Rhaphiptera Audinet-Serville 1835

Rhaphiptera Audinet-Serville, 1835 Pteroplius (Rhaphiptera) Audinet-Serville, 1835: 66. Rhaphiptera (Sinespinopenna) Özdikmen, 2025d: 2938. Syn. nov. Remarks. Fragoso & Monné (1984) revised Rhaphiptera, provided a key to the 21 species known at that time, and defined the genus as follows (translated): “ Rhaphiptera is characterized by the absence of granules on the basal third of the elytra (which may or may not present a single sub-basal swelling on each elytron), by moderately thickened femora, by the third antennal segment being longer than the fourth, and by the subapical and apical projections of the prothoracic tibiae.” According to Özdikmen (2025d), “In first group [Rhaphiptera (Rhaphiptera) Audinet-Serville, 1835: 66], apex of elytra more or less bi-spinose, or sometimes obliquely truncate and so the outer apical lobe elongated and prominent but not pointed and spiny (Rhaphiptera alvarengai, Rhaphiptera lavaissierorum); elytra usually with distinct, black basal spots, or rarely reduced or absent;” and “In the second group, apex of elytra unarmed, almost rounded or slightly truncate straightly; elytra usually without distinct, black basal spots, if present, then black basal spots usually reduced.” These definitions by Özdikmen (2025d) encompass many mistakes. Firstly, it is interesting to note that the centrobasal crest of the elytra, present in some species of the genus (regardless of the shape of the elytral apex), was interpreted as spots (“elytra usually with distinct, black basal spots, or rarely reduced or absent”). Among the features that could potentially be used to divide Rhaphiptera (e.g. shape and size of the lateral tubercles of the prothorax; presence or absence of centrobasal crest on elytra, and when present, its shape, size, presence or absence of erect setae, etc.), the shape of the elytral apex would be the last and least reliable. This is because it is extremely variable within species: rounded (broadly or narrowly), truncate, uniformly acuminate, subtruncate with a spine at the outer angle, etc. These various forms of elytral apex link the species of the genus through this feature, clearly demonstrating the futility of using it to divide the genus into two subgenera. Therefore, the only viable option is to treat Rhaphiptera (Sinespinopenna) as a synonym of Rhaphiptera. It is interesting to note that the shape of the elytral apex was not even the first character used to separate the species in the key by Fragoso & Monné (1984). On the etymology of the subgenus, see remarks in Proeme.