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

Sharon gen. nov. is here described to include Asaphes? amoenus 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 Asaphes amoenus and Parasaphes elegans in the suprageneric group Asaphites. We discuss differences between Sharon gen. nov. and Hemicrepidius germar, 1839, where Asaphes amoenus was later placed by Blackwelder (1944). Based on morphological characters, Sharon gen. nov. appears to be related to Parasaphes Candèze, 1881, Wynarka Calder, 1986, and Tasmanelater Calder, 1996, all from Australia, suggesting gondwanan relationships.


Diagnosis
This genus differs from all other elaterid genera by the following combination of characters: strongly serrate antennae from antennomere 4; frontoclypeal carena over antenna distinctive, diffuse at middle; frontoclypeal region advanced forward, concealing labrum at base; pronotum longer than wide, sides carinate and visible from above in almost all its enterity; in males pronotal sides straight, except at posterior angles; broad, protruding posterior angles, apices upwards; mesocoxa open to mesepimeron and mesepisternum; apical fi eld of wing with one oblique, long narrow plate, reaching border of the wing. Sexual dimorphism present. Morphological characters of Sharon gen. nov. (Figs 1A-B, 2) are further discussed with Hemicrepidius (Fig. 3), where the species amoenus was last placed by Blackwelder (1944).

Etymology
This generic name honors Sharon P. Lawler of Davis, California, a long time friend.

Description Female
Body about 4.27-4.97 times as long as wide; pronotal sides narrower than elytral sides; elytral maximum width at anterior third; elytral apices softly rounded, not meeting at mid-line ( Fig. 1A-B. Holotype of type species MNNC).
Prothorax elongate, about 1.19-1.30 times as long as greatest width; sides sinuate narrower anteriorly, carinate and emarginate; strongly convex medially; posterior angles broad, produced posterolateraly, apices upwards; base of pronotum without incisions; hypomera simple, basally non excavate; prosternum strongly combed; notosternal suture marginate, sinuated at procoxae, open at anterior end; prosternal process slightly narrower near base, then gradually expanded posteriorly, following procoxae in lateral view, extending well behind procoxae; hypomeron basally impressed to accomodate leg (femur), enlarged, covering epipleura; procoxae subglobular. Scutellar shield convex, elongate, parallel-sided, anterior border diffuse, posteriorly with a small notch; elytra striate, about 2.34-3.16 times as long at midline as greatest width and 2.63-2.9 times as long as pronotum; parallel-sided at anterior third, narrowing towards posterior third, converging posteriorly, apices rounded, not meeting at central midline; humeri well developed; disc with 10 defi ned striae, each stria strongly punctate, deep punctures separated by less than one own diameter; mesoventrite not on same plane as metaventrite; articulating lobes of mesosternite rugose; anterior articulating surfaces of mesosternite almost perpendicular to median body line; mesocoxae projecting, mesocoxal cavities narrowly separated, open laterally to mesepimeron and mesepisternum; mesocoxal distance 0.25 times mesocoxal diameter; mesosternal posterior region sinuated, length 0.25 times mesocoxal diameter; mesosternal cavity sides mostly parallel, except at base ( Hind wing about 2.46-3.0 times as long as wide; apical fi eld about 0.17 times as long as total wing length, apical fi eld with one oblique long, narrow plate, reaching border of the wing; radial cell well developed, elongate, length 5.0 times as long as wide; cross-vein r 3 long, length about 4.16 times length of radial cell, horizontal and arising away from r 4 ; base of RP very long, extending to wing base; R-M loop forming narrowly acute angle; MP 3+4 branching in 2 straight long veins (arrow); wedge cell legth about 2.7 times its width (Fig. 7A).
Genitalia: Bursa copulatrix elongate, at base with two globular glands, posterior area of bursa with more than 10 long spinules, anterior area of bursa with small sclerotized spicules (Fig. 8A, globular glands not visible on fi gure).

Male
Same characters as female unless indicated as follows.
Prothorax sides slightly sinuate, narrowing towards head; yellow, with a brown stripe longitudinally, wider near base, with semi-decumbent, curved, gold hairs; punctate, fi ne punctures separated by more than one own diameter, prosternal spine about 0.25 times as long as diameter of procoxal cavity; hypomeron light yellow, fi nely punctate.
Prothorax dark brown, semi-decumbent long, gold hairs; paralell-sided for almost all their lengths; somewhat fl at, punctate, punctures separated by less than one own diameter; prosternal spine about 1.15 times as long as diameter of procoxal cavity.
European Journal of Taxonomy 142: 1-15 (2015) on elytral apices, or larger covering posterior angles and along the pronotal side, extending humeral area as long as scutellar length and almost all elytral apices.
Legs dark brown, vestiture black; tarsomera similar to female.

Distribution
Southern Chile. Sharon amoenus comb. nov. is distributed from the Bío Bío region to the Aysén region (provinces of Arauco, Malleco, Cautín, Valdivia and Coihaique), especially in humid areas of the coastal range (from 37º46' S to 39°55' S) and in similar habitats of the Andean Cordillera (from 38°43' S to 43°46' S).

Remarks
We believe that Philippi based his description of Asaphes amoenus on a unique specimen, which he deposited at the MNNC, Chile.
Sharon gen. nov. appears to be related to a group of Australian click beetles presently classifi ed within the subfamily Pityobiinae, that includes Parasaphes Candèze, Wynarka Calder, 1996 andTasmanelater Calder, 1996, suggesting Gondwanan relationships. Other members of Pytiobiinae from Australia that might be related to Sharon gen. nov. are Parablax Schwarz, 1906and Xuthelater Calder, 1996. Previously, Calder (1986 placed Parablax and Wynarka within the subfamily Crepidomeninae. However, we believe that Parasaphes, Wynarka and Tasmanelater are incorrectly placed within Pityobiinae since they do not share tribal or subfamilial characters with its other included members: Pityobius LeConte, 1854, from North America and Tibionema Solier, 1851, from Chile.
In a future publication we will discuss the relationships between Sharon gen. nov. from Chile and Parasaphes, Wynarka, Tasmanelater and Parablax from Australia, which may be Gondwanan.