Pandeleteius anneae Anderson and Ivie, 2015

Anderson, Robert S. & Ivie, Michael A., 2015, Two New Species of Metallic GreenPandeleteiusSchönherr, 1834 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae: Tanymecini) from the West Indies, The Coleopterists Bulletin 69 (2), pp. 319-323 : 319-323

Pandeleteius anneae Anderson and Ivie , new species

( Figs. 1–2 , 5 )

Diagnosis. West Indian Pandeleteius with predominantly metallic green scales, length less than 4 mm, female genitalia with accordion-like and spiralled, elongate bursa copulatrix.

Description. Female. Length 3.5–3.8 mm, width 1.4–1.5 mm. Color of cuticle pale golden brown, entire body covered with bright metallic green, pale blue, and pearlescent scales except white

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3) P. metallicus , male, dorsal habitus; 4) P. metallicus , male, lateral habitus.

pearlescent scales only on abdominal ventrites 1–5 and on ventral surface of legs. Scales flat, not margined. Elytral setae very fine, inconspicuous, completely arched, uniserial on all intervals; setae longer and more obvious on sutural interval at declivity. Head: Beak about as long as wide (at base of eyes), sides subparallel from base to apicad of scrobes. Dorsal surface of beak with medial line moderately to deeply impressed from interantennal line to frons. Epistoma narrow, extending to interantennal line; posterior margin of epistoma V-shaped, set with row of vibrissae; anterior edge of epistoma with deep, median indentation. Scrobe deep, narrow, gently curved ventrally. Antenna with club approximately twice as long as wide, segments somewhat ‘loose’. Eye moderate in size and convexity, slightly elongate. Thorax: Prothorax about as long as wide, with distinct basal and apical constrictions, sides gently rounded between constrictions, disc only feebly convex, median line unmarked. Pronotum very slightly produced anteriorly over base of head. Distinct cluster of pale, golden postocular vibrissae arising from unmodified margin of pronotum behind eyes of which the longest are ventral, length of vibrissae progressively shorter dorsally. Elytra subcylindrical, 2.9–to 3.0 times longer than pronotum, sides slightly divergent to about apical third, thence rounded to apex; apex slightly attenuated. Humeri distinct. Elytral intervals equal, flat or nearly so. Striae set with small, distinct punctures. Elytral declivity set at about 45° angle, not abrupt. Legs: Fore femur moderately swollen; fore tibia slender, feebly bowed, with 5–8 small, widely spaced teeth on inner edge. Tarsal claws free. Distance between fore coxae approximately width of antennal club. Ventrite 5 triangular in shape with apex narrowly rounded, slightly projected ventrally. Genitalia: Coxites with ventral baculi about as long as ventrite 5. Vagina in basal broad portion with single, well-sclerotized rod with length about 3/5 that of abdominal ventrites 1–5; distal narrow portion of vagina with four rods becoming distinct and well-sclerotized beyond apex of single basal rod. Bursa copulatrix about as long as distal rods, accordion-like and spiralled in structure, folded back along vagina, apex with spermathecal duct, duct tube slender about as long as bursa copulatrix. Spermatheca with arm at right angle to swollen base. Sternite 8 with apodeme straight, fine, slightly shorter than lengths of basal and distal vaginal rods combined.

Male. Unknown.

Material Examined. Holotype female, “VI, French. Bay Estate, elev. 750 ft., St. Thomas, 11 Jun 1979, beaten from legume shrub, M.A. Ivie collector” ( CMNC) . Paratype females (2) “VI. St John ,/ Lameshur Bay, VIERS/ 21–28 July 1994 / M.S. Becker colr./ ultraviolet light” ( WIBF) .

Etymology. We take great pleasure in naming this species after Anne T. Howden in recognition of her long career studying weevils, particularly the genus Pandeleteius , as well as her help and kindness in support of the authors’ careers.

Biology. Both localities are low elevation, secondary dry tropical forest. St. Thomas has been collected since the time of Fabricius, and yet it seems this species was never taken before 1979. The St. Thomas specimen was beaten from roadside vegetation dominated by exotic Tan-Tan ( Leucaena leucocephala (Lamarck) de Wit ; Fabaceae : Mimosoideae ) and Guinea grass ( Panicum maximum Jacquin ; Poaceae ). The St. John specimens were taken at ultraviolet light on the grounds of the Virgin Islands Ecological Research Station. Extensive sampling by MAI and others working with the West Indian Beetle Fauna Project, using these methods in similar habitats on both these islands and others in the surrounding archipelago, did not yield any further specimens of this showy species. It is possible that P. anneae has an uncommon host and has simply escaped notice.

Figures

Figs. 1–4. Pandeleteius species. 1) P. anneae, female, dorsal habitus; 2) P. anneae, female, lateral habitus;

Figs. 5–8. Pandeleteius species. 5) P. anneae, female genitalia, dorsal view; 6) P. metallicus, female genitalia, dorsal view; 7) P. metallicus, male aedeagus, dorsal view; 8) P. metallicus, male aedeagus, lateral view.