Bondariella rudicula, Valente, Roberta De Melo & Júnior, Mariano Brandão Cordeiro, 2015

Valente, Roberta De Melo & Júnior, Mariano Brandão Cordeiro, 2015, Revision of Bondariella Hustache & Bondar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), with descriptions of the first species from the Amazon and notes on natural history, Zootaxa 4018 (2), pp. 201-227 : 223-224

Bondariella rudicula sp. nov.

( Figs. 2 B, 8)

Male. ( Figs. 2 B, 8). Length of pronotum + elytra: 1.9–2.2mm (N=4). Integument ( Fig. 2 B) evenly light reddish brown throughout; covered by large yellowish spatulate scales. Rostrum ( Fig. 2 B) 0.7 times as long as pronotum; almost straight in lateral view, only slightly curved on the antennal insertion. Antennae: antennal insertion median (0.5); scape 1.9 times as long as article I of funicle. Pronotum 1.2–1.3 times wider than long; disc with large and closely spaced punctures (distant by 0.7 times their own diameter); scales becoming smaller toward the disc; median line not evident; collar slightly evident, marked by darker strip of punctures. Interprocoxal distance slightly shorter (0.9 times) than procoxal diameter. Femora with discrete ventral comb of long golden suberect setae on basal 1/3, less evident on profemora. Tibiae lacking comb of setae. Elytra 1.3–1.5 times longer than wide; 1.9–2.1 times as long as pronotum; sutural interval with only one row of scales; remaining intervals with 1–2 rows of scales on base, becoming variously a single row toward apex. Abdominal tergites ( Fig. 8 A): laterotergites subdivided into three smaller sclerites; median fissure incomplete, not reaching distal margin of tergite IV; tergite IV with only median spiculate patches on median sclerites; tergite VII with two pairs of distantly spaced plectra. Ventrites ( Fig. 8 B): I–II combined 1.7–1.9 times as long as III–IV combined; ventrite I 1.1–1.3 times as long as ventrite II; ventrite V trapezoidal, 2.5–2.6 times wider than long, flat, distal margin rounded, lacking tufts of scales. Sternum VIII ( Fig. 8 C): each sclerite subquadrate, acute in the anterolateral margins and reflexed dorsally, glabrous. Spiculum gastrale ( Fig. 8 D) 1.9 times as long as median lobe; stylus curved and moderately wide; furcal arms weakly sclerotized, short, narrowed, abruptly clavate to apex, symmetrical. Tegmen ( Fig. 8 E) weakly sclerotized, 2.0 times as long as median lobe; dorsal parameroid lobes connected medially on base, each parameroid lobe 0.7 times as long as median lobe, clothed with long setae on distal ½; ventral tegminal apodeme 0.9 times as long as median lobe, narrowed, elongate and reflexed dorsally. Aedeagus ( Fig. 8 F): median lobe short and wide, 1.9 times longer than wide; apex strongly acute; lateral margins narrow; sides ovate shape; endophallus sclerotized, clothed with sparse spinules on distal 1/2, lacking membranous bags; ostium evident medially; lacking orificial plates. Apodemes of aedeagus 1.7 times as long as median lobe, not sclerotized on basal 1/5.

Female ( Fig. 2 B). Length of pronotum + elytra: 1.9–2.1mm (N=5). Differs from male by generic characters of the rostrum, scrobe, antennal scape, interocular distance and ventrite II (cited above). In addition, by rostrum ( Fig. 2 B) straight and short, 0.5–0.6 times as long as pronotum; scrobe 0.3–0.4 times as long as rostrum; antennal insertion basal (0.2–0.3 times); pronotum more convex; collar ventrally weakly marked by sulcate line; femora lacking comb of setae. Body part ratios. Length scape/length article I of funicle: 1.8 times; pronotum width/ length: 1.1–1.3 times; elytron length/width: 1.4–1.5 times; length elytron/length pronotum: 1.9–2.0 times; interprocoxal distance/procoxal diameter: 0.9 times; length ventrite I/length ventrite II: 1.3 times; length ventrites I+II/length ventrites III+IV: 2.3 times; ventrite V width/length: 2.4–2.5 times.

Etymology. Named in reference to the distinct shape of the aedeagus, based on the Latin word rudicula meaning “wooden spoon” ( Brown 1956).

Remarks. Bondariella rudicula sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 B), Bondariella crenata sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 C) and B. ruschiana ( Fig. 1 A) are distinguished from other species of the genus by the sutural interval of the elytra covered by only one row of scales but in Bondariella rudicula sp. nov. and in Bondariella crenata sp. nov. the integument is evenly light reddish brown throughout while in B. ruschiana the integument is variegate (see remarks of B. ruschiana ). In Bondariella torresi ( Fig. 1 B) the integument is also evenly reddish brown throughout but the sutural interval of the elytron is covered by two rows of scales (see remarks of B. torresi ). Bondariella rudicula sp. nov. is very similar to Bondariella crenata sp. nov. and both are easily distinguished from other species of Bondariella by a number of characters: integument evenly light reddish brown and covered by one row of scales on sutural interval of the elytron; rostrum (male) almost straight, (female) straight and very shorter than pronotum (0.5–0.6 times) ( Figs. 2 B–C); ventrite V ( Figs. 8 B, 9B) trapezoidal (2.4–2.6 times wider than long); abdominal tergites ( Fig. 3 F) with median fissure incomplete (not reaching distal margin of tergite IV); sternum VIII ( Figs. 8 C, 9C) subquadrate and glabrous; tegmen ( Figs. 8 E, 9E) with dorsal parameroid lobes connected medially on base; endophallus ( Figs. 8 F, 9F) sclerotized. However, Bondariella rudicula sp. nov. can be distinguished from Bondariella crenata sp. nov. by the pronotal disc with punctures more distantly spaced (distant by 0.7 times their own diameter) and with scales becoming very small medially, rostrum (male) slightly curved on the antennal insertion ( Fig. 2 B) and ventrite V ( Fig. 8 B) flat in male, not concave medially and lacking distal tufts of scales since Bondariella crenata sp. nov.

have pronotal disc with punctures closely spaced (distant by 0.4 times their own diameter) and scales subequal in length throughout (male), smaller on distal ½ (female), rostrum (male) slightly curved on base ( Fig. 2 C) and ventrite V (male) concave medially and bearing lateral tufts of scales ( Fig. 9 B). Besides, Bondariella rudicula sp. nov. is distinguished from all other species of Bondariella by the ovate shape of the median lobe ( Fig. 8 F) with strongly acute apex and by the furcal arms of spiculum gastrale ( Fig. 8 D) strongly clavate to apex. Finally, Bondariella rudicula sp. nov. and Bondariella crenata sp. nov. are the only species of the genus recorded from the Amazon Forest and in association with Euterpe , but Bondariella rudicula sp. nov. has only been collected on E. oleracea while Bondariella crenata sp. nov. has only been collected on E. longebracteata .

Natural history. Bondariella rudicula sp. nov. is recorded from the Amazon biome, from National Forest of Caxiuanã and Vitória do Xingu, both in Pará, Brazil. Adults were collected on flowers of Euterpe oleracea , locally known as “açaí”. Bondariella rudicula sp. nov. is cited as Bondariella sp. n. 1 in Valente (2000). In additional collections besides the type series, Bondariella rudicula sp. nov. has only been recorded on flowers of E. oleracea (for details, see natural history of Bondariella ).

Type material. Holotype male deposited in MPEG: “ Brasil –PA–Melgaço\ Caxiuanã–ECFPn\ 16–VII–1995 \ R.M. Valente Col.[label 1], Em inflorescência de\ Euterpe oleracea \ Amostra 0 1 [label 2]”. Allotype female deposited in MPEG: same as holotype but, “ 24–II–1998 ”. Paratypes: same as holotype but, “ 24–II–1998 ” ( MPEG: 2♀), “ 24–II–1998, Amostra 02” ( UFPA: 2♀); “ 24–II–1998, Amostra 03” ( MPEG: 1♂, dissected); “ Brasil –PA–Vitória do Xingu\ Bom Jardim\ -51º45’01.5’’/-3º24’44.6’’\ Dist.[distance] na trilha 700m \ 09–IV– 2008 \ R.M. Valente Col.\ [label 1], Em inflorescência de\ Euterpe oleracea \ Amostra 0 2 [label 2] ” ( UFPA: 2♂).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Bondariella: lectotype male (dorsal and lateral view) and paralectotype female (lateral view). A B. ruschiana (♂ 2.3 mm, ♀ 2.3 mm). B B. torresi (♂ 2.6 mm, ♀ 2.4 mm). C B. mucugeana (♂ 2.6 mm, ♀ 2.6 mm).

FIGURE 2. Habitus of Bondariella: lectotype male (dorsal and lateral view) and paralectotype female (lateral view). A B. mimica (♂ 2.3 mm, ♀ 2.4 mm). B Bondariella rudicula sp. nov. (♂ 1.9 mm, ♀ 2.1 mm). C Bondariella crenata sp. nov. (♂ 2.1 mm, ♀ 2.1 mm).

FIGURE 3. Bondariella spp. A – F Bondariella crenata sp. nov., paratypes, male (A, C – F), female (B). A Rostrum male. B Rostrum female. C Epistoma. D Detail of sclerolepidia. E Apex of the hind tibae showing uncus. F Tergites. G Bondariella torresi, paralectotype male, tergites. H – I Bondariella mimica, paralectotype. H Male, prosternum. I Female, prosternum. Scale bars: A – B, D and F – I, 200 µm; C and E, 30 µm.

FIGURE 8. Bondariella rudicula sp. nov., paratype male. A Tergites, dorsal aspect showing plectra. B Ventrites. C Sternum VIII, dorsal view. D Spiculum gastrale, dorsal view. E Tegmen, dorsal view. F Aedeagus, dorsal and lateral view. Scale bars: A – B, 200 µm; C – D (on same scale) and E – F (on same scale), 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 9. Bondariella crenata sp. nov., paratype male. A Tergites, dorsal aspect showing plectra. B Ventrites. C Sternum VIII, dorsal view. D Spiculum gastrale, dorsal view. E Tegmen, dorsal view. F Aedeagus, dorsal and lateral view. Scale bars: A – B, 200 µm; C – D (on same scale) and E – F (on same scale), 0.25 mm.