Piesocorynus moestus (J. E. LeConte)

Janicki, Julia & Young, Daniel K., 2017, Nemonychidae and Anthribidae of Wisconsin (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea), Insecta Mundi 2017 (579), pp. 1-36 : 16

Piesocorynus moestus (J. E. LeConte)

(Fig. 21–22)

Anthribus moestus LeConte 1824: 172 .

Anthribus capillicornis Say 1826: 249 .

Piezocorynus moestus (LeConte) ; Blatchley and Leng 1916: 35.

Piesocorynus moestus (LeConte) ; Pierce 1930: 24.

Description. Length 2.8–6.0mm. Body oblong, cylindrical. Integument black, that of elytra with grey tessellations. Vestiture consisting of scattered brown and white setae; pronotum with small white patches of setae on apical margin, with a patch anterad the scutellum, and a white patch on each side of the pronotum, these patches in some indistinct or missing; setae on scutellum white. Rostrum prolonged, broad, slightly widening apically, widest at apex. Antennae 11-segmented, long and filiform, distal three segments forming a club. Eyes coarsely faceted, with 14–24 longitudinal rows of facets. Pronotal width at base about 1.5X length, widest basally, sides converging apically; surface finely, densely punctate. Elytral length 1.4X width, 2.0X pronotal length; striae consisting of moderate-sized punctures. Legs with dark grey annulations.

Diagnosis. Piesocorynus moestus can be distinguished from other species of Piesocorynus by the absence of a median pronotal callus, but with a small white spot on the apical margin, absence of a pale sutural elytral patch, elytral color (blackish with grey tessellations or tint), and by the lack of yellow pubescence.

Natural history. Adults and larvae of Nearctic species of Piesocorynus feed on pyrenomycete fungi of the order Sphaeriales , family Zylariaceae , genera Biscogniauxia , Camillea , Daldinia , and Hypoxylon , and family Diatrypaceae , genus Diatrype . Fragmentary but overlapping data suggest that each species feeds on more than one genus of fungus ( Valentine 1998). Pierce (1930) recorded P. moestus from old logs and beneath loose bark.

Phenology. In Wisconsin, the two specimens collected were found in June and September.

Collecting methods. The two Wisconsin specimens examined during this study from two counties represent a NEW STATE RECORD. One was collected from a Malaise trap, the other from a Lindgren funnel trap.