Trogossitidae: A review of the beetle family, with a catalogue and keys
Author
Kolibac, Jiri
Moravian Museum, Department of Entomology, Hviezdoslavova 29 a, 627 00 Brno, Czech Republic
text
ZooKeys
2013
2013-12-31
366
1
194
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.366.6172
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.366.6172
1313-2970-366-1
FFD8DC462108382BCB68FFC9FF97F235
577560
Genus
Thymalus Latreille, 1802
Figs 10
, 16
, 18
; Map 10
Thymalus
Latreille, 1802: 133.
Type species.
Peltis brunnea
Thunberg, 1794 (=
Cassida limbata
Fabricius, 1787) [by original designation and monotypy]
Leveille
, A. 1910: 32. Barron, J. R. 1971: 35. Crowson, R. A. 1964a: 296.
Kolibac
, J. 2005: 85 (redescription).
Kolibac
, J. 2006: 111 (phylogeny).
Kolibac
, J. 2007a: 366. Nikitsky, N. B. et al. 1998: 29 (key). Lafer, G. Sh. 1992: 83. Reitter, E. 1876: 64
Thymalops
Iablokoff-Khnzorian, 1962 [Type species:
Cassida limbata
Fabricius, 1787]
Barron, J. R. 1971: 35. Iablokoff-Khnzorian, S. M. 1962: 421
Remarks.
Comparing the larvae as well as adults of
Thymalus
and
Protopeltis
, I found some interesting similarities, which led me to consideration of their phylogenetic relationship. Later character analysis (
Kolibac
2006
) showed a relationship of
Thymalus
and
Protopeltis
with the former
Rentoniini
Crowson, 1966. This in turn led to the establishment of the tribe
Thymalini
for the group. However,
Crowson (1966
,
1970
) also associated the former monotypic tribe
Protopeltini
Crowson, 1966 with the rentoniins. Recently, such a classification was called into question by
Lawrence et al. (2011)
and
Leschen et al. (2012)
, who found
Trogossitidae
polyphyletic in their character analyses; however, both analyses were based on the same character states. Their model genera
Thymalus
and
Rentonellum
are classified outside
Cleroidea
in
Lawrence et al. (2011)
trees whereas
Leschen et al. (2012)
, using a restricted character set, removed them only from
Trogossitidae
and/or suggested subfamily rank for rentoniins again, without necessarily believing in a mutual relationship between the two genera. Some more detail appears in
"Remarks"
with the tribe
Thymalini
.
Leveille
(1877)
described the Caucasian species
Thymalus aubei
as
Thymalus fulgidus
var.
aubei
Leveille
, 1877. However,
Thymalus fulgidus
Erichson, 1844 was originally described from North America and
Barron (1971)
synonymized this species with
Thymalus marginicollis
Chevrolat, 1842. That is perhaps why the latter author also synonymized the taxon
aubei
as a synonym of
marginicollis
, probably without examination of the holotype or even Caucasian specimens. Russian entomologists, for example
Nikitsky et al. (1998)
, consider
Thymalus aubei
a valid species, with the synonym
Thymalus subtilis
Reitter, 1889.
Description.
Body size: 4.3-7.5 mm. Body shape convex (not conglobate). Gular sutures wide, subparallel. Frontoclypeal suture absent. Frons: longitudinal groove or depression absent. Cranium ventrally: tufts of long setae at sides absent. Submentum: ctenidium absent. Antennal groove absent. Eyes: size large, lateral. Eyes number: two. Epicranial acumination moderate. Lacinial hooks: two. Galea: shape elongate. Galea: ciliate setae absent. Mediostipes-Lacinia not fused. Palpifer: outer edge even. Mandibular apical teeth number: two, horizontally situated. Mola present. Penicillus (at base) absent. Pubescence above mola or cutting edge absent. Ventral furrow absent. Basal notch moderate. Labrum-Cranium not fused. Epipharyngial sclerite absent. Lat
eral
tormal process: projection projection not developed (all remaining). Ligula: ciliate setae absent. Ligula rigid, not retroflexed, weakly emarginate. Hypopharyngeal sclerite H-shaped. Antenna 11-segmented. Antennal club symmetrical, sensorial fields absent. Front coxal cavities externally open, internally closed. Pronotum transverse. Prepectus absent. Middle coxal cavities open. Elytra: long hairs absent. Epipleuron wide. Elytral interlocking mechanism absent, carinae reduced. Elytral punctation regular, scales absent. Wing: radial cell oblong (or reduced), wedge cell present, cross vein MP3-4 present, cross vein AA1+2-3+4 absent. Front tibiae: spines along side reduced. Hooked spur absent, apical spurs not hooked or weakly hooked. Claws: denticle absent. Parasternites number along ventrites III-VII: one. Spiculum gastrale absent. Tegmen composed of three parts.
Larva: Frontal arms V-shaped. Epicranial stem reduced. Endocarina absent. Gular sutures inconspicuous. Gula: anterior apodemes present. Paragular sclerites absent. Hypostomal rods present. Stemmata number: five. Mandibular apical teeth number: two, horizontally situated. Lacinia mandibulae with several small spines. Mola absent. Maxillary palpi 3-segmented. Palpifer present. Pedunculate seta absent. Mala simple. Mala: bidentate protrusion present. Cardo-Stipes partially fused. Cardo: size much smaller than stipes. Ligula present. Labial palpi 2-segmented. Prementum in single part, anterior margin even. Torma: two separate lateral sclerites. Antennal joints 1, 2 transverse. Sensory appendix larger than half of joint 3. Thoracic sclerites pattern (dorsally) 2-0-0. Thoracic sclerites pattern (ventrally) 0+0+0. Trochanter triangular. Abdominal segment IX not divided. Tergite IX flat. Urogomphi present, hooked; median process absent.
Biology.
The beetles are not associated with any particular tree species and are found on both deciduous and coniferous trees.
Thymalus limbatus
is known from the trunks of birch, beech, linden, and spruce, mostly under bark. It is assumed that the larvae feed on fungi in rotten or decaying wood (
Kolibac
et al. 2005
).
Thymalus marginicollis
has been collected from the fungi
Polyporus betulinus
,
Polyporus versicolor
,
Daedalea confragosa
, on the trunks of birch and also on "
wild flowers in plant press
" (
Barron 1971
).
Distribution.
Holoarctic: Northern states of USA, Canada, Europe, North Africa, Siberia to China and Japan. Some specimens, probably a new species, have recently been collected in Chinese Sichuan and Yunnan and also in northern Thailand.
Species:
Thymalus aubei
Leveille
, 1877;
"Batum"
, Caucasus (varA)
Leveille
, A. 1910: 32. Klausnitzer, B. 1996: 156. Barron, J. R. 1971: 36 (syn.
Thymalus aubei
Leveille
, 1877 with
Thymalus marginicollis
Chevrolat, 1842). Barron, J. R. 1971: 36 (syn.
Thymalus fulgidus
var.
aubei
Leveille
, 1877 with
Thymalus marginicollis
Chevrolat, 1842).
Kolibac
, J. 2007a: 366 (syn.
Thymalus subtilis
Reitter, 1889). Lafer, G. Sh. 1992: 86 (
Thymalus subtilis
Reitter, 1889).
Leveille
, A. 1910: 33 (
Thymalus subtilis
Reitter, 1889). Nikitsky, N. B. et al. 1998: 28 (syn.
Thymalus subtilis
Reitter, 1889; lectotype designated). Nikitsky, N. B. & Semenov, V. B. 2001: 49
Thymalus
chinensis
Fairmaire, 1900; China: Fujian (JK)
Leveille
, A. 1910: 32.
Kolibac
, J. 2007a: 366
Thymalus laticeps
Lewis, 1894; Japan (varA)
Leveille
, A. 1910: 32. Esaki, T. et al. 1951: 1063.
Kolibac
, J. 2007a: 366. Lafer, G. Sh. 1992: 86. Nakane, T. et al. 1963: 181
Thymalus limbatus
Fabricius, 1787; Europe, North Africa: Tunisia (JK)
Leveille
, A. 1910: 32. Alexander, K. N. A. 1996: 90 (biology). Bahillo de la Puebla, P. &
Lopez-Colon
, J. I. 1999: 13. Bahillo de la Puebla, P. &
Lopez-Colon
, J. I. 2004: 129. Bercedo, P. et al. 2006: 180 (distribution). Borowiec, L. 1983: 15. Burakowski, B. et al. 1986: 123. Cunev, J. 1999: 76. Franz, H. 1981: 51-52 (distribution). Klausnitzer, B. 1976: 8. Klausnitzer, B. 1978: 176. Klausnitzer, B. 1996: 155.
Kolibac
, J. 1993a: 20.
Kolibac
, J. 1993b: 90.
Kolibac
, J. 2002: 55 (larva).
Kolibac
, J. 2005: 85 (redescription).
Kolibac
, J. 2006: 110 (larva).
Kolibac
, J. 2007a: 366 (distribution).
Kolibac
, J. 2007a: 366 (syn.
brunneus
Thunberg, 1794).
Kolibac
, J. 2007a: 366 (syn.
rubiginosus
Gmelin, 1790). Krasutskii, B. V. 1996: 274. Mitter, H. 1998: 561. Pileckis, S. &
Monsevicius
, V. 1995: 273. Ratti, E. 1997: 178. Reitter, E. 1876: 64. Theunert, R. 2006: 113-114 (distribution). Vogt, H. 1967: 18
Thymalus marginicollis
Chevrolat, 1842; Canada, USA (JRB)
Barron, J. R. 1971: 36 (syn.
Thymalus aubei
Leveille
, 1877). Barron, J. R. 1971: 36 (syn.
Thymalus fulgidus
Erichson, 1844). Barron, J. R. 1971: 36 (syn.
Thymalus fulgidus
var.
aubei
Leveille
, 1877).
Boeving
, A. G. & Craighead, F. C. 1931: 273 (larva). Dajoz, R. 1997: 44 (biology). Reitter, E. 1876: 64 (
Thymalus fulgidus
Erichson, 1844: "Amer. bor.")
Thymalus oblongus
Reitter, 1889; Russia: North and Central Europea teritorries, Sweden, East Siberia (JK)
Leveille
, A. 1910: 33. Lafer, G. Sh. 1992: 86.
Kolibac
, J. 2007a: 366. Krasutskii, B. V. 2006: 763 (biology). Nikitsky, N. B. et al. 1998: 28 (lectotype designated)
Thymalus parviceps
Lewis, 1894; Japan (varA)
Leveille
, A. 1910: 33. Esaki, T. et al. 1951: 1063.
Kolibac
, J. 2007a: 366. Lafer, G. Sh. 1992: 86. Nakane, T. et al. 1963: 181
Thymalus punctidorsum
Latreille, 1894; Japan (varA)
Leveille
, A. 1910: 33.
Kolibac
, J. 2007a: 366. Lafer, G. Sh. 1992: 86. Nakane, T. et al. 1963: 181