Hellerenius plumipes, Wanat, 2013

Wanat, Marek, 2013, The Apionidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) of New Caledonia. Genera Archellerenius gen. nov. and Hellerenius Wanat, Zootaxa 3717 (4), pp. 515-542 : 532-537

Hellerenius plumipes sp. nov.

( Figs 92–122 )

Type material. Holotype ♂: a) Koghi Mts, 22°11’S / 166°30’E [-22.178/166.5061], 450–600 m, humid forest, 11.02.2004, leg. M. Wanat (MNHN).

Paratypes (100 ♂ 110 ♀): New Caledonia: 1 ♀, coll. P. Montague (BMNH).

Province Nord: Col des Roussettes, 450–550 m, 4–6 II 1963, 1 ♂, C. Yoshimoto (BPBM); (rainforest near refuge), -21.4074/165.525, 530 m, 2 XII 2010, 2 ♂ 1 ♀; (rainforest East of river), -21.408/165.5302, 520 m, 2 XII 2010, 1 ♀ - all leg. MW & RR (MW). Pic d’Amoa, 450 m, 26 X 1978, 1 ♀, leg. G. Kuschel (NZAC); (Povila), - 20.9528/165.2912, 360 m, 14 I 2007, 1 ♂, from Hedycarya sp. ; 400 m, 22 XI 2008, 2 ♀ - all leg. MW (MW); (Povila), -20.951/165.2912, 400 m, lower rainforest, 18 XI 2010, 1 ♀; (Povila), -20.9502/165.2932, 400–450 m, 17 XI 2010, 1 ♂ - all leg. MW & RR (MW). Mt Rembai (top junction), 21.34.51S/165.50.36E [-21.5808/165.8433], 780 m, rainforest, no. 12003, 19 XII 2004, beating, 1 ♂, leg. G. Monteith (QLDM). Aoupinié, meteo station to summit, 21.11S /165.16.E [-21.1833/165.2667], 950–1000 m, 8 II 2004, 1 ♀, leg. MW (MW); near Goipin road junction, -21.1795/165.3017, 720 m, 19 I 2007, 1 ♀, leg. MW & RD (MW), 28 XI 2008, 1 ♀, from Hedycarya chrysophylla , leg. MW (MW). Thoven, 20.47S / 164.53E [-20.7833/164.8833], 450 m, 5 II 2004, from Hedycarya sp. , 3 ♂ 2 ♀, leg. MW (MW). Upper Tchamba valley: Wâo Uni, refuge, -21.0057/165.2487, 400 m, 15 I 2007, 1 ♂, night beating, leg. MW (MW). Poro (6 km SSE), plateau above mine, -21.34795/165.69385; 620 m, forest, 30 XI 2008, 2 ♂ 1 ♀, from Hedycarya parvifolia , leg. MW (MW).

Province Sud: same locality as the holotype, 11 and 12 II 2004, 33 ♂ 53 ♀ (a number of exs from Hedycarya sp. ); 11 II 2004, at light, 1 ♂; (tavern and forest), 470–500 m, 24 X 2008, 2 ♂ 1 ♀, 27 X 2008, 1 ♂; 500–550 m, rainforest, 25 X 2008, 3 ♂ 1 ♀, 27 X 2008, 3 ♂ 5 ♀; (tavern to Vallee des Houps), 500–550 m, 3 XII 2008, 4 ♂ 4 ♀; (trail to Cascade), forest, 500–550 m, 4 XII 2008, 2 ♂ - all leg. MW (MW, SMNK, IACP, IRD, CG, CMN); 16 XII 2006, 1 ♂ 3 ♀, leg. MW & RD (MW); Koghi Mts, 20 I–4 II 2005, 1 ♀, leg. A. Kudrna jr. (MW); 500–800 m, 23–27.X.1967, 2 ♂ 2 ♀, leg. J. & M. Sedlacek (BPBM, MW); 450–600 m, 4–6 X 1967, 1 ♂, leg. C. Yoshimoto (BPBM); 400–600 m, II 1973, 1 ♀, leg. N. Krauss (BPBM); 12 X 1978, 1 ♂, leg. P. Johnson (NZAC); 8 XII 1997, 1 ♂, leg. R. & C. Hornabrook (RH); (Upper Koghi Mts), -22.1833/166.5, 600–700 m, rainforest, 12 II 2004, 6 ♂ 6 ♀; (near Pic Malaoui trail junction), -22.18038/166.51313, 3 XII 2008, 14 ♂ 8 ♀; (Vallee des Houps), -22.18177/ 166.50936, 520–550 m, 3 XII 2008, 2 ♂ 1 ♀ - all leg. MW (MW). Foret de Thy, 550 m, 1 III 1960, 1 ♂, leg. J.Gressitt (BPBM). Col d’Amieu, Forestry Station, 17–18 and 18–21 X 1978, 3 ♂ 1 ♀, leg. J. Dugdale (NZAC). Sarraméa/Col d’Amieu, -21.63411/165.89527, 15 V 2006, 1 ♀, leg. JB & JPK (IACP). Sarramea (trail to Plateau de Dogny), -21.6229/165.8684, 300–560 m, 9 XI 2010, 2 ♂ 3 ♀, leg. MW & RR (MW). Parc des Grandes Fougères (N of Pic Vincent), -21.5918/165.7745, 600–680 m, 6 XI 2010, 1 ♀, leg. MW & RR (MW). Parc territorial de la Rivière Bleue, 12, 13, 14,, P6, 16 VII 1992, canopy fogging (see Guilbert et al. 1995), 2 ♂ 1 ♀ (MNHN). Pic Ningua Reserve (Camps des sapins), [-21.74/166.15], 3 X 2008, 1 ♀, beating Carpolepis sp. (“voir fiche COL/ins/78-08”), leg. C. Mille (IACP). Mt Humboldt (S trail), Botanical Reserve, moss forest, 1130–1280 m, 10 XI 2008, 1 ♂ 1 ♀, leg. MW (MW). Mt Ouin road (km 0– 0.5 N of Dzumac rd jct), -22.0318/166.4674, 900 m, 4 XII 2010, 2 ♀, night collecting; (km 0.4– 1.0 N of Dzumac rd jct), -22.0244/166.4706, 900 m, 6 XII 2010, 1 ♂, night collecting—all leg. MW & RR (MW). Bois du Sud, -22.1759/166.7625, 220 m, 10 XII 2010, 1 ♂, leg. MW & RR (MW).

Distributed throughout the entire mainland of New Caledonia (Grande Terre) except the extreme north and south ( Fig. 122).

Diagnosis. The most frequently collected species of Hellerenius in New Caledonia, unique in this genus in having protrudingly pilose coxae, trochanters and femora (more distinctly in male). It differs from H. lobifer in smaller body size, elytra with more or less distinct bronze tinge, and in the structure of the last abdominal ventrite in both sexes. It resembles H. tibialis n. sp. in many external characters, including body size, coloration and proportions, but it differs distinctly in unmodified hind tibiae in both sexes, protrudingly setose venter of rostrum (male), and structure of last abdominal ventrite, aedeagus and tegmen.

Description. Body 3.5–3.9 mm long, black with evident bronze sheen; elytra matt; base of antennal scape testaceous.

Rostrum shiny; prorostrum slightly thinner than metarostrum, on underside with fine, shagreened sulci throughout entire length ( Fig. 8 ). Antenna as in Fig. 99; length/width ratios: scape 10.0–11.2, funicular segments: FIGURES 96–110. Hellerenius plumipes , male (97–102, 104–106, 109, 110), female (96, 103, 107, 108): 58) elytra, lateral view; 96) elytra, dorsal view; 97) pronotum, dorsal view; 98) head with rostrum, dorsal view; 99) antenna; 100) head and rostrum base, ventral view; 101) rostrum (part), ventral view; 102) rostrum, lateral view; 103) head with rostrum, lateral view; 104) fore femur (part) and tibia; 105) protarsus; 106–108) metatibia in lateral (106, 107) and dorsal (108) view; 109) all abdominal ventrites, ventral view; 110) last abdominal ventrite, postero-lateral view.

1st 2.0–2.6, 2nd 3.1–3.8, 7th 1.0–1.1, club 3.2–3.4; scape as long as entire funicle. Head: frons with shallow median depression; vertex weakly convex and finely punctured in front; temple 0.5–0.7 as long as eye; underside weakly convex, behind eyes with indistinct concentric wrinkles, rarely with median tubercle (Fig. 100). Pronotum: front margin not scratched; disc microreticulate and punctate, punctures less than an ommatidium diameter, subapical constriction scarcely visible on dorsum, subbasal line never traced; sternellum weakly prominent; posterior margin of hypomeron with pointed tubercle. Scutellum often slightly elongate. Elytra highly convex, compared to H. lobifer with less prominent caudal part and declivities gently arched in profile ( Figs 94 , 96); intervals all flat, with dense scale-like microsculpture; sensory setae 2–3, ordered. Metaventrite about 1.5× as long as diameter of mesocoxa. Wing ( Fig. 93 ): radial window almost completely reduced; anal 1A as single rudiment (occasionally much shorter second vein retained); 2A sometimes with minute spur; 3A relatively long. Legs moderately long and robust; tibiae all straight, with blunt outer edges (Figs 104, 106–108); protarsus as in Fig. 105; 2nd tarsomere isodiametric.

Male. Underside of rostrum with short, white, erect setae (Fig. 102); similar but longer setae form distinct fringe on undersides of coxae, trochanters and basal halves of femora on fore and mid-legs ( Fig. 95 ). Tibiae straight, unarmed, metatibia with long apical fringe (Fig. 106). Fifth abdominal ventrite V ca. 1.8–1.9× broader than long, strongly convex, at apical declivity with round, setose impression (Figs 109, 110). Pygidium: exposed part distinctly flattened, 0.20–0.25 total pygidium length, with no trace of marginal rim; transverse sulcus incomplete, in middle as semicircular depression. Sternite VIII with short lobes. Sternite IX forked, apodeme untoothed ( Fig. 121 ). Tegmen connate; basal piece largely sclerotized between thin arms; tegminal plate 1.3–1.4× longer than broad, widened apicad; membranous lobes and fenestrae absent; suprafenestral sclerites expanded ventrad, with one row of short macrochaetae along inner margins, outer margins transparent and microsetose; postfenestral plate membranous; prostegium divided into pair of widely separated tails ( Fig. 117 ). Penis short and broad, flat ( Figs 118, 119 ); pedon 2.4–2.7 × as long as broad, much shorter than its apodemes, rhombic, distinctly narrowing basad and apicad from basal 0.4 length, ventrally membranous except margins and triangular apex; base of tectum expanded, with longitudinal folds, apex of tectum thin and long; endophallus with microspinose area close to apodemal base and transverse microplates in orificial region, terminal part as in Fig. 120 .

Female. Rostrum as in Fig. 103, asetose ventrally; prorostrum slightly wider at apex than in middle. Apices of coxae, often also underside of trochanters with fine, protruding setae much shorter than in male; underside of femora bare. Fifth abdominal ventrite twice as wide as long, weakly and regularly convex, finely rimmed around ( Figs 111–113 ). Tergite VII semicircular, at most 1.4× wider than long ( Fig. 116 ). Pouch-like median process of membrane barely longer than wide, rounded apically, smaller than in H. lobifer . Tergite VIII wider than long, round, weakly and evenly sclerotised except for cleared median line, with sparse, short setae ( Fig. 115 ). Sternite VIII (spiculum ventrale) 2.0× as long as gonocoxite, with large apical spatula ( Fig. 114 ). Styli ca. 2× as long as wide. Spermatheca having straight and relatively thick corpus ( Fig. 92 ).

Morphological indices in Tab. 1.

Biology. Collected from leaves and flowers of Hedycarya parvifolia Perkins & Schltr. and other similar species. Females were observed piercing inflorescences (Wanat & Munzinger, 2012).

Etymology. Name is in reference to protrudingly pilose fore and middle leg bases, the unique feature of this species. The name is an invariable Latin adjective.

Figures

FIGURES 87 – 95. Hellerenius monteithi, male (87 – 91), Hellerenius plumipes, male (95) and female (92 – 94): 87) penis, lateral view; 88) entire penis, enlarged pedo-tectal part in dorsal view (88 A) and endophallus (88 B) in lateral view; 89) tegminal plate and basal piece, lateral view; 90) entire tegmen, enlarged tegminal plate (90 A), dorsal view; 91) sternites VIII and IX, enlarged fork of s. IX (91 A); 92) spermatheca; 93) metathoracic wing, enlarged radial cell to show vestigial radial window (93 A); 94) elytra, lateral view; 95) pilose mesocoxae, trochanters and femoral bases. Abbreviations: ed, ejaculatory duct; w, radial window.

FIGURES 111 – 121. Hellerenius plumipes, male (117 – 120), female (111 – 116): 111, 112) all abdominal ventrites in dorsal (111) and lateral (112) view; 113) fifth abdominal ventrite, posterior view; 114) entire ovipositor with spiculum ventrale, lateral view; 115) tergite VIII and ovipositor, enlarged stylus; 116) tergite VII; 117) tegminal plate and basal piece, dorsal view; 118, 119) penis with partial apodemes and endophallus in dorsal (118) and lateral (119) view; 120) terminal parts of endophallus, tegminal and penial apodemes, lateral view; 121) sternite VIII and IX.

FIGURES 1 – 8. Mouthparts and rostrum underside, SEM photographs: 1) Hellerenius monteithi, male mouthparts; 2) H. plumipes, male mouthparts (arrow points on U-shaped stripes on outer side of terminal maxillary palp segment); 3) Archellerenius giustoi, female mouthparts; 4) H. plumipes, sensilla on apex of female maxillary palp, magnification 9600 ×; 5) H. monteithi, female prorostrum, ventral view; 6) H. plumipes, male rostrum, ventral view; 7) H. tibialis, female prorostrum, ventral view; 8) H. plumipes, female prorostrum, ventral view. Abbreviations: ls, mixed setae of labial ligula and maxillary malae; m, mandible; mp, maxillary palp (2 - segmented); pf, palpifer; po, postmentum; pr, prementum; sg, subgenal sulcus.