Pactola magna, Mazur, Miłosz A., 2014

Mazur, Miłosz A., 2014, Review of the New Caledonian species of the genus Pactola Pascoe, 1876 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Eugnomini), with description of two new species, Zootaxa 3814 (2), pp. 202-220 : 217-218

Pactola magna sp. n.

(Figs.: 5, 9, 13, 14d, 15d, 16d, 20a–c, 24a–c, 28)

Diagnosis. This is the largest member of the genus with total length without rostrum ca. 6.0 mm. Front tibiae expanded apically. Rostrum with medial carina. Antennae slender; segments of funicle 3–7 longer than wide.

Description. Body colour and vestiture (fig. 5). Integument dark brown to black; covered with mixed dense, recumbent, pale and darker scales and short, erect, pale, hair-like scales. Head and rostrum almost black. Apex of rostrum asetose, polished. Antennae yellow-orange; club covered with recumbent setae; joints of funicle with pale, elongate, erect setae. Pronotal disc dark brown with brighter apical margin. Elytral disc dark brown, almost black on lateral margin. On interstriae single row of short, erect setae. Front and middle femora brown, covered with mixed, suboval scale and elongate, protruding, brighter setae. Hind tibiae with dark brown base and apex, brighter at midlength. Tibiae brighter than femora. Abdomen with pale outer edges with dark orange scales medially.

Head (figs. 13, 15d). Head capsule wider than long (hw/hl = 0,65–0.70); temples shorter than eyes; forehead more narrow than basal part of rostrum, depressed, with indistinctive medially rib. Rostrum as long as maximum width; weakly curved from lateral view; surface between base to antennal insertion with distinctive rib; scrobes short, straight, not reaching margin of eyes; prorostrum asetose, polished. Eyes longer than half length of head, strongly convex. Scape of antennae longer than funicle, extended beyond hind margin of eyes. Segment 1as long as next two taken together; 2 longer than 3 and 4 taken together; segments from 3 to 7 longer than wide; each with erect, clearly visible setae. Club elongate, 2.60 × as long as maximum width, with visible sutures; covered with recumbent, short setae.

Pronotum (figs. 9, 13). Subquadrate, campaniform, 1.05–1.10 × wider than long; constricted before anterior and straight basal margin; surface with scaliferous punctures, space between punctures matte, with distinctive microsculpture.

Elytra (figs. 9, 13). Elongate, weakly rounded laterally; elytra (dorsal view) 1.45–1.55 × as long as maximum width at middle. Apex rounded. In lateral view distinctly convex, highest at midlength. Humeral calli present, strongly protruding. Elytral disc in anterior half shallow but visibly depressed. Striae with well visible, deep, isolated punctures; asetose; in posterior half of elytron more deeply depressed. Interstriae wide; in anterior half convex, posteriorly flattened. Nodules on interstriae subcircular, distinctive and polished, size of some nodules almost as big as points on striae; each bearing short setae. Scutellar shield large, elongate, about 1.75–1.80 × as long as wide.

Legs (figs. 16d, 20a–c). Moderately slender. Front and middle tibiae elongate; 5.5 × as long as wide, apical half of front tibia broadened; hind strongly curved, constricted apically, inner margin with sharp, polished rib. Front and middle femora elongate, with distinctive tooth; front femora with tooth small, sharp; middle femora with tooth much larger than on front, as long as one third height of middle femora; hind femora with distinctive tooth almost as high as half its width at the middle; outer margin of tooth sharp, with dense, protruding setae. Apex of hind femora with two, long conspicuous setae. Tarsus moderately short, front and middle similar, first tarsal segment longer than second, third almost as long as first; hind tarsus elongate, first segment longer than next two taken together. Tarsal claws strongly curved, smooth, without any tooth or basal process.

Abdomen. Elongate, 1.20–1.30× longer than maximum width; 1 and 2 ventrites with sparse punctures, ventrites 3–5 glabrous, matte. Sutures between ventrites 2–4 narrow, strongly depressed; last ventrite with truncate apical margin.

Male pygidium subrectangular, wider than long; apical margin broadly rounded, with dense, short, erect setae; surface gently pointed; medial lobes with sparse setae on apical margin (fig. 28).

Terminalia (Figs.: 24 a–c). Aedeagus 3.7–3.9 × longer than basal width, constricted medially, apex rounded; apodemes shorter than pedon; laterally regularly, strongly curved; endophallus with minute, sparse spinules on whole length; Parameres of tegmen unfused connected only by thin membrane. Apex of spiculum gastrale with two narrowed, acute, downward processes.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin— magnus —large. This is in reference to the species being of the largest body size known within the genus.

Distribution. New Caledonia.

Biology. Detailed biology unknown; collected from unidentified Araliaceae (probably Schefflera sp.).

Types. Holotype ♂—Nouv. Caledonie, Riviére blue, P6, Fogging, 21.1.1993; Museum Paris, E. Guilbert réc.; No. 22 (MNHN). Paratypes: 2♂ — New Caledonia, Farino, 13 May 2004, S. Cezares; Col 157/04, On cut Schefflera gabriellae (NZAC). 2♂ — 10 km S of Koh, 300 m, 31.I.63; Collector C.M. Yoshimoto (NZAC). 1 ♂ —21 0 10’S, 165 0 19’E, 550m, Aoupinie, sawmill, rainfor.; 23Nov 01–1Feb2002; Burwell Monteith. Malaise (QM).