Pityogenes

Type species

Dermestes chalcographus Linnaeus

Adapted from Wood 1982, p. 649-656

Diagnosis

Pityogenes can be distinguished from Ips DeGeer in having two to three declivital margindeclivital margin:
the point where the declivity starts descending from the top or sides of the elytra; also the apical extreme of the elytra
spines, with the first pair being the largest and down curved in males. Also, females often have a pit or fossafossa:
a significant depression on the body surface
in the fronsfrons:
the upper anterior portion of the head capsule
.

Description

Species in this genus range from 1.8 to 3.7 mm in length and are approximately 2.5 to 2.7 times as long as wide. Their color varies from light brown to almost black. The pronotumpronotum:
the upper or dorsal surface of the first thoracic segment
is 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 sulcatesulcate:
having narrow, deep furrows or grooves
(concave) and armedarmed:
having a sclerotized surface structure, giving a rough texture; may serve as defense
by two or three pairs of spines, the first being the largest and downcurved in males. The vestiturevestiture:
a surface covering of scales or setae on the body, wing, or other appendage
consists of sparsesparse:
scattered, spread irregularly and some distance apart
hair-like setaehair-like setae:
setae that are thin and similar to a hair
. The fronsfrons:
the upper anterior portion of the head capsule
is sexually dimorphicdimorphic:
a structure that occurs in two different forms, such as color, shape, or size
, females usually having a central fossafossa:
a significant depression on the body surface
. The anterior margin of the compound eye is sinuatesinuate:
descriptive of a narrow and winding thin structure or margin of a feature
. 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 oval clubclub:
the apical segment of the insect antennae that is enlarged or thickened such that it is anatomically differentiated from the preceding segments
has two bisinuatebisinuate:
displaying two sinuations
sutures on the anterior face. 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 America, Europe, and Asia

World fauna

Number of species: 24, Native species: 6, Introduced species: 1

Established exotic species

Pityogenes bidentatus is present in New York and Pennsylvania.

Hosts

Abies, Pinus, Picea, Pseudotsuga