Leschenius undetermined

Río, María Guadalupe Del, Malvardi, Adriana Elena & Lanteri, Analia, 2012, Systematics and cladistics of a new Naupactini genus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae) from the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 166 (1), pp. 54-71 : 65

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2012.00833.x
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/C31D0351-FFC8-FFE0-FF3D-FD95FEEEFF40
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Leschenius undetermined
status	SP.

Treatment

LESCHENIUS BIFURCATUS SP. NOV.

( FIGS 2–3 View Figures 1–6 , 15–16 View Figures 13–24 , 27–28 View Figures 25–36 , 38 View Figures 37–42 , 51 View Figure 51 )

Type material: Holotype. Female , 11.5 mm long, ‘ ECUADOR, PICHINCHA, POMASQUI, RUNICU- CHO, 2400 m, 6–XII–1993, K. Volbracht’ (PUCE). Genitalia dissected and placed in a vial with glycerine.

Paratype. 1♀ same data as holotype (PUCE) ; 1♀ ‘ Ecuador, Puerto de Guayllabamba , 1800 m, 16–I– 1931, púrres’ ( NZAC) .

Etymology: named in reference to the distinctly bifurcated elytral apex.

Description: Female. Species large (LB, 11.5–12.3 mm) ( Figs 2–3 View Figures 1–6 ). Tegument visible, black, and shiny (teneral reddish brown). Vestiture composed of scattered setae, whitish on head, pronotum, legs, and venter, and ocher on elytra; setae wider than in remaining species of the genus. Rostrum short ( Fig. 2 View Figures 1–6 ) (LR/WRa, 1), sides slightly convergent toward apex (WRb/WRa, 1.31– 1.39), dorsum slightly depressed, densely foveolate; median groove widened at apex, slightly exceeding posterior margin of eyes. Epistome slightly elevated. Eyes medium-sized and moderately convex. Frons densely foveolate. Vertex densely punctuate. Antennae ( Fig. 15 View Figures 13–24 ) (LB/LA, 2.5–2.6); scape (narrower than the other species) slightly exceeding posterior margin of eyes. Funicular article 2 about 1.5¥ as long as article 1; funicular articles 3–7 about 2¥ longer than wide; club fusiform (LC/WC, 2.82–2.94).

Pronotum ( Fig. 2 View Figures 1–6 ) subcylindrical, slightly to moderately wider than long (WP/LP, 1.17–1.30); flanks slightly curved; disc densely foveolate; median groove absent; anterior margin and base straight. S cutellum large and convex.

Elytra ( Figs 2–3 View Figures 1–6 ) slightly elongated (LE/WE, 1.59– 1.65), with maximum width at middle, moderately convex; base thickened, slightly curved backwards on middle; striae with large oval punctures, striae 9–10 not closer on posterior two-thirds; intervals slightly convex (6–9° more elevated), as wide as striae to slightly narrower than striae; apex acute, bifid, and projected.

Legs. Procoxae less separated than in the other species, 3¥ closer to anterior margin than to posterior margin of prosternum; protibiae with row of nine or ten acute, medium-sized denticles and large mucro; mesotibiae without denticles and mucro, and metatibiae crenulate without mucro; metatibial apex without corbel; apical and dorsal comb subequal.

Abdomen ( Fig. 16 View Figures 13–24 ). Intercoxal portion of ventrite 1 broader than metacoxal cavities (1.5¥); ventrite 2 longer than ventrites 3 and 4 combined (1.35¥); posterior margin of ventrite 5 rounded; tergites I–VII slightly sclerotized.

Terminalia . Sternite VIII ( Fig. 27 View Figures 25–36 ) with plate subrhomboidal, elongate, with acute apex, having apical tuft of long setae and shorter setae on sides of apical third; basal two-thirds more sclerotized and central line membranose; apodeme about 2¥ longer than plate. Ovipositor ( Fig. 28 View Figures 25–36 ) shorter than ventrites 1–5 (0.80¥); with fine disperse setae on external side of baculi; ventral baculi subparallel; styli moderately wide, short, directed backwards. Spermathecal body ( Fig. 38 View Figures 37–42 ) subcylindrical, short; nodulus conical, short; ramus developed; cornu very long; spermathecal duct ( Fig. 38 View Figures 37–42 ) short, about one-third of the ovipositor (~ 1.4 mm) moderately sclerotized, wide.

Male: Unknown.

Comparative notes and diagnosis

The new species L. bifurcatus sp. nov. is the sister species of L. manueli sp. nov., with which it shares the characteristics of the elevated epistome, the funicular 1 and 2 subequal, the presence of conspicuous rows of setae on sides of baculi, spermathecal duct short, ramus developed, and the endophallic armature with sclerotized pieces. It is easily differentiated by the elytral apex distinctly bifid.

Distribution: It is found in Ecuador (Pichincha), between 1800 and 2800 m a.s.l.

Biology: Males are unknown, suggesting that the species would be parthenogenetic.

Habitat: It was found under stones.

Remarks

The presence of a bifid elytral apex is a rare trait in the tribe Naupactini . It is present in some species of Ericydeus Pascoe, 1880 (Lanteri, 1995) , and also occurs in genera of other tribes such as Compsus (Tribe Eustylini ). These species show a very abrupt elytral declivity (hunchback elytra), and live in areas of tropical forest of South America. To the contrary, the elytra of L. bifurcatus sp. nov. are somewhat depressed, with a slightly abrupt elytral declivity, and the environment in which it occurs is completely different.