Pachycerus hippali, Meregalli, 2009

Meregalli, Massimo, 2009, Revision of the Indo-African Pachycerus Schoenherr, 1823, with a description of four new species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Lixinae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 157 (2), pp. 295-325 : 303

PACHYCERUS HIPPALI SP. NOV.

Type locality: Saudi Arabia, Jeddah , Taif, 20°17′N, 40°23′E .

Holotype male: Saudi Arabia: ‘ Jeddah – Taif [20°17′N, 40°23′E], 200–600 m, 1.V.1979 / KAU-NHMB 1979, Exp. N. Hedjaz’, 1 ♂ ( NHMB).

Paratypes: Egypt: ‘Egypte, Gabal Elba, W. Cansisrob [ Wadi Kansisrob , 22°15′N, 36°32′W], 25.I.1933 ’, 1 ex. ( NHMB) ; Sudan: ‘Kordofan, Grahm./34837/138/ opimus Ghl. ’, 1 ♀ ( ZMHB) .

Diagnosis: A Pachycerus sister species to P. opimus , characterized by the aedeagus acutely pointed at the apex, the narrow, S-shaped hemisternites, the spermatheca with slender, acuminate cornu, the pronotum with subparallel sides, and the ratio length/ width of the elytra less than 1.40.

Measurements: Body length excluding rostrum: 12.45 mm. Rostrum: length, 1.97 mm; width, 1.38 mm; ratio, 1.43. Pronotum: length, 3.25 mm; width, 3.97 mm; ratio, 0.82. Elytra: length, 7.45 mm; width, 5.37 mm; ratio, 1.38. Ratio of elytral to pronotal length: 2.29 (holotype).

Description (with characters of P. opimus in parenthesis): General aspect of P. opimus ; ratio of elytral to pronotal length usually slightly lower ( Figs 3, 11 vs. 1, 10). Rostrum with a narrow sharp median keel, and glossy raised dorsolateral keels, almost lacking punctures (median keel scarcely sharp, slightly obtuse; dorsolateral keels with several punctures) ( Fig. 9 vs. 5). Antennae very similar, segment I of funicle slightly narrower at base ( Fig. 17 vs. 16). Eyes nearly symmetrical, moderately broadened on upper part, and regularly rounded on superior margin (eyes relatively asymmetrical, slightly angular in the point of maximum width) ( Fig. 7 vs. 6). Pronotum robust, with maximum width at middle of length, sides subparallel, with relatively dense convex glossy granules, base at centre with a slight indentation, dorsum with interspaces of granules narrow, high, dorsolateral impression shallow, with several granules (pronotum with maximum width near base, lateral granules sparse, scarcely raised, flattened on top, base more acutely prominent, dorsum with scarcely differentiated punctures, interspaces scarcely raised) ( Fig. 4 vs. 2). Elytra with narrow, barely defined striae, much smaller than intervals, punctures nearly indistinct, transformed in short, relatively deep furrows; integument deeply wrinkled; sides at apex shortly convergent behind weak subapical impression (striae smaller than intervals but clearly differentiated, with irregular but usually distinct round or elongate punctures, integument shallowly wrinkled, glossy; apex more elongated behind subapical impression). Vestiture with scales usually connate at basal third, and with long teeth (scales usually with very short teeth) ( Fig. 14 vs. 13). Aedeagus with lamella broad, triangular, sides shortly convergent, apex subacute (aedeagus with regularly narrowed lamella, apex subtruncate) ( Figs 21, 26–27 vs. 22, 25, 28). Hemisternites S-shaped, narrow, with cylindrical styli (hemisternites broad, oblong, not evidently S-shaped, styli longer) ( Fig. 19 vs. 18); spermatheca with curved, slender cornu, subacute at apex (spermatheca with cornu short, scarcely curved, not acute at apex) ( Fig. 23 vs. 24); sternum VIII not significantly differentiated ( Fig. 20 vs. 15).

Variation: The two specimens from both sides of the Red Sea, Gabal Elba and Jeddah, are nearly identical. The specimen from Sudan has slightly shallower sculpture and deeper dorsolateral impressions of the pronotum. The ratio of elytral to pronotal length is constant in the three specimens examined (2.27– 2.29) .

Etymology: This species, diffused along the coasts of the Red Sea, is named after Hippalus. He was a Greek navigator and merchant who probably lived in the 1st century BCE, and was credited with discovering the direct route from the Red Sea to India over the Indian Ocean (Wikipedia contributors, 2008).

Distribution ( Fig. 108 ): Pachycerus hippali sp. nov. is present all along the coasts of the Red Sea, and reaches Kurdufan, in central Sudan.

Figures

Figure 108. The Indo-African species of Pachycerus. Distribution map. Map taken from Encarta World Atlas 2000 (Microsoft Corporation), refined with Photoshop 7.0.

Figures 1–12. Pachycerus opimus (Gyllenhal, 1834), neotype female: body (1, 10); rostrum (5, 6); pronotum (2); ventrites (8). Pachycerus hippali sp. nov., holotypus: body (3, 11); rostrum (7, 9); pronotum (4); ventrites (12). Scale bars: 1, 3, 10, 11, 5 mm; 2, 4, 8, 12, 2 mm; 5–7, 9, 1 mm.

Figures 13–28. Pachycerus opimus (Gyllenhal, 1834), neotype female: antenna (16); detail of elytral scales (13); sternite VIII (15). Pachycerus opimus, Senegal, female: hemisternites (18); spermatheca (24). Pachycerus opimus, Senegal, male: aedeagus, dorsum, profile and lamella (22, 25, 28). Pachycerus hippali sp. nov., holotypus: antenna (17); detail of elytral scales (14); aedeagus, dorsum, profile and lamella (21, 26, 27). Pachycerus hippali sp. nov., Kordofan, paratypus female: sternite VIII (20); hemisternites (19); spermatheca (23). Scale bars: 15–17, 20–22, 25, 26, 1 mm; 18, 19, 0.5 mm; 23, 24, 27, 28, 0.2 mm.