Corresponding author: Miłosz Adam Mazur (
Academic editor: M. Alonso-Zarazaga
Mazur MA (2019) Redescription of the forgotten New Caledonian weevil genus
For many years, only three genera of
Since that time, the systematic position of the genus
It is probable that Voss, who studied the
A more detailed study of the
Another comprehensive taxonomic paper on the
In this paper, a redescription of the genus
This study is based on 26 specimens. Holotypes are deposited in the
Measurements were made using a calibrated stereomicroscopic grid eyepiece (C-W10xB/22) in a Nikon SMZ-800 stereomicroscope. Genitalia preparations were made according to the standard method of macerating the separated abdomen for 5–10 min in a warm KOH solution. After dissection, if necessary, terminal structures were stained with a solution of Chlorazol Black E in glycerine for 5–10 min under visual control. Habitus photographs were taken using a Canon Power Shot A640 camera connected with the stereomicroscope and processed using the Helicon Focus v. 4.50 and PhotoFiltre v. 6.1 software programmes. All drawings were made by using the Corel Draw package. Scanning electron micrographs were taken using a Hitachi S-3400N.
The nomenclature of the male terminalia and abbreviations of particular measurements (partly modified) follows
All dimensions are given in millimetres.
The distribution maps (Fig.
Distinguished from other genera of
Body length (
General morphology of
Apodemes shorter than penis body; basally narrow, than distinctly extended, laterally flattened.
Indices for species of
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m: 1.07 | m: 1.07 | m: 1.00–1.20 | m: 1.00–1.20 | f: 1.17 | m: 1.08 | f: 1.08 | m: 0.92 | m: 0.92 | |
f: 1.00–1.10 | f: 1.00–1.33 | f: 1.00 | |||||||
m: 0.50–0.53 | m: 0.43 | m: 0.45–0.55 | m: 0.50–0.60 | f: 0.56 | m: 0.50 | f: 0.50 | m: 0.38 | m: 0.42 | |
f: 0.47–0.53 | f: 0.45–0.55 | f: 0.46 | |||||||
m: 1.09–1.12 | m: 1.04 | m: 1.00–1.12 | m: 1.17–1.21 | f: 1.21 | m: 1.20 | f: 1.20 | m: 1.12 | m: 1.11 | |
f: 1.03–1.11 | f: 1.12–1.24 | f: 1.07 | |||||||
m: 4.00–4.22 | m: 3.38 | m: 3.00–3.17 | m: 3.80–4.30 | f: 3.40 | m: 4.00 | f: 3.35 | m: 3.50 | m: 2.86 | |
f: 3.67–4.00 | f: 4.00–4.50 | f: 3.33 | |||||||
m: 0.74–0.78 | m: 0.85 | m: 0.82–0.90 | m: 0.75–0.80 | f: 0.76 | m: 0.80 | f: 0.80 | m: 0.82 | m: 0.75 | |
f: 0.82–0.83 | f: 0.70–0.85 | f: 0.83 | |||||||
m: 0.97–1.03 | m: 1.04 | m: 1.06–1.15 | m: 1.00–1.05 | f: 1.21 | m: 1.08 | f: 1.20 | m: 1.04 | m: 1.17 | |
f: 0.97–1.00 | f: 0.95–1.10 | f: 1.11 | |||||||
m: 1.46–1.52 | m: 1.35 | m: 1.26–1.47 | m: 1.25–1.35 | f: 1.70 | m: 1.35 | f: 1.43 | m: 1.30 | m: 1.24 | |
f: 1.55–1.64 | f: 1.28–1.38 | f: 1.35 | |||||||
m: 0.71 | m: 0.65 | m: 0.63–0.71 | m: 0.66–0.68 | f: 0.90 | m: 0.65 | f: 0.67 | m: 0.65 | m: 0.59 | |
f: 0.70–0.73 | f: 0.61–0.69 | f: 0.61 | |||||||
m: 0.47–0.49 | m: 0.48 | m: 0.48–0.50 | m: 0.48–0.53 | f: 0.53 | m: 0.45 | f: 0.47 | m: 0.50 | m: 0.48 | |
f: 0.45–0.49 | f: 0.48–0.50 | f: 0.45 | |||||||
m: 1.52 | m: 1.65 | m: 1.48–1.55 | m: 1.56–1.66 | f: 1.68 | m: 1.55 | f: 1.55 | m: 1.51 | m: 1.47 | |
f: 1.48–1.58 | f: 1.50–1.68 | f: 1.55 | |||||||
m: 1.04-1.06 | m: 1.18 | m: 0.94-1.20 | m: 1.08-1.17 | f: 1.15 | m: 1.05 | f: 0.98 | m: 1.00 | m: 1.06 | |
f: 1.02-1.06 | f: 1.06-1.20 | f: 0.93 | |||||||
m: 2.20-2.50 | m: 1.75 | m: 2.14-2.37 | m: 2.25-2.57 | f: 2.60 | m: 2.75 | f: 2.27 | m: 2.56 | m: 2.13 | |
f: 2.33-2.55 | f: 2.13-2.38 | f: 2.78 |
The largest member of the genus. Last three antennomeres of funicle wider than long. Apical margin of pronotum widely concave medially in dorsal view. Elytra with characteristic whitish spot in the area from medial tubercles to 7th intervals, not reaching apical part. Penis body distinctly, regularly narrowed from base to apex in lateral view. Parameroid lobes of tegmen slightly divided apically. Female abdominal tergite VIII with maximum width near middle.
Body length (
Dorsal habitus colour photographs of New Caledonian species from the genus
♀:
Lectotype, 1♀ (here designated, see Remarks) – “
1♀ – New Caledonia (S);
1♂ – New Caledonia (N),
1♂ – New Caledonia (S),
1♀ – New Caledonia (N);
Kuschel selected a female specimen from Perroud’s original series as a syntype in 2004 but this action was never published. To ensure stability in nomenclature and to clarify identity of this species I herein designate the same female specimen as the lectotype. I take this action under the article 74.1 of the Code (ICZN).
This species can be distinguished from other members of the genus by the following set of characters: elytra elongate, 1.6 × as long as wide across humeral calli; colour of body generally brown; pronotum with apical margin almost straight, corrugated due to numerous, small tubercles, basal margin concave; last ventrite less than 2 × wider than long with shallow apical depression.
Body length (
Elytra, dorsal view:
Holotype, ♂ (here designated) – New Caledonia (N);
This epithet is derived from the Latin word “
Only one specimen of this new species has been found within the studied collections. A set of characteristic features, including the almost uniform brown colour, elongate elytra and last ventrite, as well as terminal structures, indicates that this is a new species.
This species can be distinguished from other members of the genus by the following suite of characters: apical margin of pronotum concave in dorsal view, base sinuate, protruding towards elongate scutellum. Rostrum distinctly bent in middle of length.
Elytra, lateral view:
Body length (
Holotype, ♂ (here designated) – New Caledonia (N);
Paratypes: 1♂ – New Caledonia (N);
1♂ – New Caledonia (N),
1♂ – New Caledonia (S),
This epithet is the Latin noun “
The shape of pronotum together with the lateral profile of the rostrum are characteristic for this new species. The terminalia are quite similar to
This species can be distinguished from other members of the genus by the following suite of characters: rostrum gently curved, regularly narrowed to apex in lateral view. Middle tubercles on elytra flattened, lower than maximal width at base. Apex of penis in lateral view expanded into small tubercles. Apical lobes of female abdominal sternite VIII with characteristic shape (Fig.
Pronotum, dorsal view:
Body length (
♀:
Pronotum, lateral view:
Holotype, ♂ (here designated) – New Caledonia (S);
Paratypes:
1♂ – New Caledonia (S);
1♂ – New Caledonia (S);
1♂ – New Caledonia (S);
1♀ – New Caledonia (S);
1♀ – New Caledonia (S);
1♀ – New Caledonia (S);
2♀♀ – New Caledonia (S);
1♀ – New Caledonia (S);
This epithet is derived from the Latin noun “
The species is variable in size and colour but easily distinguished by the elongate elytra with relatively small medial tubercles and weakly curved rostrum. Also, penis and female sternite VIII are characteristic.
Head and rostrum, lateral view:
The smallest member of the genus with several characteristic features. Eyes strongly convex, distinctly protruding above margin of head in lateral view. Pronotum distinctly narrowed from base to approximately three-quarters of length, apically sides only slightly expanded towards anterior margin; dorsal surface glabrous, medially only with small, obtuse tubercle. Elytra slender, elongate; without distinct medial tubercles, only with single, small tubercles on intervals. Apical part of elytra and sides of pronotum dark brown, in contrast to colour of the rest parts of body.
Antennae:
Body length (
Outline of the eye, dorsal view:
Holotype, ♀ (here designated) – New Caledonia (S);
This epithet is the Latin adjective “
This species can be distinguished from other member of the genus by the following set of characters: medial tubercle on elytra very high; smaller tubercles numerous, very distinct and sharp; rostrum slender, slightly curved; penis narrowed before widely rounded apex; parameroid lobes of tegmen distinctly divided from midlength.
Penis:
Body length (
Holotype, ♂ (here designated) – New Caledonia (S);
This species is dedicated to my colleague Rafał Ruta, PhD (Wrocław, Poland), a great field researcher and specialist in
In lateral view the head and rostrum are similar to those of
Male.
Together with
Body length (
Female. Abdominal tergite VIII:
Holotype, ♀ (here designated) – New Caledonia (S);
With great pleasure I dedicate this species to Henryk Szołtys (Brynek, Poland), excellent coleopterologist, field researcher and my first entomology teacher.
This large member of the genus is easy to distinguish from other similarly-sized species (
Together with
Female. Abdominal sternite VIII:
Body length – 11.30–12.00 mm.
♀:
Holotype, ♂ (here designated) – New Caledonia (N);
Paratype, ♀ – New Caledonia (N);
This epithet is derived from the Latin adjective “
Easy to distinguish by combination of several features: apical and basal margin of pronotum slightly concave, apical margin in lateral view distinctly protruding towards head; rostrum relatively short and stout, less than 3 × as long as maximum width apically; strongly curved; penis strongly upwards before two-thirds of length; pygidium apically with distinct depression in ventral view; lateral margin of pygidium in ventral view irregular.
Body length (
Holotype, ♂ (here designated) – New Caledonia (N);
This epithet is derived from the Latin adjective “
By the short, distinctly curved rostrum, small size and very characteristic male terminalia (unique form of pygidium, strongly upwardly-directed penis body in lateral view), this species is easy to distinguish within the genus. A female is unknown but may be easily to distinguished based on the description presented above.
Distribution maps of New Caledonian species of
1 | Elytra and pronotum glabrous, without prominent tubercles (Figs |
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– | Elytra and pronotum strongly scabrous with distinct medial tubercles and numerous, small tubercles on entire elytra (e.g. Figs |
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2 | Apical margin of pronotum strongly concave in dorsal view, protruding towards head in lateral view (e.g. Figs |
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– | Apical margin of pronotum straight or slightly concave in dorsal view, not protruding towards head in lateral view (e.g. Figs |
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3 | Body length greater than 10 mm; medial tubercles on elytra relatively short, subequal to one-fifth of elytral length (e.g. Fig. |
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– | Body length less than 10 mm; medial tubercles relatively elongate, subequal to one-third of elytral length (e.g. Fig. |
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4 | Medial tubercles on pronotum weakly protruding, obtuse (Fig. |
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– | Medial tubercles on pronotum strongly protruding, rounded (Fig. |
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5 | Base of pronotum medially rounded (Fig. |
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– | Base of pronotum slightly concave (Fig. |
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6 | Rostrum weakly curved, almost straight, slightly narrowed to apex, 4.00 × as long as maximum width or longer (e.g. Fig. |
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– | Rostrum regularly curved, indistinctly narrowed to apex, 3.30–3.60 × as long as maximum width (e.g. Fig. |
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7 | Medial tubercles on elytra short, less than 2 × width of intervals in the middle of elytra; numerous, small tubercles on entire elytra mostly obtuse (Fig. |
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– | Medial tubercles on elytra tall, greater than 2 × width of intervals in the middle of elytra; numerous, small tubercles on entire elytra mostly sharp, pointed (Fig. |
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8 | Elytra elongate, 1.64 × as long as wide (Fig. |
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– | Elytra shorter, 1.55 × as long as wide (Fig. |
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For a clear presentation of measurements, important for distinguishing particular species, all indices are presented in Table
As was mentioned in the introduction, the genus
Currently, the tribe seems to be not monophyletic, without any clear synapomorphies uniting all the genera.
1. Maxilla with elongate second segment of the palpus – present in
2. Head elongate behind the eyes with the temples as long as, or longer than, the eyes – present in
3. Antennal scrobes oblique, turning rapidly downwards and continued on the lower side of rostrum – present in
4. Funicle with seven antennomeres – present in
5. Hind wings well developed – present in
6. Elytra with large tubercles or conspicuous cones – very characteristic for many genera, including
7. Front coxae contiguous – present in
8. At least posterior femora distinctly extended, strongly toothed – characteristic also for
9. Hind tibiae strongly, regularly curved or distinctly sinuate – present in
10. Apex of fore tibiae not mucronate in male – lack of mucro in
Currently,
I would like to thank the following people for kindly offering me the material used in this study: Marek Wanat (