Hellerius, 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 : 132-134

Genus HELLERIUS n. gen.

Anomalodermus Heller, 1916: 312 (in error).

Type species: Elytrodon labrami Montrouzier.

DESCRIPTION. — Adelognathous; head not retrievable to eyes; eyes round or slightly oval, not transverse, moderately convex. Rostrum a little longer than wide, parallel-sided up to slightly protruding pterygia, at most weakly impressed across base, bisulcate, not carinate on midline; no impression laterally in front of eyes; scrobes foveiform, with only traces of a downward leading impression. Scape directed towards middle of eyes, extending beyond eyes; club more than twice as long as wide, densely pubescent, first segment less than one-third of club length.

Prothorax parallel-sided on basal one-third, then rounded, base truncate, without a rim, disc broadly flattened, uneven with foveae; ocular lobes and cilia absent. Scutellum small or concealed. Elytra at base in concave arc, here falling vertically onto mesonotum, strongly convex, uneven with tubercles or ridges; stria 10 effaced alongside ventrites 1-4. Fore and middle tibiae mucronate; corbel plate narrow, bare, shiny; claws free, divergent. Flightlerss.

Male: aedeagus with large basal sclerite, stiff and thick throughout, or thinned out to a long, soft flagellum.

Female: genitalia of the Catoptes-Leptopius type of genera, with long thin styli; mature eggs a dozen or so at a time, cylindrical, rounded at ends, about 120 by 80µ.

DISTRIBUTION. — New Caledonia, Loyalty Is.

REMARKS. — Hellerius is remarkable because of a peculiar sexual dimorphism expressed on the elytra, males by having only preapical tubercles or ridges, and females by having some subbasal tubercles as well. The genus is named after K. M. Heller, author of the Coleoptera part in Nova Caledonia published in 1916. Because Heller had assumed that one of the Hellerius species was the type species of Anomalodermus , he used this name for something only remotely related to Hellerius . The genus is represented by seven species.

KEY TO SPECIES OF HELLERIUS

1. Scape long, extending onto prothorax, gradually broadening from base to apex. Funicle with segment 2 longer than l, segment 3 distinctly longer than wide. Male: last club segment with dense, slightly off derm pubescence; aedeagus strongly curved, ventrally carinate, incised at base, with asymmetric spatulate apex. Female: tergite 7 rather deeply notched at apex; sternite 8 truncate but with slight concave curvature, with short,robust apodeme. 6.3-9.2 mm. New Caledonia....... labrami — Scape just passing eyes, not extending to prothorax, more abruptly thickened to a more or less claviform apex. Funicle with segment 2 not longer than 1, segment 3 moniliform or transverse, not elongate. Male: last club segment with a pile of dense, short, erect pubescence; aedeagus weakly curved, ventrally not carinate, broadly emarginate at base, with symmetric, non-spatulate apex. Female: tergite 7 rounded at apex or with very shallow concave curvature; sternite 8 rounded at apex, with long, slender apodeme .......................................................................................................................... 2

2 (1). Striae 4 and 5 discontinued, either finishing on dorsum in front of tubercle of interstria 3, or interrupted for a stretch alongside tubercle to reappear as a low, round knob surrounded by puncta below top of apical declivity. Female with a thick, non-convoluted spermathecal duct ..................... 3 — Striae 4 and 5 not abbreviated, continued to halfway down apical declivity. Female with a thin spermathecal duct ................................................................................................................................................ 4

3 (2). Striae 4 and 5 interrupted alongside tubercle of interstria 3, reappearing as a small, low, densely squamose round tubercle on declivity to the side and below tubercle of interstria 3. Male: basal sclerite, a long stiff flagellum, as long as aedeagal body plus apodemes. Female: spermathecal duct extension long, as long as spermathecal hook; spermathecal duct about 4 x as long as spermatheca. 7.5-11.0 mm. New Caledonia............................................................................................................. ignambius — Striae 4 and 5 considerably abbreviated, finishing on dorsum before tubercle of interstsria 3. Male: basal sclerite, also a stiff flagellum, distinctly shorter then aedeagus plus apodemes. Female: spermathecal duct extension short, considerably shorter than spermathecal hook; spermathecal duct about 2.5 x as long as spermatheca. 7.5-12.5 mm. New Caledonia.................................................. deplancheae

4 (2). Interstria 3 at top of apical declivity raised to a low ridge or short costa. Male: aedeagal apex sharply pointed. Female: spermathecal duct long, distinctly convoluted. 6.3-8.8 mm. New Caledonia, Loyalty ........................................................................................................................................ cicur — Interstria 3 at top of declivity with a prominent tubercle ....................................................................... 5

5 (4). Scales largely overlapping (imbricate) at least on part of pronotum and elytra, pale grey with white and ochreous scales mixed in. Elytra usually with a tubercle on interstriae 3 and 5 at top of apical declivity. Male: aedeagal apex blunt; basal sclerite 0.80 of length of pedon, not flagelliform, exposed between apodemes. Female: spermathecal duct short, non-convoluted. 6.0-8.0 mm. New Caledonia, Loyalty ..................................................................................................................................... obtusus — Scales not overlapping, usually distinctly separated, variable in colour, dark or pale grey. Elytra with a tubercle on interstria 3. Male: aedeagal apex pointed, exposed or not between apodemes; basal sclerite ending or not in a flagellum ...................................................................................................... 6

6 (5). Scales dark grey, often with a bluish tint, especially under head capsule. Striae with regularly lined up puncta,. Male: interstria 7 plain, lacking a posthumeral knob; aedeagal apex short, not longer than wide at base at ostium; internal sac with strong flagellum, appproximately 0.75 of length of pedon, one-third exposed between apodemes. 6.8-10.5 mm. New Caledonia........................ conflictus — Scales pale grey, with white and ochreous ones mixed in, without bluish tint. Striae with very irregularly lined up puncta,. Male: interstria 7 with a low posthumeral knob; aedeagal apex elongate,

distinctly longer than wide at base at ostium; internal sac with a short, only slightly elongate basal sclerite, this not thinned out to a flagellum, not exposed between apodemes. 6.5-7.8 mm. New Caledonia.............................................................................................................................................................. scansus