First records of the Palaestes abruptus Sharp, 1899 and P. nicaraguae Sharp, 1899 (Coleoptera: Cucujidae) from South America, with a checklist of flat bark beetles from the continent

Abstract

Background The flat bark beetles (Coleoptera: Cucujidae) is a small insect family with only about 70 species. Most of the species are distributed in Holarctic, Oriental and/or Australasian realms, while in South America, only six species have been recorded, including a single one known from Peru. New information Two cucujid beetle species, Palaestes abruptus Sharp, 1899 and P. nicaraguae Sharp, 1899, are recorded from South America for the first time. The species are recorded from the Pasco (P. abruptus) and Cusco and Junín (P. nicaraguae) Regions of Peru, based, in part, on data collected through the iNaturalist citizen science database. Habitats of both species are presented in photographs for the first time. A country-level checklist to Cucujidae species currently known from South America is provided.