Description of a second genus of Chespiritoinae (Coleoptera, Lampyridae), with updates on the subfamily diagnosis and key to species and genera

ABSTRACT Xacoxoxotlani chiapensis Ferreira new genus and new species, the second genus of the lampyrid subfamily Chespiritoinae is described from Chiapas, Mexico. The new taxon is diagnosed, illustrated and compared with Chespirito Ferreira, Keller and Branham, 2020. An updated diagnosis of the subfamily Chespiritoinae is provided along with a new identification key and distribution map for the genera and species within this subfamily.

Dominican amber net-winged beetles suggest stable paleoenvironment as a driver for conserved morphology in a paedomorphic lineage.

Paedomorphosis is a heterochronic syndrome in which adult individuals display features of their immature forms. In beetles, this phenomenon occurs widely in the superfamily Elateroidea, including the net-winged beetles (Lycidae), and, due to the usual flightlessness of paedomorphic females, it is hypothesized to cause speciation rates higher than in non-paedomorphic lineages. However, some fossils of paedomorphic lycids do not support this with palaeobiological data. Discovery of new Lycidae fossils attributed to the West Indian extant paedomorphic genus Cessator Kazantsev in the Dominican amber also suggests morphological stasis within this genus in the Greater Antilles. We describe Cessator anachronicus Ferreira and Ivie, sp. nov. based on adult males, as well as the first ever recorded fossil net-winged beetle larva of the same genus. We propose that the relatively young age of the studied fossils combined with the stable conditions in the forest floor of the Greater Antilles through the last tens of million years could explain the exceptionally conserved morphology in the net-winged beetles affected by the paedomorphic syndrome.

A new suspected paedomorphic genus of net-winged beetles from the Atlantic Rainforest (Coleoptera, Elateroidea, Lycidae)

Lycidae are among the better studied groups in the superfamily Elateroidea, however despite the progress in the taxonomic understanding of the Neotropical fauna, much still remains unknown and undescribed in the region. The description of the new genus Xenolycus gen. nov., from Serra dos Órgãos, a subrange of the Serra do Mar mountain range, in the Atlantic Rainforest in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, contributes to the knowledge of the Neotropical Lycidae fauna. The new genus can be distinguished from all other known Calopterini and Neotropical Lycidae by the combination of a pronotum with a wide, deep and strongly visible longitudinal cell in the disc area, the filiform antennae, the dehiscent elytra with reticulation strongly reduced and bearing only two weakly developed elytral costae and the mouthparts partially reduced, with rudimentary, barely visible mandibles. The type species, Xenolycus costae sp. nov., is illustrated and diagnostic characters and a discussion on the tribal placement of the new genus are provided.

A new suspected paedomorphic genus of net-winged beetles from the Atlantic Rainforest (Coleoptera, Elateroidea, Lycidae)

Lycidae are among the better studied groups in the superfamily Elateroidea, however despite the progress in the taxonomic understanding of the Neotropical fauna, much still remains unknown and undescribed in the region. The description of the new genus Xenolycus gen. nov., from Serra dos Órgãos, a subrange of the Serra do Mar mountain range, in the Atlantic Rainforest in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, contributes to the knowledge of the Neotropical Lycidae fauna. The new genus can be distinguished from all other known Calopterini and Neotropical Lycidae by the combination of a pronotum with a wide, deep and strongly visible longitudinal cell in the disc area, the filiform antennae, the dehiscent elytra with reticulation strongly reduced and bearing only two weakly developed elytral costae and the mouthparts partially reduced, with rudimentary, barely visible mandibles. The type species, Xenolycus costae sp. nov., is illustrated and diagnostic characters and a discussion on the tribal placement of the new genus are provided.(AU)

A new suspected paedomorphic genus of net-winged beetles from the Atlantic Rainforest (Coleoptera, Elateroidea, Lycidae)

Abstract Lycidae are among the better studied groups in the superfamily Elateroidea, however despite the progress in the taxonomic understanding of the Neotropical fauna, much still remains unknown and undescribed in the region. The description of the new genus Xenolycus gen. nov., from Serra dos Órgãos, a subrange of the Serra do Mar mountain range, in the Atlantic Rainforest in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, contributes to the knowledge of the Neotropical Lycidae fauna. The new genus can be distinguished from all other known Calopterini and Neotropical Lycidae by the combination of a pronotum with a wide, deep and strongly visible longitudinal cell in the disc area, the filiform antennae, the dehiscent elytra with reticulation strongly reduced and bearing only two weakly developed elytral costae and the mouthparts partially reduced, with rudimentary, barely visible mandibles. The type species, Xenolycus costae sp. nov., is illustrated and diagnostic characters and a discussion on the tribal placement of the new genus are provided.

A new species of Falsocaenia Pic, 1922 from Amazonian Rainforest (Coleoptera: Lycidae) with an updated key to the species.

While searching for Calochromini (Coleoptera: Lycidae) specimens in entomological collections and identifying other Lycidae, a new species of Falsocaenia Pic, 1922 was found in the collection of Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA). This genus is one of the smallest in the tribe Calopterini with 13 known species, two of which were recently described by Bocákova et al. (2012) in their revision of the genus, and can be found in Central and South America.

The Entomological Collection of Ricardo von Diringshofen (1900–1986) and its incorporation to the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo

ABSTRACT Ricardo von Diringshofen (1900–1986) was a Natural History enthusiast who collected an incredible variety of objects, mostly insects, which amount to over 2 million specimens. We present here a brief biography of Ricardo von Diringshofen, including the history of his insect collection and the processes of purchase and incorporation of his collection by the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo.

Colydodes flavisetis sp. nov. (Coleoptera, Zopheridae, Colydiinae), new species from southeastern Brazil with an updated key to the species of the genus.

The species Colydodes flavisetis sp. nov. from southeastern Brazil, at the Biological Station of Boracéia, Salesópolis, São Paulo, is described and illustrated, raising Colydodes diversity from 7 to 8 known species. An updated key to the species of the genus is given.

A new species of Acroleptus Bourgeois (Coleoptera: Lycidae) from the Brazilian Amazonian rainforest, with a note on its homonymy with Acroleptus Cabanis (Aves).

Acroleptus costae sp. nov. is described from the Brazilian Amazonian rainforest, raising the diversity of the formerly monotypic genus to two known species. The validity of Acroleptus Bourgeois, 1886 (Insecta) is maintained while Acroleptus Cabanis, 1861 (Aves) is considered to be an incorrect subsequent spelling.