Euops (Riedeliops) trichinopoliensis (Legalov)

Riedel, Alexander, 2009, A taxonomic study of the Indian species of Euops Schoenherr (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea: Attelabidae), Zootaxa 2125, pp. 1-56 : 30-42

Euops (Riedeliops) trichinopoliensis (Legalov) comb. n.

( Figs. 60–70, 122, 129, 167, 184)

Riedeliops (Levoeuops) trichinopoliensis Legalov 2007: 235 (type locality: Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu). Riedeliops vietnamensis Legalov 2003: 388 (partim).

Diagnosis. Basal lateral groove of rostrum ( Fig. 64) ventrally curved; pronotum subglabrous, with sparse punctures, without wrinkles; mesosternum flat; mesotibia ( Fig. 129) in male with subapical dorsal extension stout, spiniform; TA as in Fig. 68, 158.

Redescription. Holotype, male. Body length: 2.21 mm. Coloration: dorsal surface of head and pronotum coppery green, elytron mostly blue, suture basally of same colour as scutellum, greenish-blue, legs ferruginous, femora anteriorly with slight greenish lustre, anterior surface of procoxa and venter of metathorax greenish-blue, remainder of ventral surface piceous with slight bluish lustre, abdomen ferruginous with bluish lustre.

Head ( Figs. 64–65) short. Gena 0.68 x as long as width of head behind eyes. Vertex shining, subglabrous, with sparse minute punctures behind eye. Eyes dorsally contiguous in middle for 0.4 x their length. Ventral surface weakly transversely rugose, without punctures.

Rostrum 1.75 x longer than mouthparts; sides subparallel to antennal insertion, anteriorly diverging until subapically rounded; at widest point 1.22 x wider than at base; dorsum above antennal insertions with weakly rounded prominence, anteriorly weakly concave, sinuate to apex. Clypeus medially with simple notch. Basal lateral groove distinct, reaching ventral surface of rostrum, ventrally curved, with convex face anteriorly.

Venter basally with short submental median carina. Submentum posteriorly microreticulate, anteriorly shining, with scattered long, stiff, suberect setae. Prementum at base 1.8 x wider than long, ca. 2.3 x wider than at apex; sides straight, converging apicad.

Antenna as in Fig. 122.

Proventriculus not examined.

Thorax. Prothorax 0.83 x as long as wide; subbasal constriction shallow; sides converging in straight line to apex, without preapical constriction;; anterior margin simple, without collar-like extension in front of procoxae; disc shining, sparsely punctate with few minute punctures; across middle with pair of very shallow transverse impressions; prepectus as long as postpectus; mesosternum simple, without protrusion. Height of pterothorax 0.76 x length of elytron.

Elytron 2.34 x longer than wide; striae moderately impressed; intervals smooth, shining.

Legs. Procoxae 1.24 x longer than wide; in anterior aspect coxae with inner contour diverging in straight line, rounded at apex; anterior surface glabrous. Protibia with dorsal contour evenly convex; uncus ventral; mesotibia ( Fig. 129) with subapical dorsal extension stout, spiniform.

Abdomen. Ventral surface medially sparsely punctate, with few inconspicuous recumbent setae; ventrite 4 simple, without cluster of setae. Pygidium 1.22 x wider than long.

Terminalia. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 167) in apical half medially membranous, in basal half completely sclerotised; apex weakly bilobate; sparsely setose, presumably setosity largely abraded. Tegminal plate as in Fig. 66. Aedeagus with apical scoop of pedon ( Fig. 70) ca. 0.73 x as long as wide, sides converging, apex rounded; tectum ( Fig. 69) somewhat hourglass-shaped, sides concave, apex convex; TA ( Figs. 67–68) with frame basally membranous, apical half well sclerotised, sides subparallel, apex truncate, simple, dorsal plate and basal sclerite missing, transfer processes weakly projecting beyond apex of frame, internal support structures of ductus ejaculatorius long, slightly shorter than sclerotised portion of frame. Endophallus with cuticle densely denticulate.

Material examined. Holotype, male ( Figs. 60–63): labels: 1) [white, rectangular]: “ India or., Trichinopoly [equivalent with today´s Tiruchirapalli; probably vicinity of 10 ° 48´N 78 ° 41´E; ca. 75m] [printed]”, 2) [white, rectangular] “Hungarian Natural History Museum [printed]” 3) [red, rectangular] “ Paratypus, Riedeliops vietnamensis Legalov sp.n. [printed]”; 4) [red, rectangular] “ Holotype, Riedeliops trichinopoliensis Legalov , sp.n. [printed]” condition: fair; point-mounted, right antenna broken and missing, left antenna and right middle leg and abdomen mounted on separate card, genitalia remounted with aedeagus transferred to canada balsam and remainder to glycerol in microtube ( HNHM).

Distribution ( Fig. 184). INDIA, Tamil Nadu (Tiruchirapalli). Elevation: ca. 75 m.

Notes. Legalov (2007) proposed E. trichinopoliensis for a paratype of vietnamensis . The single type specimen was collected more than 50 years ago and the species has seemingly never been collected again.

Explanations for this include that it could now be extinct but also that specimens from a neighbouring Southeast-Asian country have been mislabelled. Especially the species described by Legalov (2003, 2007) in his subgenera Vieteuops and Levoeuops should be checked for possible conspecificity with E. trichinopoliensis , but this is impossible from their inadequate descriptions and requires study of the types.