Araptus

Type species

Araptus rufopalliatus Eichhoff

Adapted from Wood 1982, p. 927-963

Diagnosis

The genus Araptus can be distinguished from Pityophthorus Eichhoff in that suture 2 is never septateseptate:
having a septum or septa
, and its declivitydeclivity:
the apical portion of the beetle elytra that slopes downward
is evenly convex.

Description

The species in this genus range from 1.1 to 2.7 mm in length and are approximately 2.4 to 3.2 times as long as wide. Their color ranges from yellowish brown to almost black. The pronotumpronotum:
the upper or dorsal surface of the first thoracic segment
is usually longer than wide, with the anterior half asperateasperate:
of a surface or texture which is rough
. The scutellumscutellum:
a shield-like bony plate or scale, as on the thorax of some insects
is large and flushed with the elytraelytra:
the two external and hardened or sclerotized forewings of adult Coleoptera, often appearing leather-like in texture
. The declivitydeclivity:
the apical portion of the beetle elytra that slopes downward
is usually convex, with about a tenth of the species having the declivitydeclivity:
the apical portion of the beetle elytra that slopes downward
sulcate and another tenth bisulcatebisulcate:
a structure that is grooved in two places, often contiguous at both sides of a central line
, and a varied sculpturesculpture:
markings or patterns of impression or elevation on the body's surface
among species. The sparsesparse:
scattered, spread irregularly and some distance apart
vestiture consists of recumbentrecumbent:
applied to setae which lay in the surface of the body
, hair-like setaehair-like setae:
setae that are thin and similar to a hair
on the pronotumpronotum:
the upper or dorsal surface of the first thoracic segment
and a few erect hair-like setaehair-like setae:
setae that are thin and similar to a hair
on the declivitydeclivity:
the apical portion of the beetle elytra that slopes downward
. The metepisternummetepisternum:
the sclerite between the first and second lateral thoracic sutures
is only visible anteriorly. The fronsfrons:
the upper anterior portion of the head capsule
is dimorphicdimorphic:
a structure that occurs in two different forms, such as color, shape, or size
, usually presenting longer hairs in females. The anterior margin of the compound eye is emarginateemarginate:
notched or indented
. The scapescape:
the first and basal segment of the insect's antennae
is usually as long as the 5-segmented funiclefunicle:
the antennal segments located between the scape and the club in some Coleoptera
. The clubclub:
the apical segment of the insect antennae that is enlarged or thickened such that it is anatomically differentiated from the preceding segments
is usually obovateobovate:
inversely egg shaped (ovate), with the narrow end basal
, its size is variable and has the suturessutures:
a seam or seam-like line of contact between two sclerites or hardened body parts immovably connected
straight to procurvedprocurved:
pertaining to structure (antennae, setae) which is basally perpendicular to the body and whose apical part is curved anteriorly
. The first suture is at least partly septateseptate:
having a septum or septa
in all species, and the second is never septateseptate:
having a septum or septa
. The procoxaeprocoxae:
extra segment occasionally preceding coxa (hip joint) of the first or anterior pair of legs of arthropods
are contiguouscontiguous:
sharing an edge or boundary; touching
.

Distribution

Florida and South Texas and from Mexico south to Argentina

World fauna

Number of species: 114, Native species: 1, Introduced species: 0

Hosts

Cola, Hymenaea, Mucuna, Sarcostemma