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Cartwrightia Islas 1958
Cartwrightia Islas 1958: 344.
Photo by Paul Skelley.
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| Aphodiinae Overview | ||
| Eupariini Key |
Type species. Cartwrightia intertribalis Islas 1958: 345, by monotypy.
Diagnosis. Body length 3-4 mm, elongate, parallel-sided, somewhat flattened, reddish-brown with some agrillaceous coating. Clypeus with double edged margin. Pronotum with 2 antero-medial depression, a basal median lontigudinal groove, and each side with a diagonal groove from anterior angle toward base of median groove. Pronotal depressions separated by ridges of varying height. Elytra with odd intervals distinctly carinate, even intervals distinctly flattened; striae finely punctured; apex of elytra with large bulbous process. Prosternal process not hastate. Mesocoxa elongate, widely separated, touching elytra at base. Meso- and metatibia each with 2 distinct apical spurs. Meso and metatarsi narrow, elongate.
Distribution. Mexico to South America.
Composition. Cartwrightia contains 3 species.
Cartwrightia cartwrighti Cartwright 1967: 4, widespread in tropical South America.
Cartwrightia intertribalis Islas 1958: 345, Mexico.
Cartwrightia islasi Cartwright 1967: 2, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador.
Life History. Adults are occasionally collected at lights. Cartwrightia islasi has been collected with leaf cutter ants, Atta cephalotes (L.)
Larvae. Unknown.
Taxonomic status. Cartwrightia is an unusual, distinct genus, whose relationship need further study. While presently placed in the Eupariini, it shows similar characters with other tribes; Odontolochini, Rhypariini, possibly others. The problem is to decide which characters are synapomorphies and which ones are paralellisms or convergences. For the most recent comments on the issue see Skelley and Howden (2005), Stebnicka (2007), and Skelley (2007), who also cite earlier works with additional comments.
References:
Cartwright, O. L. 1967. Two new species of Cartwrightia from Central and South America (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae). Proceedings of the United States National Museum 124(3632): 1-8.
Skelley, P.E. 2007. New South American taxa of Odontolochini Stebnicka and Howden (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae). Insecta Mundi 0022: 1-15.
Skelley, P.E., and H. F. Howden. 2004. A new species of Lomanoxia MartÃnez from Costa Rica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae). Insecta Mundi [2003] 17(3-4): 185-190.
Stebnicka, Z. T. 2007. New species of Iarupea MartÃnez and morphological specializations among related taxa associated with ants and termites (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Eupariini). Revue Suisse de Zoologie 114(3): 573-590.
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| Author: Paul Skelley Generated on: 08/MAY/08.....Last modified: 08/MAY/08 University of Nebraska State Museum - Division of Entomology |