Pityoborus

Type species

Crypturgus comatus Zimmermann

Adapted from Wood 1982, p. 1146-1152

Diagnosis

Pityoborus is distinguished from similar genera by the presence in some females of circular areas with dense hair in the anterolateral areas of the pronotumpronotum:
the upper or dorsal surface of the first thoracic segment
and the absence of basalbasal:
situated at the base or inner edge and proximal to the main body
and laterally raised margins of the pronotumpronotum:
the upper or dorsal surface of the first thoracic segment
. Females can also bear long setaesetae:
a hollow, often slender and hair-like cuticular projection
ornamentations on the fronsfrons:
the upper anterior portion of the head capsule
.

Description

Species in this genus range in size from 1.5 to 3.2 mm and are approximately 2.5 to 2.8 times as long as wide. Their color ranges from light yellowish brown to dark reddish brown. The pronotumpronotum:
the upper or dorsal surface of the first thoracic segment
is wider to equally as long as wide with the anterior margin armedarmed:
having a sclerotized surface structure, giving a rough texture; may serve as defense
by 12-18 serrationsserrations:
a series or set of saw-like teeth or notches
and the anterior half asperateasperate:
of a surface or texture which is rough
; the lateral margins are rounded. The anterolateral areas of the female are ornamentedornamented:
having markings or structures on the esclerotized regions of the integument, such as setae, tubercles, or granules
by a long dense pubescence. The declivitydeclivity:
the apical portion of the beetle elytra that slopes downward
is convex, with a sparsesparse:
scattered, spread irregularly and some distance apart
vestiture consisting of hair-like setaehair-like setae:
setae that are thin and similar to a hair
. The metepisternummetepisternum:
the sclerite between the first and second lateral thoracic sutures
is only visible anteriorly. The female’s fronsfrons:
the upper anterior portion of the head capsule
can be ornamentedornamented:
having markings or structures on the esclerotized regions of the integument, such as setae, tubercles, or granules
by long setaesetae:
a hollow, often slender and hair-like cuticular projection
in dense tufts. 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 longer than 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 oval to obovateobovate:
inversely egg shaped (ovate), with the narrow end basal
with two septateseptate:
having a septum or septa
and procurvedprocurved:
pertaining to structure (antennae, setae) which is basally perpendicular to the body and whose apical part is curved anteriorly
sutures that are closer to the basebase:
part of any appendage that is nearest the body
. 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

North Carolina and Utah to Honduras

World fauna

Number of species: 7, Native species: 2, Introduced species: 0

Hosts

Pinus