Cercopeus cornelli O’Brien, Ciegler and Girón, 2010

O’Brien, Charles W., Ciegler, Janet C. & Girón, Jennifer C., 2010, Weevils of the genus Cercopeus Schoenherr from South Carolina, USA (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae), Insecta Mundi 2010 (141), pp. 1-29 : 8-10

Cercopeus cornelli O’Brien, Ciegler and Girón , new species

( Fig. 4, 5 , 19 , 29, 35, 42)

Diagnosis. Body elongate broad-oval; integument shining, dark reddish brown; clothed with brownish black, brown, and few whitish tan to white, oval to elongate-oval, recumbent scales, some with scales

predominantly dark brown with pale brown sparse maculae in uneven elytral fascia; and with moderately dense, distinct, suberect, moderately coarse setae.

Description. Holotype female. Length, pronotum and elytron: 3.80mm. Width, elytra: 2.0 mm. Rostrum weakly evenly curved, dorsal line nearly flat in basal 2/ 3 in lateral view; median area medially not impressed from base to apical 1/3; basal 2/3 densely clothed with large, imbricate, tan to white, recumbent scales; scales not concealing large punctures, apical 1/3 clothed with dense, not contiguous, small, round, shining, recumbent scales and with coarse, moderately dense, elongate, white, suberect setae; nasal plate sharply defined, not carinate or punctate. Head with frons with small, median, round, deep fovea; latter surrounded by large shallow impression, densely clothed with large to medium-sized white to pale tan scales, not concealing large rugosely striate punctures; punctures behind frons striate, smaller, with smaller sparse scales; eyes elongate-oval, moderately weakly convex. Antennae moderately stout; scape moderately clavate, with sparse elongate recumbent scales, and moderately dense long coarse suberect setae; funicular antennomere 1 nearly round, about 0.12× longer than 2 and 0.50× wider, 3-6 subequal in length, moniliform, 7 slightly longer than 6; club short, broad-oval (Fig. 29). Prothorax not transverse, 0.96× as wide as long, base without collar, sides widest at middle, strongly evenly rounded from base, narrowed to short gradually subtubulate apex; disc completely striate-punctate, medial 4/5 with small round to large elongate punctures forming narrow striae, with oval to round recumbent mainly brown scales in and not concealing most punctures, lateral margins in part with denser round recumbent grayish scales partially concealing striae; striae straight medially from apex to straight base, lacking basal process, and becoming weakly curved laterally; prothorax in lateral or anterior view without distinct angulate margins; inflexed area of pleuron rugosely, coarsely punctate with sparse, grayish, elongate, pointed, plumose, recumbent scales; disc with moderately dense, long, fine, mostly dark, subrecumbent setae; scales not forming distinct pattern. Elytra broad-oval, 1.22× as long as broad, broadest just behind rounded humeri, then sides narrowed gradually in almost straight line to declivity and evenly narrowed to rounded apex; median area of disc dark brown to black, with pale tan to whitish uneven moderately broad fascia of recumbent scales inside and including humeri and along side margins and declivity; inflexed lateral area completely clothed with similar but pale grayish, recumbent scales; strial punctures deep round and distinct, separated by own diameter; intervals uneven in width, flat, each with one or two uneven rows of moderately fine, subrecumbent setae, and dense, round to oval, imbricate to contiguous, recumbent scales Legs: Forefemur very stout, other femora very moderately clavate; with dense, mostly contiguous, pale grayish, recumbent scales and suberect, fine setae; foretibia externally apically expanded, with eight spines, flattened internally with short, blunt mucro; curved with moderately strong, subapical, inner curvature; inner margin strongly sinuate in basal 1/3 and denticulate with small rounded tubercles; hind tibia with two long, acute, stout, anterior, apical spines, and outer margin with about 15 short, coarse, moderately sharp, reddish brown spines, with only last two or three somewhat longer posteriorly. Venter with dense to sparse noncontiguous recumbent plumose scales on pro-, meso-, and metasternum, sparse on abdominal sterna, slightly denser laterally and on apical margins, and on articulating surfaces of all coxae; abdominal sterna all with moderately dense, fine, recumbent setae; thoracic sterna with dense, coarse punctures; abdominal sterna with variable-sized, sparser, finer punctures; abdominal sternum I convex, not transversely impressed between hind coxae, 1.11× as long as II; II convex and 1.35× as long as subequal weakly convex III + IV; V about 0.89× as long as II and broadly transversely concave in apical third. Genitalia: Tergum VII ( Fig. 42a ) 1.5× wider than long, with anterior margin rounded, 1.8× wider than posterior margin, lateral margins nearly straight, posterior margin emarginate, surface with setae on apical fourth; in lateral view, dorsal outline straight. Tergum VIII ( Fig. 42b ) with anterior and lateral margins nearly straight; lateral margins convergent; anterior margin 3× wider than posterior margin; posterior margin rounded, with setae on marginal area. Sternum VIII ( Fig. 42c ) 0.7× length of sterna I-V together, spoon-shaped, with lamina 1.9× longer than wide, rounded at apex, with apicolateral area and median basilongitudinal region more sclerotized than basilateral regions, with 1-3 lateral submarginal setae. Coxites + styli ( Fig. 42d ) slightly shorter than lamina of sternum VIII; apex of coxites with two anteapical and two slightly longer apical setae; styli apically inserted, 1.8× longer than basal width, apically slightly rounded, with seven apical setae. Genital chamber 0.8× length of sternum VIII. Spermatheca ( Fig. 42e ) 2.1× longer than wide, j-shaped; cornu straight; corpus slightly swollen at base of cornu; ramus projected, apically truncate, laterally rounded; collum apically rounded; surface reticulate.

Allotype male. Same as female holotype except: Length, pronotum and elytron: 4.00mm. Width, elytra: 2.0 mm. Rostrum nearly flat dorsally, very weakly depressed in apical 1/3. Elytra elongate-oval, 1.35× as long as broad. Legs even stouter, with forefemur more swollen, inner surface in basal 2/3 with dense very long fine setae; foretibia with inner margin in basal 1/3 forming strong subacute tooth-like process, with five or six tuberculate denticles on apical area of process to apex, strongly narrowed and internally curved in apical 1/3 with long fine, erect setae, and with narrow submedian groove on inner surface from large process to apex, apex rounded at outer margin, with nine or ten short blunt spines and long narrow acute mucro; hind tibia with one stout, anterior, apical spine and outer margin with eight long, acute, fine, dark spines, and three, posterior, similar, but short spines. Venter with metasternum and abdominal sternum I broadly deeply impressed, impression continuing more narrowly on sternum II; sternum V basally nearly flat, with narrow shallow marginal impression; all abdominal sterna with very long, dense, fine, recumbent setae. Genitalia: Tergum VIII ( Fig. 35a ) 1.3× wider than long, with anterior margin nearly straight, 1.6× wider than posterior margin, lateral margins convergent from basal third, posterior margin truncate, with setae in posterior half; in lateral view ( Fig. 35b ), dorsal outline sinuate. Sternum IX (spiculum gastrale, Fig. 35c ) with basal plate bifurcate, forming two opposed triangles, nearly 1.5× longer than wide each; apodeme 0.6× width of aedeagus in lateral view, 1.5× length of aedeagus. Tegmen ( Fig. 35d ) with tegminal apodeme slightly shorter than aedeagus; basal piece connate with tegminal plate; tegminal plate with mesal n-shaped projection, posteriorly directed. Aedeagus in dorsal view ( Fig. 35e ) 3.1× longer than mesal width, lateral margins subparallel; apex ( Fig. 35f ) narrowly rounded; in lateral view ( Fig. 35g ) dorsally convex, 4.7× longer than mesal width. Endophallus with pair of subapical sclerotized plates closing the ostium, pair of lateral groups of small denticles near midpoint, and a large group of small denticles positioned anteriad of base of aedeagus. Aedeagal apodemes slightly longer than aedeagus.

Intraspecific variation. The length (pronotum plus elytra) ranges from 3.65 to 4.50 mm, the width from 1.85 to 2.40 mm. Otherwise individuals are relatively uniform and show no significant variation.

Remarks and comparative notes. The large triangular tooth on the inner side of the foretibia uniquely identifies males of this species. The broadly triangular apex of the foretibia will distinguish females from all other species except C. maspavancus , which has a tumid pronotum and is somewhat larger and more reddish.

Range. Known only from two localities in South Carolina.

Materials examined. On hand for this study were 12 specimens, 7 males and 5 females.

Holotype female, allotype male (in CASC, on long-term loan to CWOB), and two paratypes: “S[outh]C[arolina]: Chesterfield Co., Cheraw , Cheraw SP, N34 o 38.447', W79 o 55.483', 7-I-2008 / J. C. Ciegler, berlese sifted, lichens, longleaf pine”.

Paratypes. Same as holotype except N34 o 38.35, W79 o 53.606' / 28-X-2007 (2) ; same except 7-I-2008, N34 o 38.371', W79 o 55.388' (1); same except 10-II-08, N34 o 38.376', W79 o 55.394' (1); USA SC CHESTER- FIELD /CO. Cheraw St. Pk 27X07 / J&S Cornell Berl. Litter & Soil / w/clumps of Aristida sp. (1) ; same except Berl Old Flood , Debris Juniper Creek (1) ; same except Berlese Ex Soil , & Reindeer Lichen (1) ; Florence Co.: Florence, S.C., 15 Jan 1938, F. F. Bondy, Soil Shaker (1) . Paratypes are in the following collections: CUAC, CWOB, JCCC, JFCC, SCSM, and USNM.

Etymology. This species is named in honor of our friend and colleague, Dr. James F. Cornell, who collected this and other specimens in this study and graciously made them available to us.

Figures

Figure 1-5. Habitus of Cercopeus species: dorsal view, lateral view, and life-size silhouette. 1) C. alexi, male. 2) Same, female. 3) C. chrysorrhoeus, female. 4) C. cornelli, male. 5) Same, female.

Figure 16-23. Legs of Cercopeus species. 16) Left midfemur, C. femoratus, male, ventral view. 17) Left foretibia, C. alexi, male, lateral view. 18) Left foretibia, C. tibialis, male, lateral view. 19) Right foretibia, C. cornelli, male, ventral view. 20) Right foretibia, C. chrysorrhoeus, female, dorsal view. 21) Left foretibia, C. maspavancus, female, dorsal view. 22) Right foretibia, C. femoratus, female, dorsal view. 23) Left foretibia, C. tibialis, female, lateral view.

Figure 40-48. Female genitalia of Cercopeus species: a. tergum VII, dorsal view; b. tergum VIII, dorsal view; c. sternum VIII, ventral view; d. coxite, lateral view; e. spermatheca. 40) C. alexi. 41) C. chrysorrhoeus. 42) C. cornelli. 43) C. femoratus. 44) C. maspavancus. 45) C. paulus. 46) C. skelleyi. 47) C. strigicollis. 48) C. tibialis. Scale bars: 0.5 mm for a, b and c; 0.2 mm for d and e.

Figure 34-39. Male genitalia of Cercopeus species: a. tergum VIII, dorsal view; b. tergum VIII, lateral view; c. sternum IX (spiculum gastrale); d. tegmen; e. aedeagus, dorsal view; f. apex of aedeagus, dorsal view; g. aedeagus, lateral view. 34) C. alexi. 35) C. cornelli. 36) C. femoratus. 37) C. paulus. 38) C. skelleyi. 39) C. tibialis. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.