Temnocerus ellus, Hamilton, 2010

Hamilton, R. W., 2010, Central American Temnocerus Thunberg, 1815 (Coleoptera: Rhynchitidae), Insecta Mundi 2010 (128), pp. 1-42 : 13-15

Temnocerus ellus , new species

( Fig. 13, 14 , 64 , 88 )

Type locality. Mexico, Chiapas, 4.8 km SE Trinitaria

Type depository. Charles W. O’Brien collection ( CWOB)

Type specimens. Holotype male and allotype with the following data: Mexico , Chiapas, 4.8 km SE Trinitaria, 19 Sep 1981, Clark & Coe ( CWOB) . Paratypes as follows: GUATEMALA: 1 female, Baja Verapaz, 16 km N. Salami on Pantin Rd., 31-v-1991, 1550m, 136-11, H & A Howden ( CMNC). HONDU- RAS: 1 female, Feo. [Francisco], Morazan Tequcigalpa , La Tigra [Parque Nacional], 30 July 1992, 29 [?], R. Cordero ( RDCC). MEXICO: 3 males, Mich., 4 km N Dr. Miguel Silva, 25-8-2002, 1718 m gps, N19 11. 363’, W101 43.911’, 800, C.L. Bellamy ; 2 males, Chiapas, 27 km SE Teopisca , 22-sep-1981, Clark & Coe ; 1 male, Chiapas, Ocozocoautla , 7 Sep 1981, Clark & Coe ; 3 males, Chiapas, Ocozocoautla , 26 Aug 1982, Clark & Cave ; 2 males, Chiapas, 2 mi. e Jct. Hwy # 190 & # 195 (e. of Chiapa de Corzo ), 22.vi.1985, Askevold & Heffern ; 1 males and 2 females, Chiapas, 4.8 km SE Trinitaria , 19 Sep 1981, Clark & Coe ; 1 male and 1 female, 5 km S. La Trinitaria , 28 Aug. 1982, W. Clark & R. Cave ; 1 male and 1 female, 7 mi. SW Ocozocoautla , 2500’, Aug. 1, 1974, O’Brien & Marshall ; 1 female, Chiapas, Comitan , 18 Sep 1981, Clark & Coe ; 1 male, Chis. [Chiapas], 2 mi SE Teopisca, vii-31-1974, 5,900’, C & L O’Brien & Marshall ; 1 female, Chiapas, 4.8 km SE Trinitaria , 21 Sept 1981, Clark & Coe ; 1 female, Chis. [Chiapas], 13 mi NE Cintalapa, Aug 1, 1974, 2000’, C.W. & L. O’Brien & Marshall ; 1 female, Oaxaca, 22 km S Oaxaca , 20 Aug 1982, Clark & Cave ; 1 female, Oaxaca, km 40 Guelatao Oaxaca, 20-ix-1989, E. Barrera ( CWOB). 1 female, Oaxaca, 8.3 mi. SE El Cameron, July 24, 1974, Clark, Murray , Ashe , Schaffner ( TAMU). 1 male, Veracruz, Koebele Collection ( CASC). 1 male, Chiapas, Pq. Nac. Sumidero , 25.v.-13.vi. 1990, 1000 m, malaise trap, H & A Howden ; 1 female, Oax. [Oaxaca], 12.4 km. SE El Cameron, 16-vii-87, 1219 m, dry oak/pine forest, 87-23, R. Anderson ; 1 female, Chiapas, Pq. Nac. Sumidero, Coyote Mirador , 10-vi-1989, 1700 m, H. Howden ; 2 males, Chiapas, Pq. Nac. Sumidero , 29-v-1990, 1000 m, H & A Howden ; 1 male, Chiapas, San Cristobal , 11-vi-1990, 2,200 m, H & A Howden ( CMNC) .

Description. Color and pubescence: Body brownish-black throughout with faint greenish and brassy luster on pronotum. Pubescence composed of short fine brownish reclinate setae; frons with sparse long fine setae. Size: Male (n = 19) 1.6 × 0.7 mm to 2.0 × 0.8 mm; Female (n = 13) 2.1 × 0.8 mm to 2.6 × 1.1 mm. Head quadrate, as long as wide, moderate to densely punctured; interspaces minutely granulose; eyes large, oval, weakly conical, strongly protuberant. Rostrum short, only as long as head, weakly arcuate, apically flattened, subequal in length to head, distinctly widened from antennal insertions to apex; with mid-dorsal basal channel, moderately punctured on sides; mid-dorsal area in apical 1/2 smooth, shiny. Antenna longer than rostrum, inserted at basal 1/3; scape and funicular segment 1 subequal in length; funicular segment 1 more robust; segments 2-4 subequal, oval, narrowed; segments 5-7 subequal, bead-like; club abrupt; basal and middle segment subequal in length; basal segment narrowed at base; apical segment slightly longer than basal or middle segment, apically acuminate. Pronotum slightly longer than wide; densely punctured; interspaces smooth, shiny. Scutellum small, rectangular, wider than long, punctured. Elytra about twice as long as pronotum, widest near middle; humeri simple; striae becoming smaller beyond middle; interspaces weakly raised, with single row setigerous punctures; interspaces between striae with single setigerous puncture. Thoracic pleura and sterna densely punctured; punctures coarse, with longer more whitish setae. Abdominal ventrites distinctly concave, with moderately set small setigerous punctures; setae more numerous through middle.

Distribution. Adults of this species are recorded from Guatemala, Honduras and the Mexican states of Michoacan, Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Veracruz ( Fig. 88 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin ending “ell” and is in reference to the small size of this species.

Comments. Adults of this small species have large and strongly protuberant eyes (especially in males). The male rostrum is short, nearly straight and distinctly flattened apically. This species is easily confused with T. abdominalis but the punctures of the abdominal ventrites are not as uniformly placed and dense as in that species. The shape of the pedon apex and the setosity of the tegminal cap-piece are also different in these two species. The aedeagus ( Fig. 64 ) has a short strongly narrowed median lobe with the pedon apex narrowly truncate. The tectum is spatulate with a narrow base. The tegminal cap piece is narrowly finger-like with the small pigmented apex bearing a cluster of very short setae. Endophallic bands are short, linear and weakly defined. The aedeagus of this species and that of T. obrieni and T. thesaurus are very similar and probably form a natural group.

Plant association. Unknown.

Figures

Figure 11-22. Heads of Temnocerus species, frontal view, male left and female right. 11-12) T. cyaneus n.sp., holotype and allotype. 13-14) T. ellus n.sp., holotype and allotype. 15-16) T. giganteus n.sp., holotype and allotype. 17-18) T. guatemalenus (Sharp). 19-20) T. guerrerensis n.sp., holotype and allotype. 21-22) T. herediensis n.sp., holotype and allotype.

Figure 59-86. Aedeagal tegmen and median lobe of Temnocerus species, dorsal view, 64X. 59) T. abdominalis (Voss). 60) T. chiapensis n. sp. 61) T. chiriquensis (Sharp). 62) T. confertus (Sharp). 63) T. cyaneus n. sp. 64) T. ellus n. sp. 65) T. giganteus n. sp.; 66) T. guatemalenus (Sharp). 67) T. guerrerensis n. sp. 68) T. herediensis n. sp. 69) T. mexicanus n. sp. 70) T. michoacensis n. sp. 71) T. minutus n. sp. 72) T. niger n. sp. 73) T. oaxacensis n. sp. 74) T. obrieni n. sp. 75) T. oculatus (Sharp). 76) T. potosi n. sp. 77) T. pseudaeratus n. sp. 78) T. pueblensis n. sp. 79) T. pusillus (Sharp). 80) T. regularis (Sharp). 81) T. rostralis n. sp. 82) T. rugosus n. sp. 83) T. salvensis n. sp. 84) T. tamaulipensis n. sp. 85) T. thesaurus (Sharp) 86) T. yucatensis n. sp.

Figure 87-90. Distribution of Temnocerus species. 87) T. abdominalis, red; T. chiapensis, blue; T. chiriquensis, black; T. rostralis, green. 88) T. confertus, red; T. ellus, blue; T. giganteus, black. 89) T. guerrerensis, blue; T. guatemalenus, red; T. herediensis, black. 90) T. mexicanus, red; T. michoacensis, blue; T. minutus, black.