Leptoxyleborus regina Smith, Beaver & Cognato, 2022

Smith, Sarah M., Beaver, Roger A., Pham, Thai Hong & Cognato, Anthony I., 2022, New species and new records of Xyleborini from the Oriental region, Japan and Papua New Guinea (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), Zootaxa 5209 (1), pp. 1-33 : 17-18

Leptoxyleborus regina Smith, Beaver & Cognato sp. nov.

( Figs 53–56 )

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FB14CA12-8DFE-45C1-B89A-3115003FA64D

Type material. Holotype, female: PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Mt. Wilhelm , -5.720874, 145.2695, 1200 m.a.s.l., 1–3.xi.2012, P1643, plot 20, FIT-MW1200-T-4/8-d08, Philip, Alois, Novotny, Leponce, ex flight intercept trap ( MNHN) . Paratypes, female, as holotype except: 27–29.x.2012, P1537, plot 7, FIT-MW1200-G-2/8-d08 (1, MNHN) , 29–31.x.2012, P1554, plot 9, FIT-MW 1200-I-3 /8-d05, MSUC_ARC_314145 (1, MSUC); -5.73196, 145.2522, 700 m. a.s.l ., 9–11.xi.2012, P1209, plot 14, FIT-MW700-N-8/8-d16, Keltim, Uma, Novotny, Leponce, ex flight intercept trap, NHMUK014591847 (1, NHMUK) , 30.x–1.xi.2012, P1212, plot 15, FIT-MW700-O-3/8-d06 (1, ANIC); - 5.720874, 145.2695, 1200 m.a.s.l ., 1–3.xi.2012, P1571, plot 12, FIT-MW1200-L-4/8-d08, Philip, Alois, Novotny, Leponce, ex flight intercept trap, MSUC_ARC_314146 (1, MSUC) , 9–11.xi.2012, P1607, plot 15, FIT-MW1200-0- 8/8-d16 (1, BPBM) , 3–5.xi.2012, P1620, plot 17, FIT-MW1200-Q-5/8-d10 (1, MNHN) , 9–11.xi.2012, P1631, plot 18, FIT-MW1200-R-8/8-d16 (1, MNHN) , 1–3.xi.2012, P1579, plot 12, FIT-MW1200-L-4/8-d08, MSUC_ARC_ 314152 (1, MSUC) .

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by the uniquely sculptured elytral declivity with the declivital face sulcate and encircled by sinuate lateral margins and declivity covered in star-shaped scales.

Similar species. Leptoxyleborus sordicauda ( Motschulsky, 1863)

Description (female). 2.8–3.0 mm long (mean = 2.9 mm; n = 3); 2.23–2.31 × as long as wide. Body brown, legs and antennae yellow brown. Head: epistoma entire, transverse, with a row of hair-like setae. Frons flattened to upper level of eyes; median area with an impunctate, strongly shining kite-shaped area, lateral areas above epistoma impressed, densely punctate with large deep punctures, punctures each a long, erect hair-like seta. Eyes deeply emarginate just above antennal insertion, upper part smaller than lower part. Antennal scape long and slender, longer than club. Pedicel as wide as scape, shorter than funicle. Funicle 4-segmented, segment 1 longer than pedicel. Club approximately circular, flat, type 3; segment 1 corneous, transverse on anterior face, occupying basal ~1/3; segment 2 narrow, soft; segments 1 and 2 present on posterior face. Pronotum 0.92–0.96 × as long as wide. In dorsal view conical and elongate, type 5, sides weakly convex; anterior margin with a row of ten serrations. In lateral view tall, type 2, disc flat, summit at basal 2/5. Anterior slope with densely spaced, broad asperities, becoming lower and more strongly transverse towards summit. Disc strongly shiny with sparse, minute punctures, some longer hair-like setae at margins. Lateral margins obliquely costate. Base transverse, posterior angles obliquely rounded. Scutellum large, linguiform, flush with elytra, flat, shiny. Elytra: 1.31–1.38 × as long as wide, 1.42–1.5 × as long as pronotum. Base transverse, edge oblique and unarmed by granules, humeral angles rounded, parallel-sided in basal 8/9, then acutely angulate to apex, appearing laterally broadened. Disc very short, 1/5 of total elytral length, flat, shiny; striae not impressed, with very large, deep punctures separated by less than one diameter of a puncture, glabrous; interstriae flat, very sparsely finely punctate, punctures minute, each with a long, recumbent hair-like seta, as long as the distance between punctures. Declivity deeply concave, laterally margined, costate from suture to striae 4, then acutely carinate and appearing sinuate in lateral view from interstriae 4 to sutural apex; concavity with strial and punctures as large as those of disc and densely covered in a dense layer of minute star-like scales. Legs: procoxae contiguous, elongate, longer than basal width; prosternal coxal piece tall and pointed. Protibiae distinctly triangular, broadest at apical 1/4; posterior face smooth; apical 1/3 of outer margin with six or seven very large socketed denticles, their length much longer than basal width. Meso- and metatibiae broad, flattened outer margin evenly rounded; outer margin of mesotibiae with 11–13 very large socketed denticles; metatibiae with evenly rounded with 10–12 moderate socketed denticles.

Distribution. Papua New Guinea.

Host plants. Unknown.

Etymology. L. regina = queen. In reference to the sinuate lateral margins of the elytral declivity which is reminiscent of a “conch” collared robe worn by Queen Elizabeth I. Noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURES 53‒56. Leptoxyleborus regina holotype, 2.9 mm. Dorsal, lateral, posterior oblique and anterior views.