Systematics of the Ceracis furcifer species-group (Coleoptera: Ciidae): the specialized consumers of the blood-red bracket fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus

The Ceracis furcifer species-group (Coleoptera: Ciidae) originally comprised nine species names: Ceracis cornifer (Mellié, 1849); C. cylindricus (Brèthes, 1922); C. furcifer Mellié, 1849; C. hastifer (Mellié, 1849); C. monocerus Lawrence, 1967; C. ruficornis Pic, 1916; C. simplicicornis (Pic, 1916); C. semipallidus Pic, 1922 and C. unicornis Gorham, 1898. Ceracis semipallidus was synonymised with C. furcifer and then no further changes were made to the composition of the group. Here, we provide a taxonomic revision of the Ceracis furcifer species-group and new data on the geographic distribution and host fungi of the included species. Lectotypes are designated for C. cornifer, C. furcifer, C. hastifer, C. ruficornis, C. semipallidus and C. unicornis. As results we: (i) synonymise C. cylindricus, C. monocerus, C. simplicicornis, C. unicornis with C. cornifer; (ii) confirm the synonymy of C. semipallidus with C. furcifer; (iii) redescribe C. cornifer, C. hastifer, C. furcifer and C. ruficornis; and (iv) provide an identification key for species in the furcifer group. The frontoclypeal horn and body coloration showed great intraspecific variation. We show that species in the furcifer group have distributions wider than previously known and use mainly Pycnoporus sanguineus as host fungus. Species of the furcifer group are the only animals specialized in feeding on basidiomes of P. sanguineus

The Ciidae (Coleoptera) of New Brunswick, Canada: New records and new synonyms

The Ciidae of New Brunswick, Canada are reviewed. Seventeen species are recorded for New Brunswick, including the following 10 species that are newly recorded for the province: Ceracis singularis (Dury), Ceracis thoracicornis (Ziegler), Cis angustus Hatch, Cis fuscipes Mellié, Cis horridulus Casey, Cis striatulus Mellié, Dolichocis laricinus (Mellié), Malacocis brevicollis (Casey), Orthocis punctatus (Mellié), and Plesiocis cribrum Casey. Additional locality data are provided for the following species previously known from the province: Cis americanus Mannerheim, Cis creberrimus Mellié, Cis levettei (Casey), Cis submicans Abeille de Perrin, Dolichocis manitoba Dury, Hadreule elongatula (Gyllenhal), and Octotemnus glabriculus (Gyllenhal). Seven synonyms are proposed here; Cis pistoria Casey with C. submicans Abeille de Perrin; C. fraternus Casey, C. macilentus Casey and C. striolatus Casey with C. striatulus Mellié; Dolichocis indistinctus Hatch with D. laricinus (Mellié); and Octotemnus denudatus Casey and O. laevis Casey with O. glabriculus (Gyllenhal). Lindgren funnel traps provided the majority of specimens for 15 of the 17 species reported from New Brunswick and were the sole source of specimens for seven of the 10 species newly reported here, suggesting they are a very useful tool for sampling Ciidae in the forests of New Brunswick