Pseudolechriops davidsonae Hespenheide & LaPierre

Hespenheide, Henry A. & Lapierre, Louis M., 2006, A review of Pseudolechriops Champion (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Conoderinae), Zootaxa 1384, pp. 1-39 : 16-18

5. Pseudolechriops davidsonae Hespenheide & LaPierre , new species

Fig. 5 , a–d

Diagnosis: Black except tip of rostrum, tarsi, anterior and middle tibiae and apical ½ of anterior and middle femora reddish brown; posterior tibiae flattened and weakly arcuate on posterior margin; from above rhomboidal in shape with elytra conspicuously wider than base of pronotum; sides of pronotum with indistinct narrow lateral stripe of white setae, disc with pattern of dark yellowish setae; elytra with inconspicuous basal transverse fascia of white and pale yellow setae and small transverse chevron of white setae across suture beyond the middle; rostra of males and females sexually dimorphic in shape, that of male less extravagantly modified, glabrous and polished; Costa Rica and Panamá.

Description: Holotype male: Black, except tarsi, anterior and middle tibiae, distal 1/2 of anterior and middle femora, and apical 1/3 of rostrum reddish brown; from above ( Fig. 5 a), narrow band of white and yellowish setae at bases of elytral intervals, small transverse spot of white setae just beyond middle on elytral intervals 1–2; pronotum above sparsely, uniformly covered with hair-like orange-brown setae, small patches of white setae at posterior angles and in vague fascia on basal 1/2 of sides of pronotum, glabrous below fascia; head glabrous dorsally, sparse white setae between eyes on lower 1/2 of front and along marginal carinae, lower part of front and rostrum glabrous and polished; beneath moderately densely and uniformly covered with white setae on metasternum and epimera, setae smaller and sparser on abdominal sternites; femora and anterior and middle tibiae rather densely covered with fine white setae, setae on hind tibiae inconspicuous, appearing glabrous; 2.65 mm long.

Head moderately prominent, about 3/5 as long as pronotum, dorsally finely punctate, eyes arcuately rounded, as wide as pronotum at apex; from front, eyes narrowly separated, closest below apex and separated on upper half by narrow, shallow medial depression; lower interior margins of eyes raised to form ridges ending in quadrate teeth, rostrum slen- der, antennae inserted beyond middle, from side nearly straight, from front ( Fig. 5 c) flattened and broadening slightly toward base above antennal insertions and with lateral margins strongly carinate, carinae ending with a broad oblique polished groove at base of rostrum that separates rostral carinae from carinae at lower margins of eyes. Pronotum from above nearly cylindrical, only slightly wider at base than apex, from lateral view slightly convex on basal 1/2, disc coarsely punctate. Elytra together about 1/2 broader than pronotum, 1/10 longer than wide, giving rhomboidal appearance, lateral margins weakly arcuate, apices conjointly rounded. Mesosternum with well-defined groove with high ridges to receive rostrum continuing to excavate and carinate anterior margin of metasternum; metasternum with medial polished depression along midline to abdomen. Abdomen with first ventral sternite weakly depressed along midline, more deeply so on anterior 1/2, second sternite also weakly depressed on anterior 1/2. Femora with minute tooth on inner margin just beyond the middle, middle and posterior femora carinate; posterior tibiae conspicuously broadened and flattened for basal 3/4, weakly arcuately rounded on posterior margin ( Fig. 5 b). Aedeagus dark brown ( Fig. 5 e).

Allotype female: As male, but transverse sutural elytra band larger; base of rostrum convex in cross-section, finely punctate with inconspicuous yellowish setae, without lateral carinae on rostrum or lower inner margins of eyes; abdomen uniformly rather densely covered with white setae, first abdominal segment with narrow, weak depression along midline; 3.2 mm long.

Holotype male: Costa Rica: Puntarenas Pr., San Luis Vly 1100–1400m, 02– 0 9.08.1996, L.M. LaPierre, Cecropia (INBC).

Allotype female: same data as holotype (INBC).

Paratypes: Costa Rica: Puntarenas Pr., San Luis de Monteverde & vicinity, 500–1200 m, 10.1997, L.M. LaPierre, San97.67-6-8 (3, LMLC), San Luis Vly, 1100–1400m, same data as holotype (3, LMLC), 21– 25.07.1996, L.M. LaPierre, Cecropia (4, LMLC), 26.07- 0 1.08.1996, L.M. LaPierre, Cecropia obtusifolia (7, CHAH, LMLC), San Luis Vly, Ecolodge SL, 1100m, 10o 15’ N 84o 45’ W, 01– 10.08.1997, L.M. LaPierre, on sapling Cecropia polyphlebia (1, LMLC), 11– 20.08.1997, L.M. LaPierre, on sapling Cecropia obtusifolia (1, LMLC), San Luis de Monteverde, 1100 m, 10o 15’ N 84o 48’ W, 03–07, 0 9, 11– 14.06.2003, L.M. LaPierre, on leaf undersides of juvenile Cecropia obtusifolia (4, CHAH), Los Alturas, 1200–1500m, 0 8o 56’ N 82o 50’ W, 0 1.1998, L.M. LaPierre, Cecropia polyphlebia (1, LMLC); San José, Univ. de Costa Rica, San Pedro, San José, 1200m, 16.11.1994, L. Kirkendall & H. Lezama, ex Cecropia obtusifolia petiole (2, MUCR). Panamá: Chiriqui, N Santa Clara, 0 8o 51’ N 82o 46’ W, 0 4.10.1975, Stockwell (1, STRI). Paratypes to be deposited in BMNH, USNM.

Etymology: This species is named in honor of Diane Davidson for her extensive study of the ecology of the Cecropia - Azteca relationship ( Davidson 2005, Davidson and McKey 1993).

Discussion: Males measure 2.55–2.9 mm long (mean = 2.71 mm for 12 specimens); females measure 2.8–3.3 mm long (mean = 3.05 mm for 13 specimens). This species is very similar to P. howdenorum , but is separated by a number of small but consistent differences and is easily recognized by the dark bases of the anterior and middle tibiae. This species has been reared from dead petioles of adult Cecropia (see Table 1 and the Discussion section for more detailed information). Cecropia polyphlebia has been synonymized with C. angustifolia ( Berg & Franco Rosselli 2005) .

Figures

FIGURE 5. Pseudolechriops davidsonae, 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 and apex (above; line = 0.5 mm).