Aralius dispar, 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 : 113

Aralius dispar n. sp.

Figs 5, 111

DESCRIPTION — Dark brown; antennal club slightly reddish; integument appearing dull, largely obscured by waxy exudation. Vestiture of elytra consisting of rather dense, short, appressed pubescence and rows of broad, squamiform setae on sutural and even interstriae, a few similar setae also on interstria 3.

Head transverse, 0.92 width across eyes, with fine pubescence as on elytra, with scattered broad setae from neck to rostrum across antennal insertions; sculpture concealed; temples in dorsal view indicated only by short setae; neck almost as wide as frons between eyes; head rostrate apicad from across antennal insertions, 0.84 the width of frons, a little shiny, densely, very finely punctate, with sparse narrow setae mainly at base and sides; underside with large smooth, shiny area. Eyes larger than in A. gemellus , hemispherical, with coarse interfacettal setae. Antennae extending to middle of prothorax, relatively slender; segments 3-9 longer than wide.

Prothorax 1.08 x wider than head across eyes, 1.26 x wider than long, strongly rounded on sides, with a lateroapical knob, this appearing slightly angulate owing to few setae, truncate at apex, convexly rounded at base, constricted to a narrow, dorsally incomplete ring, this fringed with fine hairs on the margin, with a row of broader setae a little behind on the ring; disc with a distinct anteromedian impression and a hint of a median depression near base, without any other impressions or depressions; sculpture concealed by wax. Vestiture as on head.

Elytra 1.15 x wider than prothorax, 1.60 x longer than own combined width, parallel on basal half, converging roundedly to a broadly rounded apex. Dorsum slightly depressed on middle. Striae obscured by wax.

Male: unknown.

Female: tergite 8 with 7 or 8 acute teeth at apex.

Length: 2.5 mm.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype female, 2.55 x 1.05 mm, data as above, BPBM.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — New Caledonia. 1female, Monts des Koghis , 420 m, 9.VIII.1979, W. C. Gagné. 1 specimen .

ETYMOLOGY. — The specific name ‘dispar’ is a Latin adjective to emphasise the normal condition of a sexually dimorphic rostrum for members of the subfamily.

REMARKS. — Apart from the characters listed in the key to species, A. dispar differs from the other rostrate females in having a tergite 8 with fewer than 10 teeth instead of around 14.