Genus Metamasius Horn

Metamasius Horn 1873:410 .

Odontorhynchus Chevrolat 1880:316 .

Metamasiopsis Champion 1910:100 .

Subphyllerythrurus Voss 1954:333 .

Paramasius Kuschel 1958:750 . Resurrected synonymy. Cyrtomasius Vanin 1998:117 . New synonymy.

Type species: Calandra sericea Olivier 1807:84 . Designation by monotypy.

This is a large tropical genus with about 60 described species. There are 30 species of Metamasius in Costa Rica and 29 (plus 1 questionable) in Panama with 24 shared between the two countries. The genus occurs from the southern United States to Argentina.

Herein I group all species that possess the plesiomorphic character state of some indication of a lateral line on the aedeagus. This includes the genera Paramasius and Cyrtomasius as recently treated by Vanin (1998). The two described species of Paramasius are the only Dryophthoridae known to have a partial lateral line (incomplete at base; see Vanin 1998, Figs. 10 and 27) whereas the lateral line of the one known Cyrtomasius species is complete (Vanin 1998, Fig. 32) as in all Metamasius . Similarity in body characters other than form of the aedeagus suggests that both 'taxa' are derived from within Metamasius and do not warrant distinct generic status.

Species of Metamasius are associated generally with monocotyledons such as orchids ( Orchidaceae), bromeliads (Bromeliadaceae), palms ( Arecaceae), sugarcane (Graminae), and bananas ( Musaceae) (Vaurie 1966). Adults of most species are diurnal. Immature stages were described by Anderson (1948).