Eulitrus Sharp, 1889

Gimmel, Matthew L., 2013, <strong> Genus-level revision of the family Phalacridae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea) </ strong>, Zootaxa 3605 (1), pp. 1-147 : 107-109

29. Eulitrus Sharp, 1889

( Figs. 32 ; 43f )

Eulitrus Sharp 1889: 257 . Type species: Eulitrus estriatus Sharp, 1889 , fixed by subsequent designation.

Type material. Eulitrus estriatus Sharp : lectotype, here designated in order to fix the species name and type locality, “ Eulitrus \ estriatus \ Type D.S. \ Panama \ Champion [handwritten on specimen card] // Type [redbordered disc] // Panama. \ Champion. // Sharp Coll. \ 1905.—313. // SYN- \ TYPE [blue-bordered disc] // LECTOTYPE \ Eulitrus \ estriatus Sharp \ des. M.L. Gimmel 2010 [red label]” ( BMNH), card mounted. Paralectotypes (3): “ Eulitrus \ estriatus \ D.S. \ Chontales Janson [handwritten on specimen card] // ESL \ 19 // See slide Coll. \ No. 3 ESL 62, 63 [numbers handwritten] // Slide No. 380 381 \ E. Lewis 1988 [numbers handwritten] / / Chontales, \ Nicaragua. \ Janson. // Sharp Coll. \ 1905,–313. // SYN- \ TYPE [blue-bordered disc]”; “ Eulitrus \ estriatus. D.S. \ Bugaba. [handwritten on specimen card] // ♀ // Bugaba, \ Panama. \ Champion. // B.C.A., Col., II, (1). // SYN- \ TYPE [blue-bordered disc]”; “ Eulitrus \ estriatus \ D.S. \ Bugaba \ Champion [handwritten on specimen card] // Sp. figured. // Bugaba. \ Panama. \ Champion. // B.C.A., Col., II, (1). // ESL \ 20 // SYN- \ TYPE [blue-bordered disc]” (all BMNH), card mounted, with label attached “ PARALECTOTYPE \ Eulitrus \ estriatus Sharp \ det. M.L. Gimmel 2010 [yellow label]”.

Diagnosis. The genus Eulitrus is readily recognizable and morphologically well delimited from other members of Phalacridae . The following characters diagnose members of the genus: protibia with ctenidium on kickface extending from one-half to two-thirds length of tibia, metaventral process greatly protruding anteriorly, surpassing mesocoxae and resting upon rounded prosternal process when beetle is in repose, metaventral lines narrowly separated from mesocoxal cavities, metatarsomere II about three to six times length of metatarsomere I, sutural stria of elytron completely absent, strong spectral iridescence present on elytra, median lobe of male genitalia spearhead-shaped with an acuminate tip, and spiculum gastrale heavily sclerotized, forming a deltashaped plate.

Description. Very small to large, total length 1.2–4.0 mm. Dorsal color brunneous to black ( Fig. 43f ), often with reddish maculations. Tibial spur formula 2-2-2, tarsal formula 5-5- 5 in both sexes.

Head. Not constricted behind eyes. Eyes medium-sized to large; facets flat; interfacetal setae absent; strongly emarginate medially; without posterior emargination; periocular groove present; with transverse setose groove ventrally behind eye. Frontoclypeus emarginate above antennal insertion; clypeal apex arcuate-truncate. Antennal club 3-segmented, club strongly asymmetrical, antennomere XI unconstricted or weakly turbinate ( Fig. 32b ). Mandible ( Fig. 32a ) with apex bidentate; without retinaculum; mandible with ventral ridge. Maxillary palpomere IV fusiform, nearly symmetrical; galea short, rounded; lacinia with two stout spines. Mentum with sides divergent toward apex; labial palpomere III fusiform. Labrum with apical margin arcuate. Gular sutures short, barely evident .

Thorax. Pronotum without obvious microsetae; with moderately developed scutellar lobe. Prosternum anteriorly with continuous row of marginal setae, setae flattened at base; procoxal cavity with anterolateral notchlike extension; hypomeron with weak to strong transverse carina originating along coxal cavity just posterior to notchlike extension; prosternal process rounded in lateral view, sometimes conspicuously setose preapically, without spinelike setae at apex. Protrochanter without setae; protibia with ctenidium on kickface, extending from about 1/3 to 2/3 length of tibia ( Fig. 32c ). Scutellar shield small. Elytron with distinct spectral iridescence; with sutural stria absent or barely indicated; disc devoid of striae or distinct rows of punctures; without transverse strigae; lateral margin with row of tiny, sawtooth-like setae. Mesoventral plate ( Fig. 32f ) notched anteriorly, extending posteriorly to metaventrite, dividing mesoventral disc in two, not forming procoxal rests; mesanepisternum with complete transverse carina; mesocoxal cavities widely separate, separated by more than half width of a coxal cavity. Mesotarsomere III bilobed. Metaventral process ( Fig. 32f ) extending beyond anterior level of mesocoxae, protruding and arcuately lobed anteriorly; metaventral postcoxal lines narrowly separated from mesocoxal cavity margin, smoothly arcuate; discrimen short, extending less than halfway to anterior margin of metaventral process; metendosternite ( Fig. 32g ) with anterior tendons moderately separated, ventral process intersecting ventral longitudinal flange at anterior margin. Anterior margin of metacoxa with emargination sublaterally; metacoxal plate with transverse line; metatibial foreface with apical ctenidium roughly perpendicular overall to long axis of tibia; spurs cylindrical, longest spur subequal in length to width of tibial apex; metatarsomere I shorter, often much shorter than metatarsomere II, joint between I and II rigid ( Fig. 32d ). Hind wing ( Fig. 32e ) with distinct, ovate anal lobe; leading edge without row of long setae at level of RA +ScP; AA 3+4 present, strong, anastomosing with Cu, spur AA 4 absent; cubitoanal system unbranched apically; CuA 2 and MP 3+4 with distal remnants; r4 developed, connected with RA 3+4; with distinct curved flecks in apical field distal to rp-mp2; long transverse proximal sclerite and faint triangular sclerite present just distal to end of radial bar.

Abdomen. Abdominal ventrite I without paired lines or calli; spiracles present and apparently functional on segment VII. Male with aedeagus upright in repose; tegmen ( Fig. 32h ) with symmetrical anterior margin and parameres fused to basal piece but separated from it by suture, parameres without medial longitudinal division; penis ( Fig. 32i ) lance-shaped, with basal strut widened, with distinct fields of endophallic spicules, apex acuminate; spiculum gastrale V-shaped with arms connected by broad lamina, or Y-shaped with long basal rod. Female ovipositor weakly sclerotized, palpiform.

Immature stages. Unknown.

Bionomics. Members of Eulitrus have been collected using a variety of generalized methods including beating, canopy fogging, blacklighting, Malaise traps, and flight intercept traps.

Distribution and diversity. Strictly Neotropical, occurring from Jalisco and Veracruz States in Mexico south to Paraguay and Misiones Province, Argentina. Known from Venezuela and Guyana but I have not seen specimens from the West Indies or islands of the South American continental shelf. Two described species are included in the genus, but many new species await description.

Included species (2):

Eulitrus anisotomus Sharp, 1889 ( Distribution : Belize) (type!)

Eulitrus estriatus Sharp, 1889 ( Distribution : Nicaragua, Panama) (type!)

Discussion. A well defined genus, Eulitrus probably has the least complex history of all previously described genera of Phalacridae .

Figures

FIGURE 32. Eulitrus estriatus, male. (a) Left mandible, dorsal; (b) left antenna (scale bar = 0.5 mm). (c) Left protibia and tarsus, dorsal; (d) left metatibia and tarsus, ventral (scale bar = 0.5 mm). (e) Hind wing (scale bar = 1.0 mm). (f) Meso- and metaventrite, ventral (scale bar = 1.0 mm). (g) Metendosternite (scale bar = 1.0 mm). (h) Tegmen, dorsal; (i) penis, dorsal (scale bar = 0.5 mm).

FIGURE 43. Photographs. Paracylomus asiaticus: (a) dorsal; (b) ventral. Steinerlitrus warreni: (c) head and pronotum laterally, showing posterior eye emargination; (d) dorsal; (e) ventral. Eulitrus estriatus: (f) dorsal.