Prionohydrus, a New Genus of Noterini Thomson (Coleoptera: Noteridae) From South America With Three New Species and Its Phylogenetic Considerations.

Abstract

A new genus of Noterini, Prionohydrus Gómez and Miller gen. n., and three new species are described from South America: Prionohydrus matogrossensis Gómez and Miller sp. n. from Brazil and Prionohydrus marc Gómez and Miller sp. n. and Prionohydrus ubercornis Gómez and Miller sp. n. from Venezuela. The new genus was scored for characters presented in a recent phylogenetic analysis of the family, and key morphological characters are illustrated, including male and female genitalia. A parsimony analysis of these data resulted in a single, most parsimonious solution, with members of the new genus resolved as sister to Mesonoterus Sharp with moderate support. Prionohydrus is similar to Mesonoterus and can be distinguished from this and other Noterini based on a combination of the following: 1) distal attachment of protarsus to protibia; 2) posterior protibial spine present; 3) single, weakly curved, apical protibial spur present; 4) last abdominal tergum with large medial spine flanked by numerous setae; 5) posterior mesotibial spur strongly serrate; 6) anterior metatibial spur strongly serrate; 7) prosternal process narrow, rounded apically, and widest near the middle; 8) prosternum longitudinally broad and glabrous; 9) weak, angular setae along posterodistal margin of metafemur present; 10) pronotal bead moderately broad; 11) cluster of setae at apex of medial metacoxal lobe present; and 12) antenna of males expanded, from slightly incrassate to strongly incrassate.