Auletobius ater (LeConte)

Young, Julia Janicki Daniel K., 2021, Survey of the Attelabidae of Wisconsin (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea), Insecta Mundi 2021 (891), pp. 1-61 : 24-25

Auletobius ater (LeConte)

( Fig. 25–26 )

Diagnosis. Auletobius ater can be recognized by the confused elytral punctures that are deep and not in rows, by the antennae that are inserted near the middle of the rostrum, by the cleft claws of each pretarsus, by the white pubescence, by the larger size (over 3mm), and by the setose, conspicuous sex patch on declivity of elytral apices in the males.

Description. Length 3.3–3.8mm. Integument black. Vestiture consisting of white setae. Head weakly convex, with a transverse, very weak and not so noticeable impression behind eye; surface with large, close, deeply impressed punctures. Rostrum stouter than other Auletobius species; surface shining, with close, elongate, deep punctures forming longitudinal ridges, setae sparse. Eyes round and protuberant. Antennae inserted at middle of rostrum. Pronotum as long as wide, widest in basal ½; weakly arcuate laterally, very weakly constricted before apical margin; disc convex, with large, close, deeply impressed punctures, interpunctural space weakly shining, minutely reticulate. Elytral length 1.2× width, width at base 1.4× pronotal width, surface with deeply impressed, very large, close punctures that are not arranged in any particular order, interpuncture space slightly shining, smooth, disc not noticeably impressed in basal ¼. Sexual dimorphism distinct, males with setose conspicuous sex patch on declivity of elytral apices.

Natural history. This species can generally be found on sweetfern ( Comptonia peregrina ), bayberry ( Myrica Linnaeus spp. ), and oak ( Quercus spp. ).

Phenology. In Wisconsin, adults have been collected from May to July, with a peak in June.

Collecting methods. The 11 Wisconsin specimens examined during this study from four counties represent a new state record (Appendix 1). One specimen was collected by hand on foliage of Hill’s oak ( Q. ellipsoidalis ), another was collected by beating oak ( Quercus spp. ). It can also be collected by sweeping fields of sweetfern.

Distribution. United States. AR, CT, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, WI. Canada. MB, ON, PQ.

Wisconsin county records. Dane, Grant, Iowa, Wood.

Figures

Figures 25–26. Auletobius ater (LeConte). 25) Habitus, dorsal view. 26) Habitus, lateral view.