Curculio brittanyae Pelsue and Zhang, 2002

Pelsue, Frank W. & Zhang, Runzhi, 2002, A Review Of The Genus Curculio From China With Descriptions Of New Taxa. Part III. The Curculio subfenestratus Voss Group (Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Curculionini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 56 (1), pp. 1-39 : 34

Curculio brittanyae Pelsue and Zhang , new species

Figs. 53–54

HOLOTYPE. China. Emei Shan : male[ China / Sichuan /Emei Shan/ 550–750 m / 27 July 1957 / H. Zhu] ( IZAS).

Description. Male: length: 5.7 mm (n = 1). width: 3.0 mm (n = 1). Head: small, short; punctures small with short, narrower, thin, testaceous scales; eyes small, oval, finely faceted; frons, 0.38 as broad as head across eyes, punctures small with short, narrow, elongate, luteus scales. Rostrum: length: 4.0 mm (n = 1); 0.7 as long as body; cylindrical; 3 dorsal carinae, center carina originating distad of frons, large oval punctures between carinae, carinae ending before antennal insertion; almost straight to insertion of antennae then slightly arced to apex; scrobe ventral; scape inserted in basal half. Antennae: length: scape 1.5 mm, funiculus: segment one 0.35 mm, two 0.35 mm, three 0.25 mm, four 0.2 mm, five 0.2 mm, six 0.15 mm, seven 0.2 mm, club 0.6 mm, funicle 1.7 mm (n = 1); scape 0.88 as long as funicle; vestiture of narrow, elongate, white scales; club elongate, compact, acuminate; not as long as funicular segments 4–7. Thorax: length: 1.6 mm (n = 1). width: 2.2 mm (n = 1); 0.73 as long as broad; disc triangular from base to constriction, convex laterally, punctures small with narrow, elongate, fuscous scales dorsally scattered with small, clavate, luteus scales; basal triangular macula proximal to scutellum of luteus scales, dorsally with basolateral and lateral macula of luteus scales; median longitudinal carina; base sinuate; mesosternal intercoxal process prominent clothed with luteus scales; scutellum medium­sized, as long as broad, rectangular, sparsely clothed with fuscous scales; mesepimeron with dorsal and ventral macula of clavate, luteus scales, fuscous scales between; mesepisternum sparsely clothed with narrow, elongate, ochroleucus scales; metepisternum with distal macula of luteus scales, remaining scales white; metasternum with macula of luteus scales anterior of metacoxae; procoxae with luteus scales; macula of luteus scales anteroventral between procoxae. Elytra: length 3.6 mm (n = 1); striae deep with deep punctures; shallow scutellar and post­scutellar declivity; disc flat in lateral view; humeri rounded; intervals broad, flat, with small confused patches of luteus scales, except for macular fascia on intervals 2, 3, 7–8 near midpoint, of luteus scales; crosshatched setae from scutellum to distad of midpoint, decumbent and luteus, then becoming suberect and fuscous to apex. Legs: length of hind femur 2.7 mm (n = 1), all femora with teeth small; femora base slender with medium­sized clava, base fuscopiceous, clava fuscorufous; tibiae almost straight, prouncus longer than mesouncus not as long as tarsal claw, metauncus very small. Abdomen: sternite 1 longer than 2 behind coxal cavity; sternite 2 ascending to 3; sternites 3 and 4 equal in length, combined longer than 5; sternite 5 with acutely rounded apex; sternite 2 with small lateral macula of clavate, luteus scales, remaining scales on all sternites narrow, elongate, white, with acute apices. Pygidium : medium, with apical fringe of short fuscous seta­like scales. Genitalia: not dissected.

Remarks. Can be separated from species of this group by crosshatched setae extending from scutellum to apex of elytra, confused luteus patches of scales on elytra and macular pattern of luteus scales on disc of pronotum.

Etymology. Named in honor of the senior author’s granddaughter Brittany Lynn Pelsue.