Rhopalotria (Allocorynus) vovidesi O’Brien, 2015

O’Brien, Charles W. & Tang, William, 2015, Revision of the New World cycad weevils of the subtribe Allocorynina, with description of two new genera and three new subgenera (Coleoptera: Belidae: Oxycoryninae), Zootaxa 3970 (1), pp. 1-87 : 33-34

Rhopalotria (Allocorynus) vovidesi O’Brien and Tang, new species

Figures: habitus: 45–48; antennal pockets: 112; male genitalia: 147–148, 184, 224; female genitalia: 251.

DESCRIPTION—Body minute to medium-sized (range 1.8–3.6 mm, mean = 2.6 mm, n = 14), robust, broad-oval; distinctly bicolored, orange and black.

Male (holotype). Rostrum: moderately long, 1.13 X longer than pronotum, brownish orange; moderately, coarsely, subrugosely, substriately punctate nearly to apex, there weakly expanded; moderately but evenly curved in lateral view. Head: with entire dorsum excluding median area of forehead, moderately coarsely, subrugosely punctate; forehead with short deep median groove with margins of groove impunctate; median area between apical margins of eyes ca. 2/3 as wide as between basal margins of eyes. Antennae: with scape almost as long as eye, as long as desmomeres 1+2, 3–4 shorter but elongate, 5–6 rounded, 7 transverse; scape, funicle and club brownish orange with apex of apical rhopalomere of club pale yellowish. Prothorax: moderately strongly transverse, 1.28 X wider than long; apex moderately narrow, evenly expanding to slightly narrowed rounded base; lateral margins lacking minute denticles; disc with moderately coarse to fine, dense, not contiguous punctures, laterally subrugose; uniform brownish orange. Scutellum: moderately subquadrate, apex rounded; with dense, coarse punctures and dense, fine, golden, recumbent setae. Elytra: 1.28 X longer than wide; subparallel behind rounded humeri, to scarcely expanded near declivity, there suddenly evenly narrowed to broadly rounded moderately emarginate apices; unevenly coarsely punctured, medially subrugosely punctured for entire length, laterally less densely and less coarsely punctured; entirely evenly blackish brown. Legs: robust, procoxae protruding, with single subacute inner apical process; profemora strongly asymmetrically swollen, with apical pit-like impression, receiving base of tibia, each margin with small apical tooth; protibiae very stout in lateral view, with base very strongly rounded with right angle bend, lacking tooth on anterior inner surface near base, inner surface moderaterly submedially narrowly excavate from base to near apex, apex with large curved anterior mucro and smaller apically directed tooth. Length, pronotum and elytron: 2.80 mm.

Female. Same as male except; Rostrum: long, 1.58 X longer than pronotum, very weakly expanded apically. Prothorax: 1.47 X wider than long; sides more or less evenly rounded from narrow apex to slightly narrowed base. Elytra: 1.53 X longer than wide. Legs: with protibiae lacking inner basal tooth, inner surface with moderately shallow excavation, two apical teeth small and subequal in size. Length, pronotum and elytron: 2.50 mm.

Genitalia and Associated Structures— Male. Length of penis and apodemes together 0.78–0.88 mm (n = 2). Penis: in dorsal view moderately tapering, then near gonopore tapering sharply with angle between sides at ~ 55˚, to subtruncate apex (Figs. 147, 184). Tegmen: with distal margin with 9 setae (#visible in 1 photo). Female. Sternite VIII: 0.57–0.75 mm long (n = 2), arms ~ longer than apodeme, diverging from apodeme at even angle (~ 36˚) between arms for about 3/5 of length, then bending inward and converging slightly for rest of length (Fig. 251).

Intraspecific Variation— The rostral length relative to the pronotal length of males = 1.21–1.23 (mean = 1.16, n = 5) and in females = 1.58–1.79 (mean = 1.65, n = 8); the pronotal width relative to the pronotal length of males = 1.34–1.42 (mean = 1.39, n = 5) and of females = 1.43–1.62 (mean = 1.48, n = 8).

Etymological Note— This species is named in honor of Andrew Vovides, who collected a large part of the type series of this species and many more specimens used herein, in addition to his many contributions to the taxonomy, ecology and conservation of Mexican cycads.

Remarks— Rhopalotria vovidesi is currently the sole member of the “spinulosum ” species group. It can be distinguished from other members of the genus Rhopalotria by four characters: 1) the presence of long hairs on the scutellum; 2) the smooth texture and lack of reticulation between the punctures of the head, pronotum and elytra; 3) RL/PL in females of R. vovidesi of 1.58–1.79 vs. 1.22–1.57 in other species of Rhopalotria ; 4) presence of a complete fringe of fine hairs on the anterior margin of the pronotum, a character which has been observed in other Rhopalotria in only a single specimen of R. calonjei . These characters and pending genetic analysis may support the placement of R. vovidesi into its own subgenus within the genus Rhopalotria , however, here it is tentatively retained within the subgenus Allocorynus .

Biology— Unlike other members of the genus Rhopalotria , R. vovidesi is not associated with Zamia and is the only known Rhopalotria that inhabits the cones of a Dioon . Its host, D. spinulosum , is considered a relatively basal member of its genus.

Range— Mexico, known from the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz .

Material Examined— Holotype (by designation) male with the following labels: 1) [rectangular; white; printed in black ink] MEXICO, Oax. Hwy147, 6 mi. SE. Jcn. 175&147, 200’, 25Aug.1982, C. & L. O’Brien & G. Wibmer: 2) [rectangular; white; printed in black ink] ex: male strobile Dioon spinulosum ; 3) [rectangular; red; printed in black ink] HOLOTYPE ♂ / Rhopalotria (Allocorynus) / vovidesi/ O’Brien & Tang 2015 (CAS on long term loan to CWOB). Paratypes: same label data, (19). MEXICO: Oax. (Oaxaca): 6 mi. SE, Jcn. 175&147, Hwy.147, 300’, 7- 7-1980, A.Vovides, median stage subdeciduous rain forest, ex: male strobile Dioon spinulosum (13); 16 km from Tuxtepec, Ejido de la Mina, 1980, A. Vovides, in ♂ cone of Dioon spinulosum , 100 m (1); Tuxtepec, “Las Mitras”, 23-VII-1992, M.A. Perez Dioon spinulosum (3); V.C. [Veracruz]: nr. Tierra Blanca, 15-VII-1987, W. Tang , ex: male cone Dioon spinulosum (3); Rancho Las Minas, Tuxtepec, 100m, sub-deciduous tropical rain forest on karst topography, ex ♂ cone of Dioon spinulosum , 18-VI-1992, A.P. Vovides (12). Paratypes (51) are deposited at ANIC, BMNH, CMNC, CAS, CWOB, EMEC, FSCA, IEXA, UNAM, USNM.