Curculio hobbsi Pelsue and Zhang

Pelsue, Frank W. & Zhang, Runzhi, 2003, A Review of the Genus Curculio from China with Descriptions of Fourteen New Species. Part IV. The Curculio sikkimensis (Heller) Group (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Curculionini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 57 (3), pp. 311-333 : 328-329

Curculio hobbsi Pelsue and Zhang , new species

(Figs. 33–34, 60–62)

Holotype. China. Kunming male[ China / Yunnan /Zhongdian/ 3,150 m / 02–06 August 1981 / S. Wang] ( IZAS).

Paratypes. (2) China. Kunming female[ China / Yunnan /Kunming/ 13 August 1958 / H. Li] ( FWPC); female[ China / Sichuan /Xiangcheng/ 2,900–4,000 m / 28 June 1982 / S. Wang] ( FWPC) .

Description. Male: length: 4.7 mm (n ¼ 1). width: 2.3 mm (n ¼ 1). Head: moderate-sized; punctures small, clothed with short, clavate, testaceous scales; frons 0.25 (n ¼ 1) as broad as head across eyes, clothed with narrow, elongate, testaceous scales, with interocular fovea. Rostrum: length: 2.6 mm (n ¼ 1); 0.55 as long as body; cylindrical; base with deep, oval, elongate punctures, and narrow, elongate, testaceous scales; straight to antennal insertion then evenly deflected to apex; scrobe lateral; scape inserted at midpoint. Antennae: length: scape 1.3 mm, funiculus segment one 0.35 mm, two 0.25 mm, three 0.2 mm, four 0.1 mm, five 0.15 mm, six 0.15 mm, seven 0.15 mm, club 0.45 mm, funicle 1.35 mm (n ¼ 1); scape 0.96 as long as funicle; club small, oval, elongate, acuminate, segment 1 shorter than funicular segment 7, as long as funicular segments 5–7; scape as long as funicular segments 1–6. Thorax: length: 1.1 mm (n ¼ 1). width: 1.6 mm (n ¼ 1); 0.69 as long as broad; disc margins abruptly rounded to constriction, clothed with narrow, elongate, testaceous scales; anterior margin with indication of postocular lobe; pleuron with clavate testaceous scales; slightly convex in lateral view; mesosternal intercoxal process not prominent; scutellum small, longer than broad, clothed with white scales; mesepimeron, mesepisternum, metepisternum, metasternum clothed with narrow, clavate, testaceous scales. Elytra: length 3.0 mm (n ¼ 1); striae narrow, with short, narrow, testaceous and fuscous scales; humeri prominent, acute; intervals broad, flat, clothed with narrow, clavate, testaceous and fuscous scales; base with broad fascia of testaceous scales, fascia past midpoint and towards apex of testaceous scales; crosshatch setae not prominent. Legs: length hind femur 2.0 mm (n ¼ 1); pro-, meso-, and metafemoral teeth small; femoral base narrow, fuscopiceous, clava moderate, fuscorufous, apex fuscopiceous; clothed with narrow, elongate, testaceous scales; tibiae straight, pro-, mesouncus large, simple, metauncus bifid. Abdomen: sternite 2 longer than 1 behind coxal cavity; sternites 3 and 4 equal in length, combined longer than 5; sternite 5 truncate; all sternites clothed with narrow, elongate, testaceous scales. Pygidium : small-sized. Genitalia: median lobe 1.2 mm (n ¼ 1) in length, 0.3 mm (n ¼ 1) in width; sclerotized margins thin, as broad at base as before apex, apex evenly rounded to rather truncated apex in dorsal view; in lateral view base thicker than apex, rather flat, slightly deflected to strongly deflected apex (Figs. 60–61); apodeme 1.3 mm (n ¼ 1) in length.

Female: length: 5.5–7.2 mm (mean ¼ 6.35 mm, n ¼ 2). width: 2.5–3.5 mm (mean ¼ 3.0 mm, n ¼ 2). Rostrum: length: 4.3–5.8 mm (mean ¼ 5.0 mm, n ¼ 2). Frons: 0.18 (n ¼ 1) as broad as head across eyes. Antennae: length: scape 1.2 mm, funiculus segment one 0.5 mm, two 0.4 mm, three 0.25 mm, four 0.2 mm, five 0.25 mm, six 0.2 mm, seven 0.25 mm, club 0.45 mm, funicle 2.05 mm (n ¼ 1); scape 0.59 as long as funicle; club as long as funicular segments 6–7. Thorax: length: 1.5– 2.0 mm (mean ¼ 1.75 mm, n ¼ 2). width: 1.8–2.3 mm (mean ¼ 2.0 mm, n ¼ 2); mesosternal intercoxal process not prominent, but visible when compared with male. Elytra: length 3.4–4.3 mm (mean ¼ 3.85 mm, n ¼ 2). Legs: length hind femur 3.4–4.3 mm (mean ¼ 3.85 mm, n ¼ 2); metauncus absent. Genitalia: spermatheca: ramus erect, rounded; collum thick in lateral view, elongate, with rounded apex; cornu thick, slightly longer than collum, apex acute (n ¼ 1) (Fig. 62).

Remarks. As mentioned for the previous taxon, C. pascoei n. sp. has a prominent mesosternal intercoxal process which C. hobbsi n. sp. lacks.

Etymology. Named in honor of the senior author’s friend Professor Kenneth Hobbs.