Sicoderus alternatus Anderson, 2018

Anderson, Robert S., 2018, The genus Sicoderus Vanin 1986 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Erodiscini) in the West Indies, Zootaxa 4497 (3), pp. 301-345 : 307-308

Sicoderus alternatus Anderson , n. sp.

( Figures 3–4 , 10 . Map 2)

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:089CBA7D-28FF-4AE1-9678-127DD5ACF9EA

Description: Length male, 3.3 mm. Integument rufous (pronotum, head and legs) or black, shining. Eyes moderately narrowly separated by a distance about one-half width rostrum at midlength. Rostrum 1.00x length elytra in male. Antennal insertion slightly beyond midlength in male. Prothorax constricted anteriorly, globose, widest at about middle; punctures widely spaced, moderate in size and depth, slightly deeper laterally on flanks, not striolate; no setae present. Elytra in dorsal view widest at about basal one-third, lateral margins convergent both anteriorly and posteriorly; humeri fully reduced, not at all angulate; short scattered recurved setae present. Strial punctures evident, moderately large, deep; striae distinctly impressed. Elytral interstriae convex but interstriae 3, 5 and 7 more elevated; interstria 5 most strongly elevated, towards base with prominent tubercle which grades posteriorly into remainder of raised interstria. Membranous wings absent. Abdominal ventrite 1 of male flattened medially near posterior margin, lacking any patches of setosity or tubercles. Ventrite 5 flattened, finely setose posteromedially in male. Legs with all femora lacking tooth on ventral margin; tarsal claws lacking basal tooth. Aedeagus (fig. 10) widest towards base, internal sac with pair of basal sclerites slightly convergent apically, hooked at base, also with field of elongate, dense, spicules at about midlength. Female not known.

Material examined: 1 male. Holotype male ( CMNH), labelled DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Pedernales, 3.3 km N.E. Los Arroyos, 18-15N, 71-45W, 1450m, 16–18 July 1990, L. Masner, J. Rawlins, forest sweep samples.

Derivation of species name: This species is named ‘alternatus’ after the alternately elevated elytral interstriae.

Natural History: The holotype was collected in a forest sweep sample at 1450m elevation.

Comments: This species is unique within Sicoderus in having the elytra with interstriae alternately raised, especially interstria 5 near the base which is subtuberculate. No other known Sicoderus has an elytral form similar to the one exhibited by this species. In the holotype, the pronotum, head and legs are rufous in color with the rest of the body black. No other Sicoderus is similarly bicolored.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Species of Sicoderus. 1. Sicoderus aeneus, dorsal habitus. 2. Sicoderus aeneus, lateral habitus. 3. Sicoderus alternatus, dorsal habitus. 4. Sicoderus alternatus, lateral habitus.

FIGURES 9–12. Species of Sicoderus. 9. Sicoderus aeneus, aedeagus, dorsal view. 10. Sicoderus alternatus, aedeagus, dorsal view. 11. Sicoderus bautistai, aedeagus, dorsal view. 12. Sicoderus beatyi, aedeagus, dorsal view.