Pantiala illusa Pascoe

Riedel, Alexander, 2017, The weevil genera Nyphaeba Pascoe and Pantiala Pascoe and the problems of an unstable nomenclature in orphaned taxa, Zootaxa 4244 (3), pp. 377-389 : 384-387

Pantiala illusa Pascoe

( Figs 4 a–d, 5b)

Pantiala illusa Pascoe, 1885: 284 . (type locality: Fly River)

Redescription. Lectotype, male ( Figs. 4 a, c). Length 4.68 mm. Color black; antennae light ferruginous; some patches covered with white scales. Rostrum largely clothed with broad cream-colored scales, medially with indistinct, blunt ridge. Forehead weakly impressed, together with vertex densely punctate, weakly denticulate, clothed with white scales. Pronotum densely punctate, interspaces subglabrous; laterally in front of coxa with patch of white scales. Elytron in apical 1/3 with elongate patch of white scales on interval 4. Thoracic venter ( Fig. 5b ). Mesanepisternum, metanepisternum and sides of abdominal ventrite 1 encrusted with yellowish scales partly abraded; sides of metaventrite clothed with broad white scales. Pro- and metacoxa with tuft of erect white scales. Legs. Femora ventrally in basal half with fringe of erect scales. Meso- and metafemur dorsally densely covered with white scales. Tibiae basally with fringe of erect brownish scales continuing and partly concealing abrupt termination of dorsal carina. Metatibia subbasally widened. Abdominal ventrite 5 with dense erect setae. Male terminalia. Penis ( Fig. 4 b) with apex narrow, rounded, without setae. Intraspecific variation. Length 3.44–4.25 mm.

Material examined. Male, lectotype by present designation: Papua New Guinea, Fly River (labels Fig. 4 d) , ARC 4666 (PCR failed); condition: fair; protarsi and antennae broken and glued separately to card; originally mounted with minute pin; remounted on card; genitalia in glycerol in microtube ( BMNH). Other material examined ( MCDG, SMNK): West New Guinea: 2 exx , ARC0894 (EMBL LT545995 ), ARC0900 (EMBL LN889387 , LN889576 , LN888789 , LN889251 , LN889038 , LN888436 , LN888257 , LN888615 , LN889170 ), Cyclops Mts, Sentani, 350–620 m, S 02° 32.3´E 140° 30.4´, 19-XI-2007; 1 ex, Cyclops Mts, Sentani, 1100–1600 m, 05-X-1991; 4 exx, Cyclops Mts, Sentani, 270–500 m, 28-IX-1996; 3 exx, Cyclops Mts, Sentani, 300–550 m, 02-X-1992; 3 exx, Cyclops Mts, Sentani, 350–850 m, 16-X-1996; 2 exx, Cyclops Mts, Sentani, 600–1100 m, 05-X- 1991; 1 ex, Cyclops Mts, Sentani, 400–500 m, 10-VIII-1992; 1 ex, Manokwari, Gn. Meja, 200 m, 18-III-1993; 1 ex, Manokwari, Gn. Meja, 200 m, 30-XII-2000 - 01-I-2001; 1 ex, Epomani, Km 145, 550– 750 m, 15-16-I-1996; 1 ex, Nabire, Pemukiman, ca. 200 m, 17-VIII-1991; 1 ex, Japen Isl. , Serui, Kontiunai, road to Ambaidiru, 600–700 m, 26-XII-2000 ; 1 ex, Wapoga River, E Asori, Km 64, Kwadewa Camp, S 02° 49´E 136° 28´, 10-I-1999. Papua New Guinea: 1 ex, Fly River , paralectotype; 1 ex , ARC 1332 , Simbu Prov., Karimui Dist., Crater Mt. , Haia, Supa, S06° 39.905´E145° 03.880´to S06° 39.796´E145° 03.873´, 1220–1320 m, 01-X-2009 .

Distribution. West Papua: Manokwari, Epomani, Wapoga River, Japen Isl., Cyclops Mts.. Papua New Guinea: Fly River, Crater Mt.

Notes. Pascoe (1885) did not designate a holotype nor specify the number of specimens examined. Four syntypes found at BMNH and MCDG belong to different species and different genera. A lectotype is designated to achieve stability of nomenclature. The species appears to range over wide areas of New Guinea and neighboring islands and specimens from distant localities show little morphological differences. Sequence data are available only from two populations, i.e. from Cyclops Mountains and from Crater Mountain—their COI-sequences show an astonishing uncorrected p-distance of 12.5 %. This is an indication for the presence of cryptic species. However, sequence data from additional localities would be needed to clarify this situation.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Pantiala illusa Pascoe, lectotype; (a) Habitus in dorsal aspect (b) Penis (c) Habitus in lateral aspect (d) original labels.

FIGURE 5 a, c – d. Nyphaeba mimica sp. n., holotype; (a) venter (c) detail of ventrite 1 with row of short ridges marked by arrows (d) posterior surface of metafemur with patch of ridges, presumably acting as stridulatory device together with structures shown in (c). Fig. 5 b. Pantiala illusa Pascoe, venter.