Corresponding author: Donald E. Bright (
Academic editor: A. I. Cognato
A new genus of
The West Indies have been recognized as one of the world’s biodiversity “hotspots” (
A biodiversity study of the
With the character states of
This genus is named in honor of the late Steven L. Wood, Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA, the preeminent authority on the systematics and taxonomy of the
HOLOTYPE (male), “WEST INDIES: St. Lucia, Mon Repos, 6.5 km N Fox Grove Inn, 10–28.VI.2007, submontane forest FIT, 300 m, S. & J. Peck”// “HOLOTYPE Stevewoodia minutum D. E. Bright, 2009.” ALLOTYPE, 1 (female), same data as holotype. PARATYPES (2); 1 (female), “WEST INDIES: St. Lucia, Bordelais trap site, 185 m, 13.9689N; 60.8859W, 05–09 JULY 2009, F.I.T., C. A. Maier, M. L. Gimmel & K. J. Hopp” and 1 (male), “WEST INDIES: St. Lucia, Bordelais trap site, 185 m, 13.9689N; 60.8859W, 10–-25 JUNE 2009, uv light, C. A. Maier & E. A. Ivie”
The type specimens are presently in the author’s collection until the monograph is completed, at which time the holotype and allotype will be deposited in the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Ottawa, Ontario. The paratypes will be deposited in the collection of the West Indies Beetle Fauna Project at Montana State University, Bozeman.
Male. Length 0.75 mm, 3.1 times longer than wide; light brown. Frons convex; surface moderately shining, densely minutely-reticulate. Antennal club oval, about 1.7 times longer than wide, solid, without sutures; scape as long as funicle, without obvious setae. Pronotum 1.1 times longer than wide, widest at base; sides weakly arcuate, anterior margin broadly rounded, with a few, fine serrations; anterior slope steeply convex, bearing scattered, small asperities, each asperity with a longer, flattened scale at posterior margin; summit slightly elevated; posterior portion weakly transversely impressed behind summit, surface shining, minutely reticulate, with scattered, obscure, fine punctures. Elytra 1.7 times longer than wide; sides parallel on basal three-fourths, strongly converging to narrowly rounded apex; discal striae not impressed, punctured in even rows, punctures very large, very weakly impressed; discal interstriae much narrower than striae, smooth, glabrous. Declivity convex; each interstriae bearing a median row of short, erect scales and very small granules. Protibia flattened, rectangular, with parallel sides; terminal mucro undivided. Procoxae contiguous.
Female. Length 0.85 mm, 3.1 times longer than wide; light yellowish brown. Frons deeply concave from epistoma to well above upper eye level and laterally from eye to eye, lateral margin of concavity acutely margined opposite eye and acutely extended into a short elevation at upper margin; surface brightly shining, smooth, glabrous, with a clump of very short setae (barely visible at 96×) below elevation at upper margin. Antennal club as in male, except longitudinal line absent; scape as in male, except bearing long setae. Pronotum as in male except vestiture on anterior slope hair-like, obscure. Elytra and declivity as in male except declivital granules smaller, obscure.
Adults of this species are easily distinguished from North American genera in the
I wish to thank Mr. Javier E. Mercado, graduate student, Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado State University, for taking the photos used herein and for other computer-based assistance. The manuscript was improved by the reviews of Dr. B. Kondratieff, Colorado State University, and by B. A. Barr, Fort Collins, Colorado.