Etheophanus kuscheli, Davis & Brav-Cubitt & Buckley & Leschen, 2019

Davis, Steven R., Brav-Cubitt, Talia, Buckley, Thomas R. & Leschen, Richard A. B., 2019, Systematics of the New Zealand Weevil Etheophanus Broun (Curculionidae: Molytinae), Zootaxa 4543 (3), pp. 341-374 : 349-352

Etheophanus kuscheli , sp. n. Davis & Leschen

( Figs 1A , 2A , 3A , 5A, 5G , 6 , 7 ) http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:AAC8A2C6-A204-4D88-B20D-D93F0C7B5BF1

Diagnosis. Dorsal surfaces apunctate, alveolate microsculpture present, primary dorsal setae adpressed. Pronotal vibrissae present. Procoxa with semi-lamellate process. Eighth sternite of male with each sclerite bearing ca. 7 setae along apical margins; spiculum relictum slender. Aedeagus with setae present at apex of parameroid lobes; median lobe in dorsal view narrowing to subacute, blunted apex with simple edges, in lateral view narrow and elongate and strongly curved ventrally near apex; apico-lateral margin of median lobe bearing a bundle of ca. 4 setae at each corner. Female tergite VII apically attenuate; eighth sternite with arms of base weakly arcuate, apices with 7–8 setae. Gonostylus with 3 apical setae. Spermatheca falciform with globular base.

Description. Total length 1.6–2.5 mm. Body about 1.73 times as long as wide, highly convex. Colour light to dark red-brown, decumbent scales white to pale; primary setae decumbent. Dorsal surfaces apunctate, alveolate microsculpture (sensu Harris, 1979) present and well developed on the pronotum, but less so elsewhere in some specimens. Rostrum with lateral carinae conjoined just before eyes with internal area subglabrous and not highly polished, a weak to pronounced median carina present. Antenna with funicle composed of 7 segments and together with antennal club longer than scape with the ratio of antennomere 2–9 lengths: 3:2:1:1:1:1:1:5. Pronotum about 0.91 times as long as wide, widest at about middle; sides weakly curved to parallel-sided at basal 2/3; disc smooth, lacking punctures; pronotal vibrissae present. Elytra about 1.09 times as long as combined width and 1.67 times as long as pronotum; elytral apex typically attenuate at apical third or fourth and not evenly rounded. Abdominal ventrite 5 of male with pair of long apical setae, about as long as the sclerite and more or less erect. Procoxa with semi-lamellate process ( Fig. 5G ). Protibia not elbowed or with a well-developed tooth at middle. Mesotibia somewhat parallel sided, not broad at the base.

Male terminalia and genitalia ( Figs. 6 A–D): Sternite IX complete, expanded; spiculum gastrale of sternite IX ( Figs. 6D ) broadly curved, with slightly bulbed apex, base obliquely bifid. Eighth sternite divided, large, each sclerite bearing ca. 7 setae along apical margins; spiculum relictum present, slender, apically bifid. Aedeagus with tegmen ( Fig. 6C ) complete, slender; dorsal parameroid lobes long, slender, nearly 0.5x length of aedeagal temones, setae present at apex; manubrium long, slender, ca. 0.5x length of aedeagal temones. Penis ( Figs. 6 A–B) with median struts (temones) approximately equal in length to median lobe; median lobe in dorsal view narrowing to subacute, blunted apex with simple edges, in lateral view narrow and elongate and strongly curved ventrally near apex; apico-lateral margin of median lobe bearing a bundle of ca. 4 setae at each corner; endophallus (internal sac) simple, lacking any large sclerotizations, but covered with small spines near apex of sac.

Female terminalia and genitalia ( Figs. 7 A–D): Tergite VIII ( Fig. 7B ) apically attenuate, and somewhat narrowed. Eighth sternite ( Fig. 7A ) elongate, ca. 1.4x longer than wide; spiculum (spiculum ventrale) long, slender, slightly longer than 2x length of base; base of spiculum bifurcate, arms of base weakly arcuate extending nearly to posterior margin of sternite, their apices with ca. 7–8 setae. Gonocoxites of typical form ( Fig. 7C ); coxites oblong; styli small, short, each stylus bearing 3 apical setae. Spermatheca ( Fig. 7D ) falciform, with globular base, strongly curved and narrowing with rounded apex.

Comments. Etheophanus kuscheli is easy to distinguish from its congeners by the presence of the semilamellate process on the procoxa. The attenuate apex of the elytra in most specimens is also diagnostic but it is variable in the genus. Etheophanus kuscheli is most similar, and shares at least two synapomorphies with E. nitidellus suggested by Craw (1988), including the presence of long and erect setae on abdominal ventrite 5. Both taxa were coded as a single taxon in Craw’s study whilst E. optandus was coded separately. Apart from the lamellar process, E. kuscheli can also be distinguished from E. nitidellus and E. optandus by the presence of 4 (not 6) apical setae on the median lobe and, in some specimens, the base of the mesotibia is somewhat broader (see Fig. 3 ). Genetic data place E. kuscheli as sister taxon to E. nitidellus and E. optandus ( Fig. 16).

Etymology. Patrynomic for friend, mentor and world weevil specialist, the late Willy Kuschel (13 July 1918 – 1 August 2017).

Distribution. South Island: NN, BR, NC, MC, WD.

Material Examined. Holotype ( NZAC): “ Fletcher Ck. S. Inangahua Buller 18 Apr 72 [date handwritten]// J.S. Dugdale Litter 72/138 [handwritten] // Beech Forest Utilisation Project. Paratypes (n = 266; Appendix A).

Figures

FIGURES 1A–G. Dorsal habiti of Etheophanus spp. A, E. kuscheli sp. n.; B, E. nitidellus; C, E. optandus; D, E. pingius; E, E. striatus.

FIGURES 2A–G. Lateral habiti of Etheophanus spp. A, E. kuscheli sp. n.; B, E. nitidellus; C, E. optandus; D, E. pingius; E, E. striatus.

FIGURES 3A–B. Anterolateral view of Etheophanus spp. A, E. kuscheli sp. n.; B, E. nitidellus.

FIGURES 5A–G. Key characters of Etheophanus spp. A, E. kuscheli sp. n., apical half of median lobe (dorsal view); B, E. nitidellus, apical half of median lobe (dorsal view); C, E. optandus, apical half of median lobe (dorsal view); D, E. pingius, apical half of median lobe (dorsal view); E, E. striatus, apical half of median lobe (dorsal view); F, E. nitidellus (female), internal view of abdominal ventrites showing pair of apodemes on fifth ventrite; G, E. kuscheli, showing semi-lamellate process on procoxa (arrow).

FIGURES 6A–D. Etheophanus kuscheli, male terminalia. A, aedeagus, dorsal view; B, aedeagus, lateral view; C, tegmen, dorsal view; D, sternites VIII and IX, showing spiculum relictum.

FIGURES 7A–D. Etheophanus kuscheli, female terminalia. A, sternite VIII; B, tergite VIII; C, gonocoxites; D, spermatheca.