Acyphoderes aurulenta

Acyphoderes aurulenta (Kirby, 1818) (Fig. 18) Necydalis aurulenta Kirby, 1818: 443. Acyphoderes aurulenta; Audinet-Serville, 1834a: 548. Odontocera aurulenta; Kirby, 1834: 92. Acyphoderes aurulentus; White, 1855: 195. Stenopterus aurulentus Dalman, 1823: 71. Acyphoderes sericinus White, 1855: 195. Remarks. Kirby (1818) described Necydalis aurulenta based on a single specimen from Brazil. Dalman (1823) described Stenopterus aurulentus based on syntypes male and female from Brazil (species not listed in Monné 2024a). Later, White (1855) described Acyphoderes sericinus also based on a single specimen from Brazil. Audinet-Serville (1834a) listed S. aurulentus as being the same as A. aurulenta: “ Odontocera aurulenta.— Stenopterus aurulentus Dalm. Analect. Entomol., pag. 71, nº 63. Du Brésil.” It is important to note that the name of the species group, Stenopterus aurulentus was clearly described as a new species (see page “vi” and the subtitle on page 37 in Dalman (1823)). Unfortunately, we do not have a photograph of the syntypes of S. aurulentus. However, the original description suggests that it is really the same as Acyphoderes aurulenta. Bates (1873) synonymized A. sericinus with A. aurulenta. Gundulach (1894) reported Odontocera abdominalis (Olivier, 1800) from Puerto Rico. However, according to Fisher (1930): “In the United States National Museum are two examples of this species [Acyphoderes aurulenta] which were identified as abdominalis Olivier. One of these examples is labeled Mayaguez, Porto Rico, and the other one Cayey, Porto Rico, May 23, 1923, collected by G. N. Wolcott. These two specimens show a slight variation from the typical specimens from Brazil by not having the femora and tibiae black in the middle, and by the elytra being without a furcated black vitta on each side, but these specimens seem to be the extreme light form of this species, and not sufficiently distinct to warrant a new name. In a series examined from Brazil, all of the examples have the black bands on the legs, but in a few of these examples the furcated black vittae on the elytra are absent … The specimens listed as abdominalis from Porto Rico by Gahan, and Leng and Mutchler are probably aurulenta (Kirby).” Only by examining species from Puerto Rico will it be possible to know whether Fisher (1930) was right or not. Currently, it is known from Brazil (Mato Grosso, Goiás, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul), Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina (Formosa and Misiones), Uruguay, and Puerto Rico? (Monné 2024a; Tavakilian & Chevillotte 2023). Material examined. BRAZIL, Mato Grosso do Sul (new state record): Campo Grande, 1 female (MNRJ- ENT-47638), 21.X.1993, W.W. Koller leg. (MNRJ).