Temnocerus minutus, Hamilton, 2010

Hamilton, R. W., 2010, Central American Temnocerus Thunberg, 1815 (Coleoptera: Rhynchitidae), Insecta Mundi 2010 (128), pp. 1-42 : 25-26

Temnocerus minutus , new species

( Fig. 27, 28 , 71 , 90 )

Type locality. Costa Rica, Heredia, La Selva Biological Station

Type depository. National Institute of Biodiversity, Costa Rica ( INBC)

Type specimens. Holotype male with the following data: Costa Rica, Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva , 50- 150 m, 10 o 26’N 84 o 01’W, 2 June 1993, INBio-OET, M/15/121 . Allotype with same data as holotype except 15 March 1994, M/09/379 ( INBC) . Paratypes as follows: 1 male, Costa Rica, Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva , 50-150 m, 10 o 26’N 84 o 01’W, Apr. 1993, INBio-OET ; 1 male, same data as holotype ; 2 females, Costa Rica, Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva , 50-150 m, 10 o 26’N 84 o 01’W, 4 Apr 1994, M/09/387, INBio-OET ; 1 female, 1 female, Costa Rica, Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva , 50-150 m, 10 o 26’N 84 o 01’W, 14 Sept 1995, M/ 09/454, INBio-OET ; 1 female, Costa Rica, Heredia Pr: La Selva Biol. Sta. , 3 km S Pto.Viejo, 10 o 26’N 84 o 01’W, 16 Abril 1993, Bosque Secundario, M /15/ 078, INBio CR1 ; 1 male, Costa Rica, Heredia Pr: La Selva Biol. Sta. , 3 km S Pto.Viejo, 10 o 26’N 84 o 01’W, 15 Abril, Bosque Secundario, M /09/072, INBio CR1 ; 1 male, Costa Rica, Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva , 50-150 m, 10 o 26’N 84 o 01’W, Oct. 1993, Octobre 1993, Bosque Secundario, M /09/227, INBio-OET ; 1 male, Costa Rica, Heredia, Esst. Biol. La Selva , 50-150 m, 10 o 26’N 84 o 01’, 03 Mayo 1993, Bosque Secundario, M /15/094, INBio-OET, Proy. ALAS ; 1 female, 1 female, Costa Rica, Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva, July 1993, 3 Julio , 1993, 50- 150 m, 10 o 26’N 84 o 01’W, FOT/07/37, Goethalsia meiantha , INBio CR1002 , 068837 ; 1 female, Costa Rica, Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva , Jan. 1994, 5 Enero 1994, FOT/16/15, Vitex cooperi , INBio CR1002 , 068792 ; 1 male, same as previous except FOT/16/34, INBio CR1001 , 269149 ( INBC). 1 male, Costa Rica, Heredia Pr., La Selva Biol. Sta. , 3 km S Pto.Viejo, ii-iv-1993, 10 o 26’N 84 o 01’W, Malaise trap, R. Hanson ( CHAH) .

Description. Color and pubescence: Body black throughout with faint bluish luster; extremities brownish black. Pubescence inconspicuous; consisting of short pale reclinate to semi-erect setae. Size: Male (n = 8) 1.6 × 0.6 mm to 2.1 × 0.8 mm; Female (n = 7) 1.5 × 0.6 mm to 2.1 × 0.8 mm. Head subquadrate, about as wide as long, sparsely punctured; punctures small, round, shallowly impressed; interspaces minutely granulose; frons about twice as wide as rostral base, eyes large, oval, moderately protuberant. Rostrum almost twice as long as head, narrow slightly arcuate, slightly depressed apically, slightly widened apically, with scattered lateral punctures, dorsally smooth and shiny from antennal insertions to apex; mid-dorsal base with shallow channel; channel extending from base to antennal insertions. Antenna slightly longer than rostrum, inserted near basal 1/4 of rostrum; scape and funicular segment 1 ovoglobose, subequal; funicular segments 2-4 subequal, narrowed, weakly clavate; segments 5- 7 shorter, more robust; club abrupt, segments subequal in length; basal segment narrowed to base; terminal segment broadly acuminate. Pronotum longer than wide, subcylindrical, moderately punctured; sides only slightly arched out; interspaces minutely granulose. Scutellum small, rectangular, wider than long, with setigerous punctures. Elytra twice as long as pronotum, widest near middle, humeri simple; strial punctures distinct throughout, posteriorly beyond middle becoming smaller and shallower; intervals only slightly raised, with a single row of setigerous punctures; strial interspaces with single setigerous puncture. Thoracic pleura and sterna with coarse setigerous punctures. Abdominal ventrites concave, with small sparse setigerous punctures.

Distrubution. All specimens examined are from the La Selva Biological Station in the Costa Rican province of Heredia ( Fig. 90 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is in reference to the small size of this species.

Comments. These small black adults have been taken mainly by tree fogging and malaise trapping. They have fine, widely spaced head punctures and slender rosta ( Fig. 27, 28 ). The aedeagus ( Fig. 71 ) has a short tapered median lobe with the “nozzle-like” pedon apex distinctly constricted and truncate. The tectum is spearhead-shaped. The tegminal cap piece is narrowly finger-like and the knob-like pigmented apex bears a cluster of short setae. Endophallic bands are short and weakly defined.

Plant association. Unknown. It has been fogged from Goethalsia meiantha (Donn. Sm., Burret) in the family Malvaceae and from Vitex cooperi (Verbenaceae) .

Figures

Figure 23-34. Heads of Temnocerus species, frontal view, male left and female right. 23-24) T. mexicanus n.sp., holotype and allotype. 25-26) T. michoacensis n.sp., holotype and allotype. 27-28) T. minutus n.sp., holotype and allotype. 29-30) T. niger n.sp., holotype and allotype. 31-32) T. oaxacensis n.sp., holotype and allotype. 33-34) T. obrieni 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.