Alcidodes vaticus Lyal, 2000

Lyal, C. H. C. & Curran, L. M., 2000, Seed-feeding beetles of the weevil tribe Mecysolobini (Insecta: Coleoptera: Curculionidae) developing in seeds of trees in the Dipterocarpaceae, Journal of Natural History 34 (9), pp. 1743-1847 : 1834-1836

Alcidodes vaticus Lyal , n.sp.

Robust insects, with well-developed humeral angles; length 5.19±10.0 mm (xÅ5 l 8.68, m 7.87), PW 5 2.19±4.50 mm (xÅ5 l3.86, m 3.48), HW5 3.38±6.81 mm (xÅ5 l

6.01, m 5.33) (n 5 l85, m 69) (®gures 38, 70, 90).

Head. Rostrum broad, curved, relatively more slender, a little longer, and a little less punctate in female (RL 5 1.56±3.59 mm, xÅ5 2.76 mm; RL/PW 5 0.70±0.95, xÅ5 0.79; RB/RD 5 0.76±1.53, xÅ5 1.09; n 5 69) (®gure 217) than in male (RL 5 2.31±3.56, xÅ5 2.98 mm; RL/PW 5 0.65±0.89, xÅ5 0.77; RB/RD 5 0.88±1.35, xÅ5 1.08;

n 5 85) (®gure 218).

Thorax. PL/PW 5 0.62±0.77 (xÅ5 0.70, n 5 154), no signi®cant sexual dimorphism; prothorax lacking a tubercle behind each fore coxae. Elytra with interstriae with numerous small conical prominences, especially basally, interstria 3 weakly raised basally, strial punctures narrower than interstriae, humeri with interstria 9 strongly projecting beyond 8 in dorsal view (®gures 38, 51); EL/HW, m, 0.99±1.24 (xÅ5 1.14, n 5 69),, l1.07±1.32 (xÅ5 1.16, n 5 85). Elytral pigmentation in newlyemerged specimens darkest on humeri, with small irregular dark markings extending on to disc; scales small, narrow, uniform. Fore femur with ventral tooth as in ®gures 145, 180, 181, with proximal lobe raised, acuminate and ventral surface ¯at or shallowly concave, central lobe at right angles to long axis of femur, distal margin with several small teeth, barely developed into lobe; fore tibia with ventral tooth, mid and hind tibiae lacking ventral tooth, although sometimes with very weak projection. Ventral margin of metasternum convex, not strongly divergent from elytral margin.

Abdomen. Male ventrite 5 with large median oval depression with weak tuft of scales on either side (®gure 124), female with sometimes deep rounder median depression (®gure 125).

Male terminalia. (®gures 440±447). Tergite 7 (®gure 440) with 3±5 plectral tubercles along posterior margin on each side; posterior margin concave. Tergite 8 (®gure 441) with distinct rim ventrally. Hemisternites of sternum 8 (®gure 441) lacking prominent setae. Tegmen (®gures 443, 444) with parameres separate, shorter than width of tegminal ring. Membrane between tegmen and aedeagus with pair of small membranous lobes (®gures 445, 447). Aedeagus (®gures 445±447) longer than wide; sides very weakly convex; apex as in ®gure 446, with patch of setae on either side of midline; sclerotized dorsally near base; endophallus lacking extended membranous lobes, ostiolar sclerites elongate, extending inside endophallus, not fused to dorsal sclerotization of aedeagus although approaching it.

Female terminalia. (®gures 448±450) Tergite 7 with approximately three pairs of plectral tubercles near wing-binding patches (®gure 448). Tergite 8 with broadly rounded posterior margin, disc and median anterior margin more weakly sclerotized than other margins (®gure 448). Spiculum ventrale (®gure 450) with broad part quadrate, not as long as apodeme. Female genitalia as in ®gures 451, 452; ductus seminalis arising on bursa away from junction with common oviduct; spermatheca with bulbous gland lobe.

Distinguishing features. A. vaticus belongs to the dipterocarpi subgroup with the proximal lobe of the fore femoral tooth raised from the femur, but meeting the central lobe nearer to the femur than to the apex of the central lobe (®gures 145, 180, 181). This feature it shares with micranthiphilus , although in that species the tooth is smaller than in vaticus (®gures 146, 182, 183). The two species may also be distinguished by the relative heights of interstria 3 which, when viewed from the posterior of the elytra, is generally distinctly higher than interstria 2 in vaticus (®gure 19), but not so in micranthiphilus (®gure 20).

Comments. The single male apparently reared from Hopea dryobalanoide s may represent a labelling error. However, the possibility of the species occurring on hosts other than Vatica should not be dismissed.

Etymology. The name comes from the preferred hosts of the species.

Specimens examined

HOLOTYPE ,, l Malaysia: with labels:`Holo- / type’ and`Reared from seed / of Vatica bella ’ and` MALAYSIA: / Negri Sembilan, / Pasoh Forest / Reserve / 7 February 1986 #97’ and` R.Toy Coll / B.M. 1992±170’ and` HOLOTYPE / Alcidodes / vaticus Lyal / Lyal det 1997’ ( BMNH).

PARATYPES: Malaysia: Peninsular Malaysia: same locality and collector as holotype, reared from seeds of: Vatica bella (18 ll, 12mm); Hopea dryobalanoide s (1 l) ( BMNH).

Indonesia: Borneo: Kalimantan, Gunung Palung Nature Reserve, Cabang Panti Research Station, January± April 1991 (Curran), reared from seeds of: Vatica cf. granulata (5 ll, 3mm); Vatica o. oblongifolia (119 ll, 106mm); Vatica umbonata (7 ll, 5mm). ( BMNH, MZB, UMMZ)

Borneo:`Borneo Occ.’: Lohaban, 1897 (J. B. Ledru) (1m) ( MNHN).

Philippine Islands: Misamis Or., Dinawihan Gingoog , 26 km east of Gingoog City, 100±300 m, 18 August 1965, malaise trap (H. M. Torrevillas) (1 l) ( BPBM) .

Range. Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Philippine Islands.

Hosts. Vatica bella Sloot. , V. cf. granulata Sloot., V. o. oblongifolia Hook , V. umbonata (Hook) Burck ,? Hopea dryobalanoide s Miq.