Physodactylus henningi Fischer von Waldheim 1823
Creators: name: Rosa, Simone Policena
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Elateridae
Physodactylus
Physodactylus henningi

description: Physodactylus henningi Fischer von Waldheim, 1823   
 (Figs. 22-24, 28, 33 F-M)   
 Physodactylus henningi Fischer von Waldheim, 1823: 303, 1824: 450; Guérin-Méneville, 1829: 43; Lacordaire, 1857: 237; Schwarz, 1906: 311; Fleutiaux, 1892: 406; Fleutiaux, 1940c: 165; Blackwelder, 1944: 292.   
 Physodactylus henningi var. erythrocephalus Fleutiaux, 1892: 406.   
 Physodactylus henningi var. nigricollis Fleutiaux, 1940c: 165.   
 Physodactylus henningi var. puncticollis Fleutiaux, 1940c: 165.   
 Drepanius clavipes Perty 1830: 25; Fleutiaux, 1892: 406 (syn.).   
 Redescription (male, Fig. 35K): Integument bright with brown pilosity and variable color patterns: 1) head and epipleura reddish-brown, pronotum evenly reddish-brown or with lateral carina, posterior angles and posterior margin black; antenna, ventral surface of prothorax and elytra black, pterothorax and legs dark reddish-brown, ventral abdomen black and dark reddish-brown; 2) head, antennae and elytra dark brown, prothorax reddish-brown, ventral pterothorax and abdomen dark reddish-brown; 3) head dark reddish-brown, pronotum, hypomeron, epipleura and middle of scutellum orange to reddish-brown; elytra, borders of scutellum, legs, antennae, prosternum, ventral pterothorax and abdomen dark brown; 4) evenly brown to dark reddish-brown with epipleura lighter; 5) evenly black; 6) dark brown with elytra lighter. Total length 14.0-20.0 mm; elytral base 1.0-1.08x as wide as prothorax, elytra 3.03-3.16x times longer than pronotum. Frons (Fig. 22E) flattened with a pair of oblique protuberances over antennal insertions, convergent posteriorly; frontal carina not produced; antenna (Fig. 22A) reaching the posterior third of pronotum; antennomere IV 0.89-1.22x as wide as long, V-VIII 1.0-1.2x as wide as long; IX 0.89-1.07x as wide as long; X 1.14-1.43x longer than wide; XI elliptical, 1.85-2.10x longer than wide. Pronotum (Figs. 22F, 26H) 1.19-1.25x wider than long, lateral sides slightly rounded or straight convergent from posterior angles to anterior margin; anteromedian margin weakly produced; posterior angles elongate, convex, parallel; lateral carina complete, dorsally visible only on posterior third; disc with punctures 2-4 diameters apart to medium 1-2 diameters apart, larger on lateral and anterior borders, homogenously distributed; prosternal process (Fig. 22H) with a subapical tooth. Lamellae of pro- and mesotarsomeres I a little smaller than the others, present on metatarsomere I; pro- and mesotarsal lamellae as wide as or wider than the subsequent tarsomeres including its setae, largely visible on dorsal view. Elytra subparallel on anterior 2/3 then tapering to apex or tapering to apex from anterior third; apical striae with a row of punctures as large as those of pronotal lateral border, interstices weakly convex, rugose, sparsely punctate. Abdomen (Figs. 22L, M) with ventrites 2-5 strongly concave laterally, ventrite 1 nearly entirely impunctate, except on borders which are usually scarcely pilose, rarely pilose; ventrites 2-5 densely covered with moderately long, stout and semi-erect setae. Pregenitalic segments and aedeagus covered with stout dark-brown setae. Sternite VIII (Fig. 23A) with posterior margin nearly straight, anterior sclerotization 0.33-0.38x the total width of sternite; sternite IX (Fig. 23C) tapering to apex.   
 Aedeagus (Figs. 23E, F): Phallobase 0.44-0.51x the total length of aedeagus, 1.17-1.51x longer than wide, length ratio between lateroposterior and median parts 4.10-10.0; paramere with ventral surface nearly entirely sclerotized with anteromedian margin distinct or partly membranous and translucent; penis with basal strut 0.23-0.32x its total length, articulated to the parameres by a translucent membrane; ventral sclerite elliptical.   
 Female: Total length 21 mm; elytral base as wide as prothorax, elytra 2.82x longer than pronotum. Dorsal and ventral surface strongly convex; pronotal punctation smaller and sparser, elytral punctation larger, abdominal pilosity shorter and finer than those of the male; frons concave along the anterior border, with a pair of oblique protuberances over antennal insertions convergent posteriorly; frontal carina not produced; antenna nearly reaching the half length of pronotum; antennomere IV-X 1.1-1.5 wider than long; XI oval, 1.08x longer than wide. Elytra with sides slightly divergent to posterior third then tapering to apex; interstices strongly convex. Hind wings 0.81x as long as elytra. Lamella of tarsomeres absent. Pregenitalic segments and ovipositor with stout brown setae. Sternite VIII (Fig. 24B) with spiculum 0,7x as long as its total length, apical part with lateroanterior angles rounded, partly sclerotized with long and short setae lateroposteriorly, tergite VIII (Fig. 24A) semioval, evenly sclerotized with short seta lateroposteriorly, anterior sclerotized margin emarginate. Ovipositor (Figs. 24C, D) with coxites partly sclerotized with short setae lateroapically, without styli, baculi 3.3x longer than coxites. Reproductive tract (Fig. 24D): bursa copulatrix oval with a row of spines laterally, with a slender diverticulum entering the posterior part of bursa copulatrix; a pair of sac-shaped structures posteriad of bursa copulatrix (possibly colleterial glands), lubricating glands sac-shaped near lateroposterior part of baculi.   
 Material examined: BRAZIL, 8 exs. (MNHN); Bahia : 3 exs. (MNHN), 1 ex. (MZUSP); Espírito Santo : 7 exs. (DZUP), 10 exs. (MNRJ); 24 exs. (1 female) (MZUSP).   
 Distribution: BRAZIL. Bahia; Espírito Santo: Conceição da Barra, Barra do São Francisco, Linhares, Aracruz.   
 Remarks: The holotype of Physodactylus henningi was supposed to be in the Zoological Museum of the Moscow State University (ZMMU), but it was neither found there nor in the German Collections of the Deutsches Entomologisches Institut (DEI, Dresden) and Zoologisches Staatssammlung (ZSM, Munich). There is no evidence that Fleutiaux compared the holotype with the specimens he identified as P. henningi, on which he based its revisions (1892, 1940c). The confirmation of the identity of these specimens and remaining material examined herein was based on the description and illustrations provided by Fischer von Waldheim (1824). The combination of size (18 mm) to the general appearance, shape of antenna and tarsal lamellae of the specimen illustrated in this work is unique among the Physodactylus species examined. The lamella of the protarsomere I of the specimens examined is usually a little narrower than those of the tarsomeres II and III, only a few specimens have it nearly as wide as the other ones as illustrated by Fischer von Waldheim (1824).   
 I have examined only photos of the dorsal habitus of Drepanius clavipes type, whose antenna illustrated by Perty (1830) is different from that of P. henningi. However, the dorsal view of the specimen deposited at ZSM (Munich) were insufficient to confirm its identity. For this reason I maintain D. clavipes as synonym of P. henningi, although this synonymy should be confirmed.   
 Physodactylus henningi specimens from Linhares present the color pattern 1, while those from Bahia present the color patterns 1 and 2; specimens identified by Fleutiaux (in litt.) as P. henningi v. erythrocephalus without detailed locality have the pattern color 3. The specimens from Aracruz and Conceição da Barra are entirely black (color pattern 5). The specimens described by Fleutiaux (1940; in litt.) as P. henningi v. puncticollis (Bahia) and P. henning v. nigricollis (“ Brèsil ”) are nearly entirely black, except for the pronotum partly dark brown. The specimens from Barra do São Francisco (“Córrego Itá”) present the color patterns 4-6. There are also small variations in size and density of punctation and in the shape of phallobase, nevertheless those differences were found among individuals from same region. On the other hand, all specimens present the following combination of characters: pilosity dark brown, frons with a pair of oblique protuberances over antennal insertions, lateral carina of pronotum complete, first abdominal ventrite nearly entirely smooth and tarsal lamellae as wide as tarsomeres including its setae. These characters clearly distinguish P. henningi from the remaining species of the genus.
description: Published as part of Rosa, Simone Policena, 2014, Phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic revision of Physodactylinae (Coleoptera, Elateridae), pp. 217-292 in Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (São Paulo) (São Paulo) 54 (18) on pages 268-271, DOI: 10.1590/0031-1049.2014.54.18, http://zenodo.org/record/12641367