Pityophthorus

Type species

Bostrichus lichtesnteini

Adapted from Wood 1982, p. 991-1139

Diagnosis

Pityophthorus are a large and difficult group; they are distinguished from Araptus Eichhoff in that they have chitinizedchitinized:
an integument hardened by chitin, the primary substance which hardens the exoskeleton of insects; a hardened area of the exoskeleton
lateral septa on their first two suturessutures:
a seam or seam-like line of contact between two sclerites or hardened body parts immovably connected
.

Description

Species in this genus range from 0.8 to 3.2 mm in length and are approximately 2.0 to 3.4 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 equally to longer than wide, and the lateral margins present a raised line. 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
varies from convex to bisulcatebisulcate:
a structure that is grooved in two places, often contiguous at both sides of a central line
and can be unarmedunarmed:
having no granules, teeth, tubercles, spines, or other protective structures
or bearing small granulesgranules:
a small grain-like elevation
. 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 usually sexually dimorphicdimorphic:
a structure that occurs in two different forms, such as color, shape, or size
, often 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
. 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 approximately 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 near circular to oval, with two to three straight to procurvedprocurved:
pertaining to structure (antennae, setae) which is basally perpendicular to the body and whose apical part is curved anteriorly
complete to incomplete suturessutures:
a seam or seam-like line of contact between two sclerites or hardened body parts immovably connected
, which have some degree of septation. 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

Alaska to Argentina, Europe, Asia, and Africa

World fauna

Number of species: 378, Native species: 104, Introduced species: 0

Hosts

Abies, Acer, Arceuthobium, Baccharus,Cercis, Hamamelis, Franseria, Juglans, Larix, Liquidambar, Metopium, Partheniwn, Picea, Pinus, Pseudotsuga, Quercus, Rhus, Toxicodendron, Tsuga