Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 79. (Budapest 1987)

Merkl, O.: A review of the Australian species of the subtribe Lagriina (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae: Lagriinae)

ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATIONALIS HUNG ARI Cl Tomus 79. Budapest, 1987 p. 121-166. A review of the Australian species of the subtribe Lagriina (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae: Lagriini)* by O. MERKL, Budapest O. MERKL : A review of the Australian species of the subtribe Lagriina (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae: Lagriini). — Annls hist.-nat. Mus. natn. hung. 1987 79: 121-166. Abstract — Six genera and 22 species of Australian Lagriina are treated. Three new genera (Metriolagria gen. n., Stenolagria gen. n., Xenolagria gen. n.) and 6 new species {Ecnolagria monteithi sp. n., Ecnolagria schneiderae sp. n., Ecnolagria similis sp. n., Lagria plumbeipennis sp. n., Lagria tenera sp. n., Stenolagria matthewsi sp. n.) are described. New synonyms are: Birolagria Pic, 1956, jun. syn. = Acerogria BORCHMANN, 1936; Birolagria cicatricosa Pic, 1956, jun. syn. = Acerogria oriunda (BORCHMANN, 1924); Ecnolagria serripes BORCHMANN, 1915, jun. syn. = Ecnolagria rufescens (BOISDUVAL, 1835); Lagria australis var. suturalis BORCHMANN, 1910, jun. syn. = Lagria albovillosa MACLEAY, 1888; Lagria decipiens LEA, 1917, jun. syn. = Metriolagria affmis (BOISDUVAL, 1835); Lagria erythroptera LEA, 1917, jun. syn. = Lagria cyanea MACLEAY, 1872; Lagria garnetana BORCHMANN, 1936, jun. syn. — Xenolagria tincta (BLACKBURN, 1889); Lagria purpureipenis MACLEAY, 1888, jun. syn. = Lagria cyanea MACLEAY, 1872. Ecnolagria rufescens (BOISDUVAL, 1835) is resurrected from the synonymy of Ecnolagria grandis (GYLLENHAL, 1817). One neotype and 10 lectotypes are designated. With 126 figures. The beetles of the subtribe Lagriina differ from the species of Statirina in having the front coxae subcontiguous and not separated by the prosternai process. In contrast to those of Statirina, the elytra of Australian Lagriina are never striate-punctate but the punctation is always irregular. Sexual dimorphism on antennae, legs and other parts of exoskeleton is often quite remarkable. Representatives of Lagriina inhabit Eurasia, Africa, New Guinea, Australia and the Americas. The New World fauna is very poor, and similarly, only few a species occupy the Palearctic realm. The Afrotropical and the Indo-Malayan realms are quite rich in species. New Guinea shares a lot of species but the bulk of them is still undescribed. The 6 species described below bring to 22 the number of valid species know to occur in Australia. The Australian species of Lagriina have been mentioned in the literature by a few authors in the form of widely scattered descriptions or epigrammatic contributions but they have not previously been studied as a whole. The most embracing work is BORCHMANN'S (1936) monograph on World "Lagriidae", but many species, not seen by him, have simply been catalogued in his book. Later, ARMSTRONG (1948) compiled a brief key to the genera and the species of Ecnolagria. However, this is nothing more but an abridgment of Borchmann's monograph. As far as I know, since that time, no contribution has been published concerning the Australian Lagriina. Since these species (at least, in part) are rather abundant in the Australian fauna, it seems necessary to define them taxonomically and to present a comprehensive study including identification keys, descriptions, synonymy, etc. The species of the related subtribe Statirina have recently been reviewed (MERKL 1986). * 3rd contribution to the knowledge of Lagriini.