Pseudolechriops howdenorum Hespenheide & LaPierre

Hespenheide, Henry A. & Lapierre, Louis M., 2006, A review of Pseudolechriops Champion (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Conoderinae), Zootaxa 1384, pp. 1-39 : 13-16

4. Pseudolechriops howdenorum Hespenheide & LaPierre , new species

Fig. 4 , a–d

Diagnosis: Black except anterior and middle legs reddish brown; posterior tibiae flattened and weakly arcuate on posterior margin; from above rhomboidal in shape with elytra conspicuously wider than base of pronotum; pronotum more or less sparsely covered with mostly yellowish-orange setae, disc with conspicuous pattern; 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; Nicaragua to Panamá.

Description: Holotype male: Black, except tarsi, anterior and middle tibiae and femora, and antennae reddish brown; from above ( Fig. 4 a), narrow band of white setae on elytra at bases of elytral intervals 1–4, inconspicuous yellow brown setae with few white setae on outer intervals and anterior to humeri, conspicuous transverse spot of white setae just beyond middle on elytral intervals 1–4; pronotum with orange-brown setae, darker and less conspicuous hair like setae on disk, small patches of white setae at posterior angles; head with yellow brown setae dorsally, few white setae between eyes, 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; anterior and middle femora and tibiae rather densely covered with fine white setae, setae on hind femora and tibiae inconspicuous, appearing glabrous; 2.65 mm long.

Head moderately prominent, about 2/3 as long as pronotum, dorsally with fine medial carina, eyes arcuately rounded, about 4/5 as wide as pronotum at apex; from front, eyes narrowly separated, closest below apex and separated on upper half by narrow, shallow medial depression; interior margins of eyes raised to form ridges on lower 1/5 ending in rounded teeth, rostrum slender, antennae inserted at middle, from side arcuately rounded, from front ( Fig. 4 c) flattened and broadening slightly toward base above antennal insertions and with lateral margins 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 sculpture obscured by setae. Elytra together about 1/2 broader than pronotum and only slightly 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 rather broad medial polished depression along midline to abdomen. Abdomen with first ventral sternite narrowly depressed along midline, more deeply so on posterior 1/2, second sternite also weakly depressed on anterior 1/2. Femora with distinct 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. 4 b). Aedeagus pale transparent brown ( Fig. 4 e).

Allotype female: As male, but transverse sutural elytra band broader (intervals 1–5); base of rostrum convex in cross-section, medially carinate and finely punctate, without lateral carinae on rostrum or lower inner margins of eyes; first two abdominal segments weakly convex; 3.1 mm long.

Holotype male: Costa Rica: Heredia [Prov.], La Selva B.S., 50–150 m, 10o 26’ N 84o 01’W, 25.08.1996, L.M. LaPierre, C [ecropia] obt [usifolia] (INBC).

Allotype female: Costa Rica: same data as holotype but 0 8.07.1996 (INBC).

Paratypes: Costa Rica: Alajuela, Rio Sn Lorencito, Res. For. Sn Ramon, 5 km N Col. Palmarena, 900m, 244500-470700, 0 3.1990, Curso Carabidae (1, INBC, barcode INBIOCRI000160296), Sect. San Ramon, 620m, L-N-318100-381900, 13– 28.03.1994, K. Taylor (1, INBC, barcode INBIOCRI001760484), 20 km S Upala, 21– 28.08.1990, 01-10- 0 4.1991, F.D. Parker (2, CWOB); Prov. Guanacaste, Estac. Pitilla, 9 km S Santa Cecilia, 700 m, 329950-380450, 0 4.1995, P. Rios, (1, INBC, barcode INBIOCRI002336488), Estac. Pitilla, 9 km S Santa Cecilia, P.N. Guanacaste, 700 m, 330200-380200, 09– 14.07.1993, Gredy, Diego, Carlos, Estudiantes, (1, INBC, barcode INBIOCRI001955775), 3 km N Pitilla Biol. Sta, 400m, 0 9.09.1994, B. Jordal, ex Cecropia obtusifolia (1, CHAH), Cerro Ormalita, 4 km SW Pitilla Biol. Sta, 1100m, 0 9.09.1994, B. Jordal, ex Cecropia insignis (1, CHAH); Heredia Pr., La Selva Biol. Sta., 3 km S Pto. Viejo, 10o 26’ N 84o 01’ W, 0 2.05.1990, 25.07.1996, H.A. Hespenheide, Cecropia (2, CHAH), 17.08.1996, H.A. Hespenheide, Cecropia insignis (1, CHAH), Est. Biol. La Selva, 50–150 m, 10o 26’ N 84o 01’ W, 11– 20.07.1997, emer[ged] 21, 31, 22.08, L.M. LaPierre, Cins 97.24-8 (1, LMLC), 14, 15, 0 3.09.1998, L.M. LaPierre, Cins 98.57-26 (1, LMLC), 0 9.05.2000, L.M. LaPierre, ID# 0 0.402, Host: Cecropia insignis (1, LMLC), La Selva B.S., 50–150 m, 10o 26’ N 84o 01’W, 14– 16.07.96, L.M. LaPierre, Cecropia insignis , 26.08.1996, L.M. LaPierre, LS-60 (1, LMLC); Limon, 3 km W Bribri, 0 5.09.1994, B. Jordal, ex Cecropia obtusifolia (2, CHAH). Nicaragua: Matagalpa, Fuente Pura, 12.06.1994, Maes/Tellez/Hernandez, s/ Cecropia (1, CWOB). Panamá: Chir[iqui], Res. For. La Fortuna, El Vivera, 20.07.1995, C.W. O’Brien (1, CWOB); Panamá Pr., Cerro Campana, 850 m, 0 8o 40’ N 79o 56’ W, 26.06.1977, H.A. Hespenheide, Cecropia petiole (1, CMNC), 17.08.1974, Stockwell, underside Cecropia leaf (1, GBFM); Cocle Pr., 5 km N El Cope, cont. divide, 850m, 17.06.1991, Windsor & Stockwell (1, STRI).

Etymology: Named in honor of Henry and Anne Howden whose studies, respectively, of Neotropical Scarabaeidae and Curculionidae , research support, and hospitality recommend this recognition.

Discussion: Males measure 2.6–3.05 mm long (mean = 2.84 mm for 12 specimens); females measure 3.05–3.8 mm long (mean = 3.34 mm for 15 specimens). This species has been reared from dead petioles of adult Cecropia (see Table 1 and the Discussion section for more detailed information).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Pseudolechriops howdenorum, 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).