A reappraisal and revision of the genus Anthracalaus Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Elateridae)

Abstract

AbstractThe genus Anthracalaus Fairmaire is redefined to include 17 species distributed throughout the Oriental and Australasian (IndoPacific) regions as well as a disjunct species from Arizona, U.S.A. These species are figured, redescribed or described as new, and a key is provided for their separation. Five new species, A. brittoni and A. kimberleyensis from Australia, A. lamingtonensis from New Guinea, A. solomonensis from the Solomon Islands and A. fleutiauxi from Vietnam, are described. The types of twelve previously described species have been examined and lectotypes are designated for A. agrypnoides Fleutiaux, A. australis Fleutiaux, A. moricii Fairmaire, Corymbites bengalensis Candèze, Neopristilophus confusus Fleutiaux, and N. dissimilis Fleutiaux. The following specific synonymies are proposed: Anthracalaus pasteuri Candèze = Anthracalaus westermanni(Candèze); Homotechnes brunneus Fleutiaux = Anthracalaus bengalensis (Candèze); and both Neopristilophus confusus Fleutiaux and N. dissimilis Fleutiaux = Anthracalaus morosus (Candeze).The taxa Neopristilophus bengalensis (Candèze), N cirratipilis (Candèze), N. luzonicus (Candèze), N. morosus (Candèze) and N. novaguinensis Van Zwaluwenburg are transferred to Anthracalaus. The monobasic genus Pseudomelanactes Mathieu is proposed as a new junior synonym of Anthracalaus As the type species of Pseudomelanactes, agrypnoides Van Dyke (1932) is a senior secondary homonym of Anthracalaus agrypnoides Fleutiaux (1940), edmondi is proposed as a replacement name for the latter. The species are cladistically analyzed. The resultant cladogram implies a link between the Oriental/Nearctic regions exclusive of Australia + New Guinea + Solomon Islands.