Hellerius obtusus, 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 : 137-138

Hellerius obtusus n. sp.

Fig. 28

DESCRIPTION. — Pale grey, densely squamose. Elytra in either sex with two tubercles at end of dorsum, a prominent one on interstria 3, a small one on 5, this a little basad from that on 3; elytral dorsum in lateral view in female rather strongly convex (much as in H. labrami ).

Male: tergite 7 truncate. Sternite 9 robust, strongly curved, ending in a large, broad expansion. Aedeagal body about 1.3 x longer than apodemes, rather strongly curved, blunt at apex, shallowly emarginated at base; flagellum shorter than aedeagal body, robust, with a heavily pigmented base, reinforced and wider at basal 1/4, from here on half the basal thickness.

Female: sternite 8 rather broadly rounded at apex, medially strongly pigmented, briefly bifurcate, rather densely setose; apodeme unusually robust, especially near blade. Distal hemisternites parallel-sided, with apical margin below styli at about right angle to axis, with a distinct emargination. Spermathecal duct extension curving strongly away from stem; stem reinforced to a knob, conically extended towards a cylindrical gland.

Length: 6.2-8.0 mm.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype male, Bourail, IV.2001, S. Cazeres , NZAC. Paratypes with BPBM, IRSN, MNHW, NZAC, QMBA, SRFP .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — New Caledonia. 2 males, Tiéa For- Bourail , IV.2001, on Jasminum S. Cazeres ; 1 male, 1 female, Pocest, 21°07’S, 164°57’E, 30 m, 31.I.2004, M. Wanat; 1 male, 1 quereux nr La Foa, II.2002, on Jasminum, J. P. Kataoui ; 1 male, female, Nakéty, 26.IV.2005, G. B. Monteith; 1 male, 1 female, Mt. Mou, 22°05’S, 166°22’E, 350 m, 4.II.2005, G. B. Monteith ;

1 male, Col des Pirogues, 13.II.1962, N. L. H. Krauss; 1 female, 1 female, Nouméa, Coll. Fauvel; 1 female, Plum, 20-60 m, 23- 10 km S of Koh, 300 m, 31.I.1963, G. Kuschel; 1 female, Mok- 25.III.1968, J. L. Gressitt; 1 male, ‘Nouvelle-Calédonie’, Coll. oué to Dothio, 150-500 m, 20-22.III.1968, J. L. Gressitt; 1 male, Fauvel. 15 specimens.

ETYMOLOGY. — The species name ‘obtúsus’ is Latin for blunt in reference to the aedeagal apex.

REMARKS. — The two specimens from the Tiéa Forest , in the far NW of the main island, have very low tubercles compared with typical specimens. They are cited under H. obtusus but not included in the type series .