Elatophilus Reuter, 1884

Yamada, Kazutaka & Yasunaga, Tomohide, 2021, The tribe Anthocorini in Japan (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae): descriptions of new species, review of distribution and bionomics, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 61 (2), pp. 375-426 : 382

Genus Elatophilus Reuter, 1884

Elatophilus Reuter, 1884: 61 . Type species by subsequent designation (KංඋKൺඅൽඒ 1906: 120, misprinted “ nigellus ”): Anthocoris nigrella Zetterstedt, 1838 .

Euhadrocerus Reuter, 1884: 65 (as valid subgenus of Elatophilus ). Type species by monotypy: Temnostethus crassicornis Reuter, 1875 .

Xenotracheliella Drake & Harris, 1926: 38 Type species by original designation: Xenotracheliella inimica Drake & Harris, 1926 . Synonymized by Kൾඅඍඈඇ & Aඇൽൾඋඌඈඇ (1962: 1306).

Elatophilus (selected references):Pඈඉඉංඎඌ (1909): 28 (in key); BඅൺඍർHඅൾඒ (1928): 86 (diagnosis); SඍංർHൾඅ (1958): 12 (in key); SඍංർHൾඅ (1960): 356 (catalogue, fauna of Palaearctic); KൾඋඓHඇൾඋ (1964): 696, 698 (in key, diagnosis); Pඣඋංർൺඋඍ (1967): 52 (taxonomic history); Cൺඋൺඒඈඇ (1972): 345 (listed); Pඣඋංർൺඋඍ (1972): 78, 97 (in key, description, fauna of W. Palaearctic); HൾඋඋංඇG (1976): 145–146 (figure, in key); Kൾඅඍඈඇ (1978): 17, 19 (in key, description, fauna of Canada and Alaska); Fඈඋൽ (1979): 57 (check list of the world); Öඇൽൾඋ (1982): 28, 71 (in key, redescription, fauna of Turkey); Hൾඇඋඒ (1988): 15 (catalogue, N. America); KൾඋඓHඇൾඋ (1988): 770, 772 (in key, note); Lൺඍඍංඇ & Sඍൺඇඍඈඇ (1992): 434 (diagnosis, habitat, prey); Pඣඋංർൺඋඍ (1996): 116 (catalogue, Palaearctic); Lൺඍඍංඇ (2000):616 (bionomics); Bඎ & ZHൾඇG (2001): 109, 163 (in key, redescription, fauna of China); YൺඌඎඇൺGൺ (2001b): 282 (diagnosis, fauna of Japan); Cൺඋඉංඇඍൾඋඈ (2002): 36 (fauna of Neotropical Region); WൺർHආൺඇඇ et al. (2006): 193 (distribution, habitat); Hඈඋඍඈඇ (2008): 2403 (listed).

Diagnosis. Distinguished from the other genera of Anthocorini by the combination of the following characters: body flattened, shining; head elongate; eyes prominent, sexually dimorphic; antennal segment II linear (subgenus Elatophilus ) or enlarged (subgenus Euhadrocerus Reuter, 1884 ); labium reaching or barely exceeding procoxae; pronotal collar narrow; lateral margin of pronotum straight; hemelytra usually dark with some pale markings, sometimes brachypterous; membrane with four veins; ostiolar peritreme ( Fig. 2C ) subplanate, directed slightly obliquely toward the outer margin of metapleuron and gently narrowed at its apex; apex of metasternum weakly rounded; metacoxae widely separated from each other; paramere short, broad, and curved.

Remarks. Elatophilus contains 19 species distributed throughout the Holarctic Region, 11 species of which are known from the Palaearctic Region, seven from North America, and one from Mexico (cf. Kൾඅඍඈඇ 1976, Hൾඇඋඒ 1988, Lൺඍඍංඇ & Sඍൺඇඍඈඇ 1993, Pඣඋංർൺඋඍ 1996). This genus is divided into two subgenera, Elatophilus s. str. and Euhadrocerus , based especially on the antennal structure (the second segment is rather slender in Elatophilus s. str., whereas it is remarkably enlarged in Euhadrocerus ) (Pඣඋංർൺඋඍ 1972).

Bionomics. Species of Elatophilus are restricted to conifers, especially on various species of Pinus (Pinaceae) . Several species of Elatophilus are known to be associated with species of the magarodid scale Matsucoccus Cockerell, 1909 , which are serious pests of pines in the Old and New World (e.g., Bඅංඈඍඍං & Rංඈආ 1967, Dඋඈඈඓ 1985). For some of these scales, species of Elatophilus [e.g., E. nigricornis (Zetterstedt, 1838) and E. inimicus ( Drake & Harris, 1926) ] have been well studied as effective predators (Bඅංඈඍඍං & Rංඈආ 1967; Mൾඇൽൾඅ et al. 1991, 1995a,b).

Figures

Fig. 2. Scanning electron micrographs of diagnostic characters of Japanese anthocorids. A – Temnostethus distans Kerzhner, 1973, female; B, D – T. mirificus sp. nov., female (B) and male (D), paratypes; C – Elatophilus nipponensis Hiura, 1966, female. A–C – ostiolar peritreme and evaporatorium, left lateroventral view; D – pygophore with paramere, lateral view. Abbreviations: eva ‒ evaporatorium; mf ‒ median furrow; op ‒ ostiolar peritreme; prm ‒ paramere; pyg ‒ pygophore.