Cephalolycus Pic, 1926

Ferreira, Vinicius S. & Ivie, Michael A., 2016, Redescription ofCephalolycus majorPic, 1926 (Coleoptera: Elateroidea: Lycidae) and a Discussion on Its Taxonomic Position, The Coleopterists Bulletin 70 (3), pp. 663-666 : 663-666

REDESCRIPTION OF CEPHALOLYCUS MAJOR PIC, 1926 ( COLEOPTERA: ELATEROIDEA : LYCIDAE ) AND A DISCUSSION ON ITS TAXONOMIC POSITION

VINICIUS S. FERREIRA AND MICHAEL A. IVIE Montana Entomology Collection, Marsh Labs, Room 50 Montana State University Bozeman, MT 59717, U.S.A. [e-mail], [e-mail]

In her revisionary work on the definition of the Calopterini, Bocákova (2003, 2005 ) was unable to see the type and sole known specimen of the Colombian species Cephalolycus major Pic, 1926 , being forced to leave the monotypic Cephalolycus Pic, 1926 incertae sedis due to the lack of sufficient information in the original description. During the process of returning long-outstanding loans on behalf of a retired colleague as part of a donation of a large collection of cantharoids, we discovered a syntype of C. major , the type species (by monotypy) of Cephalolycus , from the Pic Collection of the Muséum National d’ Histoire Naturelle, Paris (MNHN). As we return this loaned specimen, we take this opportunity to redescribe it.

As was typical of Maurice Pic (1866–1957), he did not assign the specimen to a family in his description, nor did he mark the specimen as a type. However, a label ( Fig. 8 ) in Pic’ s handwriting makes it reasonably sure that this is the specimen cited in the original publication. Since Pic did not indicate specifically that there was a single specimen, under ICZN (1999) Recommendation 73F we consider this specimen a syntype, and herein designate it a lectotype in accordance with ICZN (1999) Art. 74.7. This designation is done to stabilize the status of the name, which has been subject to nomenclatural confusion ( Bocákova 2003, 2005). The lectotype, deposited in the Pic Collection at the MNHN, bears the label shown in Fig. 8 and our lectotype label. The male specimen is in poor condition, missing the left pro- and mesolegs, left antenna, right antennomeres 9–11, the distal end of the genitalia, as well as all tarsi.

Kleine (1933) placed Cephalolycus in the Calopterini in his catalog, and for 80 years it has remained there as a mystery. Bocák and Bocákova (1990) mentioned the genus as belonging in the Calopterini in their key to the subfamilies and tribes, but did not see it. Miller (1991) saw Pic’ s type and did not include Cephalolycus in the Leptolycini , but did not mention it by name. Using only the description, and in the absence of the type, Bocákova (2003, 2005) could only suggest that the genus might be a Calopterini , but could not confirm that nor place the genus within her phylogeny. Therefore, the genus was placed incertae sedis.

Figures

Figs. 7–8. Cephalolycus major, lectotype. 7) Locality and collection labels. 8) Label on type, in Maurice Pic’s handwriting.