Pseudolechriops wrightae Hespenheide & LaPierre

Hespenheide, Henry A. & Lapierre, Louis M., 2006, A review of Pseudolechriops Champion (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Conoderinae), Zootaxa 1384, pp. 1-39 : 26-28

9. Pseudolechriops wrightae Hespenheide & LaPierre , new species

Fig. 9 , a–d

Diagnosis: Black except tip of rostrum, tarsi, anterior tibiae and base of posterior femora reddish brown; posterior tibiae slender, subcylindrical, not conspicuously flattened; from above slender, subcylindrical, with elytra not conspicuously wider than base of pronotum; setae on sides of pronotum dense, forming a well-defined oblique white stripe from base of eyes to anterior to elytral humeri; elytra with only conspicuous transverse white fascia at base; males with white setae on rostrum above antennal insertions to middle of eyes, females glabrous; Costa Rica.

Description: Holotype female: Intense black, except apex of rostrum, antennae, tarsi, and anterior tibiae reddish brown; from above ( Fig. 9 a), setae mostly slender and white, elytra with transverse band of broader white setae at bases of elytral intervals extending anterior to humeri to lateral margins, setae extending slightly farther along intervals 2–4, short line of white setae on interval 1 at elytral apices, setae otherwise dark and inconspicuous; pronotum with white setae, visible from above only at posterior angles, sides ( Fig. 9 b) with irregular band of denser white setae; head glabrous except for white setae behind lower margins of eyes; beneath moderately densely and uniformly covered with white setae except glabrous on epimera and area above anterior coxae, denser on episterna and sides of metasternum, sparser on middle of metasternum and abdominal sternite 1; external faces of middle femora, apical 1/2 of anterior femora, and basal 1/2 of posterior femora rather densely covered with fine white setae, setae otherwise inconspicuous on legs; 3.1 mm long.

Head prominent, about 2/3 as long as pronotum, dorsally finely punctate, with medial carina, eyes arcuately rounded, as wide as pronotum at apex; from front ( Fig. 9 c), eyes rather widely separated for almost their entire length with shallow depression along midline, rostrum with antennae inserted at middle, narrow and polished distal to antennal insertions, expanding above antennal insertions, sharply carinate along midline and finely punctate laterally, from side nearly straight. Pronotum from above nearly conical, base only slightly wider than apex, in lateral view above nearly flat except for depression behind anterior margin, disc somewhat coarsely punctate with punctures somewhat confluent, with distinct medial carina along midline. Elytra together about 1/3 broader than pronotum, widest behind humeri, 1/3 longer than wide, lateral margins very weakly arcuate, narrowing regularly to near apices, apices broadly, separately rounded. Mesosternum with well-defined groove with low ridges to receive rostrum continuing to slightly excavate and carinate anterior margin of metasternum; metasternum narrowly incised along midline to abdomen. Abdomen with first ventral sternite very weakly, narrowly depressed along midline. Femora unarmed, posterior femora ( Fig. 9 b) with very fine carina only at base; posterior tibiae laterally compressed but not broadened.

Allotype male: As holotype except eyes somewhat more widely spaced and raised below middle, covered with moderately dense white setae from middle of eyes and on rostrum to antennal insertions; setae on sides of pronotum dense but more extensive and less clearly forming definite stripe; 2.7 mm long; aedeagus dark brown ( Fig. 9 d).

Holotype female: Costa Rica: Alajuela Prov., Boca Tapada de San Carlos, 200 m elev, 10o 38’ N 84o 14’ W, 12.05.2002, L.M. LaPierre, coll ex mature petioles of Cecropia polyphlebia (INBC).

Allotype male: Same data as holotype (INBC).

Paratypes: Costa Rica: Same data as holotype (1, LMLC). Panamá: Pmá. Pr., 8 km NE Cerro Jefe, 700 m, 27.03.1976, H.P.Stockwell (1, CHAH).

Etymology: Named in honor of Pamela M. Wright, best friend and wife of LaPierre, who assisted in his study of this and other Cecropia herbivores.

Discussion: This species has been reared from live petioles of adult Cecropia (see Table 1 and the Discussion section for more detailed information). The data for the types list C. polyphlebia Donn. Sm. as the host, but this is an error. The host is probably C. hispidissima Trécul , based on the description in Berg & Franco Rosselli (2005).

Figures

FIGURE 9. Pseudolechriops wrightae, new species: a. dorsal habitus, b. lateral habitus and hind leg, c. front of head of male (a – c, line = 1.0 mm), d. dorsal (left) and lateral (right) views of entire male aedeagus (line = 0.5 mm).