Phloeotribus – Bark and Ambrosia Beetles of the World

Bright (1985) placed this species in synonymy under setulosus Eichhoff. In 2019 he restored the species (Bright 2019:33) stating “Adults of P. atlanticus are almost identical to those of P. setulosus but the males of P. atlanticus maybe distinguished by the distinctly elevated median portion of the epistoma.” However, Wood (2007: 115) in his key to South American species of Phloeotribus includes setulosus in the group of species in which males have an acutely elevated epistomal carina. It is not clear from Bright’s (2019) treatment that populations from Cuba and the DOminican Republic merit species recognition.