Tropicis sexcarinatus
Creators: name: Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2008
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Ciidae
Tropicis
Tropicis sexcarinatus

description: Tropicis sexcarinatus (Waterhouse, 1876) (Figs 8, 12, 149–151, 153, 154B, 155B, 157–158)   
Diagnosis and comments  
 It differs from the other Tropicis by the six longitudinal keels at elytra, most conspicuous at the apical half, and the coarse pronotal punctation with coalescent punctures. It most resembles Trop. flexicarinatus, but do not co-occur with it (see Fig. 158). The species is variable morphologically and may be a complex of close related species.   
 Lesne (1917) reported Cis sexcarinatus Waterhouse from Mauritius, La Reunión, Madagascar and Seychelles, before Scott (1926) erected the genus Tropicis based on this species and other two species from Seychelles. The specimens of Lesne (1917) from La Reunión were collected in Microporus affinis (cited as Polyporus microloma), being the unique record of host-fungus for Trop. sexcarinatus. The record of the species from Seychelles should be considered with care: it may refer to Trop. flexicarinatus, a morphologically similar species described by Scott (1926). The record from Madagascar may be correct, as that is very close to Mauritius and La Reunión, but it should be checked.   
Specimens examined  
 Mauritius: Total of 40 specimens (5 LAPC; 35 MHNG). 12 specimens labeled / Ile Maurice Y. Gomy [printed] Macabe Forest 13.i.70 tronc mort [handwritten] /; 7 specimens / Ile Maurice Y. Gomy [printed] Macabe Forest 22.i.66 Champignon [handwritten] /; 12 specimens labeled / Ile Maurice Y. Gomy [printed] Maré Lonque 19.i.71 tamisage tronc [handwritten] /; 9 specimens / Ile Maurice Y. Gomy [printed] Macabe Forest 19.i.71 tamisage tronc [handwritten]/. Rodrigues : 1 specimen (MHNG) labeled / Ile Rodrigue Y. Gomy [printed] Mont Limon 396m-8.5.72 tamisage dans hampe d’Alôes [handwritten] /. Réunion: Total of 48 specimens (5 LAPC; 43 MHNG). 9 specimens labeled / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Cilaos Grand Matarum tamisage i.xi.69 [handwritten] /; 12 specimens /La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Bras de la Plaine 22.8.65 dans champignon [handwritten]/; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Roche Ecrite 8.10. 65 – 2200m au fauchoir [handwritten] /; 2 specimens /Cilaos Grand Matarum 6.8.67 dans champignon Y. Gomy [handwritten]/; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Hell Bourq 6.11.65 s. ecorces [handwritten] /; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Cirque de Salazie Piton Marmite 1800m 14.i.72 tamisage tronc pourri [handwritten] /; 2 specimens / La Réunion J. David [printed] Foret Bebour aout 1973 [handwritten] /; 3 specimens /La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] La Petite Plaine 20.3.66 champignon arborie [handwritten]/; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] La Petite Plaine Pl. des Palmistes 25.v. 69-1300m [handwritten] /; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Ste Philippe-Alt. 100m 15.2.71 tamisage souche [handwritten]; 3 specimens / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Plaine des Chicots 1730m-10.10.66 Champignon [handwritten] /; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Cilaos Grand Matarum 7.xi.69 tamisage [handwritten] /; 5 specimens / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Pl. des Chicots Gite 1850m-19.4.73 tamisage terreau [handwritten] /; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Pl. des Chicots Gite 21.4.73 1800m fauchoir [handwritten] /; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Pl. des Chicots 21.4.73- 1800m fauchage [handwritten] /; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Pl. des Chicots Gite 1800m-21.4.73 s. calumets mort [handwritten] /; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Hts. de Sta. Rose 25.10.70 tamisage [handwritten] /; 1 specimen / La Réunion Y. Gomy [printed] Pl. des Makes 15.xi.70 tamisage troncset humus [handwritten] /.   
 Host-fungi Microporus affinis (Polyporaceae), based in a record by Lesne (1917; see comments above).   
Distribution  
Mascarene Islands (La Réunion, Mauritius and Rodrigues; Fig. 158) and probably Madagascar (Fig. 158, question mark).
description: Published as part of Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano, 2008, An essay on the tribe Xylographellini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea: Ciidae), pp. 1-110 in Zootaxa 1832 (1) on pages 44-45, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.1832.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5126979