Apotomoderes anodontos Franz, 2010

Franz, Nico, 2010, Revision and phylogeny of the Caribbean weevil genus Apotomoderes Dejean, 1834 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae), ZooKeys 49 (49), pp. 33-75 : 45-49

Apotomoderes anodontos Franz , sp. n.

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Figs. 7 , 8

Diagnosis. Apotomoderes anodontos is the smallest of the herein treated species and is readily differentiated from other species by the absence of a large, knife-like tooth of the profemur and the lack of a ridge-like, toothed projection along the anteromesal margin of the protibia ( Fig. 7C ).

Description - male. Length 4.32–6.28 mm, width 1.65–2.58 mm, length/width ratio 2.40–2.62 (N=5), widest at humeri to anterior third of elytra or near midpoint of pronotum. Linear piliform scales moderately long and abundant, particularly on legs, elytra, and thoracic and ventral sterna, either transparent white or light (rusty) brown, recumbent to suberect, more appressed on pronotum. With characteristic though locally variable patterns of creamy white and (light) (rusty) brown or tan scales, lighter scales typically more abundant on lateral sides and on legs, creating a two-colored impression, some specimens with semi-regular micro-patterns on elytra, (very) pale blue, moderately iridescent, metallic scales primarily on rostrum and tibiae. Rostrum ( Figs. 7B, 7C ) short and wide, length 0.45–0.68 mm, rostrum/pronotum length ratio 0.28–0.30, rostrum length/width ratio 0.60–0.66, depressed region basad of epistoma covered with creamy white (slightly iridescent) to (very) pale blue or light greenish metallic scales, thereafter increasingly with tan scales, lateral sulcus anteriad of eye reduced. Rostrum in lateral view nearly 2× wider (dorsoventrally) than long. Ventral margin of scrobe strongly angulate. Scape extending to anterolateral margin of pronotum, laterally compressed, covered with linear and subcircular scales. Funicular segment I longer than II. Head with eyes relatively large, moderately and almost evenly globular (posteriorly not abruptly curved), anterior, ventral, and posterior margins nearly straight, eyes separated (in dorsal view) by distance (much) less than 2× anterior-to-posterior length of each eye, scales on head predominantly creamy white and tan. Pronotum length/width ratio 0.88–0.98, pronotum/elytra length ratio 0.53–0.55, laterally strongly expanded (wide) though not strongly globular (more plane than in other species), scales dorsally predominantly darker, rusty or tan, irregularly shaped, though often with a subquadrate patch of lighter scales mesally near posterior margin, laterally with creamy white scales, creating a two-colored impression. Metendosternite similar to A. lateralis though furcal arms shorter. Legs predominantly covered with creamy white, rusty, and tan scales (more rarely with pale blue metallic scales, profemur/pronotum length ratio 0.80–0.83, profemur unarmed (lacking anteromesal tooth), protibia/profemur length ratio 0.84–1.02, lacking laminate, rounded anteromesal projection, though with 6–10 alternating smaller and larger, triangular (apically subacute) teeth, less much less prominent on meso- and metatibiae. Elytra ( Fig. 7A ) length/width ratio 1.60–1.68, scales dorsally (̴ striae I–VI) predominantly darker, rusty brown or tan, sometimes with irregular patches of lighter scales, laterally (̴ striae VII-X) with creamy white scales more abundant, creating the impression of a lighter stripe, punctures also with a small, creamy white scale. Wings absent.

Terminalia with tegmen slightly longer than median lobe. Aedeagus ( Fig. 8A ) narrowly elongate, with median lobe length/width relation 8.62–9.50 (N=3), basiventral margin strongly emarginate, lobe-like projections subtriangular, lateral margins subparallel along basal 5/6 of entire length, thereafter nearly straight and triangularly converging towards narrowly rounded, though not point-like, apex. Median lobe in lateral view with width similar throughout basal 5/6 of entire length, apex narrowly projected, slightly reclined, minimally expanded. Internal sac with ostium relatively small, with 2 weakly sclerotized, strongly arcuate-uncinate rami, positioned in ostium and curved outward, apices directed basally.

Female. Length 4.76–5.88 mm, width 1.95–2.38 mm, length/width ratio 2.45– 2.50 (N=3), widest near midpoint of elytra. Linear piliform scales on pronotum and elytra more conspicuous and suberect. Rostrum length 0.46–0.60 mm, rostrum/ pronotum length ratio 0.30–0.36, rostrum length/width ratio 0.75–0.80, rostrum slightly more narrow than in males. after increasingly with creamy white and variously brownish scales. Pronotum length/width ratio 0.95–0.97, pronotum/elytra length ratio 0.40–0.48, pronotum laterally smaller than in males, laterally not particularly expanded. Legs similar to males, profemur/pronotum length ratio 0.80–0.94, protibia/ profemur length ratio 0.96–1.00. Elytra length/width ratio 1.66–1.74, widest near midpoint, very slightly diverging in anterior half, thereafter gradually and roundly converging, declivity apparent in dorsal view as a slight, angulate constriction, mesal interval and stria I at point just posteriad of anterior end of declivity with a small, subcircular, convex elevation with suberect, linear scales, transparent white scales (similar to A. menocrater ; see Fig. 9D ). Venter with segment VII only 3/5 as long as IV.

Terminalia with sternum VIII ( Fig. 8B ) with posterior 2/5 (lamina) narrowly triangular, in anterior half with a mesal, narrowly elongate, weakly sclerotized area, anterior edges rounded, not projected, posterior margin (narrowly) truncate, with a clear rectangular mesal incision. Coxites with styli basally strongly oblique. Spermatheca ( Fig. 8C ) V-shaped, ramus and collum angled at nearly 45°, subcontiguous, collum very short, ramus moderately long, apically slightly and roundly expanded, corpus reduced, not strongly expanded, cornu long, strongly angled/curved at basal 2/5, thereafter nearly straight and slightly narrowed towards end which more declined and oriented at nearly 150° in relation to proximal end of spermatheca.

Variation. Larger males have a more strongly expanded pronotum. Some specimens are primarily covered with red or rusty brown scales, other specimens have larger region with an underlying pale blue or greenish metallic hue.

Material examined. Male holotype “D. R. Pedernales, Sierra de Bahoruco, along Rd. Cabo Rojo to Aceitillar, 12.0 km uphill from Rd. 44, transition forest, 395 m, N 18°4’32.0’’ W 71°39'14.6’’ / Jun 09/2008 (RD 9–2), Leg. N. Franz, J. Girón, A. Mazo, S. Navarro ” ( UPRM). Paratypes, same label information as male holotype ( UPRM: 2 males, 3 females) ; “ DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, Pedernales, 4km W Oviedo , 10m, arid[]thorn for[est], 91–344, 28.XI.-4.XII.1991, FIT, L. Masner & S. Peck ” ( CMNC: 2 males, 1 female) ; “ DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, Pedernales, 26km N Cabo Rojo , 565m, 91–347, 29.XI.-3.XII.1991, FIT, evergreen dry forest, L. Masner & S. Peck ” ( CMNC: 1 male) ; “D. R. Pedernales, Sierra de Bahoruco, km 10.5 Rd. Cabo Rojo to Aceitillar , night collecting (incl. Hg & UV lights), 100 m, N 18°0’36.1’’ W 71°38'48.1’’ / Jun 09/2008 (RD 9–5), Leg. N. Franz, J. Girón, A. Mazo, S. Navarro ” ( CWOB: 1 male, 1 female; MHND: 1 male) ; “ REPUBLICA DOMINICANA, Pedernales, Oviedo , dry forest, 5–8-VI-2001, H. Takizawa ” ( MNHD: 1 male) ; “DO- MINICAN REPUBLIC, 15 km N Cabo Rojo , 10.VII.2004, N18.06.76 W71.37.24. 670 m, leg. A. Konstantinov ” ( NMNH: 1 male) .

Etymology. Named for the unarmed profemora, with an- signifying “not” and odontos signifying “tooth” (Brown 1956). The epithet is treated as a noun in apposition.

Natural history. Apotomoderes anodontos is known to occur in the low to mid elevation dry forests (100–670 m) of the southwestern Pedernales province of the Dominican Republic: Sierra de Bahoruco, Cabo Rojo, and Oviedo (Fig. 18). The host plant associations remain unknown.

Figures

Figure 7. Habitus of A. anodontos, male: A dorsal view B lateral view C frontal view, showing unarmed profemora.

Figure 8. Terminalia of A. anodontos: A aedeagus, ventral and lateral view B sternum VIII, female C spermatheca.

Figure 9. Habitus of A. menocrater: A female, dorsal view B female, lateral view C male, head and pronotum, dorsal view, showing subfoveate punctures D female, declivity with patch of suberect setae, lateral view.