Monograph on the Cillaeinae (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) from the Australian Region with comments on the taxonomy of the subfamily
Author
Kirejtshuk, Alexander G.
Author
Kovalev, Alexey V.
0000-0003-3328-8867
agk@zin.ru
text
Zootaxa
2022
2022-02-23
5103
1
1
133
journal article
112023
10.11646/zootaxa.5103.1.1
1bf32ba1-8e0d-4435-ba04-6d7dbd0d7238
1175-5326
6245709
9E1A72E7-3862-44F7-B69F-ECE64B239FF9
1.
Cillaeopsis
Grouvelle, 1899: 127
—Afrotropical Region (see
Kirejtshuk 2001
).
The
Cillaeopsis
was initially proposed as a separate genus with two species, “genre voisin des
Orthogramma
et
Cillaeus
” which differs from these genera in the “abdomen supra quatuor segmentis ultimis expositis” (
Grouvelle 1899: 127
:
Cillaeopsis kraatzi
Grouvelle, 1899
and
C. nitidula
Grouvelle, 1899
). Among other things
Cillaeopsis
is characterised by the eyes located at the head base. However, the third species (
Cilaeopsis maynei
Grouvelle 1914c: 129
) should be regarded in composition of the genus
Paracilaeopsis
stat. nov.
(
Kirejtshuk 2001
) because its eyes are located at distance from the head base and abdominal segment 4 is not completely exposed from under elytral apices (this species is known to the first author after the specimens from collections of
SDEI
and Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren (
Belgium
)). Many characters of the initial members of
Cilaeopsis
mentioned in their original descriptions, except for convexity of body and comparatively shorter elytra, can fit to those in
Cillaeopeplus
. Moreover, the species similar to Hawaiian and Australian members of this genus are rather frequent among African cillaeines (see the below notes on distribution of
Cillaeopeplus
). Taking into consideration of the body convexity and the reminiscence of
Orthogramma
indicated by the descriptor it can be supposed some similarity of
Cilaeopsis
with
Xanthopeplus
rather than with other described African cillaeines.
Grouvelle (1899)
indicated on the similarity of
Cillaeopsis
with
Orthogramma
and four last abdominal segments (probably completely) exposed from under elytral apices (some species of
Ithyphenes
have abdominal segment 4 completely uncovered by elytra, for example
Ithyphenes rectifrons
sp. nov.
). Thus, the initial members of
Cillaeopsis
need to be examined to clarify their reasonable placement in the subfamily.