Belicarius Machado

Machado, Antonio, Rodriguez-Exposito, Eduardo, Lopez, Mercedes & Hernandez, Mariano, 2017, Phylogenetic analysis of the genus Laparocerus, with comments on colonisation and diversification in Macaronesia (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae), ZooKeys 651, pp. 1-77 : 31-32

Subgenus Belicarius Machado subg. n.

Type species.

Laparocerus mendicus Wollaston, 1864, by present designation (Fig. 13A).

Etymology.

The name derives from Belicar, the ‘mencey’ or aboriginal king of Icod at the times of the conquest of Tenerife. Gender masculine.

Species assigned.

Laparocerus bentejui Machado, 2012; Laparocerus exiguus Machado, 2007; Laparocerus exophthalmus Machado, 2007; Laparocerus feloi Machado, 2009; Laparocerus longiclava Lindberg, 1953; Laparocerus magnificus Machado, 2011; Laparocerus mateui Roudier, 1954; Laparocerus mendicus Wollaston, 1864; Laparocerus morrisi Machado, 2009; Laparocerus oculatissimus Machado, 2007; Laparocerus rotundatus Machado, 2011; Laparocerus sanchezi Roudier, 1957 and Laparocerus tarsalis Machado, 2009.

Diagnostic remarks.

Laparocerus endemic to the central and western Canaries, varied in size (3.5-8.2 mm) and body shape (slender, ovate, roundish), all having elytra with moderate dull integument beset with abundant black suberect setae, which are usually short, but also of moderate size in some species. In the Laparocerus exiguus group ( Laparocerus morrisi , Laparocerus exiguus and Laparocerus rotundatus ) the body is roundish and of small size (<5 mm). In Laparocerus mateui the density of setae is much lower due to the bulky surface of the elytra, and in the group of Laparocerus sanchezi and Laparocerus magnificus the integument has additionally long hairs extending to pronotum and head.

Head dorsally depressed at level of eyes. Antennae slender, with thin capitate escape, except in the Laparocerus exiguus group where it is more robust and the terminal joints of the funiculum are moniliform in Laparocerus exiguus and Laparocerus morrisi . Male protibiae have rounded outer apical angle, and in many species the mucro on the inner angle is strongly protruding and sharp, thus the tibia ending hook-like.

The aedeagus has denticles also in the blind diverticulum of the internal sac (except in Laparocerus exiguus ), which is longer than the gonoporal diverticulum and distally bilobed in the majority of species. The temones are short, nearly 1/3 of the length of the median lobe, except in the Laparocerus exiguus group and in Laparocerus occulatissimus . Female hemisternites slender with tubular gonostyli inserted subapically.