Theognete semiopaca Anderson, 2010

Anderson, Robert S., 2010, A taxonomic monograph of the Middle American leaf-litter inhabiting weevil genus Theognete Champion (Coleoptera: Curculionidae; Molytinae; Lymantini) 2458, Zootaxa 2458 (1), pp. 1-127 : 29

18. Theognete semiopaca Anderson , new species ( Figures 78 , 83 , 88 )

Diagnosis. Size. Length, male, 3.37–3.71mm; female, 3.60–3.88mm. Width, male, 1.60–1.80mm; female, 1.74–1.85mm. Pronotum densely, rather deeply punctate. Pronotum and elytra (stria and intervals) with dense, long, slender appressed scales. Elytra with sutural stria shallowly impressed and punctate, other striae linearly punctate but not impressed. Procoxae moderately separated. Aedeagus as in Fig. 83 .

Geographical distribution. México (Oaxaca).

Natural history. Collected from berlese extraction of oak cloud forest, oak forest, mixed conifer hardwood forest and open boreal forest leaf litter at elevations ranging from 2650–2925m.

Derivation of specific name. Named from the Latin semi, meaning half,and opacus, meaning shady or dark, in reference to the shiny pronotum yet dull elytra.

Material examined. 13♂, 11♀♀ ( CMNC, CWOB, MCZC, MZLU) . Holotype ♂ ( CMNC) : MÉXICO: Oaxaca. 54km S. W. Valle Nacional, Km 107, 2650m, 28.VII.1992, 92-036, R.S. Anderson, wet oak forest, leaf litter berlese / Holotype ♂, Theognete semiopaca sp. nov., R.S. Anderson. Paratypes: MÉXICO. Oaxaca. Ixtlán de Juárez (27.3 mi. N), 9200', 10–18.VIII.1973, A. Newton berlese oak forest litter (1♂ MCZC) . Valle Nacional (37 mi. S. Hwy 175), 9600', 28.V.1983, C. & L. O'Brien & G.B. Marshall, berlese sifted oak cloud forest litter (8♂, 3♀♀ CMNC, CWOB) . 3.VI.1983, C. W. & L. O'Brien & G.B. Marshall, berlese sifted oak cloud forest (1♂, 3♀♀ CWOB) . Valle Nacional (35.9 mi. S.), 8900', 11–18.VIII.1973, A, Newton, leaf litter mixed conifer hardwood forest (1♂, 1♀ MCZC) (1♀ CWOB) . Valle Nacional (54 km. S. W.) , 2650m, 28.VII.1992, R. Anderson, wet oak forest leaf litter berlese (3♀♀ CMNC) . Valle Nacional (61 km. S.), 2900m, 21.XI.1989, R. Baranowski, sifting litter in open boreal forest (1♂ MZLU) .

Chorological relationships. Sympatric with T. broadheadae , T. lalibertei , T. weiri , T. bothynometopon and T. baranowskii .

Figures

FIGURES 74–78. Habitus, dorsal view, Theognete semistriata species group. 74. T. akros. 75. T. semistriata. 76. T.elongata. 77. T. humilis. 78. T. semiopaca.

FIGURES 82–83. Aedeagus, dorsal and lateral view, Theognete semistriata species group. 82. T. humilis. 83. T. semiopaca.

FIGURES 84–88. Abdominal ventrite 5, male, ventral view, Theognete semistriata species group. 84. T. akros. 85. T. semistriata. 86. T. elongata. 87. T. humilis. 88. T. semiopaca.