Nesiosphaerion insulare Click here for a larger view

Diagnosis.--Key characters: Ommatidial size coarse (Fig. 39b); prosternal process widened, expanded apically (Fig. 18); mesal antennal spines present (Figs. 8b, 9b); elytral humeri without epipleural tooth; pronotum without impunctate regions; with uniformly-sized, large confluent punctures (Fig. 12b); tibial carinae absent; antennomeres not strongly flattened towards apices; antennomere three two-thirds length of pronotum; sexual prosternal punctation present in males (Fig. 42b); elytra without bands of dense pubescence. Length: 10-12 mm.

Distribution and Diversity.--West Indies. Three species.

Discussion.--Like Nesanoplium, no specimens were available at the time of the phylogenetic analysis. This genus appears to belong with the other West Indian taxa (including Curtomerus and Elaphidion portoricensis) which fell as a clade closely related to Elaphidion. Careful character analysis needs to be made to support or refute this idea, however.

This small taxon, like Elaphidionopsis, Curtomerus, and Nesanoplium, has an incomplete metasternal sulcus and sexual prosternal punctation in males. It differs from Elaphidionopsis in not having antennomeres flattened towards apices. It differs from Curtomerus in having mesal antennal spines. It differs from Nesanoplium in having antennomere three two-thirds length of pronotum (less than half length of pronotum in Nesanoplium).