Vinicius S. Ferreira

University of Copenhagen · Natural History Museum of Denmark

A review of Lucaina Dugès, 1879 with illustrations of diagnostic characters, distribution maps, and an identification key to the species is presented. Lucaina schini Dugès, 1879, Lucaina discoidalis Horn, 1885, and Lucaina marginata Gorham, 1884 are redescribed, and their status as valid species is confirmed. Macrolygistopterus bajacalifornicus (Za...

Since the description of the genus Cheguevaria as incertae sedis (Lampyridae), the placement of these beetles has been uncertain. This study is the first to address the placement of this genus based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis. We used three genes (18S rRNA, rrnl mitochondrial DNA and cox1 mitochondrial DNA) and a maximum likelihood approa...

In this study, we describe a new Lampyridae subfamily, Chespiritoinae new subfamily, its sole genus Chespiritonew genus, and three new species: Chespirito zaragozainew species, Chespirito lloydinew species, and Chespirito ballantyneaenew species from the Neotropical portions of Mexico. Chespirito can be readily separated from all other known Lampyr...

Paedomorphosis is a heterochronic syndrome in which adult individuals display features of their immature forms. In beetles, this phenomenon occurs widely in the superfamily Elateroidea, including the net-winged beetles (Lycidae), and, due to the usual flightlessness of paedomorphic females, it is hypothesized to cause speciation rates higher than i...

The Leptolycini are a group of Lycidae endemic to the West Indies. Leptolycini adult females have been hypothesized to be extreme paedomorphic (i.e., larviform), however, females and larvae of the group are currently unknown. Here we provide the first association of adult male and immature life stages from the Puerto Rico using DNA barcoding, also...

Tytthonyx milleri Ivie, Fanti, and Ferreira, new species (Cantharidae, Tytthonyxini) is described from Miocene Dominican amber. The new species is compared with the other two described fossil taxa of the genus, as well as two additional, undescribed Dominican amber cantharid species, and their morphology is discussed. A comparison of extant and fos...

Tytthonyx milleri Ivie, Fanti, and Ferreira, new species (Cantharidae, Tytthonyxini) is described from Miocene Dominican amber. The new species is compared with the other two described fossil taxa of the genus, as well as two additional, unde�scribed Dominican amber cantharid species, and their morphology is discussed. A comparison of extant and fo...

Falsoceratoprion fumagalliae Ferreira, new genus and new species, the first discovered Calopterini fossil, is described from Dominican amber. The new genus is diagnosed, described, illustrated, and compared with other Dominican amber Lycidae and closely related extant genera.

Three new species of Chespirito Ferreira, Keller and Branham 2020 are described from North America, including the first species from the United States: Chespirito milleri new species from Arizona, USA, Chespirito hintoni new species from Mexico state, Mexico and Chespirito costae new species from Morelo state, Mexico. An updated distribution map an...

Brazilian Lycidae species from Taxonomic Catalog of Brazilian Fauna - https://tinyurl.com/52rh76tc

The Neotropical lycid genus Acroleptus Bourgeois, 1886 is revised and illustrations of diagnostic characters, geographic distribution maps and an identification key to the species are presented. Acroleptus chevrolati Bourgeois, 1886 is redescribed and a lectotype and a paralectotype are designated; two new species are described for the genus: Acrol...

Lycidae are among the better studied groups in the superfamily Elateroidea, however despite the progress in the taxonomic understanding of the Neotropical fauna, much still remains unknown and undescribed in the region. The description of the new genus Xenolycus gen. nov., from Serra dos Órgãos, a subrange of the Serra do Mar mountain range, in the...

Despite the many substantial advances and progress in understanding the internal evolutionary relations of several Lycidae groups, the divergence time estimation of the family within Elateroidea remains subject of debate, with estimates to as early as the early to mid-Jurassic. Herein we describe Prototrichalus gen. nov., and three new species: Pro...

Since the description of the genus Cheguevaria as incertae sedis (Lampyridae), the placement of these beetles has been uncertain. This study is the first to address the placement of this genus based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis. We used three genes (18S rRNA, rrnl mitochondrial DNA and cox1 mitochondrial DNA) and a maximum likelihood approa...

The Neotropical genus Lycinella Gorham, 1884 is revised. Lycinella opaca Gorham, 1884 and Lycinella parvula Gorham, 1884 are redescribed and illustrated. Six new species are described for the genus: Lycinella adamantis sp. n., L. hansoni sp. n., L. milleri sp. n., L. cidaoi sp. n., L. marshalli sp. n. and L. pugliesae sp. n.. Lycinella humeralis Pi...

Aporrhipis flexilis Pascoe, 1887 is the sole species of a monospecific genus of beetles from Brazil, originally described in the family Ripiphoridae. Despite the fact that this genus was moved to Lycidae, its correct tribal placement remains uncertain. In this study, A. flexilis is redescribed, its tribal placement is discussed, and it is tentative...

An online database of the described immature beetles from Brazil is presented for the first time based on published literature. The main purpose of this online database is to ensure accessibility to data associated with the described immature Coleoptera from Brazil, which will be useful for future biological, ecological, conservational and biogeogr...

Cessator brodzinskyi Ferreira and Ivie, new species, is the third lycid species known from Dominican amber. The new species is described, diagnosed, illustrated, and compared with other fossil and extant species. Leptolycus parda Zaya, 1988 is moved to Cessator parda (Zayas), new combination.

While searching for Calochromini (Coleoptera: Lycidae) specimens in entomological collections and identifying other Lycidae, a new species of Falsocaenia Pic, 1922 was found in the collection of Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA). This genus is one of the smallest in the tribe Calopterini with 13 known species, two of which were rec...

A taxonomic review of the Lycid genus Macrolygistopterus Pic, 1929 with illustrations of diagnostic characters, geographic distribution maps and an identification key to the species is presented. Also, a key to the world Calochromini is given. Of the 12 species of the genus, 9 were studied: M. succinctus (Latreille, 1811), M. quadricostatus (Buquet...

Ricardo von Diringshofen (1900–1986) was a Natural History enthusiast who collected an incredible variety of objects, mostly insects, which amount to over 2 million specimens. We present here a brief biography of Ricardo von Diringshofen, including the history of his insect collection and the processes of purchase and incorporation of his collectio...

The species Colydodes flavisetis sp. nov. from southeastern Brazil, at the Biological Station of Boracéia, Salesópolis, São Paulo, is described and illustrated, raising Colydodes diversity from 7 to 8 known species. An updated key to the species of the genus is given.

Acroleptus costae sp. nov. is described from the Brazilian Amazonian rainforest, raising the diversity of the formerly monotypic genus to two known species. The validity of Acroleptus Bourgeois, 1886 (Insecta) is maintained while Acroleptus Cabanis, 1861 (Aves) is considered to be an incorrect subsequent spelling.

The Museum of Zoology of the University of São Paulo (MZSP) houses one of the most important Coleoptera collections of Brazil and Neotropical Region with nearly 900,000 adult mounted material and about 1,500,000 specimens to be mounted. The superfamily Elateroidea Leach, 1815 (including Cantharoidea) comprises about 24,077 described species in 17 f...

The last instar larva of Metapteron xanthomelas (Lucas, 1857) is described. This is the first description of a larva for the genus. Two live larvae collected in the Brazilian Atlantic coast Restinga Forest of Itanhaem, Sao Paulo, were reared, one to adult and one was fixed in the last instar. This larva differs from the known Calopterini larvae by...