae (Coleoptera, Elateridae), Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (São Paulo) 54 (18), pp. 217-292 : 252-254

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1590/0031-1049.2014.54.18
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/7B52527A-2421-FFA4-75E4-60DDF1DEFEEB
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Physodactylus Fischer von Waldheim, 1823
status

Treatment

Physodactylus Fischer von Waldheim, 1823: 303 , 1824: 450; Guérin-Méneville, 1829: 43; Lacordaire, 1857: 237; Fleutiaux, 1892: 406; Schwarz, 1906: 311; Fleutiaux, 1940c: 165; Blackwelder, 1944: 292; Golbach, 1994: 27; Lawrence & Newton, 1995: 855; Chassain, 2005: 65.

Drepanius Perty, 1830: 24 ; Lacordaire; 1857: 237 (syn).

Type species (by monotypy): Physodactylus henningi Fischer, 1823 .

Diagnosis: Body convex. Frons carinate, antenna submoniliform not surpassing the pronotal posterior angle, labrum subrectangular strongly declivous anteroventrad, mandible falciform unidentate. Prothorax trapezoidal wider than long, lateral pronotal carina directed ventrad anteriorly; anterior angles straight or obtuse in dorsal view, not produced. Metacoxa about 17° inclined to transverse body axis with inner 1/3 about 13 times wider than the outer 2/3; free margin of metacoxal plate very short or absent. Trochanter and femur convex; tibiae widened apicad with external surface covered with spiniform seta and each inner and outer apical margins with a row of 18-27 spiniform setae. Abdominal ventrite 1 nearly divided medially.

Distribution: BRAZIL.

Redescription (male): Integument dull to very shiny with variable color patterns, with punctures umbilicate deeply or weakly impressed, covered with yellow to dark-brown setae; pilosity decumbent to semi-erect on ventral surface; setae usually absent on dorsal surface except for the erect setae on the borders of pronotum and elytra; epipleura densely covered with erect setae visible dorsally around the elytra. Total length: 5.0- 20 mm; elytral base 0.96-1.11x as wide as prothorax, elytra 2.70-3.48x longer than pronotum.

Head ( Figs. 18B View FIGURE 18 , 26C View FIGURE 26 , 28B View FIGURE 28 ) with anterior margin of frons straight or rounded, dorsal ocular margins curved inwards or subparallel. Frontal carina usually present weakly to strongly impressed, produced or not anteriorly; frontoclypeal region ( Fig. 26D View FIGURE 26 ) steeply declivous to base of labrum 5.0-6.0x wider than long; punctures larger than those of pronotum, coalescent to 0.5 diameter apart. Antenna ( Fig. 16A View FIGURE 16 ) with 11 antennomeres, antennomeres II and III subequal, III 1.0-1.1x longer than II; IV-XI strongly convex (submoniliform); IV-X serrate, XI subcircular to elliptical. IEP 0.24-0.42. Labrum ( Figs. 30C View FIGURE 30 , 33E View FIGURE 33 ) subrectangular, anterior margin nearly straight to medially emarginate, concave and strongly declivous ventrad, 2.86-2.92x wider than long, densely and coarsely punctate, with long setae. Mouthparts directed anteroventrally. Mandible ( Figs. 18B View FIGURE 18 , 22C View FIGURE 22 , 30C View FIGURE 30 ) narrow and long, falciform, unidentate, laterodorsal face densely punctate; lateral edge evenly curved apicad; mesal margin at base with a row of short setae on a prominent rectangular membranous area. Maxilla and labium covered with yellow to dark-brown setae. Maxilla ( Figs. 22B View FIGURE 22 , 26B View FIGURE 26 ) with galea securiform, anterior part usually covered with short fine setae, denser on inner angle (some species with sparse spines and spiniform setae – Fig. 20B View FIGURE 20 ); lacinia elongate, tongue-like, densely or sparsely pilose; medistipes trapezoidal longer than wide with several long setae; labium ( Figs. 22D View FIGURE 22 ) with prementum deeply emarginate on anteromedian margin with anterolateral angles rounded or truncate, not produced; maxillary and labial palpi pilose with fine to stout setae, apical palpomere securiform.

Prothorax subtrapezoidal 1.07-1.56x wider than long, lateral carina directed ventrad anteriorly, nearly entirely visible or with anterior part not visible dorsally, not reaching the anterior margin (incomplete) or reaching the anterior margin (complete); anterior angles straight or obtuse in dorsal view. Pronotum weakly ( Fig. 21C View FIGURE 21 ) to strongly ( Fig. 22H View FIGURE 22 ) convex, disc, lateral and anterior borders convex with punctures umbilicate deeply impressed (shallowly impressed in some species), posterior margin with very small punctures ( Fig. 26F View FIGURE 26 ); anterior angles right or obtuse, not produced; posterior angles directed ventromedially, usually non-carinate. Hypomeron with punctures usually as large as those of pronotum, denser laterally; posterior 1/5-1/3 glabrous; posterior margin with an inverted U-shaped notch adjacent to the posterior angle ( Figs. 22I View FIGURE 22 , 25E View FIGURE 25 , 26I View FIGURE 26 ). Prosternal suture straight ( Fig. 25C View FIGURE 25 ) or curved ( Fig. 26G View FIGURE 26 ), margined by a shiny band along hypomeral margin grooved or nor at anterior part. Prosternum ( Figs. 18D View FIGURE 18 , 20E View FIGURE 20 , 22G View FIGURE 22 , 25C View FIGURE 25 , 26G View FIGURE 26 ) 1.09-1.87x wider than long, with punctures larger than those of pronotum, 0.5-1.5 diameters apart; anterior lobe truncate, covering mouthparts to mentum. Prosternal process ( Figs. 22G, H View FIGURE 22 ) 2.0-2.7x longer than diameter of procoxae, ventral surface narrower than the dorsal surface with or without a subapical tooth, curved between procoxae and about 45° declivous to apex. Procoxae open.

Pterothorax: Mesoventrite with posterior region inclined about 30° above the anterior region ( Fig. 26K View FIGURE 26 ) with anterior articulating surfaces concave and smooth ( Figs. 22K View FIGURE 22 , 26J View FIGURE 26 ); borders of mesoventral cavity curved, convergent anteriorly from its half length, floor of cavity with or without shiny median band. Mesocoxal cavity ( Figs. 22K View FIGURE 22 , 26L View FIGURE 26 ) open to both mesepisternum and mesepimeron, trochantin visible; mesepisternum with an oblique carina anteromedially contiguous to the posterior limit of the mesoventral articulating surface. Mesometaventral suture distinct or indistinct. Metaventrite ( Fig. 22K View FIGURE 22 ) 1.4-1.6x wider than long, 1.4-1.5x longer than mesoventrite; metepisternum about 7.0 times longer than wide. Scutellum ( Figs. 22J View FIGURE 22 , 30M View FIGURE 30 , 33E View FIGURE 33 ) abruptly elevated above the level of mesoscutum, pentagonal, 1.1-1.5 longer than wide, anterior edge rounded. Metanotum ( Fig. 26R View FIGURE 26 ): prescutum contiguous medially to the scutum by an acute process; posterior part of the scutellum with a longitudinal apodeme. Elytra with apices conjointly rounded, striae with a single ( Fig. 33N View FIGURE 33 ) or several ( Fig. 33O View FIGURE 33 ) rows of punctures usually increasing in size posteriorly; interstices flat to convex, impunctate or sparsely punctate; epipleura abruptly narrowed near metacoxa, slightly widened apicad from ventrite 2. Hind wings ( Fig. 26Q View FIGURE 26 ) with radial cell 3.5x longer than wide, CuA 1 present; wedge cell present; apex with anterior, median and posterior field sclerotizations convergent basad and an oblique sclerotization adjacent to the radial cell.

Metacoxa ( Fig. 22K View FIGURE 22 ) inclined about 17° in relation to transverse axis of body, ventral part as long as the dorsal one, abruptly shortened on out- er 2/3, inner 1/3 about 13 times longer than outer 2/3; free margin of metacoxal plate absent or very short. Tibiae with 18-27 spiniform setae along each outer and inner apical border ( Fig. 33L View FIGURE 33 ). Protibia ( Figs. 25F View FIGURE 25 , 26N View FIGURE 26 , 28F View FIGURE 28 , 33G View FIGURE 33 ) 2.2-3.5x wider at apex than at base, with dorsal margin rugose, slightly to strongly curved with apical angle usually acute and produced; dorsal margin and outer half covered with spiniform setae. Mesotibia ( Fig. 18F View FIGURE 18 , 19C View FIGURE 19 , 21E View FIGURE 21 , 26O View FIGURE 26 , 33H View FIGURE 33 ) 2.0-3.1 wider at apex than at base, with dorsal margin curved, dorsal apical angle obtuse; covered with spiniform setae, dense on dorsal margin and outer surface, sparse on inner surface. Metatibia ( Figs. 17D View FIGURE 17 , 21F View FIGURE 21 , 2 5G View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 , 26P View FIGURE 26 , 28H View FIGURE 28 , 33K View FIGURE 33 ) 2.4-3.5 wider at apex than at base with apical dorsal angle produced (not produced in some P. besckei specimens); densely covered with spiniform setae. Femur ( Figs. 33F, H, J View FIGURE 33 ) rectangular with outer and inner surfaces convex; metatrochanter more convex than metafemur. Tarsomeres decreasing in length from I-IV, V longer than III and IV together; ventral surface densely pilose, tarsomeres I-III or II-III lamellate ( Fig. 33M View FIGURE 33 ), lamellae of tarsomeres II-III subequal, I a little smaller, minuscule or absent; claws simple.

Abdomen ( Figs. 22L, M View FIGURE 22 ) with variable pilosity patterns on ventrites 1-4, ventrite 5 with apex coarsely punctate with pilosity dense and stout; posterior angle of ventrite 1 and lateral margins of 2-4 with prominent marginal plates ( Fig. 25H View FIGURE 25 ); ventrite 5 subtriangular 1.1-1.5x wider than long, evenly convex. Ventrite 1 nearly divided medially, 2-4 subequal in length. Sternite VIII ( Figs. 18I View FIGURE 18 , 23A View FIGURE 23 ) subrectangular, with posterior margin straight to emarginate medially, partly covered with short setae, lateroposterior angles usually with long stout setae; with a pair of light sclerotizations on lateroposterior angles and a transverse band-like dark sclerotization on anteromedian border. Tergite VIII ( Figs. 18J View FIGURE 18 , 23B View FIGURE 23 , 28K View FIGURE 28 ) evenly sclerotized U-shaped, covered with short setae, setae longer on lateroposterior and apical margins. Sternite IX ( Figs. 18G View FIGURE 18 , 23C View FIGURE 23 , 28I View FIGURE 28 ) with anteromedian margin rounded, produced and curved dorsad; latero-anterior margins strongly sclerotized, anteromedian surface translucent, posterior surface sclerotized and covered with moderately long setae, longer on lateroposterior and apical margins; sternite and tergite IX fused near the anterior margin. Tergite IX ( Figs. 18H View FIGURE 18 , 23D View FIGURE 23 , 28J View FIGURE 28 ) with anterior margin straight or sinuous, apical lobes acute or rounded with long setae. Tergite X with apex membranous, suboval, scarcely punctate, usually glabrous, apical margin with a fringe of minuscule setae.

Aedeagus: Phallobase M-shaped, lateral parts divergent posteriorly with a longitudinal apodeme on dorsal surface, 0.4-0.5x the total length of aedeagus, 0.9-1.6x longer than wide, length ratio between lateroposterior and median parts 3.3-3.4. Parameres tapered apicad, 2.1-4.8x wider at base than the narrowest apical part; with dorsal surface more sclerotized than the ventral one; ventral surface sclerotized laterally, membranous medially, membrane contiguous to each other and to the phallobase membrane; apex securiform with outer angle acute, evenly sclerotized or membranous posteriorly, with or without short setae. Penis with basal struts 0.2-0.3x the total length of penis; dorsal articulation fused to the parameres by a median sclerotized process ( Fig. 17E View FIGURE 17 ) or by a membranous translucent area ( Fig. 18K View FIGURE 18 ); ventral sclerite present.

Remarks: The combination of the most conspicuous characters of Physodactylus species (shape of labrum, the short and laterally convex antennae – almost moniliform in some species, fossorial legs, body convex, metacoxae almost horizontal and reduced laterally and tarsomeres lamellate) easily differentiate them from other similar species as those of Teslasena and Dactylophysus .