Homalocerus lyciformis

Homalocerus lyciformis (Germar, 1833) Material examined. BRASIL. Rio de Janeiro: Itatiaia, 1 male, XII.1989, Ayr Bello leg. (CEMT), Parque Nacional do Itatiaia (750 m) 1 female, 11–14.I.2008, Monné et al. leg. (DZRJ); Teresópolis (Parnaso, Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos, 1 female, 10.XI.2010, Silveira, leg. (DZRJ); Estrada Paraty-Cunha (Parque Nacional da Bocaina), 2 males, 23.I.2010, Mermudes & Mattos leg. (DZRJ). Remarks. Vanin (1976) had already discussed that Homalocerus lyciformis is one of the best-known species of the genus, noting the variation in its body coloration, but emphasizing that it can be easily identified through the characters presented in the taxonomic key (Vanin 1976: 25). He also described the wide distribution of this species in Brazil, from Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul, and its occurrence in Argentina. In this study, the presence of the species was reported for the first time in two important massifs of the Atlantic Forest biome in Southeastern Brazil: the Mantiqueira massif (based on the records from Itatiaia) and the Serra do Mar massif (based on the records from Teresópolis and Bocaina). Vanin (1976) also mentioned the rarity of Belidae in collections, and this study reiterates that observation, highlighting the scarcity of available material and the still unknown aspect of the group’s biology in Brazil, including the lack of larval descriptions.