Euscelus uviferae (Marshall)

Hamilton, Robert W., 2007, Euscelus species of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Attelabidae), Zootaxa 1495 (1), pp. 1-34 : 13-14

Euscelus uviferae (Marshall)

( Figs. 7 , 37–40)

Attelabus uviferae Marshall, 1926 .

Type locality: Haiti

Type data: Five syntypes (2 males & 3 females) were recorded by Marshall (1926). Four syntypes (2 males and 2 females) from the BMNH and one female syntype from the USNM were examined. Lectotypes are here designated. Lectotype male (minuten pin/card mounted) with the following labels: TYPE [circular label with red margin]; West Indies , St. Louis, Haiti, 10-vi-1925, G. N. Wolcott [white, rectangular, hand written]; Pres. by Imp. Bur. Ent. Brit. Mus. 1926-443 [upside down, rectangular]; Ex. sea grape, Coccoloba uvifera L.; Type, Euscelus uviferae Mshl. , male symbol [white, rectangular, hand written]. Allolectotype female (minuten pin/card mounted): [same data as the lectotype except first label is a circular COTYPE label with a yellow margin]. Paratypes: 1 male and 1 female, Acc. # 436-25, St. Louis, Haiti, June 10, 1925, G. N. Wolcott Coll., ex. Coccoloba uvifera , Euscelus uvifera Mshl., Cotype , ( BMNH); 4 males and 2 females [same as previous except 1 male with red Cotype No. 40010 U. S. M. N. Label] .

Type holder: The Natural History Museum, London, England ( BMNH) and The United States National Museum , Washington, D.C. ( USNM) .

Specimen data: HAITI: 4 males & 1 female, St. Louis , Haiti, Acc. # 432-25, June 10, 1925, GN Wolcott coll. ; 1 male, Torbeck , Haiti, Sept. 4, 1930, on raisin de mar, HL Dozier collector ( BMNH) . 2 males & 2 females, aux Cayes [?], Haiti, Dec. 8, 1937, #149-37, GN Wolcott ( USNM) ; DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: 1 female, St. Domingo , coll. Kraatz ( DEIC) .

Description: Color: Reddish-brown throughout, antennae paler; middle and hind legs yellowish; elytra with raised reticulate yellowish intervals except for two reddish-brown median spots near basal 1/4 and reddish-brown lateral margins. Size range: Male (n = 9): 7.3 x 3.3 mm to 7.7 x 3.4 mm; Female (n = 7): 6.7 x 3.2 mm to 7.2 x 3.4 mm. Head slightly longer than wide, sub-rectangular, only slightly widened at base, moderately punctured, interspaces rugose, transversely strigate at base; frons narrow, about 1/3 as wide as rostral base; with smooth wide median channel. Rostrum shorter than head, distinctly widened beyond antennal insertions, apex 1/3 wider than rostral base, moderately to densely punctured. Antennae short, shorter than head and rostrum together; scape ovo-globose; funicle segment 1 short, ½ as long as scape, bead like; funicle segment 2 twice as long as segment 1; segments 3–5 short, subequal, bead like, subequal to segment 1; segment 6 subequal in length to segments 3, 4 or 5 but more widened apically; segment 7 sub-quadrate, much wider than 6, about as wide as basal club segment; basal and middle club segments twice as wide as long, subequal; terminal club segment slightly longer, acuminate. Pronotum wider than long, widest across base, densely and irregularly punctured; interspaces reticulate; with pair small, shallow, pit like impressions each side of middle; with median longitudinal line like impression; sides evenly arched out; anterior collar weakly defined through middle, coarsely punctured, narrowed laterally; anterior basal carina smooth, wide through middle; posterior basal carina narrow, at middle about ½ as wide as anterior carina. Scutellum sub-triangular, at base twice as wide as long, moderately punctured; posterior margin broadly rounded. Elytra longer than wide, slightly narrowed from humeri to apices; strial punctures large deep, irregularly spaced; many punctures fused and forming short grooves; most intervals and interspaces raised, yellowish, reticulate; humeri weakly angulate. Abdominal ventrites with thin brush like median setosity.

Femoral sexual dimorphism: Both sexes have a large beak-shaped disti-ventral projection on the profemur. The male also has a dark shiny tubercle on the upper 1/3 of the profemoral inner face.

Distribution: All specimens examined, except a single female from the Dominican Republic, were from Haiti.

Comments: The species is recognized by the reddish-brown color and the raised yellowish reticulate intervals of the elytra. The female has finer punctures on the head and the abdominal sterna are less setose.

Host plant: Wolcott (1926) reports the leaf rolls of this species on sea grape, Coccoloba uvifera (Linnaeus) , along the south coast of Presque Isle, Haiti.

Figures

FIGURES 5–8. Male genitalia of West Indies Euscelus species, 64 X: a) tegmen, dorsal view b) median lobe with endophallic sac and transfer apparatus in repose, ventral view 5) Euscelus angulosus, Cuba, Isle de Pinos 6) Euscelus scrobiculatus, Dominican Republic, South of Barahona 7) Euscelus uviferae, Haiti, Aux. Cayes 8) Euscelus biguttatus, Jamaica, St. Catherine Parish.