Metapocyrtus coeruleolineatus, Sandel & Bollino, 2018

Sandel, Franco & Bollino, Maurizio, 2018, Four New Species of Metapocyrtus Heller, 1912, from Mindoro Island, Philippines (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae, Pachyrhynchini), Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 18 (2), pp. 139-158 : 144-148

Metapocyrtus coeruleolineatus sp. nov.

( Figs. 3 a-3d)

Diagnosis

Based on elytral profile, Metapocyrtus coeruleolineatus shows a superficial affinity to Metapocyrtus bacoensis n.sp., but it is easily distinguishable for the different elytral ornamentation, formed by interstriae of points covered by light blue scales, the absence of the wide lateral band on elytra and the more narrow and slender shape of the body. Elytra have a more flat and regular profile, a most prominent rear hull, the pronotum with less convexity, the rostrum with grooves of scrobes more dilated and more visible from above, tibiae and femora covered with shorter light blue-pale grey hairs.

Type material. Holotype male “ Philippines - Mindoro Island / SW slopes mt. Iglit Baco / San Jose (Calintaan) / I.2016 - mt. 1200 / coll. Sandel ”, will be deposited in SMTD

Paratypes (14 males, 10 females): 3 males, 5 females: Philippines - Mindoro / NE slopes Mt. Baco - V.2015 / ~ 12°48’N 121°12’E / m 1300, coll. M. Bollino ; 6 males, 3 females: Philippines - Occ. Mindoro / Abra de Ilog Range / ( Santa Cruz ) / May 2016 / coll. Bollino ; 1 male: Philippines - Mindoro / SW slopes Mt. Iglit Baco / San Jose ( Calintaan ) / I. 2016 - m 1200 / coll. Bollino , all in MBLI; 4 males, 1 female: Philippines - Mindoro Island / SW slopes mt. Iglit Baco / San Jose ( Calintaan ) / X.2015 - mt. 1200 / coll. Sandel ; 1 female: Philippines - Mindoro / SW slopes Mt. Iglit Baco / San Jose ( Calintaan ) / I. 2016 - m 1200 / coll. Sandel , all in CFS.

Description

Male. Dimensions: LB: 11.3 - 11.6 (holotype 11.5; â: 11.45). LR: 1.7 - 2.0 (1.7; â: 1.85). WR: 1.5 - 1.7 (1.5; â: 1.62). LP: 3.5 - 3.7 (3.5; â: 3.6). WP: 3.4 - 3.6 (3.4; â: 3.5). LE: 7.6 - 8.0 (7.7; â: 7.8). WE: 4.9 - 5.4 (5.0; â: 5.2).

N = 5 for all measurements.

Black integuments, glossy body surface, the lower part more opaque. Body subgrabrous, dorsally with short and sparse pale grey hairs only on the points of the elytral interstriae, on the rostrum and on the apex of elytra; ventrally with thick tuft of pale yellow hairs between coxae, on mesosternum, metasternum and ventrites I and II. Head with short hairs between the eyes, rostrum dorsally with short pale hairs lying forward, all of equal length, ventrally with longer light blue hairs lying forward, more numerous on the sides; apex of the rostrum with long yellowish bristles; a narrow spot of elongate light blue and white scales, surrounded by hairs of the same color, is present laterally, behind the eyes.

Pronotum dorsally glabrous, with two elongated dorso-lateral spots consisting of light blue scales, and converging backward from the anterior third, interrupted just before the posterior edge; sub-apical band consisting of small lanceolate scales of the same light blue color, covering the anterior edge, and slightly protruding towards the vertex on both sides of the pronotum; larger and circular ventro-lateral spots of whitish blue scales mixed with a few sparse hairs of the same color, which reaches forward of the sub-apical transversal band.

Elytra with bands of elongate scales so formed: interstriae II and III with few scales in the basal part, median transversal band from stria II up to X, extending posteriorly along the interstriae VI and VII up to the posterior third; posterior third with interstria I covered with scalloped scales and interrupted before the elytral declivous portion, interstriae II and III with scales reaching until shortly before the apex, interstriae IV and V covered by scales for a short distance after the lateral transversal band; lateral band extended from the stria VIII up to the elytral edge, starting from the base and interrupted before the apex towards the posterior third.

Femora covered with light blue white bristles, slightly dense and light brown towards the distal part.

Tibiae covered in the inner part by whitish bristles, in the outer part by minutes brownish hairs. Coxae with few hairs on the inside, and some long yellowish bristles. Mesosternum hairless with the exception of the posterior part where some light blue hairs are present along the transverse furrow; in the zone inbetween the coxae a tuft of long light yellow bristles. Metasternum in the central portion with a tuft of long pale yellow bristles. Ventrite I with long, adpressed light yellow hairs, and ventrite II with a tuft of light yellow hairs, both with short light blue hairs on both sides. Ventrites III-IV-V with few light yellow bristles, and few lateral light blue hairs, ventrite V with coarse transversal roughness.

Eyes nearly not protruding from the contour of the head, strongly flattened. Antennae with thin scape slightly shorter than the funnel; I segment of the funiculus elongated, about 3.8 times longer than wide, almost 1.8 times longer than II; segment II elongated, about 2.5 times more long than wide, and 2 times longer than III; segment III about 1.2 times longer than wide; segment IV slightly longer than wide; segments V and VI almost as long as wide; segment VII about 0, 9 times longer than wide. Antennal club swollen and covered with thick yellowish pubescence, about 2.1 times longer than wide.

Rostrum slightly longer than wide (LR/WR 1.13), enlarged at the apex, with scrobes more visible from above; dorsally wrinkled and covered with coarse spots, with a longitudinal groove along the midline, interrupted towards the anterior quarter, more enlarged and degrading forward. Sides of the rostrum more convex backward, then more flat towards the insertion of the scape.

Dorso-lateral side with a slight sub-triangular depression with a rough base between the dorso-lateral and the upper edge of the antennal sulcus, reaching the lower edge of the eye; ventrally sligh tly con vex, with out an y pr ojection. Pronotum subglobose, narrowed forward, coarsely longer than wide, ( LP /WP 1.02), its greatest width about halfway; dorsal surface with shallow points, finely wrinkled between the points.

Elytra subovate ( LE /WE 1.54), wider than the pronotum, ( WE /WP 1.47), with greater width just before the middle, flattened, dorsal contour higher just after the middle, terminal part with a strong hull-like expansion before the apex, in rapid descent and forming a right angle with the apex; elytral apex rounded; in the posterior declivity, between the dorsal expansion and the apex, a series of long brown bristles along the sutural stria; long brown and pale blue bristles in the posterior third of the elytra, along the apical edge in proximity of last striae. Elytral disk dotted, striae with regular and aligned points, finely wrinkled interstriae. Elytra in ventral vision with sides dilated up to the middle, then falling back to the apical third and gently rounded at the apex.

Ventrites I-II covered with a thick tuft of pale yellow adpressed bristles, with sparse pale blue hairs outwards, ventrites III-IV with pale yellow bristles, ventrite V with coarse transversal wrinkles, and sparse pale yellow bristles.

Legs slender, with slightly clavate femora; tibiae slightly curved at the apex, median and hind tibiae with more pronounced curvatures, all tibiae serrated at the inner edge with numerous small tubercles; fore and median tibiae with small anterior mucron of yellowish color.

Genitalia as illustrated (figs 4a-4d; 9b).

Female. Dimensions: LB: 9.7 - 10.1 (â: 9.85). LR: 1.4 - 1.7 (â: 1.52). WR: 1.3 - 1.6 (â: 1.4). LP: 3.0 - 3.4 (â: 3.2). WP: 2.9 - 3.3 (â: 3.1). LE: 6.8 - 7.5 (â: 7.1). WE: 4.5 - 5.1 (â: 4.85).

N = 5 for all measurements.

Elytra more convex than the male, apical third with less accentuated, but always evident, dorsal hull, apical angle of the elytra a little bit more acute. Elytral interstriae more covered by light blue round scales, median band more confused, pronotum with latero-ventral and dorsal spots less evident, transversal band on the anterior edge absent. Mesosternum and metasternum with tufts of pale yellow bristles much less wide than in the male; ventrites I-II with marked transversal roughness; ventrites III-IV almost glabrous, but few yellowish bristles; ventrite V with very coarse roughness, two basal and a central hollow towards the apex. Hind femora shorter than in the male. Other characters practically like in the male.

Genitalia as illustrated (figs 4e- 4g).

Distribution. The species is distributed along the whole mountain ridge that runs through the island from NW to SE

Etymology. The name coeruleolineatus means “with blue lines” in reference to the elytral pattern of the new species.

Figures

Fig. 3. a: Metapocyrtus coeruleolineatus Holotype dorsal view; b: idem, lateral view, c: Metapocyrtus coeruleolineatus female dorsal view; d: idem, lateral view