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Beetles (Coleoptera) of Peru: A Survey of the Families. Mauroniscidae Majer, 1994

2015; Kansas (Central States) Entomological Society; Volume: 88; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2317/kent-88-02-215-216.1

1937-2353

Adriean J. Mayor, Caroline S. Chaboo,

Scarabaeidae Beetle Taxonomy and Biogeography

Diversity in Peru: 2 genera, 5 species. Recognition: Adults of the family Mauroniscidae are similar to melyrids of the subfamily Dasytinae, but recognized by their small size, usually 3–4 mm; color, often with elytra and legs pale; head and mouthparts of some narrowed and elongated; antennae often with terminal antennomeres enlarged forming a loose club; and tarsal claws not toothed and lacking membranous appendages. Adults are not sexually dimorphic and the sexes are very difficult to distinguish. Larvae are unknown. Habitat: Adults of Mauroniscidae typically occur in desert regions where they can be found on flowers feeding on nectar, pollen, and occasionally other arthropods. Personal observations (AJM) suggest adults are active primarily in the morning and in the afternoon, and can be collected beating or sweeping flowers of desert plants in the families Asteraceae (Puecephyllum), Bignoniaceae (Chilopsis), Chenopodiaceae (Atriplex), Lamiaceae (Hyptis), Loasaceae (Eucnide, Mentzelia), and Rosaceae (Fallugia). The larvae and thus biology of species of Mauroniscidae is completely unknown. Notes: The family Mauroniscidae was described by Majer (1994) based primarily on characters of the antennomeres, mouthparts and tarsal claws (see above). Recent molecular data (Bocakova et al., 2011) confirm placement of the family as a basal clade within the melyrid lineage. The family is known only from the Americas ranging from Chile and Argentina North to the southwestern United States where some species occur as far east as Kansas. Blackwelder (1957) did not report members of this recently described family from Peru. However, some species can be found listed under the genera Dasytes (Dasytes titschacki Pic) and Sydates (Sydates discipennis Pic) in Melyridae. The five genera and 27 species of Mauroniscidae were monographed by Majer (1995), who recorded five species in two genera from Peru. The main characters that will differentiate species of Mauroniscidae from other families of the melyrid lineage in Peru, are the small size, and simple tarsal claws lacking membranous (ungual) appendages. Most recently, Howell (1997) described Mecomycter majeri from the Sonoran desert region of southern California. All members of the family occur in desert or prairie regions, and there are probably many new species to be found in the desert regions of Peru. Images of a few North American species can be found on BugGuide at http://bugguide.net/node/view/ 748441. The following checklist of validated names was derived from Majer (1995).