Hyboptera Chaudoir 1872

Hyboptera Chaudoir 1872:161 . Type species: Lebia tuberculata Dejean 1825:272, designated by Lorenz 1998:98. Type locality: FRENCH GUIANA, Cayenne.

Aspasia; Reiche 1842:310 (not Dejean 1831). Synonymized by Chaudoir 1872:161.

Diagnosis. (cf. Figs. 17, 19). Neck broad. Prothorax wider than head; sides of pronotum broadly reflexed throughout, angulate at mid­lateral setigerous pore. Elytron at basal third depressed, surface uneven, markedly tuberculate overall. Male endophallus with flagellum; flagellum apex not barbed.

Dispersal potential. The wings are fully developed, thus it is likely that these beetles are moderate to strong flyers.

Geographic distribution. A widespread Nearctic and Neotropical genus known from Texas, USA, south to Brazil, Bolivia, and east to French Guiana.

Way of life. Little is known about the species in this genus. Adults of various species are regularly collected in small numbers using insecticidal fogging techniques in the forest canopy in the Amazon Basin, thus they are certainly at times arboreal. However, at Barro Colorado Island in Panamá, I collected adults from the forest floor amongst the large shed anther rings of trees in the genus Pseudobombax, these rings being a moisture source on the forest floor during the dry season (Erwin 1974b). W. Steiner collected several larvae and pupae along with emerging adults of Hyboptera verrucosa (Reiche) under bark of a living fence post in Panamá (Erwin & Steiner in prep).

Notes. Five species have been described in this genus; however, Erwin & Ball (in prep) have an additional three new species, in addition to the two new ones described below.