Opisthencentrus W. Horn, 1893

Moravec, Jiří, 2016, Taxonomic and nomenclatorial revision within the Neotropical genera of the subtribe Odontocheilina W. Horn in a new sense — 15. The genus Opisthencentrus W. Horn (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Zootaxa 4097 (3), pp. 332-340 : 333

Genus Opisthencentrus W. Horn, 1893

Opisthencentrus W. Horn, 1893: 196 .

Type species. Oxygonia dentipennis Germar, 1843 , by original designation (and monotypy).

Differential diagnosis. Monobasic genus immediately distinguished from all other genera of the subtribe Odontocheilina by the conspicuous, long lateral-median spine of the elytral apex ( Figs 15–18 ), and by the femoral apices possessing two conspicuous spines ( Fig. 13 ).

The aedeagus and internal sac are similar to that in Pentacomia Bates, 1872 , as the internal sac contains a ventral spur with a short projection (among other sclerites). However, the internal sac in Opisthencentrus contains characteristic distinctly serrate dorsal sclerite ( Fig. 21 ), unknown in other genera.

The spiny femoral apices in Opisthencentrus are similar to those in the genus Oxygonia Mannerheim, 1837 . However, the diagnostic characters which differentiate Opisthencentrus from Oxygonia comprise particularly the shape of the elytra and their matte appearance ( Fig. 19 ) due to the irregular punctures with bumpy to tuberculate intervals (corresponding with the pattern of elytral sculptures illustrated by Moravec (2007: 42, figs 128-129), the dimorphic shape of the labrum and only four teeth in each mandible (plus basal molar), as well as the different shape of the aedeagus and internal sac lacking a flagellum. In contrast, all species of Oxygonia can be immediately distinguished from Opisthencentrus by their shiny body surface due to much more regularly spaced, or partly effaced elytral punctation, mandibles with six to seven teeth (plus basal molar), elytral apex with only a sutural spine, and aedeagus with the internal sac possessing in all species of Oxygonia a flagellum. Moreover, the terminal protarsomere 5 in Oxygonia is inserted dorsally into the protarsomere 4 as emphasized by Horn (1905) and illustrated by Horn (1915) and Kippenhan (1997).

Figures

FIGURES 15 – 21. Opisthencentrus dentipennis (Germar). 15 – 18 — elytron; 15 — male, “ Brasilia ” (SDEI); 16 — ♀, Brasil, LT (MFNB); 17 — ♀, Angra dos Reis (SDEI); 18 — ♀, “ Brasilia ” (SDEI); 19 — detail of elytral sculpture, ♀, LT (MFNB); 20 — aedeagus, “ Brasilia ” (SDEI); 21 — ditto, internal sac. Bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 4 – 14. Opisthencentrus dentipennis (Germar). 4 – 5 — head, “ Brasilia ” (SDEI): 4 — ♂; 5 — ♀; 6 – 9 — labrum: 6 — ♂, “ Brasilia ” (SDEI); 7 — ♂, Angra dos Reis (SDEI); 8 — ♀, “ Brasilia ” (SDEI); 9 — ♀, Brasil, LT (MFNB); 10 – 12 — pronotum: 10 — ♂, “ Brasilia ” (SDEI); 11 — ♀, LT (MFNB); 12 — ♀, “ Brasilia ” (SDEI); 13 — apex of posterior femur, ♀ “ Brasilia ” (SDEI); 14 — original labels of LT (MFNB). Bars = 1 mm.