Cossonus hinojosai, Davis & Engel, 2007

Davis, S. R. & Engel, M. S., 2007, Cossonine weevils in Dominican amber (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 39 (2), pp. 803-820 : 803-820

Cossonus hinojosai nov.sp. ( Figs 27-28 , 44-48 )

H o l o t y p e: USNM 505580 (= Woodruff #10029), amber, Dominican Republic, Early Miocene (Burdigalian).

D i a g n o s i s Compound eyes subcircular ( Fig. 44 ). Rostrum broadening along apical half in dorsal view ( Fig. 45 ), with antennal scrobe partially visible; rostrum short, with ventral margin nearly straight in lateral view. Antennal club not distinctly inflated from funicle ( Fig. 46 ). Pronotum with two rows, each composed of approximately four punctures, posteriorly, eminating closely from scutellum ( Fig. 45 ).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Total body length (including rostrum) ca. 2.65 mm; maximal width ca. 0.71 mm; elytral length ca. 1.40 mm. Integument brown to light brown (as preserved) ( Figs 27-28 ). Compound eyes subcircular ( Figs 27-28 , 44-45 ), length approximately 1.2✕ width; interocular distance approximately 0.5✕ width of rostrum in dorsal view. Rostrum heavily sculptured and punctate; rostrum short, approximately one-third length of pronotum; ventral margin nearly straight in lateral view, very broadly and uniformly curved along entire length ( Fig. 44 ); width broadening slightly after mid-length in dorsal view. Antenna inserted immediately after mid-length of rostrum, scrobe short, well-developed, one-half length of rostrum; scape reaching anterior margin of compound eye; scape short, slightly less than one-half length of rostrum; funicle 7-segmented ( Fig. 46 ), narrow basally, sparsely covered with setae, gradually and weakly enlarging to indistinct, setose club. Vertex smooth, glabrous, puncticulate. Pronotum glabrous, length approximately 1.2✕ posterior width; anterior portion narrower than posterior portion; small, shallow punctures present, punctures separated by distance subequal to puncture diameter; punctures fewer in middle; two distinct rows, each of three to four punctures, arising posteriorly near scutellum ( Fig. 45 ); lateral margins broadly rounded. Prosternum with shallow depression between procoxae; with punctures similar to those in dorsal view; coxal positions depicted in figure 48. Scutellum small, ovoid. Elytra each with approximately 7-8 striae; punctures of elytral striae circular, moderately large and shallow, separated by distance approximately 0.5-1✕ puncture diameter; humeri subquadrate. Metepisternum narrower than width of antennal club, with a single, distinct, longitudinal row of minute punctures. Metasternum and abdominal ventrites with small, shallow punctures. Apical tibial unci at outer angle large, approximately equal in length to tarsomere IV ( Fig. 47 ); a small denticle present on opposite side of uncus on inner angle, length less than pretarsal claw length.

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet is a patronymic honoring Mr. Ismael A. Hinojosa-Díaz, prominent insect systematist and esteemed colleague.

C o m m e n t s: This species is placed within Cossonus based on the widening of the rostrum in the apical half, the antennal insertion beyond mid-length of the rostrum, the antennal scrobe extending slightly to the dorsal surface of the rostrum, the large tibial uncus on the outer angle, and the smaller denticle opposite the uncus on the inner angle which is smaller than the pretarsal claws. This species appears exceedingly similar to the

813

extant Cossonus impressus BOHEMAN , distributed throughout the Caribbean, including Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. Cossonus impressus , however, has the distinct rows of punctures posteriorly on the pronotum consisting of five to six punctures that are larger in size than those in the fossil species. Also, the antennal funicle is narrower in C. impressus , and much more constricted at the funicle-club junction, whereas in this species this junction is not so differentiated.

Figures

Figs 23-28: Photomicrographs of Dominican amber cossonine weevils. (23) holotype of Caulophilus swensoni nov.sp. (USNM 502877); (24) paratype of C. swensoni (USNM 502666); (25) holotype of Proeces longirostrum nov.sp. (USNM 502728); (26) holotype of Stenotrupis breviscapus nov.sp. (USNM 505344); (27) holotype of Cossonus hinojosai nov.sp. (USNM 505580), dorsal aspect; (28) holotype of C. hinojosai, lateral aspect.

Figs 39-48: Two species of Cossonini, Stenotrupis breviscapus nov.sp. (holotype and paratype) and Cossonus hinojosai nov.sp. (holotype). (39) lateral aspect of head and anterior pronotum of S. breviscapus (USNM 504857); (40) dorsal, oblique aspect of head of S. breviscapus (USNM 504857); (41) antenna of S. breviscapus (USNM 504857); (42) protibia, profemur, protarsus, and pro-pretarsus of S. breviscapus (USNM 505344); (43) ventral aspect of prothorax showing position of procoxae of S. breviscapus (USNM 504857); (44) lateral aspect of head and pronotum of C. hinojosai (USNM 505580); (45) dorsal, slightly oblique aspect of head and pronotum of C. hinojosai; (46) antenna of C. hinojosai; (47) protibia, profemur, protarsus, and pro-pretarsus of C. hinojosai; (48) ventro-lateral oblique aspect of prosternum showing position of procoxae of C. hinojosai. All drawn as preserved.