Euops pygmaeus, Riedel, 2001

Riedel, Alexander, 2001, The pygmaeus-group of Euops Schoenherr (Coleoptera, Curculionoidea, Attelabidae), weevils associated with Nothofagus in New Guinea, Journal of Natural History 35 (8), pp. 1173-1237 : 1178-1180

The pygmaeus -group of Euops Schoenherr

Note. A diagnosis of the genus Euops and instructions on how to separate males and females is given in Riedel (1999).

Diagnosis. Prementum with two apical teeth (®gures 30, 32). Rostrum spatulate, in pro®le with dorsum and venter converging apicad, dorsum mostly more or less concave (®gure 14), rarely ¯at (®gure 15). Clypeus with median tooth less than one quarter of rostral width; median tooth apically either weakly concave, with moderate incision, or with marked incision, then almost bidentate (®gure 27). Maxilla with ventral suture fused between galea and palpifer (®gure 35).

Range. New Guinea. Altitude: 1300±2800 m.

Description

Males. Length, pronotum 1 elytron: 1.88±4.55 mm. Colouration. Variable; black, with metallic colours, or mostly testaceous. Head. Short to elongate; eyes moderately prominent in dorsal view, medially approximated to distant, most approximated at c.middle of length of eye; in lateral view with dorsal contour straight immediately behind eye. Rostrum. 1.50± 2.12 Ö as long as mouthparts, at widest point 1.33± 1.86 Ö wider than at base; in dorsal view with lateral contours subparallel to slightly beyond antennal insertion, anteriorly moderately to strongly diverging; shape spatulate; in cross section dorsal contour weakly rounded at base, towards apex becoming laterally ¯at and weakly rounded at middle; clypeus with narrow median process and pair of wide lateral lobes (®gure 27); interantennal area smooth, not markedly projecting dorsally, with weakly convex margins converging anteriad. Mouthparts. Prementum at base c.1.9± 2.1 Ö wider than long, c.5.0± 7.1 Ö wider than at apex, with concave sides converging apicad, lateral apical processes short, median process minute to absent, processes apically subacute to bluntly rounded (®gures 30, 32). Maxilla with ventral suture fused between galea and palpifer (®gures 30, 35). Proventriculus (®gure 52) with eight primary gnathal ridges; without secondary gnathal ridges. Thorax. Prothorax. 0.86± 1.03 Ö as long as wide; subbasal constriction shallow; dorsum evenly convex, except with marked protrusion in males of E. singularis . Metanotum. Simple, without sutural spines, without lateral lobes (®gure 28). Elytron. Intervals ¯at or evenly convex. Legs. Femora with sparse recumbent setae, exceptionally ventrally with erect setae. Profemur clavate, usually (if not otherwise stated) with anterior and ventral contour more strongly curved than dorsal and posterior contour. Mesofemur and metafemur ventrally smooth, without teeth. Protibia with uncus terminal, continuous with dorsal and ventral tibial contour; anterior distal comb almost complete, usually weakly shortened near dorsal and ventral edge; posterior distal comb for short distance dorsally of tarsal articulation, except vestigial in E. platyrostris . Dorsal edge of meso- and metatibia distinctly crenulate. Tarsi normal in length, tarsomere 1 of protarsus subequal to tarsomeres 21 3 together. Abdomen. Ventral contour in lateral view weakly to strongly concave. Genitalia. Sternite VIII at base truncate, sometimes with lateral angles weakly extended.

Females. Same as males except: Head. Genae in dorsal view slightly more strongly converging anteriad. Rostrum in pro®le with dorsum apically more concave (®gure 14). Legs. Protibia with ventral surface granulate and sparsely setose except at base; protibia with anterior distal comb in dorsal third of tibial height. Abdomen. Ventral contour in lateral view straight to weakly convex; setose patch consisting of three double rows of modi®ed setae on sternite III±V with each sternite bearing one double row, plus one simple row of modi®ed or nonmodi®ed setae on sternite VI (®gures 59, 60); at double rows of modi®ed setae integument with concentration of pores (®gure 51). Genitalia. Sternite VIII small, except for E. kurulu with short apodeme (®gures 212±220, 222). Spermatheca without strong microreticulation except in platyrostris ; with well-developed spermathecal gland. Ovipositor (®gure 142) without styli.

Biological note

All species with available host records were collected on various species of the subgenus Brassospora of Nothofagus .