Bondariella torresi Bondar, 1942

Valente, Roberta De Melo & Júnior, Mariano Brandão Cordeiro, 2015, Revision of Bondariella Hustache & Bondar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), with descriptions of the first species from the Amazon and notes on natural history, Zootaxa 4018 (2), pp. 201-227 : 218-220

Bondariella torresi Bondar, 1942

( Figs. 1 B, 3G, 5)

Bondariella torresi Bondar, 1942: 22 ; Bondar 1943: 370 (natural history); Vaurie 1953: 37 (lectotype designation); Wibmer & O’Brien 1986: 316 (catalogue).

Male ( Figs. 1 B, 3G, 5). Length of pronotum + elytra: 2.3–2.6mm (N=10). Integument ( Fig. 1 B) evenly light reddish brown throughout, generally darker on punctures of elytral striae; covered by large yellowish spatulate scales. Rostrum ( Fig. 1 B) 0.9 times as long as pronotum, curved in lateral view. Antennae: antennal insertion premedian (0.4); scape 1.9 times as long as article I of funicle. Pronotum 1.2–1.3 times wider than long; disc with large and closely spaced punctures (distant by 0.3 times their own diameter); scales subequal in length throughout; median line slightly convex; collar slightly evident, marked by darker strip of punctures. Interprocoxal distance slightly larger (1.2–1.3 times) than procoxal diameter. Femora lacking comb of setae. Metatibiae strongly clavate to apex, sinuous on dorsal face and with a comb of long setae on distal ½. Elytra 1.2–1.4 times longer than wide; 2.0–2.3 times as long as pronotum; sutural interval with two rows of scales; remaining intervals with 2–3 rows of scales on base, becoming variously two rows toward apex. Abdominal tergites ( Figs. 3 G, 5A): laterotergites subdivided into three smaller sclerites; median fissure complete, reaching distal margin of tergite IV; tergite IV with lateral and median spiculate patches on median sclerites; tergite VII with two rows of plectra, each with seven distantly spaced plectra. Ventrites ( Fig. 5 B): I–II combined 2.0–2.3 times as long as III–IV combined; ventrite I 1.2–1.4 times as long as ventrite II; ventrite V transversally oblong, 3.4–3.6 times wider than long, flat, distal margin rounded, lacking tufts of scales. Sternum VIII ( Fig. 5 C): each sclerite trapezoidal, with six posteroventral setae. Spiculum gastrale ( Fig. 5 D) 2.0 times as long as median lobe; stylus curved, relatively wide; furcal arms sclerotized, elongate, narrowed, not clavate, symmetrical. Tegmen ( Fig. 5 E) sclerotized, 2.1 times as long as median lobe; dorsal parameroid lobes free (not connected medially on base), each parameroid lobe 0.6 times as long as median lobe, clothed with long setae on distal 1/2; ventral tegminal apodeme 0.7 times as long as median lobe, widened, short and straight to apex. Aedeagus ( Fig. 5 F): median lobe short and wide, 2.0 times longer than wide; apex truncate; lateral margins narrowed; sides sinuous; endophallus membranous, clothed with sparse spinules on distal ½ (larger medially), with an anterior pair of membranous bags bearing numerous denser large spinules; ostium evident, distal; lacking orificial plates. Apodemes of aedeagus 1.5 times as long as median lobe, not sclerotized on basal 1/3.

Female ( Fig. 1 B). Length of pronotum + elytra: 2.4–2.6mm (N=5). Differs from male by generic characters of the rostrum, scrobe, antennal scape, interocular distance and ventrite II (cited above). In addition, by rostrum ( Fig. 1 B) strongly curved; scrobe 0.2 times as long as rostrum; antennal insertion basal (0.1 times); scape shorter than article I of funicle (0.7 times); pronotum lacking median line. Body part ratios. Length rostrum/length pronotum: 0.9 times; pronotum width/length: 1.3 times; elytron length/width: 1.3–1.4 times; length elytron/length pronotum: 2.0–2.2 times; interprocoxal distance/procoxal diameter: 1.2 times; length ventrite I/length ventrite II: 1.2–1.3 times; length ventrites I+II/length ventrites III+IV: 2.4–2.6 times; ventrite V width/length: 3.3–3.5 times.

Etymology. Named by Bondar (1942) in honour of his great friend Antonio Margarinos Torres.

Remarks. Bondariella torresi ( Fig. 1 B), Bondariella rudicula sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 B) and Bondariella crenata sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 C) are similar by having integument evenly light reddish brown throughout. But Bondariella torresi is easily distinguished from Bondariella rudicula sp. nov. and Bondariella crenata sp. nov. by a number of characters: sutural interval of elytra with two rows of scales; remaining elytral intervals with 2–3 rows of scales on base, becoming variously two rows toward apex; rostrum curved (males), strongly curved and long (0.9 times as long as pronotum, females) ( Fig. 1 B); interprocoxal distance larger (1.2–1.3 times) than procoxal diameter; metatibae bearing a comb of long setae on distal ½ (male); abdominal tergites ( Figs. 3 G, 5A) with median fissure complete (reaching distal margin of tergite IV); ventrite V ( Fig. 5 B) transversally oblong (3.3–3.6 times wider than long); sternum VIII ( Fig. 5 C) trapezoidal bearing six posteroventral setae; tegmen ( Fig. 5 E) with dorsal parameroid lobes free (not connected medially on base) and; endophallus ( Fig. 5 F) membranous, with a pair of bags of spinules. On the other hand, Bondariella rudicula sp. nov. and Bondariella crenata sp. nov. have only one row of scales on sutural interval; remaining elytral intervals with 1–2 rows at base, becoming variously only one row toward apex; rostrum almost straight (males), straight and short (0.5–0.6 times as long as pronotum, females) ( Figs. 2 B–C); interprocoxal distance slightly shorter (0.9 times) than procoxal diameter; metatibae lacking comb of setae; abdominal tergites ( Fig. 3 F) with median fissure incomplete (not reaching distal margin of tergite IV); ventrite V ( Figs. 8 B, 9B) trapezoidal (2.4–2.6 times wider than long); sternum VIII ( Figs. 8 C, 9C) subquadrate and glabrous; tegmen ( Figs. 8 E, 9E) with dorsal parameroid lobes connected medially on base; endophallus ( Figs. 8 F, 9F) sclerotized, lacking membranous bags. Finally, B. torresi is distributed in Caatinga biome and has only been collected from Syagrus vagans while Bondariella rudicula sp. nov. and Bondariella crenata sp. nov. are distributed in Amazon biome and have only been collected from Euterpe species. The remaining species of Bondariella have been collected from different species of Syagrus .

Natural history. Bondariella torresi is recorded from the Caatinga biome, from Lajedo Alto and Morro do Chapéu, both localities in Bahia, Brazil. Adults and larvae of B. torresi were collected from Santa Luzia, Lajedo Alto on male flowers of Syagrus vagans , locally known as “ariri” (Bondar 1942, 1943, cited as Cocos vagans Bondar ). In the municipality of Morro do Chapéu, adults were collected on an unidentified palm. Larvae feed and complete their life cycle between petals of male flowers from open inflorescences of S. vagans (Bondar 1942, 1943). Bondar was able to rear larvae of B. torresi in the laboratory, but larvae and pupae not yet been described. Currently, Lajedo Alto (ex Lagedo Alto) is district of the municipality of Iaçu, which was dismembered from the municipality of Santa Teresinha (ex Santa Terezinha) (IBGE 2011). As spelled in the labels from type material we did not find the locality of Santa Tereza, so we believe that it could be the municipality of Santa Teresinha (ex Santa Terezinha) mispelled as Santa Tereza. To corroborate this interpretation, in the same paper, Bondar (1942) spelled Santa Teresinha or Santa Terezinha in labels of other two species of weevils collected on flowers of S. vagans . In additional collections besides the type series, Bondariella torresi has only been recorded on flowers of S. vagans (for details see natural history of Bondariella ).

Material examined. Lectotype male deposited in AMNH: “Lagedo [Lajedo] Alto,\ S. [Santa] Luzia,\ Bahia, Brazil [label 1], ♂ [label 2], Gregorio Bondar\ Collection\ David Rockefeller\ Donor [label 3], Lectotype \ Bondariella \ torresi \ Bondar\ P. Vaurie [label 4–rectangular, pink, print]”. Paralectotypes: “Estado da Bahia\ Brazil \ G. Bondar leg. [label 1], Lagedo [Lajedo] Alto\ Santa Luzia, Bahia\ Brazil \ Cocos vagans [label 2], Gregorio Bondar\ Collection\ David Rockefeller\ Donor [label 3]” ( AMNH: 7♂, 13♀); “Cotipo [label 1– rectangular, red, print], 1942\ Bahia\ S. [Santa] Tereza\ Bondar [label 2], Bondariella \ torresi Bond., 1942 \ cotipo\ H. Reichardt det. 1962 [label 3]” ( MZUSP: 4♂ (1 dissected), 2♀). Not Paralectotypes: “Morro do Chapéu, BA [Bahia]\ 28.x.1987 \ M. T. Rodrigues\ Col. [collected], em palmeira. [label 1], Bondariella \ torresi [label 2]” ( MZUSP: 2♂, 1♀), same date but, “ Bondariella \ torresi \ Bondar, 1942\ S. A. Vanin det. 1987 [as label 3]” ( MZUSP: 2♂, 1♀), same date but, “ Baridinae –\ Tribo Madarini \ Bondariella torresi [as label 2]” ( MZUSP: 2 ♂, 1 ♀).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Bondariella: lectotype male (dorsal and lateral view) and paralectotype female (lateral view). A B. ruschiana (♂ 2.3 mm, ♀ 2.3 mm). B B. torresi (♂ 2.6 mm, ♀ 2.4 mm). C B. mucugeana (♂ 2.6 mm, ♀ 2.6 mm).

FIGURE 2. Habitus of Bondariella: lectotype male (dorsal and lateral view) and paralectotype female (lateral view). A B. mimica (♂ 2.3 mm, ♀ 2.4 mm). B Bondariella rudicula sp. nov. (♂ 1.9 mm, ♀ 2.1 mm). C Bondariella crenata sp. nov. (♂ 2.1 mm, ♀ 2.1 mm).

FIGURE 3. Bondariella spp. A – F Bondariella crenata sp. nov., paratypes, male (A, C – F), female (B). A Rostrum male. B Rostrum female. C Epistoma. D Detail of sclerolepidia. E Apex of the hind tibae showing uncus. F Tergites. G Bondariella torresi, paralectotype male, tergites. H – I Bondariella mimica, paralectotype. H Male, prosternum. I Female, prosternum. Scale bars: A – B, D and F – I, 200 µm; C and E, 30 µm.

FIGURE 5. Bondariella torresi, paralectotype male. A Tergites, dorsal aspect showing plectra. B Ventrites. C Sternum VIII, dorsal view. D Spiculum gastrale, dorsal view. E Tegmen, dorsal view. F Aedeagus, dorsal and lateral view. Scale bars: A – B, 200 µm; C – F (on same scale), 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 8. Bondariella rudicula sp. nov., paratype male. A Tergites, dorsal aspect showing plectra. B Ventrites. C Sternum VIII, dorsal view. D Spiculum gastrale, dorsal view. E Tegmen, dorsal view. F Aedeagus, dorsal and lateral view. Scale bars: A – B, 200 µm; C – D (on same scale) and E – F (on same scale), 0.25 mm.