Temnocerus chiriquensis ( Sharp 1889 )

Hamilton, R. W., 2010, Central American Temnocerus Thunberg, 1815 (Coleoptera: Rhynchitidae), Insecta Mundi 2010 (128), pp. 1-42 : 7-9

Temnocerus chiriquensis ( Sharp 1889)

( Fig. 7, 8 , 61 , 87 )

Type locality. Panama,Volcan de Chiriqui, 4000-6000 ft.

Type depository. The Natural History Museum, London, England ( BMNH)

Specimens examined. PANAMA: Holotype [sex female?] with the following data: V. de Chiriqui 4-6000 ft. Rhynchites chiriquensis Type D. S. [hand written on card with specimen]; Type [circular label with red margin]; V. de Chiriqui 4000-6000 ft. Champion; B.C.A. Col. iv.3 Rhynchites chiriquensis Sharp. HONDURAS: 1 male, Olancho, P.N. La Muralla, 1 June 1995, R. Turnbow; 1 male, [same as previous except 27 May 1995], 1 female, [same as previous except 28 Nov. 1995] ( CWOB). NICARAGUA: 1 male, Matagalpa Dept., 6 km N. Matagalpa, Selva Negra , 18-22-v-02, N 12 o 59.9’ W 85 o 54.6’, 1250 m, Forest GFITS, S. Peck ( CMNC).

Description. Color and pubescence: Color shiny bluish to greenish black throughout. Pubescence absent above except for some very small semi-erect setae on lateral aspect of pronotum and elytra. Size: Male (n = 3) 1.5 × 0.6 mm to 2.0 × 0.7 mm; Female (n = 1) 1.8 × 0.6 mm. Head quadrate, about as long as wide, sparsely punctured; punctures small and weakly impressed; interspaces shiny, minutely and weakly granulose; frons about twice as wide as rostral base. Eyes large, round, moderately protuberant. Rostrum short, only slightly longer than head, nearly parallel sided, widened only slightly at apex, moderately punctured; basi-dorsal 1/2 minutely granulose. Antennae longer than rostrum, inserted just before basal 1/3 of rostrum; scape and funicular segment 1 ovoglobose, subequal; funicular segments 2 and 3 narrow, cylindrical; segments 4-6 subequal, slightly more robust than 2 and 3; segment 7 shorter, bead-like, more setose; club elongate, segments subequal in length; terminal club segment smaller, apically narrowed and apically rounded. Pronotum slightly longer than wide, widest at basal 1/3, moderately punctured; interspaces smooth, shiny. Scutellum rectangular, twice as wide as long, with minute punctures. Elytra twice as long as pronotum, widest near middle; humeri simple; striae distinct throughout, weakly impressed; becoming smaller and more weakly impressed posteriorly; interspaces flat, smooth, shiny, with minute punctures on bridge pieces between striae and rowed along interspaces. Thoracic pleura and sterna with coarse moderate to dense punctures. Abdominal ventrites distinctly concave; ventrites 1 and 2 moderately and minutely punctured; ventrites 3-5 more densely punctured and with longer median setosity.

Distribution. Specimens are recorded from Panama, Honduras and Nicaragua ( Fig. 87 ).

Comments. The small size, greenish-black to bluish-black color, sparse punctation and wide smooth and shiny interspaces identify the adults of this species. The aedeagus of T. chiriquensis ( Fig. 61 ) has a narrowly tapered median lobe with the pedon apex narrowly truncate. The tectum is narrowly spatulate. The tegminal cap piece is broadly finger like with the small pigmented apex bearing divergent clusters of terminal setae on each side. Endophallic bands are short, linear and distinct.

Plant association. Unknown

Figures

Figure 3-10. Heads of Temnocerus species, frontal view, male left and female right. 3-4) T. abdominalis (Voss). 5- 6) T. chiapensis n.sp., holotype and allotype. 7-8) T. chiriquensis (Sharp). 9-10) T. confertus (Sharp).

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.