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Issue: Vol. 5862 No. 1: 4 Aug. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-08-04
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5862.1.8
Page range: 176-182
Abstract views: 314
PDF downloaded: 262

First description of the female of Argelodes magnificus Ruta, 2021 (Coleoptera: Scirtidae), a rarely collected species, and first record of the genus in Chile

Programa de Magíster en Ecología Aplicada; Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad Austral de Chile; Valdivia; Chile.
Departamento de Química y Biología; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; Universidad de Atacama; Copiapó; Chile.
Laboratorio de Salud de Bosques; Instituto de Conservación; Biodiversidad y Territorio; Universidad Austral de Chile; Valdivia; Chile.
Universidad de Buenos Aires; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Buenos Aires; Argentina.; CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires; Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA); Buenos Aires; Argentina.
Coleoptera Female description Neotropical fauna taxonomy Scirtoidea

Abstract

The monotypic genus Argelodes Ruta, which includes the species A. magnificus Ruta (Coleoptera, Scirtidae), was originally described based on a single male from Argentina. Prior to this study, this male represented the only known individual of the species. Here, we report the genus Argelodes from Chile for the first time and provide the first formal description of the female, along with habitus and genitalia illustrations. The female of A. magnificus is similar to the male in body coloration and general shape, but exhibits sexual dimorphism, with less protuberant eyes, a more convex pronotum, and a more robust body. This study also includes a comparison with other large-sized Scirtidae genera occurring in Chile.

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How to Cite

Tello-Arriagada, C., Tello, F., Montalva, C. & Libonatti, M.L. (2026) First description of the female of Argelodes magnificus Ruta, 2021 (Coleoptera: Scirtidae), a rarely collected species, and first record of the genus in Chile. Zootaxa, 5862 (1), 176–182. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5862.1.8