Rhodobaenus, LECONTE

Anderson, Robert S., 2010, The Genus Rhodobaenus Leconte (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Dryophthorinae) in the United States of America, The Coleopterists Bulletin 64 (2), pp. 124-124 : 124

THE GENUS RHODOBAENUS LECONTE ( COLEOPTERA : CURCULIONIDAE : DRYOPHTHORINAE ) IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

In my chapter on Curculionidae in American Beetles (Anderson 2002), I noted the presence of only two species of the genus Rhodobaenus LeConte , R. tredecimpunctatus (Illiger) and R. quinquepunctatus (Say) , in the United States of America and Canada (p. 730). This is an error because I overlooked the occurrence of Rhodobaenus pustulosus (Gyllenhal) in the extreme southwestern United States. Thus, there are actually three species recorded from the region (Vaurie 1981; O’ Brien and Wibmer 1982). This oversight became known to me during a recent trip to the University of California, Riverside collection (UCRC) wherein I found what I thought was a third species of the genus, not unexpectedly R. pustulosus , from Arizona. This ‘discovery’ led me to re-examine the status of the genus in the U.S.A., whereupon I became aware of my oversight.

Rhodobaenus pustulosus is distributed from Costa Rica north into Mexico and is recorded in the U.S.A. from a few localities in extreme southern Arizona and one record from Texas. Vaurie (1981) listed specimens from the Huachuca Mountains (1), Chiricahua Mountains, Pinery Canyon (1), in Arizona, as well as a specimen from Presidio, Texas recorded from Zexmenia brevifolia Gray (Asteraceae) and deposited in the United States National Museum (USNM) (Vaurie 1981). However, this Presidio specimen appears to be a USDA port interception (Jens Prena, USDA, personal communication) and not collected from a natural habitat. Therefore, the presence of the species in Texas must be considered questionable.

Additional specimens in the USNM confirm the species’ presence in Arizona and add New Mexico to the now known distribution (Jens Prena, personal communication). These specimens are as follows: Arizona: Cochise Co. (3), Huachuca Mountains (10), Ramsey Canyon (4), without further locality (10). New Mexico: without further locality (3). The UCRC specimen is from Arizona, Chiricahua Mountains , Tex Canyon , 4.viii.1968, G.C. Batista collr .

Rhodobaenus pustulosus is easily distinguished from the other two species in the U.S.A. by the dorsum with distinct whitish dots surrounding the punctures. The other two species, R. tredecimpunctatus and R. quinquepunctatus , are much more widely distributed throughout the U.S.A. and southeastern Canada. Vaurie (1981: 171–174) gives details on distribution and distinguishing features for these two very similar species, so these are not repeated here.

I thank Jens Prena (USDA, Washington, DC) for checking the specimens in the USNM and for comments on the manuscript.