Estudo Taxonômico de Phengodidae LeConte, 1861 (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) da Amazônia Brasileira

Abstract

Phengodidae comprises beetles that are 4 to 12 mm long, with an elongated and dorsoventrally flattened body, often light brown or brown and black. They have large and very convex eyes, located laterally on the head, their antennae have 10 to 12 antennomers, usually with branches in antennomers IV to XII. It is currently divided into three subfamilies: Mastinocerinae, Phengodinae and Penicillophorinae, comprising 37 genera and 295 species. Their distribution is currently restricted to the New World, ranging from southern Canada to northern Chile and Argentina. For Brazil, 61 species are currently registered, 16 genera and two subfamilies. However, most of the knowledge about Phengodidae is restricted to the Southeast and Central-West regions, while in the North and Northeast regions, little is known about the group, especially for the Brazilian Amazon, where there are only six records for the family. The goal of this study was to carry out a taxonomic study on Phengodidae in the Brazilian Amazon, describing and illustrating new species, expanding the base of morphological characters, mapping geographic records and developing identification keys that seek to equalize characteristics that can better identify Amazonian taxa. 1.896 specimens of Phengodidae were examined, 1.878 representing Mastinocerinae, nine of Penicillophorinae, and nine of Phengodinae. For Mastinocerinae, a new genus and 15 new species were described, in addition, 13 species and 12 genera were identified. Penicillophorinae was registered for the first time in Brazil, through the description of two new genera and three new species, and for Phengodinae, two species and one genus were identified. Thus, with this study, knowledge about Phengodidae increased by 37% for Brazil and 282% for the Brazilian Amazon.