Mannophorus LeConte, 1854

Mannophorus LeConte, 1854 View in CoL

Type species Mannophorus laetus LeConte, 1854 (monobasic).

Mannophorus LeConte 1854: 442 View in CoL ; Thomson 1864: 333; LeConte 1873: 314; Bates 1880: 82; LeConte and Horn 1883: 299; Leng 1886a: 60; Bradley 1930: 241; Arnett 1962: 863, 881; Linsley 1962: 94; Monné 1994: 31

Redescription. Form small to moderate sized, sides subparallel. Head with front short, declivous, mid-cranial sulcus (median line) narrow, deeply canaliculate, extending over from postclypeus to anterior margin of upper eye lobes, integument above postclypeus below antennal insertion with a small, deep pit on either sides, frontoclypeal sulcus transversely excavate between pits; genae short, anterior margin of lower eye lobes narrowly to well separated from base of mandibles; palpi short, subequal, last segments not expanded, apices truncate, outer edge of maxillary palpi flattened to vaguely impressed; mandibles simple, sides arcuate to strongly angulated near base, outer margin excavate, striate, rugulose; eyes moderately large, finely faceted, upper lobes small, well separated, lower lobes large, posterior-lateral margins emarginate; antennal tubercles divergent, moderately elevated, apices obtusely angulate; integument between tubercles deeply impressed along mid-cranial sulcus; antennae elongate, 11-segmented, 11 th antennomere slender, vaguely to non-appendiculate. Pronotum broader than long, narrower than base of elytra at humeri, sides evenly rounded to obtusely angulate; apex narrower than base, apical margin elevated with collar-like projection on sides, narrowly constricted behind; base also margined and more broadly constricted on sides; prosternum with intercoxal process level with coxae, narrower than coxal cavity, apex vertical; coxal cavities wide open behind; mesosternum with intercoxal process level with coxae, gradually declivous anteriorly and excavated in middle; posterior-lateral margins lobed, slightly overlapping mesocoxae. Scutellum triangular or cordate, as broad as long. Elytra each with two ivory-like vittae or three longitudinal costae; elytral apices rounded. Legs moderately short; metafemora falling far short of elytral apices in both sexes; metatarsomere I subequal or shorter than tarsomeres II and III combined. Abdomen normally segmented.

Discussion. LeConte (1854: 442) describes Mannophorus LeConte as a genus with a “very curious acute collar which surrounds the apex of the thorax, and which projects very conspicuously at the sides.” Other characteristics described by LeConte include simple, non-protuberant mesosternum, subacute mandibles, rotundate and unarmed thorax with apex transversely constricted and margin prominently fortified, and elytral apices lacking spines. Bates (1880: 83) notes that Ischnocnemis Thomson is “closely allied to Mannophorus ” and “the chief differences lying in the greater length of the basal joint of the hind tarsi,” elongate form, and longer antennae. Bates (1885: 327) under his comments for Mannophorus forreri Bates further notes that Mannophorus has broader and rounder thorax, and male antennae that are “shorter and not much longer than the body.” In his commentary for Ischnocnemis, Bates (1885: 328) stated that “there remains no character of sufficient importance to separate the genus (i.e., Ischnocnemis Thomson ) from Mannophorus LeConte , which the name ( Mannophorus ) will have priority if the genera are to be united.” “The simple mesosternum (i.e., non-protuberant mesosternal process) is the sole constant character which separates the genus from Sphenothecus (or Sphaenothecus ) sensu Dupont.”

Mannophorus can be differentiate from the other genera by the combination of following characters: (1) apical margin of pronotum that is elevated and narrowly excavated behind with collar-like projections on sides ( Fig. 153–155, 157–159 View Figures 152–163 ); (2) front that is declivous with antennal tubercles divergent and integument deeply impressed between tubercles forming a V-shaped valley sloping down to mid-cranial sulcus ( Fig. 154, 158 View Figures 152–163 ); (3) non-protuberant mesosternal intercoxal process that is level with coxae and gradually declivous anteriorly ( Fig. 160–161 View Figures 152–163 ); (4) elytral apices that are rounded or truncate with exterior angles unarmed ( Fig. 162–163 View Figures 152–163 ); and (5) posterior-lateral margins of lower eyes that are notched to accommodate the lateral collar-like projection of the pronotum ( Fig. 157 View Figures 152–163 ).

Mannophorus with non-protuberant mesosternal process can be differentiated from the other genera by the collar-like projections on the sides of apical margin of the pronotum. Zalophia Casey , Lophalia Casey and Lophaliamorpha Eya new genus have protuberant mesosternal intercoxal process. Ischnocnemis Thomson with non-protuberant mesosternal process can also be differentiated by the overall form and the morphology of the head capsule. Ischnocnemis is more elongate in form with cylindrical pronotum. Ischnocnemis has mouthparts that are retracted, and the front is subvertical to vertical and convex along mid-cranial sulcus. The integument between the antennal tubercles is horizontal or barely impressed. Mannophorus has a front that is declivous along the mid-cranial sulcus with divergent antennal tubercles, and the mouthparts are extended forward or prognathous. The following five species are included in Mannophorus : Mannophorus laetus LeConte , M. forreri Bates, M. minor (Bates) new combination, M. virgulata (Chemsak) new combination, and M. tricostatus Eya new species, and a new subspecies M. virgulata virescens ( Eya 2010) new combination and new synonymy.

The etymology of the generic name “ Mannophorus ” is not provided by LeConte (1854: 442). The name Mannophorus means “bearing or wearing a collar”, where μαννο or “manno”, “a collar” in Greek ( Liddel and Scott 1871) with the Latin suffix “ -phorus ”, which is used to form a noun naming an organism that bear something, and in this instance a collar.