Eocanthecona insularis Brugnera & Grazia & Maynard & Roca-Cusachs 2024

Eocanthecona insularis (Kirby, 1891) comb nov. Figs 6k–m, 10 Canthecona insularis Kirby, 1981: 79. Cantheconidea insularis – Kirkaldy 1909: 13. –– Thomas 1994: 168. Canthecona insularis – Roell et al. 2023: 50. Type material Syntype SRI LANKA • 1 ♀ “ Canthecona / insularis / Kirby, 1891: 79 / SYNTYPE // Pundaloya / Ceylon. // Ceylon / Green Coll / 91-26 // ♀ // SYNTYPE // TYPE // NHMUK / 010592158”; NHMUK; NHMUK 010592158 (Fig. 6k–m). Distribution Sri Lanka. Remarks about the new combinations in Eocanthecona Bergroth, 1915 By examining the photos of the type specimens of the three above mentioned species (Fig. 6), it becomes evident that they lack the metasternal processes, which differentiate Eocanthecona from Cantheconidea. Based on this observation, we propose new combinations of these species within the genus Eocanthecona, now containing 25 species. Eocanthecona was originally described by Bergroth in 1915 to include species with a non-specialized metasternum. Initially, only E. furcellata and Eocanthecona eburnea Bergroth, 1915 were established as members of the genus, but the author noted that it was equivalent to Schouteden’s section B of Cantheconidea. Subsequently, Thomas (1994) transferred 19 species from Cantheconidea to Eocanthecona based on the metasternum characteristic. In general, Eocanthecona are currently recognized by a combination of features: profemora armed, basal abdominal spine present, flat metasternum and crenulate anterolateral pronotal margin. It is important to emphasize the urgent need for a comprehensive systematic revision of Eocanthecona, which entails examining the type specimens to confirm the validity of the species, and to establish a robust diagnosis to contribute with its identification.