Alcidodes micranthiphilus 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 : 1836-1837

Alcidodes micranthiphilus Lyal , n.sp.

Robust insects, with well-developed humeral angles; length 6.0± 6.1 mm, PW 5 2.8±3.08 mm, HW 5 3.75±4.05 mm (n 5 2) (®gures 39, 71, 91).

Head. Rostrum curved, relatively more slender and a little less punctate in female (RL5 2.3 mm; RL/PW 5 0.75; RB/RD 1.0; n 5 1) (®gure 219) than in male (RL 5 2.05 mm; RL/PW 5 0.73; RB/RD 0.95; n 5 1) (®gure 220).

Thorax. PL/PW, 0.66±0.67 (n 5 2); prothorax lacking a tubercle behind fore coxae. Elytra with interstriae generally with small weak granules, strial punctures shallow, narrower than interstriae, humeri with interstria 9 projecting beyond 8 in dorsal view (®gures 39, 52); EL/HW, m, 1.1. Elytral pigmentation in newly-emerged specimens darkest on humeri, with irregular dark markings extending on to disc and to apex; scales hair-like, uniform. Fore femur with ventral tooth as in ®gures 146, 182, 183, proximal lobe raised, acuminate apically and with ventral surface ¯at or shallowly concave, central lobe at right angles to long axis of femur, distal margin with projecting small teeth or small distal lobe; fore tibia with ventral tooth, mid and hind tibiae lacking ventral tooth. Ventral margin of metasternum convex, not strongly divergent from elytral margin.

Abdomen. Ventrite 5 with pronounced depression medially in male occupying approximately one-third the width of the segment (®gure 126), female with weak subapical transverse depression; neither sex with scale tufts near depression.

Male terminalia. As in ®gures 453±459. Tergite 7 (®gure 453) with posterior margin weakly concave, two wide plectral tubercles in line on either side near posterior margin. Segment 8 as ®gure 454. Tegmen (®gures 455, 456) with parameres separate, approximately as long as width of tegminal ring. Aedeagus (®gures 457±459) longer than wide, sides sinuate, apex very weakly rounded, downturned; dorsal surface sclerotized in basal part; ostiolar sclerites elongate, extending into endophallus further than extending along dorsal surface.

Female terminalia. (®gures 460±462) Tergite 7 with two or three pairs of obscure plectral tubercles (®gure 460). Tergite 8 with posterior margin truncate, disc and median anterior margin more weakly sclerotized than other margins (®gure 461). Spiculum ventrale (®gure 462) with broad part wider than long, not as long as apodeme. Female genitalia as in ®gures 463±465; spermathecal duct arising on bursa away from junction with common oviduct; hemisternites short, broader at base than more distally; spermatheca with gland lobe bulbous.

Distinguishing features. A. micranthiphilus 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 146, 182, 183). This feature it shares with vaticus , although in that species the tooth is larger than in micranthiphilus (®gures 145, 180, 181). The two species may also be distinguished by the relative heights of interstria 3 which, when viewed from the posterior of the elytra, is distinctly higher than interstria 2 in vaticus (®gure 19), but not so in micranthiphilus (®gure 20).

Comments. The species is known from two individuals reared from seeds of Vatica micrantha , one reared from an unidenti®ed species of Vatica , and one with no host data. This last was collected in Thailand, whilst the others all come from Borneo; the collector, Castelnau (1810±1880), was stationed as a consul in Bangkok, so the locality is probably correct. Vatica micrantha is not known to occur in Thailand. Whilst we can suggest that the species is host speci®c to V. micrantha on Borneo, there are too few data to support that statement as yet.

Etymology. The name is based on the known host species.

Specimens examined

HOLOTYPE, l Indonesia: Kalimantan, with labels:`Holo- / type’ and`’l and`LAB REARED: Ex: seeds / Vatica micrantha / ( Dipterocarpaceae ) ’ and`91Vmicr2A’ on obverse and` INDONESIA: W. Kalimantan / Gunung Palung Nat. Pk., / Cabang Panti Res. Sta. / 1ss15¾S, 110ss05¾E, January±April, / 1991. Lisa M. Curran’ and` HOLOTYPE / Alcidodes / micranthiphilus / Lyal 1997’ ( MZB).

PARATYPES: Thailand: 1m, Bangkok,`coll. Castelnau; coll. Roelofs’ ( IRNSB) .

Indonesia: Borneo : Kalimantan, 1m, same data as holotype ( BMNH) .

Malaysia: Borneo: Sarawak, 1, l Baku, Telek Assam , 13 August 1979 (Othman Kamari), reared from fruit of Vatica sp. ( BMNH) .

Range. Borneo, Thailand.

Hosts. Vatica micrantha Sloot.