Nephius continentalis Legalov, 2022

Legalov, Andrei A., 2022, Four new species of the genera Dryophthoroides Roelofs, 1879 and Nephius Pascoe, 1885 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) from Oriental and Papuan Regions, Ecologica Montenegrina 58, pp. 42-49 : 46

Nephius continentalis Legalov , sp. nov.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FC85F2DF-CC4A-40CF-B7DB-6A056AFE65DA

( Figs. 2A, 2C )

Type material: Holotype, female ( ISEA), LAOS: NE Laos, Hua Phan Prov., Phu Phan Mountains, 20°12′N, 103°59′E, 1200-1600 m, 10-22.V.2011, St. Jakl.

Description. Female: Body black, with matted pubescence. Antennae, apex of tibiae and tarsi brownish. Head subconical. Rostrum long, equal in length to pronotum, 4.8 times as long as wide at apex and at midlength, 3.6 times as long as wide at base, evenly curved, densely punctate. Apex of rostrum punctate, without pubescence. Eyes large, coarsely faceted, not protruding from contour of head, sublinear, contiguous ventrally. Forehead flattened, about 1.1 times as long as rostrum base width, glabrous. Antennal scrobes directed ventrally to base of rostrum. Antennae inserted beyond of rostrum middle. Scape long, 4.8 times as long as wide at apex, not reaching eye. Funicle sex-segmented. Second antennomere suboval, about 1.8 times as long as wide at apex, about 0.2 times as long as and 0.7 times as narrow as scape. Third antennomere conical, 1.7 times as long as wide at apex, 0.9 times as long as and about 0.9 times as narrow as second antennomere. Fourth-seventh antennomeres wide-conical. Third and fourth antennomeres subequal in width. Fourth antennomere 0.6 times as long as wide at apex, about 0.3 times as long as third antennomere. Fifth and sixth antennomeres subequal. Fifth antennomere about 0.6 times as long as wide at apex, about 1.3 times as long as and about 1.1 times wide as Fourth antennomere. Seventh antennomere 0.7 times as long as wide, 1.2 times as long as and about 1.1 times as wide as sixth antennomere. Antennal club compact, about 1.7 times as long as wide, 0.6 times as long as second-seventh antennomeres combined, with subconical tomentose apex. Pronotum campanulate, 1.7 times as long as wide at apex, about 1.1 times as long as wide at midlength and at pronotal base, without sharp preapical constriction. Pronotal disk weakly convex dorsally, sparsely punctate, without median carina. Intervals between points larger than their diameter. Sides of the not depressed in middle. Maximum width before apex and at base. Base of pronotum 0.9 times as narrow as base of elytra. Scutellum small, suboval. Elytra subparallel, 1.9 times as long as wide at base, 1.7 times as long as wide at midlength, 3.5 times as long as wide at apical fourth, 2.0 times as long as pronotum. Humeri completely flattened. Greatest width of elytra behind middle. Elytral striae distinct. Stria 9 short, fused with stria 10 at level of metacoxae. Interstriae convex, wide, slightly wider than striae, with pilose pustules. Prosternum punctate, with distinct postocular lobes. Precoxal portion of prosternum equal in length to procoxal cavity. Postcoxal portion of prosternum 0.5 times as long as precoxal portion. Procoxal cavities contiguous. Mesocoxal cavities narrowly separated. Metaventrite 1.7 times as long as length of metacoxa, weakly convex, sparsely punctate. Abdomen weakly convex ventrally, punctate. First ventrites about 0.9 times as long as length of metacoxa. Second ventrite 1.2 times as long as First ventrites. Third ventrite about 0.8 times as long as second ventrite. Fourth ventrite equal in length to third ventrite. Fifth ventrite convex, 1.8 times as long as fourth ventrite. Procoxae subconical. Mesocoxae spherical, narrowly separated. Metacoxae transverse. Femora slightly thickened, without tooth. Tibiae weakly curved, with large uncus. Tarsi long. First - third tarsomeres conical, with erect setae ventrally. Fifth tarsomere elongate. Tarsal claws free, divergent. Total body length (without rostrum) 4.6 mm. Length of rostrum 1.4 mm.

Differential diagnosis. The new species differs from N. kalimantanensis Legalov, 2022 from Kalimantan ( Indonesia) in the thicker and shorter rostrum, the pronotum lacking sharp preapical constriction, the elytra with maximum width postmedium, the lateral sides of the pronotum lacking median depression, and the completely flattened humeri.

Etymology. From the Latin ‘continentalis’ (continental).

Localisation. Laos, Hua Phan Prov.

Figures

Figure 2. Nephius spp., holotypes, habitus: A – N. continentalis sp. nov., dorsal view; B – N. philippinensis sp. nov., dorsal view; C – N. continentalis sp. nov., lateral view. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.