Megaoculis egeri Pelsue & O’Brien, 2011

Pelsue, Frank W. & O’Brien, Charles W., 2011, A redefinition of the Curculionini of the world, with a key to subtribes and genera, and two new genera: Pseudoculio and Megaoculis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae), Zootaxa 3102, pp. 27-49 : 45-47

Megaoculis egeri Pelsue & O’Brien sp. n.

Material examined: Holotype: Brazil. Rondonia 3 “ Brazil /Rond. 62 km SW Ariquemes/Fzda. Rancho Grande/ 3- 15 December 1996 /JE Eger UV Trap” ( UFPC).

Paratypes: (2) Ƥ same data as holotype 1 ( CWOB) 1 ( FWPC).

Description: Habitus: (Figs. 59–60) 3 length: 7.7 mm. width: 3.8 mm. Head: Large; punctures large with narrow, elongate, suberect, apically acute, white scales; diameter of eye 0.8 mm; gena with small, narrow, elongate, white scales; frons 0.22 as wide as head across eyes, broader than base of rostrum, with shallow impression; with discrete, narrow, elongate, suberect, testaceous, scale-like setae. Rostrum: 3.6 mm in length 0.46 as long as body; derm fuscorufous; glabrous; punctures very small from frons to insertion of scape; ventrally with large seta-like scales before apex; mandibles large; scrobe lateral; scape inserted in basal 1/4. Antennae: Scape inserted in basal 1/4; scape 0.9 mm; funicle 2.2 mm; club 0.5 mm; scape 0.41 as long as funicle; funicular antennomere 1 longer than 2, 2 and 3 equal in length, 4 and 5 equal but not as long as 3, 6 and 7 same length; antennomere 1 of club not as long as funicular antennomere 7; club as long as funicular antennomeres 6–7, clothed with narrow elongate erect white seta-like scales. Thorax: 1.7 mm long; 2.6 mm in width; 0.65 as wide as long; anterior dorsal margin weakly emarginate; broader in middle than base; ventral margin with emarginate apically fringed scales, contiguous to eye; disc flat in lateral view, dorsally rounded in middle, base not sinuate, beset with narrow elongate decumbent to suberect white scales, laterally and ventrally with longer erect piceous scales; mesosternal intercoxal process not prominent; scutellum small, longer than broad, clothed with white scales; mesepimeron, mesepisternum, metepisternum, pro-, meso-, and metasternum clothed with narrow, elongate, decumbent, white scales. Elytra: Striae prominent, not very deep, with large punctures and small narrow white scales; postscutellar area not impressed; humeri rectangular rounded; intervals broad, flat, evenly, but not densely clothed with narrow elongate decumbent white scales, with fewer very long erect piceous seta-like scales; lacking crosshatched setae. Legs: Metafemur reaching apex of elytra; pro-, and mesofemoral teeth very small; clothed with narrow elongate white scales, some testaceous; tibiae bisinuate, expanded laterally; clothed with long, erect, seta-like scales; tarsal claws bifid, inner tooth longer than outer tooth. Abdomen: Sternum II longer than I behind coxal cavity, III+IV longer than II or V; all sterna clothed with narrow, elongate, decumbent, white scales. Pygidium: Large. Genitalia: Median lobe very slender, distally swollen and sclerotised, behind sinuate, laterally strongly narrowed to swollen basal half, with apodemes moderately long, less than one third length of median lobe; distal margin of tegmen with 2 long sinuate sclerotic arms with acute apices, with feather like appendage at apex, arms joined by narrow transverse basal sclerotised bar; with aedeagal apodemes and tegminal apodemes subequal in length; tegminal body narrowly sinuate, broadening to distal third, there surrounding median lobe, with apodemes meeting at apex (Fig. 63); lateral view (Fig. 64). Female: Rostrum: 3.6 mm (n=2) in length 0.46 as long as body; pro-, and mesotibial uncus long and knife-like; metatibial uncus very short, slightly longer than tarsal claw. Female genitalia: Spermatheca ramus extending above base of collum; collum broadly rounded; corpus broad emerging from collum and remaining broad, cornu with acutely rounded apex; 0.9 mm in length (Fig. 68).

Differential diagnosis: This species does not appear much like any other of the Curculionini , even Timola which it joins in the same subtribe. The female of this species has large pro-, and mesounci, a smaller metauncus and white scales on the tibiae. Even though the metafemoral clava is very large, appearing fit for jumping the taxon has wings. The majority of weevils collected by Dr. Eger were taken by him at light (MV and UV) or in UV light traps based on two other collecting experiences together at Rondonia, of the junior author and Dr. Eger. This would imply that the wings are functional. Megaoculis guyanensis is smaller in size with fulvus scales. The male genitalia of both species are very unique for the Curculionidae .

Specific epithet: Named in honor of the collector Dr. Joe E. Eger who collected the type series and many other species for the junior author (CWOB).

59 61 Figs. 59–60— Habitus of 3 Megaoculis egeri sp.n. 59) dorsal aspect 60) lateral aspect.

Figs. 61–62 —Habitus of 3 Megaoculis guyanensis (Rheinheimer) comb.n. 61) dorsal aspect 62) lateral aspect.

64 67 68 Figs 63–64 —Aedeagus and tegmen of M. egeri sp.n. 63) dorsal aspect, arrows indicate the following: ML, median lobe; MLapex, apex of median lobe; MLAp, apodeme of median lobe; ETA, endophalic transfer apparatus; Tegpl, plate of tegmen; TegapA, apical arms of tegmen; TegAp, apodemes of tegmen. 64) lateral aspect.

Figs. 65–66 —Aedeagus of M. guyanensis 65) dorsal aspect; 66) lateral aspect.

Fig. 67 —Spermatheca of M. guyanensis 67) lateral aspect.

Fig. 68— Spermatheca of M. egeri 68) lateral aspect.