Apotomoderes sotomayorae Franz, 2010

Franz, Nico, 2010, Revision and phylogeny of the Caribbean weevil genus Apotomoderes Dejean, 1834 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae), ZooKeys 49 (49), pp. 33-75 : 53-56

Apotomoderes sotomayorae Franz , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B4C96D33-0D16-4E62-B44F-57B7826E7EC6

Figs. 11, 12

Diagnosis. Apotomoderes sotomayorae , the only species occurring on Mona Island, is most readily separated from other congeners by the presence of regularly appearing, creamy white scales along the elytral striae (Fig. 11A; less distinctive in females). Other diagnostic features include the presence of transparent scales, particular on the pronotum of males (Fig. 11B), the lack of a pronounced elytral declivity in males and females (Fig. 11C), the apically triangular, point-like aedeagus (Fig. 12A), and the relatively narrow triangular lamina of the sternum VIII in females (Fig. 12B). Large males of similarly shaped species ( A. lateralis , A. chariedris , and A. hadroprion ) have a basally triangularly projected (as opposed to rounded) protibial ridge.

Description - male. Length 7.40–10.70 mm, width 3.15–4.95 mm, length/ width ratio 2.15–2.45 (N=5). Integument with legs dark reddish brown (slightly lighter). Linear piliform scales sparse, transparent white. With distinct, heterogeneous pattern of uniformly arranged, or locally interspersed, transparent, creamy white, light brown, and pale blue metallic scales, the latter of various lighter to darker hues. Rostrum length 0.78–1.28 mm, rostrum/pronotum length ratio 0.30–0.36, rostrum length/width ratio 0.74–0.82, depressed region basad of epistoma covered primarily with pale blue metallic scales, thereafter increasingly with creamy white scales, lateral region anteriad of eye with patch of light brown scales, sulcus reduced, region adjacent to mandibular incision with pale blue metallic scales. Head with eyes small, slightly “tilted” posteriad, separated (in dorsal view) by distance slightly more than 2× anterior-to-posterior length of each eye, scales on head predominantly creamy white and light brown. Pronotum (Fig. 11A) length/width ratio 0.80–0.98, pronotum/elytra length ratio 0.45–0.50, pronotum strongly globular, mesally with large,

Figure ||. Habitus of A. sotomayorae , male: A dorsal view B frontal view C lateral view.

suboval region covered with pale blue metallic scales, or seemingly “glabrous” (only with transparent, slightly iridescent scales), and laterally with a wide, slightly undulating stripe of creamy white scales, thereafter (ventrad) predominantly “glabrous” (see above). Thoracic and ventral sterna predominantly covered with creamy white scales, interspersed with pale blue metallic scales. Metendosternite more elongate than in A. lateralis (less laterally expanded), ventral margin nearly 2× wider than dorsal width of stalk, furcal arms diverging at nearly 30° in relation to medial keel. Profemur/pronotum length ratio 0.80–0.94, profemur (Fig. 11 B) with anteromesal tooth very large, almost planate, slightly curved, protibia/profemur length ratio 1.00–1.02, anteromesal projection of protibia (Fig. 11B) distinct yet basally rounded, scales typically less dense on legs, creamy white and pale blue metallic. Elytra (Figs. 11A, 11C) length/ width ratio 1.52–1.68, posterior declivity not pronounced, nearly indistinct, elytra with characteristic scale pattern: intervals seemingly glabrous, with slightly iridescent, transparent scale “remnants” (not protruding from cuticle), striae predominantly with creamy white scales, interspersed with pale blue metallic and pale yellow scales (near punctures), punctures with a greenish to yellowish metallic scale. Wing/body length ratio 1.25, wing length/width ratio 3.45 (N=1).

Terminalia with tegmen similar in length to median lobe. Aedeagus (Fig. 12A) with median lobe length/width relation 6.12–6.85 (N=3), basiventral margin strongly emarginate, lobe-like projections subtriangular, lateral margins very slightly diverging in basal 5/6 of entire length, thereafter nearly straight and triangularly converging

Figure |2. Terminalia of A. sotomayorae : A aedeagus, ventral and lateral view B sternum VIII, female C spermatheca.

towards point-like, through very narrowly rounded apex. Median lobe in lateral view apically with small, knob-like projection that is neither expanded nor reclined. Internal sac with 2 weakly sclerotized, angulate-uncinate rami, positioned in ostium and reclined mesobasally.

Female. Length 7.66–9.04 mm, width 2.82–3.40 mm, length/width ratio 2.58– 2.72 (N=3). Pattern of scale colors varying considerably from that of males: rostrum, pronotum, sterna, legs, and elytra more homogeneously and densely covered with scales of multiple colors including creamy white, pale yellow (rare), light rusty brown, dark brown (as opposed to transparent), pale blue metallic, and yellow-light-green-pink metallic. Scale colors arranged in semi-consistent patterns though particularly variable among specimens on rostrum and pronotum, and transparent scales (present in males) absent on pronotum and elytra, therefore not appearing “glabrous” and with less conspicuous pronotal or strial scale stripes. Brown scales more prominent on rostrum (not just anteriad of eyes). Legs more consistently covered with creamy white, light rusty brown, and variously metallic scales. Region of elytra just posteriad of scutellum with patch of metallic scales. Rostrum length 0.85–0.98 mm, rostrum/pronotum length ratio 0.39–0.43, rostrum length/width ratio 0.76–0.80. Pronotum length/width ra- tio 0.98–1.04, pronotum/elytra length ratio 0.36–0.38, pronotum considerably less globular than in males. Legs more slender than in males, profemur/pronotum length ratio 0.98–1.08, profemoral tooth (much) smaller and more triangular than in males, protibia/profemur length ratio 0.97–1.03, anteromesal projection and associated teeth of protibia less pronounced. Elytra length/width ratio 1.80–1.93, posterior declivity similarly unpronounced as in males.

Terminalia with lamina of sternum VIII (Fig. 12B) triangular, longer than wide, anterior margins projected, mesally with elongate, transparent (not sclerotized) region, posterior margin narrowly truncate. Coxites small, suboval. Spermatheca (Fig. 12C) nearly V-shaped, ramus and collum angled at nearly 150°, ramus short and wide, truncate, cornu strongly curved at basal 2/5, thereafter nearly straight until apical 1/8 which is more curved.

Variation. Males vary considerably in size, and several presumably allometric characteristics – viz. expansion of the pronotum, profemoral and protibial teeth, posterior attenuation of elytra – are less pronounced in smaller males. In some males yellow scales are more abundant in the lateral pronotal area. The relative abundance of creamy white, light rusty brown, and dark brown scales varies in females, particularly on the elytra, thus making the appearance of alternating stripes of darker scales (intervals) and lighter scales (stria) more or less obvious.

Material examined. Male holotype “Mona Island (PR, USA), Bajura Los Cerezos, 45 m, general collecting, N 18°05'18", W 67°54'04", leg. N. Franz, V-22–2008 ” ( UPRM). Paratypes, same label information as male holotype ( UPRM: 1 male, 2 females; CMNC: 1 male; CWOB: 1 male;) ; “ PUERTO RICO, La Mona , III-8–1984, N. Virkki ” ( MEBT: 1 male) ; “ PUERTO RICO, La Mona , 5-VI-1984, N. Virkki / on citrus” ( MEBT: 1 male).”Puerto Rico, Mona Island, Sendero Capitán, 40 m, at night, N 18°5’1’’, W 67°56'16", May 19–2008, Leg. N. Franz ” ( UPRM: 1 male; CWOB: 1 female) .

Etymology. Named in honor of Sonia Maria Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, whose personal story and academic and professional achievements are an inspiration for people in Puerto Rico and elsewhere.

Natural history. Apotomoderes sotomayorae is endemic to Mona Island, Puerto Rico (Fig. 18), where it is likely widespread, though not particularly abundant, in the plateau and depression forests ( Cintrón and Rogers 1991). Most specimens were taken at night, on a variety of shrubs and trees.