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Sphenophorus Schoenherr, 1838
Diagnosis: Small to moderately large, 5-20 mm in total body length; elongate-oval in form, generally uniformly black; antennal funicle of 6 articles, club with apical pilose part various, scape cylindrical, apex extended beyond posterior margin of eye; rostrum cylindrical; anterior margin of pronotum straight behind eye; tarsus of 5 articles, but article 4 small, located at very base of article 3, article 3 and 2 various in shape and form, ventral pilosity of article 3 various (but in Costa Rica and Panama species limited anterolateral angles or lateral margins); scutellum triangular, widest at or near base.
Natural history: Species of Sphenophorus are associated with various grasses, sedges and their relatives.
Diversity: Over 100 species of Sphenophorus are known from North, Central and South America. This is primarily a temperate group and only three species are known from Costa Rica and Panama.
Sphenophorus incurrens Gyllenhal
Sphenophorus sulcifrons Chevrolat
Sphenophorus venatus (Say)
| Key to species of Sphenophorus in Costa Rica and Panama | ||
| 1 | Pronotum and elytra with thin surface encrustation or film which largely obscures surface sculpture and punctation | S. sulcifrons Chevrolat |
| - Pronotum and elytra with distinctly visible surface sculpture and punctation, no surface film or encrustation | 2 | |
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| 2 | Elytral intervals, pronotal flanks, most of pronotal disk (except lateral margins and middle at base and apex), and metasternum at middle impunctate | S. incurrens Gyllenhal |
| - Elytral intervals, pronotal flanks, pronotal disk and metasternum at middle uniformly distinctly punctate | S. venatus (Say) | |
Sphenophorus incurrens Gyllenhal
Distribution: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama.
Natural history: No significant information.
Sphenophorus sulcifrons Chevrolat
Distribution: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico.
Natural history: No significant information.
Distribution: Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and United States, also in West Indies.
Natural history: In the United States, S. venatus
has been associated with Cyperus esculentus, Scirpus validus, wheat, corn, and a variety of grasses (Vaurie 1951).
