Genus Erythrus White

Erythrus White, 1853, Cat. Col. Brit. Mus., 7 : 142 (type-species : E. championi Wh., 1853). Gahan, 1906b, Fauna British India, Col. 1 : 229. Aurivillius, 1912, Coleopt. Cat., 39 : 289. - Gressitt, 1951c, Longicornia 2 :185. - Gressitt & Rondon, 1970, Pac. Ins. Monogr., 24 : 179.

Disidaema Thomson, 1860, Classif. Ceramb., 147 (type-species : E. fortunei Wh.) loc. cit.

Diagnostic characters : gena exserted, very similar to Pyrestes; antennae very   much shorter than body in both sexes; segment 5 - 10 complanate and angulate ectoapically; 3 & 4 usually slender; prothorax widest at apex, side gradually narrow towards apex; elytra gradually or slightly widen posteriorly; apex broadly rounded, subtruncate and mucronate at suture; disc less convex but flatten at sutural half, sutural edge usually ridged at apex; epipleura thicken and convex, extended along its entire length; femora feebly clavate towards apex, carinate ventrally; hind femora not extended past abdominal segment 2 or 3.

Key to species of Erythrus in Sarawak

1.    Apex of elytra broadly rounded to weakly truncate with a sutural spine. ....2
Apex of elytra gradually curved and mucronate into a sharp spine, not truncate. ...............................................................................................4

2(1) Prothorax and elytra mixture of black and vermilion red. ..……………….3
Prothorax reddish orange to helvus; elytra. dark metallic green . viridipennis GAHAN, 1902

3(2) Prothorax entirely black; elytra vermilion, 1/3 apex of elytra. black. - rotundicollis GAHAN,1902
Prothorax black with 2 longitudinal vermilion stripe at side and another median one on pronotum; coloration on elytra varies. - apiculatus PASCOE, 1866

4(1) Prothorax entirely black; elytra vermilion, slightly more than 1/3 of apex black; intercoxal process of pro- and mesothorax tuberculate; elytra puncto-striate to granulo-striate; antennal segment 5 - 7 normal. - sternalis GAHAN, 1902
Prothorax black with 2 vermilion stripe; elytra black with 2 triangular patches at base and 1/3 of epipleura on each elytron vermilion; intercoxal process of pro- and mesothorax not tuberculate; elytra distinctively granulate; antennal segment 5 - 7 widest. - biapicatus GAHAN, 1902

Erythrus viridipennis GAHAN

Body totally impubis. Head exserted with labrum and gena elongated; mandible as long as gena, base goffered; clypeus planate, punctate; gena goffered; frons with 2 sulcation side of median just below antennal support; the latter approximate; antennifer raised, thicken; posterior of inner margin tuberculate; groove between anternnal insertion and between upper eye lobe. Antenna shorter than body, extended to 1/2 of elytra; 5 - 10 complanate; scape subtransversely puncto-striate, wider ectoapically; 3 subequal to scape; 5 - 10 produced externally, angulate ectoapically; ectoapical of 5 & 6 cusped; 7 - 10 acutely acuminate; 11 oval with apex strongly appendicular. Prothorax as wide as broad; apex distinctively narrower than base; side unarmed and rounded; pronotum feebly wrinkled. Scutellum relatively small. Elytron 6 X is long as broad; side parallel at base, very slightly wider to posterior; apex broadly rounded and truncate with a short, stout sutural spine; disc closely puncto-striate, planate on sutural half, convex at outer marginal half, apex abruptly sloping. Undersurfaces : latero-ventral of prosternum flabrous, impubis, ventral of it pubescent; meso- and metasternum and abdomen finely puncto-striate, those on abdomen more of granulo-punctulate. Legs : femora carinate ventrally; fore femora punctate; mid and hind femora puncto-striate.

Measurement : Length 12.0 - 21.0 mm; breadth 2.5 - 4.0 mm

Distribution : Sarawak

Material examined : 17 specimens in SM Coll. : Matang (3600 ft), Kuching Div., V1,1900; Mt. Matang (3100 ft), Kuching Div., 21.V.1910; Mt. Matang (3100 ft), Kuching Div., 22.VI.1910; Matang (2200 ft), Kuching Div., VI.1900; Mt. Matang (3100 ft), Kuching Div., 22.V.1910; Matang (3600 ft), Kuching Div., VI.1900; Matang (3600 ft), Kuching Div., VI.1900; Matang (3600 ft), Kuching Div., VI.1900; Santubong, Kuching Div., VIII.1900; Matang (3600 ft), Kuching Div., VI.1900; Matang (3600 ft), Kuching Div., VI.1900; Matang, Kuching Div., VI.1900; Mt. Matang (3100 ft), Kuching Div., 20.VI.1910; Matang, Kuching Div., VI.1900; Matang, Kuching Div., VI.1900; Matang, Kuching Div., VI.1900; Matang, Kuching Div., VI. 1900.

Erythrus rotundicollis GAHAN

Head oblique below antennal support; clypeus with 2 deep foveae and a median raised area; vertex and ventral horizontal; entirely punctate; antennifer strongly raised above vertex, inner margin feebly tuberculate posteriorly. Antenna reaching to 2/3 of elytra; scape roughten; 5 obliquely produced externally and cusp ectoapically; 6 - 10 produced laterally and spine ectoapically. Prothorax wide at base; side gradually narrow to apex; pronotal structures varies from shallowly puncto-striate to feebly rugulose or carinulate; disc with 2 tomentose protuberance side of median. Elytron 6.5 X as long as broad; subparallel, wider at posterior; apex broadly rounded and subtruncate; sutural spine sharps and acute; suture highly ridged and raised at apex; epipleura prominent, semi-tubular, flatten and dilated at apex especially around curvature; disc finely rugulose, intricate; each elytron with a submedian costate; surface planate on sutural half, obliquely deflexed to outer side of costate; blackish border reclivate. Undersurfaces : mesosternum finely and densely punctulate; metasternum irregularly and weakly striate; abdomen granulo-striate. Legs : trocanter furnished with tuff of hairy bristles; femora finely punctulate, sparsely tomentose.

Measurement : Length 10.0 - 18.0 mm; breadth 3.0 - 4.0 mm 

Distribution : Sarawak

Material examined : 6 specimens in SM Coll. : Matang (3600 ft), Kuching Div., VI.1900; Matang, Kuching Div., VI.1900; Santubong (2600 ft), Kuching Div., 1900; Matang, Kuching Div., VI. 1900; Matang (3600 ft), Kuching Div., VI. 1900; Matang, Kuching Div., VI. 1900.

Erythrus apiculatus PASCOE

Erythrus apiculatus Pascoe, 1866, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 515. - Aurivillius, 1912, Coleopt. Cat., 39 : 290.

Head, antennae and prothorax entirely black; the latter with 2 longitudinal helvus-vermilion stripe at each side and another median one on pronotum; scutellum, undersurfaces and legs black; coloration on elytra varies tremendously with variants as follow :- (i) 1/3 of base helvus-vermilion, triangular, antennuated posteriorly; (ii) more than 1/2 of base helvus-vermilion, apical half black; (iii) entirely black, base with a narrow triangular vermilion and 1/3 of epipleura vermilion.

Measurement : Length 16.0 - 17.0 mm; breadth 3.0 - 4.0 mm

Distribution : Sarawak; Peninsular Malaysia (Penang)

Note : all the variants examined comprised of a single specimen each. Thus, not attempt to separate them to subspecific level was made in this study. Moreover, all specimens were not in good condition for description.

Material examined : 4 specimens in SM Coll. : Matang (3600 ft), Kuching Div., VI.1900; Matang (3600 ft), Kuching Div., VI.1900; Matang (3600 ft), Kuching Div., VI.1900; Matang, Kuching Div., VIII.1899.

Erythrus sternalis GAHAN 

Head narrowed behind eyes; neck elongated, 1/4 of entire length of head; clypeus glossy in anterior; posterior with a diamond-shaped raised area; outer margin of antennifer produced over gena and eye, thicken; vertex with a median groove between eye lobe flanked by 2 strongly raised ridges. Antenna extended to 1/2 of elytra; all segment as previous species except terminal segment dentate preapically at external margin and acuminate at apex.

Prothorax  little longer  than width at base; apex much narrower than base; pronotum. with 2 protuberance posterior side of median and a short basimedian carina; disc mistue of big irregular-shaped punctures and rugulose. Scutellum semicircular; vertical. Elytron 4.4 X as long as broad; parallel-sided, apex gradually widen and curved with a mucronate spine; epipleura prominent, raised; disc granulo-striate to puncto-striate with a submedian costate; area around scutellum feebly raised; planate on sutural half, angularly and obliquely deflexed side of castate. Undersurfaces : pro-, meso- and metasternum punctulate; intercoxal process of pro- and mesosternum tuberculate. Legs femora and tibiae finely punctulate, denser on tibiae.

Measurement : Length 21.0 - 22.0 mm; breadth 4.5 - 5.0 mm

Distribution : Sarawak

Material examined : 4 specimens in SM Coll. : Matang (3600 ft), Kuching Div., VI.1900; Matang (3600 ft), Kuching Div., VI.1900; Matang (3600 ft), Kuching Div., VI. 1900; Matang (3600 ft), Kuching Div., VI. 1900.

Erythrus biapicatus GAHAN

Head black; labrum and gena with tawny tomentum; clypeus and frons with dense castaneous tomentum; antennae black with blackish tomentum; prothorax helvus-vermilion with 2 attenuate black stripes from base at side of middle; basimedian with a black stripe; side and ventral of prothorax black; scutellum black; elytra black, mat, base with 2 triangular patches and 1/3 of epipleura helvus-orange; undersurfaces black with blackish ferrugineous pubescence; legs black, apex of tibiae with castaneous pubescence.

Head relatively small; clypeus planate, very tomentose; vertex short, vertical with antennifer raised, entire structure tomentose; gena short, about 1/3 as deep as eye. Antenna short and stout, extended to 1/3 of elytra; tomentose; .scape longest, cylindrical; segment 3 - 11 expanded laterally; 5 - 11 strongly complanate; 5 - 10 angulate ectoapically; 3 & 4 bilaterally widen to apex; 5 - 7 strongly produced externally, thicken and widest among all segments; 8 - 10 feebly produced externally, narrower than previous three segments; 11 dentate preapically and acuminate. Prothorax heavily and coarsely punctate; pronotum weakly tuberculate at tip of basimedian blackish stripe. Elytron dongated, 8 X as long as broad or 3 X as long as head and prothorax combined; bondered by prominent epipleura and suture; apex somewhat abruptly curved preapically and mucronate into a sutural spine; disc coarsely granulate. Undersurfaces: sterna granulate, very distinctive on metasternum; intercoxal process of pro- and mesothorax not tuberculate. Abdomen tomentose. Legs : femora granulate

Measurement : Length 14.0 - 15.0 mm; breadth 3.0 - 3.5 mm

Distribution : Sarawak

Material examined : 4 specimens in SM Coll. : Matang (3600 ft), Kuching Div., IV. 1902; Matang (3600 ft), Kuching Div., IV. 1902; Matang (2600 ft), Kuching Div., VI. 1900; 1 ex unlabeled.