Bencomius 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

Subgenus Bencomius Machado subg. n.

Type species.

Laparocerus grossepunctatus Wollaston, 1864, by present designation (Fig. 12C).

Etymology.

The name derives from Bencomo, the ‘mencey’ or aboriginal king of Taoro (Orotava Valley) at the times of the conquest of Tenerife. Gender masculine.

Species assigned.

Laparocerus bolivari Uyttenboogaart, 1957; Laparocerus boticarius Machado, 2007; Laparocerus combrecitensis Roudier, 1957; Laparocerus crassifrons Wollaston, 1864; Laparocerus edaphicus Machado, 2008; Laparocerus escaleraorum Uyttenboogaart, 1937; Laparocerus gomerensis Lindberg, 1953; Laparocerus grossepunctatus Wollaston, 1864; Laparocerus scapularis Wollaston, 1864; Laparocerus subparalellus Machado, 2007; Laparocerus supranubius Machado, 2009; Laparocerus tenuepunctatus Roudier, 1957 and Laparocerus undatus Wollaston, 1864.

Diagnostic remarks.

Laparocerus endemic to Tenerife, with single vicariants in La Gomera and La Palma. They are in general large, slender, robust, and of piceus colour, with sparse cover of scales or very few and hardly conspicuous (except in species living at high altitude like Laparocerus crassifrons or Laparocerus subparalellus ). The interstriae of elytra beset with a regular row of separate erect whitish setae, which are much reduced only in Laparocerus undatus One species, Laparocerus edaphicus , is adapted to edaphic life and has reduced eyes.

Head slightly or not depressed dorsally at eye level. Antennae robust, with briefly and thinly capitated scape. Apex of tibiae expanded almost symetrically to both sides (fan-like), depending on the development of the mucro (in Machadotrox the outer expansion is much less marked than the inner expansion).

Female hemisternites narrowing apicad (not truncated as in Machadotrox ) with very few or no setae; gonostyli very short, nipple-like (Fig. 2D), placed laterally at a distance from apex longer than their length. Gonoporal diverticulum of the internal sac of penis shorter than the blind diverticulum.

A detailed morphological study of Laparocerus undatus is provided in Machado (2010).