Hoplocopturus Heller, 1895: 50

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 : 78

Hoplocopturus Heller, 1895: 50 Figs 9 , 55 , 63 , 81

Type species.

Copturus armatus Gyllenhal, 1838 [by original designation].

Gender.

Masculine.

Diagnosis.

As originally distinguished from the rest of the New World conoderines by Heller (1895) in his key to genera, Hoplocopturus , Mnemynurus , and the South American Balaninurus Heller, 1895 have an arcuate carina on the mesoventrite. This character separates Hoplocopturus and Mnemynurus from the Central American lechriopine genera that have an elongate second funicular article, carinate and ventrally toothed femora and modification to the mesoventrite, especially the often very similar looking species of Lechriops and Macrocopturus . From Mnemynurus caloderes Heller, 1895 (the only species of Mnemynurus at the time), Heller (1895) differentiated Hoplocopturus by the length of the rostrum and the corresponding rostral channel - in his key, Hoplocopturus species have a rostrum that does not extend beyong the mesocoxae, while Mnemynurus caloderes has a rostrum channel and rostrum that extends to the first abdominal ventrite. Champion (1906b) added several species to each genus, mentioning that " Hoplocopturus is connected to Mnemynurus by intermediate forms, and it can only be separated therefrom by the shorter rostrum" ( Champion 1906b: 53). Most species of Mnemynurus described by Champion (except M. longispinis Champion, 1906) have a rostrum that extends at least to the posterior margin of the metaventrite, and species of Hoplocopturus (except H. javeti Champion, 1906 and H. nigripes Champion, 1906) have a shorter rostrum. Those species of Hoplocopturus with a rostrum that reaches near the middle of the metaventrite are additionally difficult to separate from Mnemynurus because they have a similar coloration to all described Mnemynurus (the "red-eyed fly" mimicry complex) and the region of the mesoventrite posterior to the arcuate carina is invaginated under the carina (not simply a semicircular depression as in other Hoplocopturus ). Despite these exceptions, the following characters can be used to separate many of the species of Hoplocopturus from Mnemynurus : rostrum shorter (never reaching the posterior margin of the metaventrite) and the rostral apex cylindrical (apically flattened and dilated in Mnemynurus ). The hind femora of both genera can be carinate or not and the femoral apex typically has an elongate spine at the mesal face.

Notes.

Some species (e.g. H. varipes Champion, 1906) have a mesoventrite densely covered in scales and the distinguishing carina is difficult to see. Most species of Hoplocopturus are not clear members of a mimicry complex with the exception of a few species belonging to the “blue-thorax” complex and two described and several undescribed belonging to the “red-headed” fly-mimicking complex ( Hespenheide 2005), but all described (and almost all observed undescribed) species of Mnemynurus belong to the "red-headed fly" complex. The species that have the "red-headed fly" coloration pattern are the most difficult to separate from Mnemynurus .

Keys .

Champion 1906: 53 (for Central America).

Phylogenetic relationships.

Hoplocopturus is very similar to Mnemynurus and Balaninurus , sharing with those genera the arcuate carina on the mesoventrite. Some species are very similar looking to certain Lechriops and Macrocopturus (e.g. H. sherrywernerorum Hespenheide, 2009 and H. costatipennis Champion, 1906, respectively), but the structure of the mesoventrite easily separates the species of Hoplocopturus from those genera.

Host associations.

Some Hoplocopturus (e.g. H. varipes Champion, 1906) can be found on the upper and lower surface of the large leaves of Xanthosoma Schott ( Araceae Juss.) [SSAC0001086], a plant family association with Araceae has also been made in Mnemynurus (see below). One species has been collected on treefalls of Sterculia L. ( Malvaceae : Sterculioideae Burnett) [STRI_ENT_0082473, SSAC0001292].

Described species.

Eighteen species are known from the focal region (with one more described by Hespenheide 2009) and an additional 12 species are known only in South America ( Wibmer and O’Brien 1986: 270).

Range.

Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama; South America.

Figures

Figures 1 - 9. Variation in the mesoventrite. 1 Trichodocerus brevilineatus [ARTSYS 0000616] showing a prosternal rostral " sheath " with the sides converging below the procoxae, the transverse ridge anterior to the mesocoxae and the region of the mesoventrite posterior to the ridge with dense yellow scales 2 Lobops bonvouloiri [ARTSYS 0000527] showing a cup-shaped receptacle for receiving the rostrum 3 Piazurus trifoveatus [SSAC 0001118] with an " open " channel on the mesoventrite 4 Pseudopinarus condyliatus [SSAC 0001116] with an " open " channel on the mesoventrite 5 Acoptus suturalis [ASUHIC 0016914] showing a flat, unmodified mesoventrite 6 Copturus sanguinicollis [ASUHIC 0086638] showing a closed receptacle on the mesoventrite with lateral flanges 7 Cylindrocopturinus pictus [SSAC 0001288] showing a rostral channel of the mesoventrite formed by relatively parallel carinae and no posterior termination 8 Euzurus ornativentris [ARTSYS 0000796] 9 Hoplocopturus javeti [SSAC 0001289] with an inverted U-shaped carina and the region posterior to the carina invaginated.

Figures 55 - 66. Miscellaneous morphological structures. 55 Hoplocopturus sulphureus [ARTSYS 0000801] with an overlay showing an elongate second funicular article that is more than twice the length of the first 56 Lissoderes subnudus [SSAC 0001064] with an overlay showing a second funicular article that is subequal to the first, and seven distinct funicular articles 57 Philinna bicristata [ARTSYS 0000799] showing a funiculus composed of six articles 58 Microzurus sp. [SSAC 0001290] showing a short, slender fifth tarsal article and minute claws 59 Philides comans [ARTSYS 0000804] with a broad tooth at the base of the tarsal claw 60 Left metafemoral apex of Piazurus trifoveatus [SSAC 0001118] that is unarmed at the mesal and lateral faces 61 Left metafemoral apex of Cylindrocopturinus pictus [SSAC 0001288] with a tooth only at the mesal face 62 Left metafemoral apex of Peltophorus polymitus seminiveus [SSAC 0001117] showing a small tooth at both mesal and lateral faces 63 Left metafemoral apex of Hoplocopturus sulphureus [ARTSYS 0000801] showing a small tooth at the lateral face and an acuminate process at the mesal face 64 Metaventrite of Pseudopiazurus centraliamericanus [SSAC 0001291] showing deep, arcuate sulc 65 Lateral view of the metathorax of Euzurus ornativentris [ARTSYS 0000796] showing a large tubercle in anterior to the metacoxa 66 Dorsal view of the profemora of Copturomimus caeruleotinctus [SSAC 0001059] showing denuded, striolate regions.

Figures 79 - 82. Lateral and dorsal habitus images of Lechriopini. 79 a-b Eulechriops minutus [ASUHIC 0024145] 80 a-b Euzurus ornativentris [ARTSYS 0000800]. 81 a-b Hoplocopturus varipes [SSAC 0001086] 82 a-b Lechriops vestitus [SSAC 0001114]. Scale bars = 2 mm.