Description of Sharon gen. nov. for the Chilean species Asaphes amoenus Philippi, 1861 (Coleoptera: Elateridae)

• Main Authors: Elizabeth T. Arias-Bohart, Mario Elgueta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Consortium of European Natural History Museums 2015-10-01
• Series: European Journal of Taxonomy
• Subjects: Coleoptera; Asaphes; Sharon gen. nov.; Chile; new genus
• Online Access: http://www.europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/view/264

<em>Sharon</em> gen. nov. is here described to include <em>Asaphes? amoenus</em> Philippi, 1861 comb. nov. from Chile. A redescription of the species is based on the female holotype and material from different geographic locations. Candèze (1891) placed <em>Asaphes amoenus</em> and <em>Parasaphes elegans</em> in the suprageneric group Asaphites. We discuss differences between <em>Sharon</em> gen. nov. and <em>Hemicrepidius</em> Germar, 1839, where <em>Asaphes amoenus</em> was later placed by Blackwelder (1944). Based on morphological characters, <em>Sharon</em> gen. nov. appears to be related to <em>Parasaphes</em> Candèze, 1881, <em>Wynarka</em> Calder, 1986, and <em>Tasmanelater</em> Calder, 1996, all from Australia, suggesting Gondwanan relationships.