Temnocerus guerrerensis, Hamilton, 2010

Hamilton, R. W., 2010, Central American Temnocerus Thunberg, 1815 (Coleoptera: Rhynchitidae), Insecta Mundi 2010 (128), pp. 1-42 : 20-21

Temnocerus guerrerensis , new species

( Fig. 19, 20 , 67 , 89 )

Type locality. Mexico, Guerrero, El Carrizal

Type depository. United States National Museum, Washington, D.C. ( USNM)

Type specimens. Holotype male and allotype with the following data: MEXICO, Guerrero, El Carrizal, 28-iii-86, J. Gillett, ex. Mimosa pigra (L.) . Paratypes: 5 males and 12 females with same data as primary types.

Description. Color and pubescence: Body black throughout with faint brassy luster. Pubescence composed of short appressed brownish-white setae; setae longer on metathoracic pleura. Size: Male (n=6) 1.9 × 0.8 mm to 2.3 × 1.0 mm; Female (n=13) 1.8 × 0.8 to 2.5 × 1.0 mm. Head quadrate, moderately punctured; interspaces minutely granulose; eyes strongly protuberant; frons wide, about twice as wide as rostral base. Rostrum more than twice as long as head, with distinct mid-dorsal channel in basal 1/2, widened from antennal insertions to apex; apex more than.50 times width of frons; dorsally beyond antennal insertions smooth, shiny, with lateral punctures. Antenna inserted near basal 1/3 of rostrum; scape and funicular segment 1 narrowly oval, subequal; funicular segments 2-4 shorter than segment 1, weakly clavate; segments 5-7 shorter, progressively more bead-like; club abrupt; basal and middle club segments subequal in length; basal segment subtriangular; middle segment subrectangular; apical segment slightly longer than basal and middle segments and weakly acuminate. Pronotum slightly longer than wide, widest just behind middle, densely punctured; interspaces minutely granulose. Elytra about twice as long as pronotum, widest just behind middle; humeri simple; striae distinct throughout; strial interspaces with single setigerous puncture; intervals about as wide as striae, weakly raised, with row of setigerous punctures. Thoracic pleura and sterna with larger more dense punctures. Abdominal ventrites moderately punctured, weakly concave through middle.

Distribution. Adults of this species are known only from the type locality in Guerrero, Mexico ( Fig. 89 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Mexican state of Guerrero.

Comments. Temnocerus guerrerensis is black with a distinctly widened rostral apex and a prominent basi-rostral channel. The aedeagus ( Fig. 67 ) has a distinctly tapered median lobe with the pedon apex narrowly rounded. The tectum is spearhead-shaped. The tegminal cap piece is narrow and finger-like with the small pigmented apex bearing a cluster of very short setae. Endophallic bands are distinctly pigmented and together form a “double parentheses” shape.

Plant association. All specimens examined were labeled by J. Gillett (ANIC) as taken from Mimosa pigra (L.) in the family Fabaceae . This species has been evaluated as a possible biological control agent for Mimosa pigra (L.) in Australia.

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.