Macrolechriops Champion, 1906b: 126

Anzaldo, Salvatore S., 2017, Review of the genera of Conoderinae (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, ZooKeys 683, pp. 51-138 : 80-81

Macrolechriops Champion, 1906b: 126 Fig. 84

= Parazurus Hustache, 1937: 108 [Syn.: Rheinheimer 2011: 77]. Type species: Parazurus nodieri Hustache, 1937 [by original designation].

Type species.

Macrolechriops spinicoxis Champion, 1906 [by monotypy].

Gender.

Masculine.

Diagnosis.

Macrolechriops belongs in the Eulechriops complex of genera with its short second funicular article, non-carinate and unarmed hind femora, and carinate and excavated mesoventrite, but can be distinguished (at least the Central American species) by the hump-like pronotal carina.

Notes.

Champion reported the presence of a "...flattened, conical prominence on the intermediate, as well as on the anterior, coxae..." (1906b: 127) as being unique among the conoderines he examined. This character, however, has been observed in other species and genera, including some Eulechriops , reducing the diagnostic utility of that character among the putative relatives of Macrolechriops .

The specimen in Fig. 84 agrees with Champion’s description, which was based on "one worn specimen" ( Champion 1906b: 127), but direct comparison of the specimen with the holotype is needed to confirm the identity as no other identified material of that species has been observed in the course of this study.

The South American species of Macrolechriops described by Hustache have a pronotum that is strongly convex but without a hump-like carina. This hump-like pronotal carina is known from other genera, such as Macrocopturus verrucosus (Champion, 1906), but none described or so far known in the genus Eulechriops or genera closely related to it, making it a useful character for separating the only currently known Central American species of Macrolechriops from its relatives. A very similar vestiture pattern and pronotal shape has been observed in other genera, most notably in a species of Copturomimus which has been seen in several collections incorrectly identified as Macrolechriops spinicoxis .

Phylogenetic relationships.

Champion (1906b: 126) notes the similarity with the South American Machaerocnemis Heller, 1895 and Copturosomus , but the genus is here considered part of the Eulechriops genus complex.

Host association

s. Unknown.

Described species.

One species is known from the focal region and five additional species are known from South America ( Wibmer and O’Brien 1986: 266, Rheinheimer 2011).

Range.

Mexico, Honduras [ARTSYS0000529]; South America.

Figures

Figures 83 - 86. Lateral and dorsal habitus images of Lechriopini. 83 a-b Macrocopturus lynceus [SSAC 0001085] 84 a-b Macrolechriops spinicoxis [ARTSYS 0000529]. 85 a-b Microzurus championi [ASUHIC 0031507] 86 a-b Microzygops nigrofasciatus [ARTSYS 0000802]. Scale bars = 2 mm.