Leschenius, Río & Malvardi & Lanteri, 2012
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2012.00833.x |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/C31D0351-FFC2-FFEB-FC1B-FE5DFB00F8D4 |
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treatment provided by |
Carolina |
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scientific name |
Leschenius |
| status |
gen. nov. |
LESCHENIUS View in CoL GEN. NOV.
Type species: Leschenius manueli sp. nov. designated herein.
Etymology: The genus was named after the outstanding specialist in Coleoptera Richard Leschen , curator of the ‘ New Zealand Arthropod Collection’, who kindly loaned us the material for this study.
Diagnosis
Leschenius is characterized by: length of about 5–12 mm; tegument visible, black to brown, shiny; vestiture scarce to absent, with short filiform suberect setae on elytra; sides of rostrum straight; epistome narrow; pre-epistome well developed; scape reaching hind margin of eye to slightly exceeding it; pronotum subcylindrical to slightly conical; scutellum denuded; elytra oval, short to slightly elongate, base curved backwards on middle; humeri rounded, slightly prominent; apical declivity slightly abrupt; apex projected backwards, usually divided or bifid; hindwings absent; procoxal cavities not confluent, closer to anterior margin than to posterior margin of prosternum; metatibial apex with apical comb of setae subequal to slighlty longer than dorsal comb.
Description
Species medium to large in size (length of female, 5.3–12.3 mm; length of male, 7.8–10 mm; Figs 1–12 View Figures 1–6 View Figures 7–12 ). Tegument visible, black to reddish brown, shiny. Vestiture lacking scales and with sparse setae, usually whitish, fine, short; setae semirecumbent on head (directed anteriad and to median sulcus), pronotum (directed anteriad and to middle), and venter, suberect on elytra and legs; setae on inner margin of tibiae usually wider and longer. Rostrum very short to short ( LR / WRa: 0.95–1.03), sides slightly to moderately convergent towards apex ( WRb / WRa: 1.31–1.55), dorsum flat to slightly depressed, usually foveolate–strigose; lateral carinae absent; lateral borders usually slightly thickened, elevated, and sharp (not thickened in Leschenius vulcanorum comb-. nov.); median groove narrow, almost reaching hind margin of eyes to slightly exceeding them. Epistome subtriangular, narrow; pre-epistome well developed. Scrobes curved, deep, ending below eyes. Gular angle
8 – 0 3 0 0 2 2 – 1 – 0
7 – 1 2 2 1 3 1 – 3 – 1
6 – 0 0 0 0 0 1 – 0 – 1
5 – 0 0 0 0 0 1 – 0 – 1
4 1 0 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2
3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
2 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
1 1 3 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 2
3 0 0 – 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0
9 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0
8 1 1 2 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1
7 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
6 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1
5 – – 0 0 2 1 3 – 2 – 3
]
1
4 1 0 0 [3 1 3 3 2 3 0 2
3 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 0 1 1 2 2 1 0 1 1 1 0
1 0 3 1 0 1 1 0 1 2 3 2
3 0 0 3 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 1
9 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
7 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1
5 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 0
4 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1
3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 – 0 1 0 0 1 1 – 1 – 1
1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 2 1 2
2 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 2
9 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1
8 – 1 0 0 0 1 1 – 1 – 1
7 0 3 1 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 2
6 1 1 0 1 2 0 1 1 1 0 1
5 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0
4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1
3 0 2 1 0 1 1 0 1 2 2 0
2 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 2
1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 out-groups 8 6 9 7 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 five 5 0 0] 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
3 plus 4 0 1 [1 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1
3 0 1 1 3 2 3 2 2 3 1 2 Leschenius 0 2 1 0 2 2 1 2 0 2 2 2 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 1 2 2. 2 1 0 2 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 1
. nov of nov...
nov matrix. comb comb. comb nov. sp. nov sp. nov sp.. Data formosus lugubris vilis pascoei rugicollis nigrans vulcanorum manueli bifurcatus silviae . 2 Table Trichocyphus Melanocyphus nitens Amitrus Amphideritus Asymathetes Leschenius Leschenius Leschenius Leschenius Leschenius Leschenius
about 130°. Eyes suboval, medium-sized to large, and usually moderately convex [strongly convex in Leschenius rugicollis (Voss, 1954) comb. nov. and L. manueli sp. nov.]. Preocular depressions absent. Frons wide (about 3¥ the height of eye), usually slightly convex (flat in L. vulcanorum comb. nov.), usually foveolate or strigose. Vertex moderately convex, usually foveolate or punctuate, with imbricate microsculpture. Postocular constriction slight to absent. Antennae short to medium in length ( LB / LA, 1.90–2.94; Figs 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 View Figures 13–24 ), with long, coarse, decumbent ocher setae, and with long, fine, verticilate setae; scape robust to moderately robust, straight, reaching posterior margin of eyes to slightly exceeding it. Funicular article 2¥ longer than article 1 (1.1–1.6¥); funicular articles 3–7 usually slightly longer than wide; club oval to fusiform ( LC / WC, 2.15–2.95), acuminate.
Pronotum ( Figs 1–12 View Figures 1–6 View Figures 7–12 ) slightly conical to subcylindrical, slightly to moderately wider than long (WR/ LR, 1.14–1.36); flanks usually moderately curved (slightly curved in L. rugicollis comb. nov. and Leschenius bifurcatus sp. nov.); disc slightly convex, usually foveolate to foveolate–granulose; median groove usually absent [distinct in L. manueli sp. nov. and shallow in Leschenius nigrans (Oliff, 1891) comb. nov.]; anterior margin straight to slightly curved anteriad; base usually posteriorly ‘V’–shaped (straight in L. bifurcatus sp. nov. and Leschenius silviae sp. nov.), wider than anterior margin (subequal in L. silviae sp. nov.). Scutellum subtriangular, denuded, usually large (small in L. nigrans comb. nov. and L. silviae sp. nov.).
Elytra ( Figs 1–12 View Figures 1–6 View Figures 7–12 ) oval, short to slightly elongate ( LE / WE, 1.37–1.65), with maximum width usually at middle (at anterior third in L. nigrans comb. nov. and L. silviae sp. nov.), slightly to moderately convex; base curved backwards on middle; humeri rounded, slightly developed; striae well defined, with medium-sized to large punctures, closer to each other along the same striae; striae 9–10 usually closer on posterior two-thirds (except in L. manueli sp. nov. and L. bifurcatus sp. nov.); intervals flat to slightly convex, usually as wide as striae (slightly wider in L. manueli sp. nov. and L. nigrans comb. nov.); apical declivity slightly abrupt; apex usually projected (except L. vulcanorum comb. nov.) and acute (slightly pointed in L. silviae sp. nov.). Hindwings absent.
Legs. Procoxae widely separated, more than three times closer to anterior than to posterior margin of prosternum, almost reaching anterior margin; protibia with row of between seven and ten acute denticles on inner margin and well-developed mucro, mesotibia with or without denticles, and metatibia without denticles; metatibial apex usually with well-developed corbel, covered with setae-like scales (absent in L. bifurcatus sp. nov.); apical comb subequal to slightly longer than dorsal comb.
Abdomen ( Figs 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 View Figures 13–24 ). Intercoxal portion of ventrite 1 broader than metacoxal cavities (1.15–1.70¥); ventrite 2 longer than ventrites 3 and 4 combined (1.26–1.5¥); posterior margin of ventrite 5 usually slightly pointed; tergites I–VII membranose to moderately sclerotized.
Female terminalia . Sternite VIII ( Figs 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35 View Figures 25–36 ) with plate subrhomboidal, having apical tuft of long setae and shorter setae on each side; usually with ‘V’–shaped sclerotization and lateral arms reaching half of plate (with the exception of backwards; elytra with thickened base, projected forwards, humeri less prominent, ventrite 5 with different shape (blunt, bilobed, or emarginate).
Distribution: The genus Leschenius is distributed in Ecuador and northern Colombia, approximately 1800– 5000 m a.s.l. This area corresponds to the North Andean Páramo province of the South American transition zone.
L. vulcanorum comb. nov.); apodeme two to three times longer than plate. Ovipositor ( Fig. 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 View Figures 25–36 ) slightly curved in lateral view, shorter than ventrites 1–5 (0.63–0.84¥); with or without setae on sides of baculi; ventral baculi subparallel or slightly divergent towards base; distal coxites slightly sclerotized; styli well developed, directed backwards or sidewards. Spermathecal body ( Figs 37–42 View Figures 37–42 ) usually subcylindrical (subglobose in L. silviae sp. nov.; Fig. 42 View Figures 37–42 ); nodulus usually truncate–conical, short (tubular in L. silviae sp. nov.); ramus usually indistinct (present in L. manueli sp. nov. and L. bifurcatus sp. nov.); cornu medium to very long; spermathecal duct ( Figs 37–42 View Figures 37–42 ) one- to two-thirds as long as ovipositor, usually membranous (sclerotized in L. bifurcatus sp. nov.).
Male genitalia (Figs 43–50). Median lobe with slightly pointed to rounded apex, slightly curved in lateral view; median lobe plus apodemes shorter to slightly longer than abdomen (0.72–1.07¥), without setae, apodemes shorter than remaining part of median lobe (0.45–0.75); endophallus with or without sclerotized armature.
Sexual dimorphism: Male similar to slightly smaller than female; rostrum usually slightly longer, pronotum with posterolateral angles projected and directed Biology: Parthenogenetic reproduction may occur in some species of Leschenius , as no males are known in populations of L. bifurcates and L. vulcanorum comb. nov., as well as in other related genera from the high Andes and open vegetation areas ( Lanteri & Normark, 1995; Rodriguero et al., 2010). This kind of reproduction was confirmed in L. vulcanorum comb. nov., through a rearing experiment of virgin females held under laboratory conditions. This experiment was undertaken in our lab during November of 2009 using larvae and female specimens brought from Colombia by Jorge Eduardo C. Gomez, confirming the observations made by Garza for the same species misidentified in the paper as the Sibaté biotype of Naupactus sp. ( Garza, 2007) .
Host plants and habitat: Host plants are unknown for most species of Leschenius , usually found under rocks, soil, grass, or in cracks. Leschenius vulcanorum comb. nov. occurs in Andean meadows, associated with cabbage such as Brassica oleracea (Brassicaceae) . In addition, this species is considered a pest in Solanum tuberosum (potato; Solanaceae ) in Colombia, where it is known as ‘Potato shooter’ ( Canchala, 1992; Peña, 2001). The first report of this pest dates from 1983 and corresponds to south-western Colombia, Nariño province ( Canchala, 1992).
Relationships with other genera
A close relationship between Leschenius and the genus Asymmathetes is suggested by the presence of filiform, short, and suberect elytral setae, rostrum wider than long, narrow epistome, well-developed pre-epistome, rounded and slightly prominent shoulders, widely separated procoxae, subcylindrical spermathecae with very long cornu, and slightly curved median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view.
Species included
Three species previously assigned to Asymmathetes are herein transferred to the new genus Leschenius : L. nigrans comb. nov., L. rugicollis comb. nov., and L. vulcanorum comb. nov. These species and the three new ones described herein: L. bifurcatus sp. nov., L. manueli sp. nov., and L. silviae sp. nov., all show widely separated procoxae. The six species also share other synapomorphies, such as the elytral base moderately curved posteriad (see the results of the cladistic analysis).
Asymmathetes aequatorialis (Kirsch, 1889) , a species that we were not able to study because of a lack of material, may also belong to Leschenius , as it shares the same combination of generic characters and similar geographical distribution (it is endemic to Ecuador). Within the genus, it is probably closer to L. silviae sp. nov., because of the presence of a small scutellum, a similar sculpture on head and pronotum, and similar proportions in the antennae. It differs from L. silviae sp. nov. mainly by its smaller body size, the pilosity of the pronotum, and the shape of the elytral apex, which is more acute.
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Servico de Microbiologia e Imunologia |
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