Review of Pharaxonotha Reitter (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Pharaxonothinae) inhabiting the cycad genus Dioon Lindl. (Cycadales), with descriptions of nine new species and comments on P. kirschii Reitter

  • Paul E. Skelley

    Florida State Collection of Arthropods Florida Department of Agriculture – DPI P. O. Box 147100 Gainesville, FL 32614-7100, USA

  • William Tang

    Florida State Collection of Arthropods Florida Department of Agriculture – DPI P. O. Box 147100 Gainesville, FL 32614-7100, USA

  • Miguel Angel Pérez-Farrera

    Herbario Eizi Matuda, Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas Libramiento Norte Poniente 1150, Col. Lajas-Maciel CP 29039, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico

Keywords
Cycad, cone, pollination, Mexico, Mexican grain beetle

Abstract

The beetle genus Pharaxonotha Reitter (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Pharaxonothinae) is found in the cones of cycad genera in the New World, including species of Dioon Lindl., Ceratozamia Brongn., Microcycas (Miq.) A.DC and Zamia L. In this paper nine new species found in Dioon are described by Skelley, Tang and Pérez-Farrera: Pharaxonotha bicolor, P. dimorpha, P. fawcettae, P. gigantea, P. novoai, P. occidentalis, P. sclerotiza, P. woodruffi, P. vovidesi. A key to described species of Pharaxonotha inhabiting Dioon is presented, along with an account of Pharaxonotha kirschii Reitter for comparison.

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