Triotemnus pseudolepineyi Knizek

Knizek, Milos, 2010, Five new species of Triotemnus (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) from Morocco and Yemen, ZooKeys 56, pp. 191-206 : 194-196

Triotemnus pseudolepineyi Knizek sp. n. Figs 1, 2

Type material.

Holotype male, pinned, with labels as follows: "Morocco, 31. 5. 1999/ High Atlas, Toubkal massif/ Chamharouch/ Jan Batelka lgt." 31°5'35N; 7°54'22W. Allotype female, pinned: the same data as the holotype. Paratypes: 125 males, 113 females: the same data as the holotype.

Holotype and Allotype deposited in the collection of National Museum in Prague, 190 paratypes in the author’s collection, 4 paratypes in Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien, 4 paratypes in Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, Genève, 40 paratypes in coll. J. Batelka (Praha).

Diagnosis.

This species is morphologically distinct from all other species of the genus due to the strongly developed callous-like lateral edges of elytral declivity. It is the most closely related to Triotemnus lepineyi Balachowsky, from which it differs also by the more elevated lateral edges on elytral declivity, which are clearly higher than slightly elevated suture and by which the elytra appear deeply bisulcate. Elytra are also more narrowly rounded on posterior quarter in Triotemnus pseudolepineyi . The elevated callous-like longitudinal process on the lateral margin terminated before reaching the posterior margin of elytra from lateral view.

Description.

Male. Length 1.30-1.80 mm (1.72 mm in holotype), 2.50-2.69 times longer than wide (2.61 in holotype). Colour brown to dark brown if fully coloured. Head. Frons concave, excavated, concavity may differ from deep excavation up the level just above upper edge of the eyes, which is smooth, strongly shining, very finely and sparsely punctured, uniformly shagreened, to rather shallow, densely and rather deeply punctate, excavation divided from vertex by semi-carinate costa, this elevated in the middle forming wide-based tubercle-like process; vertex shining, deeply and rather densely punctured; vestiture of very long sparse erected gold hair-like setae situated on the lateral edges of the frontal excavation mainly. Eyes emarginate on anterior margin around the antennal insertion, rather small. Each mandible with short, strong and pointed tooth-like process directed upward, reaching just the lower level of frontal excavation. Antennae light brown, antennal funicle 4-segmented, antennal club longitudinally oval, anterior side with one transverse suture just above the middle, second suture slightly marked in apical half by row of setae, basal half corneous, posterior side without sutures. Pronotum 1.08-1.15 times longer than wide (1.12 in holotype), sub-oval, widest in the middle of its length, weekly declivous in front, summit not clearly marked, punctato-granulate on anterior declivity, frontal edge rounded, basal angles broadly rounded, posterior margin rounded, disk shining, strongly and rather densely punctate on disk and lateral areas, interspaces very finely shagreened, median longitudinal area impunctate; vestiture of sparse hair-like setae, becoming very long anteriorly and posteriorly. Elytra 1.43-1.51 times longer than wide (1.50 in holotype), 1.42-1.56 times longer than pronotum (1.42 in holotype), sub-parallel on basal three-fourths, widest in posterior part where are slightly wider then pronotum, then converging to rounded apex; basal edge rounded, not armed; scutellum visible, very small, smooth and shining, flush with elytra; first striae slightly impressed on the whole length of the elytral disc, other striae not impressed; elytral striae deeply punctured, interspaces slightly larger then the diameter of the punctures; interstriae less densely and less deeply punctured, shining. Elytral declivity regularly rounded and elevated at suture, bisulcate, lateral edges strongly elevated, fourth interstriae developed into a large callous-like longitudinal and slightly undulated process, elevation not reaching the posterior margin, lateral elevated edges much higher than slightly elevated suture, interspace between the suture and elevated lateral edges depressed, smooth, shining, very finely and sparsely punctuate at the striae, and impunctate on interstriae. Elytral vestiture consisting of sparse hair-like semi-erected setae on disk, each about 1.5 times longer than the distance between strial punctures, much longer (approximately twice) hair-like setae on lateral and posterior margins; sulcate part of the elytral declivity without setae except short oblique setae along the suture (often abraded). Legs brown. Procoxae subcontiguous, prosternal process very narrow, long and sharply pointed; mesocoxae separated by the width of scapus, mesoventral process descending, narrow and bluntly pointed; metacoxae separated slightly more than mesocoxae. Pro-, meso- and metatibiae on outer lateral margin usually with 6 socketed teeth, mesotibiae sometimes with 5 socketed teeth, variable between specimens within series.

Female. Length 1.26-1.85 mm (1.56 mm in allotype), 2.58-2.70 times longer than wide (2.63 in allotype). Head similar to male, but mandibulae not armed by tooth-like processes, frons convex, slightly flattened just above the epistoma, dull, very densely punctato-ganulate, becoming less pronounced in the flattened area, on vertex with a wide tubercle-like process; vestiture of very fine, short, erect yellowish hair-like setae directed forward, becoming denser toward epistomal margin. Antennal club different from male, short and oval. Elytra withlateral parts of declivity less strongly developed, but higher then elytral suture.

Etymology.

Name of this new species is derived from the morphologically nearest species named and described as “lepineyi” by Balachowsky (1949b) and using of the Greek term “pseudos” - pretended.

Biology.

Specimens were collected from wilting shrubs of Bupleurum spinosum ( Apiaceae ). The species is phloeophagous. Maternal galleries were not clearly visible due the full consumption of phloem and sapwood by the larvae. Before pupation the larvae bore into the sapwood forming up to one centimetre long internal pupation galleries. Larval galleries were generally filled with yellow frass in their whole length.

Distribution.

Morocco (High Atlas), endemic. Even though the species is suggested as endemic here, it is possible that it may be found in other areas, mainly within Morocco and Algeria, because the host plant is found in neighbouring areas.