Curculio artusfrons Pelsue and Zhang, 2002

Pelsue, Frank W. & Zhang, Runzhi, 2002, A Review Of The Genus Curculio From China With Descriptions Of New Taxa. Part III. The Curculio subfenestratus Voss Group (Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Curculionini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 56 (1), pp. 1-39 : 29-30

Curculio artusfrons Pelsue and Zhang , new species

Figs. 35–36

HOLOTYPE. China. Hong San : male [ China /Kiangai (Jiangxi)/Hong San/ 28 June 1936 / L. Gressitt] (CASC).

Description. Male: length: 3.1 mm (n = 1). width: 1.7 mm (n = 1). Head: small; punctures small with small, narrow, dirty white scales; ventral macula of small, clavate, white scales; frons 0.15 as broad as head across eyes, clothed with narrow, elongate, cinerous scales. Rostrum: length: 1.9 mm (n = 1); 0.61 as long as body; sub­cylindrical, dilated slightly from frons to antennal insertion, becoming more cylindrical; dorsal carina from frons to distad of antennal insertion, flanked by deep slit­like punctures; straight from base to antennal insertion, abruptly arced then straight to apex; scrobe ventral; scape inserted in apical half. Antennae: length of scape 0.6 mm, funiculus: segment one 0.25 mm, two 0.15 mm, three 0.1 mm, four 0.1 mm, five 0.075 mm, six 0. 075 mm, seven 0.075 mm, club 0.3 mm, funicle 0.8 mm (n = 1); scape 0.73 as long as funicle; clothed with suberect fuscous scales; club moderate, compact, clothed with white pile and many erect setae, as long as funicular segments 4–7. Thorax: length: 0.8 mm (n = 1); width: 1.2 mm (n = 1); 0.67 as long as broad; disc broadly rounded to constriction, small punctures, median vitta of narrow, elongate, white scales, laterobasal macula of white scales, remaining scales fuscous; laterally, ventromedially with clavate, truncate, white scales, convex in lateral view; mesosternal intercoxal process prominent, clothed with clavate, white scales; scutellum medium, longer than broad, clothed with clavate, white scales; mesepimeron, mesepisternum, metepisternum and metasternum clothed with elongate, clavate, truncate, white scales; procoxae clothed with white scales. Elytra: length: 2.0 mm (n = 1); striae deep, with punctures and narrow, white scales; humeri prominent; intervals broad, flat clothed with confused macula of clavate, fuscous and white scales; crosshatched setae lacking; moderately convex in lateral view. Legs: length of hind femur 1.2 mm (n = 1), all femoral teeth small; femoral base fuscous, clava testaceous, clothed with narrow, elongate, white scales; tibiae sinuate with pro­, meso­ and metauncus large, as long as tarsal claw. Abdomen: sternite 2 longer than 1 behind coxal cavity ascending to 3; sternites 3 and 4 equal in length, combined longer than 5; all sternites clothed with narrow, elongate, white scales with rounded apices. Pygidium : concealed. Genitalia: not dissected.

Remarks. Can be separated from C. polki n. sp. by longer rostrum, frons slightly broader, color and scale pattern.

Etymology. The specific epithet derived from the Latin adjective, ‘‘ artus,’’ meaning, ‘‘narrow,’’ and ‘‘ frons ’’ the Latin noun meaning ‘‘brow’’ which is the area between the eyes.