Notes on Scolytus fagi Walsh 1867 with the ignation of a neotype, distribution notes and Key to Scolytus Geoffroy of America east the Mississippi River (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae, Scolytini)

Abstract The identification of Scolytus fagi Walsh has been difficult because of the lack of diagnostic literature, the occurrence of several morphologically similar sympatric Scolytus species and the loss of the syntypes. In an effort to reduce taxonomic confusion, we designate a neotype for Scolytus fagi, redescribe the male and female, add new distributional records and create a key for the identification of eastern Scolytus species.


Introduction
Specimens of Scolytus fagi Walsh have been rarely collected and within the past 140 years the species was only recorded from Illinois and Texas (Wood 1982). However, in 2009 specimens were collected in surprisingly large numbers from several locations in Pennsylvania. Initially, species identifi cation of these specimens was diffi cult partially due to vague species descriptions, inadequate keys, a lack of illustrations and most importantly the loss of the syntypes (Walsh 1867, Blackman 1934, Wood 1982. Walsh (1867) described S. fagi from a series of six syntypes collected from "southern Illinois" from what was presumably a beech tree (Fagus sp.). Th ese specimens were stored in Walsh's personal collection. Shortly after his death in 1869, the state of Illinois purchased his entire collection and moved it to the 'fi re-proof building' of the Chicago Academy of Sciences (CASM). Unfortunately, the wing and nearly all of Walsh's specimens were destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 (Sheppard 2004). A few of Walsh's Coleoptera and Lepidoptera specimens survived in the Chicago Academy of Sciences (Sheppard 2004), however the syntypes of S. fagi were not among them (J. Colby, pers. comm.). Th ese circumstances warrant the designation of a neotype to maintain nomenclatural stability and reduce taxonomic confusion with morphologically similar sympatric species such as S. muticus Say and S. quadrispinosus Say.
In this publication, we designate a neotype for S. fagi, redescribe the male and female, add new distributional records and create a key for the identifi cation of eastern Scolytus species.

Materials and methods
Scolytus specimens were examined from the following collections (following Evenhuis 2009) for the creation of the key: Scolytus specimens collected by United States Forest Service Early Detection and Rapid Response Program in Missouri and Pennsylvania were also examined as part of this study.

Scolytus fagi Walsh
Scolytus fagi is known from a few specimens collected from Columbus, Texas, specimens from Illinois were diffi cult to locate. A single specimen of Scolytus fagi from Galesburg, Illinois was found in the collection of the MCZ (T.H. Atkinson, pers. comm.), and is here designated as the neotype. Th e specimen was examined by the authors and was chosen because it matches Walsh's description, is from the same state as the type series and is in good condition.
Frons fl attened, feebly concave, more strongly concave above epistoma and weakly concave above upper level of eyes, concave surface of frons punctate-granulate and densely covered with fi ne, long setae with apices directed toward the median line, basal and lateral margins of concavity with fewer, shorter, fi ner setae; median line devoid of granules, faintly aciculate and shining (Fig. 1d). Antennae dark reddish brown, club covered by short golden hair-like setae with two strongly procurved sutures.
Pronotum slightly longer than wide. Pronotum dark brown to black, margins reddish brown; pronotal surface shining, disk shallowly and minutely punctate, punctures on basal and its lateral sides larger and deeper; median line devoid of punctures on disk. Sparse, erect hair-like setae on apical and lateral margins of pronotum. Basal and lateral margins carinate, nearly straight. Scutellum triangular, covered by fi ne recumbent golden hair-like setae and deeply set in the shagreened and subopaque scutellar impression. Elytra dark reddish-brown to black, slightly narrower than pronotum. Elytral strial punctures 2-3 times the size of those on interstriae, interstriae 2-2.5 times the width of striae; elytral surface shining, glabrous. Striae impressed, interstriae not impressed. Interstriae 9 and 10 and declivital interstriae covered with sparse and irregularly spaced setae. Elytral lateral edges feebly serrate, apex smooth, weakly emarginate.

Natural history
Th ere is a single report of the life history by Packard (1890) in which Scolytus fagi was reported by Schwarz to colonize Celtis texana (=Celtis laevigata var. texana) in Texas and were "found boring in the solid wood in all stages… so numerous were the insects that the pattern of the larval burrow…was confused and undecipherable" (1890). Schwarz also reported that they did not appear to colonize healthy trees, but were very destructive to Celtis laevigata var. texana (1890).
Here we report new state records of S. fagi from Kansas, Ohio and Pennsylvania. It is likely that Scolytus fagi occurs throughout the range of its hosts and the sparse locality records are due to the inadequate sampling.   (4).

Key to the Scolytus Geoffroy of North America East of the Mississippi River
Th is key treats both sexes of Scolytus species and includes all species in America east of the Mississippi and all species known to colonize hardwoods in North America. Scolytus species are typically diffi cult to identify, especially females. Most current keys identify males, with females determined by association with males collected from galleries or based on a priori knowledge of the nuances of Scolytus sexual dimorphism. Th is key allows identifi cation of Scolytus species regardless of the user's familiarity with the genus. Terminology is similar to that used by Blackman (1934), Bright (1976) and Wood (1982) in their respective keys. Host records were obtained from Wood (1982) and Wood and Bright (1992) and all measurements excluding S. fagi were taken from Wood (1982). Sternite 2 oblique (face at an angle greater than 90° to sternite 1). Introduced species (Fig. 2a)