Curculio balmeri 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 : 26-27

Curculio balmeri Pelsue and Zhang , new species

Figs. 27–28, 65–66

HOLOTYPE. China. Hong San : male[ China /Kiangsi(Jiangxi)/Hong San/ 16 July 1936 / L. Gressitt] ( CASC).

PARATYPES (17). China. Sanwu : one female [ China /Kiangsi (Jiangxi)/Sanwu/ 12 August 1936 / L. Gressitt] ( CASC); Hong San one female [ China / Kiangsi (Jiangxi)/ 16 July 1936 / L.Gressitt] ( CASC) ; Macao: seven males, six females [ China / Macao / August 1906 / F. Muir] ( BPBM), ( IZAS), ( FWPC) ; Formosa: one male [ Formosa (Taiwan) / Kuraru / 13 August 1934 / L. Gressitt] ( CASC); China: one male, one female [ China] ( BMNH).

Description. Male: length; 3.2–4.3 mm (mean = 3.75 mm, n = 10) width: 1.7–2.3 mm (mean = 2.0 mm, n = 10). Head: derm fuscopiceous; punctures small­sized, glabrous; eyes large, suboval; frons, 0.15–0.22 mm (mean = 0.2 mm, n = 10) as broad as head across eyes, with narrow, elongate, testaceous scales; interocular fovea. Rostrum: length: 2.0– 2.6 mm (mean = 2.3 mm, n = 10); 0.61 as long as body; sub­cylindrical to antennal insertion becoming cylindrical to apex; 3 dorsal carinae from base to distad of antennal insertion, flanked by deep oval punctures; gradually arced; scrobe ventral; scape inserted at midpoint. Antennae: length: scape 0.7–1.0 mm (mean = 0.85 mm, n = 10); funiculus: segment one 0.3 mm, two 0.25 mm, three 0.15 mm, four 0.1 mm, five 0.1 mm, six 0.1 mm, seven 0.15 mm, club 0.5 mm, funicle 1.1 mm (n = 10); scape 0.78 as long as funicle; clothed with narrow, elongate, testaceous scales; club elongate, acuminate, longer than funicular segments 5–7. Thorax: length: 0.9–1.3 mm (mean = 1.1 mm, n = 10) width: 1.4–1.7 mm (mean = 1.6 mm, n = 10); 0.73 as long as broad; disc margins subparallel, rounded to constriction, punctures small, with indication of longitudinal carina, clothed with short, clavate, testaceous scales, with four basal macula of longer, clavate, ochraceous scales, essentially flat in lateral view; ventromedial macula of broad, clavate, white scales; mesosternal intercoxal process prominent, clothed with clavate, white scales; scutellum medium­sized, not impressed, longer than broad, clothed with ochraceous scales; mesepimeron densely clothed with elongate, broad, clavate, white scales; mesepisternum less densely clothed with broad, clavate, white scales; metepisternum clothed with clavate, testaceous scales, with proximal and distal macula of white scales; metasternum clothed with broad, clavate, white scales; procoxae clothed with clavate, white scales. Elytra: length: 2.1–2.6 mm (mean = 2.36 mm, n = 10). striae narrow, deep, with narrow, elongate, fuscous scales; humeri prominent, rounded; intervals broad, flat, clothed with short, clavate, fuscous scales, basal macula flanking scutellum of clavate, luteus scales, in­part vitta on interval one from scutellum to fascia on intervals 1–3 of clavate, luteus scales, intervals 4 and 6 with fuscous scales, intervals 5, 7–10 with white scales with vitta becoming longer on intervals 8–10, interval 1 with short apical vitta of white scales; confused small maculae of longer, clavate, white scales; crosshatched setae short, luteus. Legs: length of hind femur 1.5–2.0 mm (mean = 1.6 mm, n = 10), tooth medium­sized, acute; pro­ and mesofemoral teeth small; vestiture of narrow, elongate, white scales; hind femur reaching apex of abdomen; tibiae straight, pro­, meso­, and metauncus small with pro­ to metauncus gradually becoming shorter. Abdomen: sternite 1 longer than 2 behind coxal cavity, with shallow median declivity; sternite 2 ascending to 3; sternites 3 and 4 equal in length, combined longer than 5; sternite 5 truncate with shallow median declivity, lateral tufts of short white seta­like scales; sternites 1 and 2 with lateral macula of broad, clavate, white scales, medially scales shorter, narrower, clavate, white scales with bifid apices; sternites 3–5 clothed with mixture of short, clavate, and short, narrower, bifid, white scales. Pygidium : small, clothed with short, testaceous seta­like scales. Genitalia: not dissected. Female: length: 3.6–4.2 mm (mean = 3.97 mm, n = 8) width: 1.9–2.35 mm (mean = 2.19 mm, n = 8). Frons: 0.19–0.21 mm (mean = 0.19 mm, n = 8). Rostrum: length: 2.3–3.0 mm (mean = 2.7 mm, n = 8); 0.68 as long as body; abruptly emerging from head. Antennae: length of scape 0.8–0.9 mm (mean = 0.84 mm, n = 8) funiculus segment one 0.3 mm, two 0.25 mm, three 0.15 mm, four 0.1 mm, five 0.1 mm, six 0.1 mm, seven 0.1 mm; club 0.45 mm; scape 0.74 as long as funicle (n = 8). Thorax: length: 1.1–1.3 mm (mean = 1.2 mm, n = 8) width: 1.5–1.8 mm (mean = 1.7 mm, n = 8); punctures set in longitudinal rugae. Elytra: length: 2.2–2.6 mm (mean = 2.5 mm, n = 8). Legs: length of hind femur 1.7–2.0 mm (mean = 1.8 mm, n = 8). Pygidium : exposed, small, triangular, with short, fuscous, seta­like scales. Genitalia: spermatheca not dissected.

Remarks. Separated from other taxa in this species group by the distinctive scale pattern.

Etymology. Named in honor of the senior author’s grandfather Herbert B. Balmer.