Lechriops californicus (LeConte)

Hespenheide, Henry A., 2003, New Lechriops Species for the United States (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Conoderinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 57 (3), pp. 345-352 : 345-347

Lechriops californicus (LeConte)

Fig. 1

Piazurus californicus LeConte, 1876:260 .

Gelus californicus (LeConte) ; Casey, 1897:668.

Lechriops californicus (LeConte) ; Hustache, 1934:17.

Diagnosis (Arizona and New Mexico specimens). Black, except tibiae, rostrum, and elytra, except area near scutellum, dark reddish-brown; more or less uniformly and densely covered with setae throughout, except rostrum glabrous except at base, setae minute and inconspicuous on middle of first two ventral abdominal sternites of male. Color pattern complex: setae white interspersed with pale buff beneath and on sides and in large spots in posterior angles of pronotum from above, setae pale brown in a broad

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‘‘Y’’ shaped area on basal ½ of disk of pronotum and along midline and lateral margins at apex, otherwise dark and inconspicuous, appearing glabrous, setae variegated on elytra, predominantly pale brown interspersed with white and inconspicuous dark setae, spots of dense patches of white setae along suture in oval area beyond middle and toward lateral margins at same distance from base; 2.75–3.7 mm long (mean ¼ 3.25 mm for 37 specimens).

Pronotum with lateral margins very weakly arcuate, subparallel on basal ½, inconspicuously / carinate, ¼ wider than long. Elytra about ¼ broader than pronotum, elongate, about 1 3 longer than wide, somewhat depressed along suture before middle. Abdomen with first ventral sternite and anterior portion of second sternite weakly convex in female and male, inconspicuously setose / in male. Posterior femora with moderately strong tooth on inner margin at apical 2 3. Aedeagus stout, nearly parallelsided, apex rounded and deflexed ( Fig. 1 ).

Selected specimens examined. Canada: British Columbia: Midday Val., Merritt , 06.1924, K.F. Auden ( USNM) . United States: Arizona: Apache Co., 8 mi N Alpine , 16.08.1982, J.C. Schaffner ( TAMU) ; Coconino Co., Kaibab Natl. For., S of AZ 64 and Grandview Pt. , 01.08.1983, C.B. Barr ( CBBC) , Walnut Can. Nat. Mon. , 3 mi S Hwy., 03.07.1967 ( CWOB) , 15 mi N Flagstaff , 19.07.1957, C.W. O’Brien ( CWOB) ; Cochise Co., Chiricahua Mts., Cave Creek Canyon , Herb Martyr Dam , 5,8009, 318529N 1098149W, 20, 31.05.1995, H.A. Hespenheide, on Pinus leiophylla (CHAH) ; E. Turkey Creek , 6.5 mi W Portal, 6,4009, 31854–559N 1098159W, 26.05.1997, H.A. Hespenheide ( CHAH) ; 6 mi W Portal , 6,7009, 318559N 1098159W, 06.08.1980, H.A. Hespenheide ( CHAH) , Chiricahua Mts., John Hands Dam , 1,706 m; 29.06.1978, S. McCleve, under pine bark ( AMNH) , Rustler Pk., 29.06.1958, C. W. O’Brien, on Pinus (CWOB) ; Huachuca Mts., Carr Cyn. 7,5009, 07.09.1965, C. W. O’Brien ( CWOB) ; Graham Co., Graham Mts., Hospital Flat , 9,050 ft, 19.08.1932, H.B. Leech, J.W. Green ( CASC) ; Greenlee Co., Alpine , 06.1975, Dr. Lenczy ( USNM) ; Maricopa Co., Phoenix, C. Palm ( AMNH) ; Pima Co., Santa Catalina Mts., Mt. Lemon , 9,000 ft, 26.07.1924, J.G. Martin ( CASC) ; Santa Cruz Co., Madera Cyn. 20.08.1966 ( CWOB) ; Yavapai Co., Prescott , 27.07.1950, B.E. White ( CASC) . Colorado: Boulder Co., Nederland , 11.08.1975 E. Riek and C.W. O’Brien, ex fresh cut Pinus ponderosa (CWOB) , Nederland-Ward, 85- 9,500 ft, 03- 12.08.1973, H. and A. Howden ( CMNC) ; Douglas Co., 6 mi N Castle Rock , 26.07.1971, L. and C. O’Brien and Marshall ( CWOB) , Larimer Co., 25 mi W Poudre Park , 7,1009, 24.07.1971, O’Briens and Marshall ( CWOB) . Idaho: Moscow Mts. , 21.06.1954, N.M. Downie ( USNM) ; Krassel , 15, 22.09.1960, M.M. Furniss, Hopk 41009-I, Pseudotsuga menziesii (USNM) . Nevada: L. Tahoe, Hubbard and Schwarz ( USNM) . New Mexico: Grant Co., 16 mi N Silver City on Hwy 15, 14.05.1999, J.C. Schaffner ( TAMU) ; Lincoln Co., 2.0 mi W Alto, 7,5009, 19.06.1982, R.S. Anderson, on Pinus flexilis (CMNC, TAMU) ; Otero Co. , 2 mi S Weed, 22.06.1979, Delorme et al. ( TAMU) , 4 mi NE Cloudcroft , 8, 9.07.1980, W.H. Tyson ( CWOB) , Cloudcroft, Wickham ( CWOB) . Oregon: Klamath Falls , 17.08.1927, C.C. Sperry, on pine ( USNM) .

Utah: Panguitch, 17.09.1959, M.M. Furniss, Hopk 40987, Pseudotsuga menziesii (USNM) . Washington: Yakima Co., Lime , Rattlesnake Cr. , 08.06.1954, H. Lanchester ( USNM) . México: Baja California Norte, Sa. Juarez, Laguna Hanson , 1,600 –1,650 m, 26.05.1989, R.L Westcott ( CMNC) , San Pedro Martir Nat. Pk. , 06.02.1980, R. Gordon, on pine ( USNM) ; Durango, 20 mi E El Salto , 8,0009, 17– 19.06.1971, H.F. Howden ( CMNC) , 26 mi W Durango , 13.07.1974, R.L. Mangan and D.S. Chandler ( CWOB) ;

Michoacan, 6 mi N Cheran , 07– 08.07.1985, Jones and Schaffner ( TAMU) , 18.2 km S Zinapecuaro , 2,362 m, 27.07.1988, R.S. Anderson, pine-oak-Crataegus for. ( CMNC) ;

Sonora, Sierra Huachinera, Arroyo El Cocono; 86.2 km NE Nacori Chico, 1,660 m, 7– 08.08.1982, G.E. and K.E. Ball and S. McCleve ( CMNC) .

Discussion. Although Champion (1906) synonymized Gelus Casey under Lechriops Schönherr and discusses ‘‘ Piazurus californicus Lec. ’’ under L. oblongulus , he never explicitly makes the combination L. californicus . Sleeper (1963) gives ‘‘Blackwelder 1944’’ (¼ 1947) as the first use of the name, but Blackwelder does not include L. californicus and Hustache had made the combination seven years earlier. Sleeper (1963) figured the adult of L. californicus . This treatment has focused on the distribution of this species in Arizona and México and has not attempted to examine its extensive distribution and apparently greater variation in California and other western states. Of particular interest are the specimens cited above from Idaho and Utah reared by Furniss from Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb. (Franco) . These are somewhat darker than many L. californicus and have a slight depression on the first abdominal sternite of the males similar to that of the next species (rather than being weakly convex), but the male genitalia are not obviously distinct and they are otherwise within the range of variation of specimens of the species from California, Oregon and Washington. Most specimens of L. californicus from Arizona (as described in the diagnosis) and New Mexico are paler than most specimens from California, Oregon and Washington, especially beneath and on the sides of the pronotum. A more extensive study is warranted of the variation in this species, as well as a comparison between those populations using Pinus and those using Pseudotsuga as hosts. Sleeper (1963) reported L. californicus from the Mexican state of Chihuahua. A specimen in the U.S. National Museum from Tippecanoe Co., Indiana, is probably mislabelled.

Figures

Figs. 1–5. Male aedeagi of North American Lechriops. 1) Lechriops californicus (LeConte) (specimen from AZ: E. Turkey Creek, 6.5 mi W Portal, 29.05.1997, H.A. Hespenheide (CHAH)); 2) L. variegatus n. sp. (specimen from AZ: Chiricahua Mts., Rustler Pk., 29.06.1958, C. W. O’Brien (CWOB)); 3) L. oblongulus Champion (specimen from AZ: Chiricahua Mts., 8,0009, 30.07.1957, C. W. O’Brien (CHAH)); 4) L. chiricahuae n. sp. (specimen from AZ: Flagstaff, 30.07.1938, D.J. and J.N. Knull (CHAH)); 5) L. oculatus (Say) (specimen from CT: Storrs, 24.06.1973, H.A. Hespenheide (CHAH)).