Alloscolytroproctus Hustache, 1929

Alloscolytroproctus Hustache, 1929: 230, type species: Alloscolytroproctus peruanus Hustache, 1929, by monotypy; Alonso-Zarazaga & Lyal 1999: 66.

Alloscolytoproctus Csiki 1936: 6 (unjustified emendation), Wibmer & O’Brien 1986: 366; Anderson 2002: 8. Brenthidomimus Guenther 1943: 90, type species: Brenthidomimus hartmanni Guenther 1943: 90, by monotypy; Kuschel 1955: 280 (syn.).

Redescription

Length 2.9–7.5 mm; width 0.6–1.2 mm. Body (Figs. 1–6) elongate, slender, cylindrical in cross-section. Color black with various reddish maculations on elytra and pronotum, prosternum, area around coxae and apically on legs. Integument shiny throughout, punctate. Rostrum short, slightly curved downward, non-carinate, not sculptured, punctate throughout dorsal surface. Peduncle of postmentum flat. Antennae inserted basally on rostrum, separated from eyes by width of scape; scape about as long as funicle; funicle 6-segmented, each segment short and broad, as long as wide or very slightly longer than wide; club oval, large, as long as funicle, basal glabrous shiny portion very small, making up only about basal 1/5 or less of club. Pronotum elongate, cylindrical, much longer than wide, densely punctate, glabrous except for anterior margin above eyes on each side with patch of erect, stout setae and fine, dense micropilosity. Elytra moderately long, subparallel, slender, about as wide as pronotum at base; striae distinctly impressed; arrangement and vestiture various. Scutellum small, triangular, widest at or near base. Procoxae and mesocoxae separated by more or less width of scape, metacoxae by about ½ width of coxa. Prosternum flat, punctate, evenly sloped anteriorly, prosternal process acuminate, mesosternal process flat, emarginate at middle; mesosternum broadly exposed, length at middle about ½ length of metasternum; metasternum long, about as long as ventrites 1–5 combined. Pygydium exposed, more or less vertical in orientation, punctate throughout, setose apically. Abdomen with 5 visible ventrites; ventrites 1, 2 and 5 of more or less same length, ventrites 3 and 4 short. Legs with femora sinuate subapcially, compressed, expanded apically, especially those of front legs; tibiae shorter than femora, variously toothed along inner margin (front legs) or anterior margin (middle legs), with large teeth on inner and outer apical angles of front (subfossorial) and middle legs, hind tibia robust, subquadrate in cross-section with large hook-like tooth and small basal tooth at inner apical angle and short, robust, hook-like tooth at outer apical angle. Tarsi with tarsites 1–3 with ventral surfaces densely pilose only towards apicolateral angles, width of tarsite 3 slightly greater than 2 (moreso on front legs). Male with aedeagus (Figs. 7–8) short, slightly ventrally arcuate, laterally with unsclerotized arcuate line dividing it into narrow ventral (pedon) and broader dorsal (tectum) portions, apex slightly projected, evenly rounded, median struts transversely fused near base with basal sclerotized area extended medially and fused with base of tectum, struts slightly divergent to apex; structure of internal sac various; tegminal strut extended to about half length of median struts. Tergite 8 produced and elongate in form, maximum length slightly longer than maximum width at base; with long setae at apex, apex evenly rounded. Paired sclerites of sternite 8 elongate, length about two times maximum width. Genitalia of female not examined.

Biology

Few details are available on the life history of any species of Alloscolytroproctus. Most specimens have been collected in flight intercept traps, lindgren traps and Metamasius pheremone traps placed in various types of tropical forests. A number of specimens of A. dominicae were collected in Dominica in logs of fallen Euterpe dominicana palms (Arecaceae) and one specimen was taken in association with cut palm fronds.

Comments

The original and correct name of the genus is Alloscolytroproctus. Csiki (1936) either through lapsus or unjustified emendation changed the name to Alloscolytoproctus, a spelling followed by all subsequent authors until noted as unjustified by Alonso-Zarazaga & Lyal (1999). The sexes of the genus are very difficult to distinguish, sometimes only with certainty through dissections. Females tend to have a slightly longer, apically flatter rostrum and the middle abdominal ventrites slightly more convex. Males of A. dominicae are easy to recognize because of their characteristic elytral sculpture.