Celeuthetes, Schoenherr, 1842

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 : 153-154

Genus CELEUTHETES Schoenherr

Celeuthetes Schoenherr, 1842: 250 (type species for Sphaeromus australis Gyllenhal = Curculio echinatus Fabricius ). — Marshall 1956: 11, 45.

Sphaeromus Schoenherr, 1834: 537 (although this name has priority, a proposal by Alonso-Zarazaga & Lyal (1999: 147) has been submitted to the Commission for suppression of the name).

DESCRIPTION. — Rostrum slightly wider at apex, in lateral view dorsally continuous, apically declivous, non-squamose, wider at apex, with shallow, obsolescent V-shaped transverse sulcus, this laterally more distinct against or just in front of eyes; dorsal surface hardly indented or compressed by scrobes, with a sulcus along midline. Scrobes foveiform, only very slightly compressing upper part of rostral sides. Prementum with four or more setae. Prothorax granulate, each granule topped with a squamiform seta. Elytra oval or subelliptic, 12-striate, dorsal interstriae with a row of setiferous granules, interstria 5 before declivity raised to a callus or short ridge in both sexes. Fore coxae contiguous or narrowly separate. Mesosternal process not wider than long. Hind wings considerably reduced in width, being about 0.25 mm at base but quickly reduced to a 0.04 mm thick thread, the wing about one-half the length of elytra, lacking venation.

Male: sternite 9 with articulated, symmetrical blade, arms broad, outwards curving, apically blunt; lobes oval, attached to basal part of apodeme; apodeme a little shorter than venter, robust, strongly curved at apex. Tegmen with a complete, well-pigmented ring, lacking parameral lobes; apodeme as long as pedon, about half the thickness of apodeme of sternite 9. Aedeagus long, extended well into thoracic lumen, usually showing inside mesothorax alongside proventriculus; pedon a little over 3 x longer than wide, broadly depigmented underneath; tectum medially unpigmented,

or slightly pigmented at ostium and basad on midline; apodemes very long and slender, at least 3 x longer than aedeagal body; internal sac twice or thrice as long as aedeagus (incl. of apodemes], consisting of a narrow tube from base to near aedeagal body, with a long, very fine, thread-like flagellum, flagellum with somewhat cochleariform base for dorsal insertion of ejaculatory duct.

Female: sternite 8 long, extending into thoracic lumen by 1.3 x or more the length of venter; blade an elongate, medially unpigmented triangle, with long setae. Ovipositor longer than sternite 8; distal hemisternites weakly pigmented, with latero-apical styli, styli twice as long as wide; proximal hemisternites unpigmented, 8 or 9 x longer than distal hemisternites with inclusion of remainder of ovipositor inside genital pocket; vagina extended beyond genital pocket by nearly as much again as ovipositor; bursa less than twice as long as broad, deeply invaginated ventrally; spermatheca with large, broad base, short stem, usually with a duct insertion, and moderately open hook; duct firm, fine, many times longer than spermatheca deep, inserted or not on an extension onto spermatheca and near base into oviduct; gland cylindrical, shorter than depth of spermatheca.

DISTRIBUTION. — New Guinea, Solomon, Australia, Vanuatu.

ETYMOLOGY. — ‘Celeuthétes’ is Greek for traveller, pedestrian, alluding to the flightlessness of species.

REMARKS. — The genus is presently represented in Vanuatu by three species.

KEY TO SPECIES OF CELEUTHETES

1. Antennae and tarsi same colouring of femora and tibiae. Humeral area, in dorsal view, not sinuous, somewhat rounded. Male: elytra rather elongate, at least 1.35 x longer than combined width; ventrite 5 with a distinct impression; aedeagus at apex narrowly rounded ........................................... 2 — Antennae and tarsi distinctly darker than femora and tibiae. Humeral area, in dorsal view, sinuous, slightly incurved right behind humeral angle. Male: elytra broad, less then 1.25 x longer than combined width; ventrite 5 flat, lacking distinct impression; aedeagus at apex broadly rounded, subtruncate. 5.0- 6.5 mm. Vanuatu (Vanua Lava) ....................................................................................... rufipes

2. Colouring grey, derm black or piceous, scaling dull grey. Male: aedeagal apodemes at base curving outwards, in ventral view arising from lateral angle. Female: setae on interstriae 1-5 recumbent or nearly so; apex of elytra, in lateral view, weakly curved downward. 4.5-6.5 mm. Vanuatu (Vanua Lava to Tanna) .............................................................................................................................................. hebridarum — Colouring brown, derm reddish brown, scaling dull pale brown. Male: aedeagal apodemes at base curving downwards, not outwards, in ventral view arising a little inward from lateral angle. Female: setae on interstriae 1-5 semierect; apex of elytra, in lateral view, strongly curving downward. 5.5-6.5 mm. Vanuatu (Espíritu Santo) ................................................................................................................. sanctus