Orthorhinoides dugdalei, Kuschel, 2008

Kuschel, Guillermo, 2008, Curculionoidea (weevils) of New Caledonia and Vanuatu: Basal families and some Curculionidae, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 197, pp. 99-250 : 205-206

Orthorhinoides dugdalei n. sp.

Figs 93, 165, 166

DESCRIPTION. — Integument reddish brown, darker obliquely outwards and apicad on interstriae 2-5 on middle of elytra; scaling yellow or yellowish brown, denser on sides of pronotum, humeral callus and a line on elytra extending from slightly before middle obliquely backwards to interstria 7, then running to apex after joining a similar line coming from interstria 3; apical area of elytra enclosed by outer line darker owing to sparser and finer vestiture.

Head convex in front, punctate, squamose, lacking granules. Rostrum long, thin, nearly 1.3 x longer than prothorax, rather strongly rounded on sides, densely punctate at basal one-third, gradually, gradually more finely punctate apicad, squamose only at base, especially against eyes; prorostrum nearly twice as long as wide at apex. Prothorax 1.13 x broader than long, granulose-rugose, moderately convex, granules with an elongate scale or squamiform seta. Scutellum densely squamose.

Elytra with well defined striae, strial puncta pupillated with a scale except on darker apical area; granules obsolete or obsolescent, a few small, more distinct granules on interstria 3 near base. Abdomen not impressed at base, pubescence appressed. Fore coxae contiguous. Fore femora distinctly longer than middle ones; hind femora extending to about end of abdomen. Fore tibiae short, robust, well short of trochanter when folded, curved, slightly asperate on lower edge at apical one-third. Fore tarsi lacking fringe of long hairs, segment 2 symmetrical, triangular, not distinctly longer than 3.

Male: tegmen rather similar to that of Dracophyllius dracophylli (Fig. 164). Aedeagus [in rather teneral condition] as in Figs 165, 166; body 0.825 x 0.237 mm; apodeme 1.250 mm, half as long again as body; internal sac with a 1.20 mm long basal sclerite, a small, more or less X-shaped steering plate, no other sclerites or rods apparent in the teneral specimen.

Length: 5.8 mm.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype male, 6.7 x 2.4 mm, Mt. Humboldt , 950 m, 10.II.2005 , NZAC. Paratypes with MNHW, NZAC .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — New Caledonia. 1 male, Mt. Hum- rosette of Dracophyllum cf balansae, J. S. Dugdale; Forêt Nord boldt, 950 m, 10.II.2005, S. Cazères & C. Mille; 1 male, Rivière (Bot. Reserve), 22°19’S, 166°55’E, M. Wanat. 3 specimens. Bleue, 8.XI.1988, reared from larva that had killed terminal

HOSTPLANTS. — Dracophyllum cf balansae ( Epacridaceae ).

ETYMOLOGY. — The species is named after the lepidopterist J S Dugdale, Landcare Research, who found a dead terminal rosette of the hostplant still containing a weevil larva and rearing it through.

REMARKS. — The vivid reddish brown colour of O. dugdalei is unique to this species of the genus.