El Gènere Eutaphrimorphus Pic (Coleoptera: Ptinidae), de l'Àfrica austral

Abstract

Eutaphrimorphus was proposed by Pic (1898) as a subgenus of Ptinus, to include the species P. (E.) raffrayi from Cape Province (South Africa), which was simultaneously described by the same author. Nevertheless, a detailed study of the type specimen of this species has shown that Eutaphrimorphus should be considered as an independent genus well differentiated from Ptinus. The most conspicuous feature of Eutaphrimorphus is the structure of prosternum, which is anteriorly excavated in such a manner that the reflexed head remains partially concealed into the excavation and the mandibles reach the intercoxal process. This peculiar structure is similar to that shown by the genera Cylindroptinus, Cavoptinus and Luzonoptinus from southeastern Asia, Prosternoptinus from the Neotropical region, and Silisoptinus from Zanzibar. However, Eutaphrimorphus seems to have the closest affinities with Silisoptinus, since both genera share other important characters, like the pronotal morphology, which shows a complex combination of protuberant and depressed areas.