Eupholus schneideri Riedel

Riedel, Alexander, 2002, Two new species of Eupholus Boisduval (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae) from West New Guinea, a discussion of their taxonomic characters, and notes on nomenclature, Zootaxa 90, pp. 1-16 : 6-10

Eupholus schneideri Riedel sp. n.

( Figs. 2­4, 6 , 8­14, 16­17, 21, 22, 24­27)

Type material

Holotype: IRIAN JAYA, Jayawijaya Prov., Membahan (near Kosarek), 1500­1800 m, 23.IX.1991, leg. A.Riedel & native collectors ( MZB) [pinned through right elytron; genitalia dissected, in glycerol / microvial attached to pin; left ala cut at base, on cardboard attached to pin]. Paratypes: IRIAN JAYA, Jayawijaya Prov.: 26 males, 19 females (1 marked as "allotype"), same data as holotype ( ARC, MZB, UNSM, ZSM).

Description

Holotype, male ( Fig. 3). Length. Total length 21.0 mm; pronotum + elytron 16.6 mm. Head medially glabrous, between eyes with fovea; dorsally eyes bordered by dense clusters of creamy­opalescent, lanceolate, recumbent setae; remainder with green ovate appressed scales, except behind eyes with glabrous patch separating dorsal and ventral vestiture. Vertical diameter of eye 1.52 X horizontal diameter. Rostrum ( Fig. 6 ) 2.03 X as long as wide at base; maximum width in front of antennal insertion 1.39 X width at base. Dorsum in cross­section almost evenly rounded towards antennal scrobes; densely covered with ovate to subrotund appressed green scales; interspersed with setiform, transparent recumbent scales, both scale types in transverse arrangement; medially with very low, glabrous costa. Epistome heart­shaped, weakly sunken ventrad, not bordered by distinct ridges posteriorly [e. g. as in E. schoenherrii (Guérin­Méneville) ]. Antennal scrobes complete, posteriorly terminating at setose fringe in front of eye. Venter densely covered with appressed green scales, densely interspersed with long suberect setae; medially with deep furrow, sublaterally bordered by pair of less distinct furrows; anteriorly behind prementum with 6 stiff erect setae, subequal to length of prementum. Antenna. Funicle slender, elongate; funicle + club 2.50 X length of scape; scape and funicle densely clothed with opalescent, elongate, recumbent scales. Pronotum 1.08 X wider than long; densely squamose with circular appressed scales, except at middle with glabrous band subequal in width to antennal funicle; laterally coloration of scales orange, medially greenish­turquoise; vestiture interspersed with glabrous punctures each bearing a single subrecumbent to suberect setiform scale; coloration of these setiform scales changing from deeply brownish laterally to transparent near middle. Scutellum covered by elytra. Elytron 3.21 X longer than wide between humeri; greatest width ca. 1/3 from apex, 1.07 X wider than between humeri. Interval 5 in apical third with obtuse swelling; humeri with rectangularly projecting callus; interval 7 behind humeral callus continued as a ridge to point of maximum width of elytron; in dorsal aspect this ridge forming lateral outline of elytron; interval 9 between humeral callus and level of metacoxa somewhat swollen. Elytron densely squamose with circular, appressed scales except sutural interval basally glabrous; glabrous portion of sutural interval attenuating posteriad, ending at middle of elytron. Strial punctures deeply impressed but minute, ca. 1.5 X diameter of circular scale. Intervals with glabrous punctures each bearing a single subrecumbent setiform scale, superficially dissolving the regularity of the elytral striae. Coloration of vestiture greenish­turquoise, except following areas of orange: band behind humerus on intervals 5­9, continuing the same color from pronotum to middle of elytral length where obliquely truncate; interval 3 at middle with additional small spot; in apical third with transverse, slightly curved band from middle of sutural interval to interval 9, its concave side facing anteriad. Ala as in fig. 8, length 16.5 mm. Thoracic venter densely squamose with turquoise, round to lanceolate, recumbent scales; posterior process between forecoxae glabrous. Legs with uniformly turquoise vestiture of scales; femora and tibiae densely squamose with circular, appressed scales; vestiture interspersed with glabrous punctures each bearing a single transparent subrecumbent to suberect setiform scale; tarsi with lanceolate, recumbent scales. Abdomen densely squamose with turquoise, round to lanceolate, subrecumbent scales; sternite IV at middle sparsely setose. Genitalia. Aedeagus ( Figs. 9­11 ) with sides subparallel to apical orifice, then in straight line converging to rounded apex; in lateral aspect tip somewhat swollen, bluntly truncate. Endophallus with compact, symmetrical transfer apparatus, as in figs. 12­ 13.

Allotype, female ( Fig. 2). Same as holotype except: Length. Total length 27.0 mm; pronotum + elytron 20.0 mm. Rostrum 1.81 X as long as wide at base; maximum width in front of antennal insertion 1.28 X width at base. Antenna. Funicle + club 2.36 X length of scape. Pronotum 1.14 X wider than long; glabrous median band wider, about as wide as diameter of eye. Elytron 3.06 X longer than wide between humeri; greatest width at middle, 1.11 X wider than between humeri. Interval 5 at apical third with obtuse tubercle. Areas of orange color more intense: band behind humerus constricted at middle; interval 3 without spot; transverse band in apical third straight. Abdomen. Anterior margin of sternites III­VIII glabrous. Genitalia. Sternite VIII as in fig. 21. Hemisternite ( Fig. 22 ) 2.3 X as long as high, apical half trapezoid, apically subtruncate. Stylus 2.0 X as long as wide, subapically with cluster of moderately long stiff setae pointing laterad. Vagina ( Fig. 14, 17 ) with median sclerite and pair of larger lateral sclerites ca. twice as long as wide. Ductus spermathecae thin, isodiametric, inserted at junction of bursa copulatrix and oviduct; terminal portion of bursa dorsally anterior of this junction. Spermatheca ( Figs. 16 , 24 ) with gland ca. 3 X as long as body. Eggs [two well developed eggs taken from paratype] ovate, 4.8 mm X 2.3 mm, longitudinally wrinkled.

Intraspecific variation. Length. Total length of males 19.0­23.0 mm (26, 20.8 ± 1.2) (= number of specimens, average ± standard deviation), females 21.0­27.0 mm (19, 23.1 ± 1.3); pronotum + elytron of males 14.7­18.0 mm (26, 16.2 ± 1.0), females 16.5­20.0 mm (19, 18.4 ± 0.8). Coloration either of rather greenish shade or bluish turquoise; with patterns of either deep orange color, or of rather pale ferruginous color. Head with lateral glabrous patch behind eye more or less extensive, but always distinct. Rostrum in males 1.91­2.16 X as long as wide at base (25, 2.04 ± 0.08), in females 1.76­2.06 X as long as wide at base (18, 1.89 ± 0.08); maximum width in front of antennal insertion 1.36 X width at base (44, 1.36 ± 0.06). Antenna. Funicle + club 2.41­2.79 X length of scape in males (12, 2.60 ± 0.12), 2.22­2.68 X length of scape in females (11, 2.43 ± 0.13). Pronotum 1.05­1.17 X wider than long in males (27, 1.10 ± 0.03), 1.09­1.23 X wider than long in females (18, 1.14 ± 0.04). Median glabrous band usually subequal in width to antennal funicle; in some specimens 0.5 X as wide as antennal funicle and abbreviated anteriorly, in other specimens 3 X as wide as antennal funicle. Scutellum usually covered by elytra, rarely vestige exposed. Elytron in males 3.08­3.47 X longer than wide between humeri (26, 3.30 ± 0.11), in females 3.04­3.29 X longer than wide between humeri (19, 3.16 ± 0.08); greatest width in males 1.02­1.15 X wider than between humeri (26, 1.08 ± 0.03), in females 1.08­1.20 X wider than between humeri (19, 1.12 ± 0.03). Obtuse swelling of interval 5 more or less distinct, generally more marked in females than in males. Rectangular projection of humerus more or less distinct, generally more marked in females than in males. Sutural interval usually glabrous black in basal half; rarely glabrous area limited to basal 1/3, or extended beyond middle. Extent of orange colored areas variable: minimally limited to ridge of interval 7 in basal half and to swelling of interval 5 in apical third ( Fig. 4); an additional spot may be added on interval 3 which may fuse with the one on interval 5; in some specimens a complete transverse band is formed in apical 1/3; in many specimens the orange coloration of interval 7 is extended mesad to intervals 6­4. Ala. Length 15.3­18.3 mm (4, 17.5 ± 1.5). Genitalia. Sternite VIII weakly sclerotized in allotype, darker in some other specimens; dorsal lateral folds of apical plate in some specimens more approximated than in allotype. Body of spermatheca of extremely variable shape, as in figs. 24­26.

Differential diagnosis

This species is closely related to E. kotaseaoi (Porion) , the only other known species of Eupholus with intense orange colored sides of the pronotum. From the habitus illustration given by Porion (2000) following differences between the species can be noted: E. kotaseaoi (Porion) E. schneideri sp. n.

median glabrous band of pronotum wider, ca. median glabrous band of pronotum ca. 0.5­ 3 X 5 X as wide as antennal funicle as wide as antennal funicle

median glabrous band of pronotum not contin­ median glabrous band of pronotum continued ued on elytra on sutural interval of elytra

funicle + club of antenna 1.75 X length of scape funicle + club of antenna 2.22­2.79 X length of

scape

elytral humerus with weak, obtuse projection elytral humerus with rectangular projection

elytral interval 5 apparently without obtuse obtuse swelling of elytral interval 5 distinct in swelling females

Etymological note

This species is named in honor of Dr. med. Wolfgang Axel Schneider (Kempten / Allgäu). This patronym is seen as a small service in return to Mr. Schneider´s most generous support of systematic research and conservation of biodiversity through his donation to BIOPAT e. V..

Figures

FIGURES 5 ­ 6. Head and rostrum of Eupholus spp.: (5) E. vlasimskii, holotype; (6) E. schneideri, holotype; arrow marking median ridge of rostrum. Figs. 7 ­ 8. Ala of Eupholus spp.: (7) E. vlasimskii, holotype; (8) E. schneideri, holotype.

FIGURES 9 ­ 13. Male genitalia of E. schneideri: (9) aedeagus in glycerol, holotype, dorsal aspect; (10) aedeagus in glycerol, holotype, lateral aspect; (11) dry body of aedeagus, paratype, dorsal aspect; (12) transfer apparatus of holotype in glycerol, resting position; (12) dry transfer apparatus of paratype, everted position.

FIGURES 19 ­ 26. Female genitalia of Eupholus spp.: (19) sternite VIII of E. vlasimskii, holotype (20) left hemisternite of E. schneideri; (21) sternite VIII of E. schneideri, allotype; (22) left hemisternite of E. schneideri, allotype; (23) spermatheca of E. vlasimskii, holotype; (24 ­ 26) spermatheca of E. schneideri, allotype (24), paratypes (25 ­ 26).

FIGURES 14 ­ 18. Female genitalia of Eupholus spp., ventral aspect: (14, 17) E. schneideri, allotype; (15, 18) E. vlasimskii, holotype; (16) spermatheca of E. schneideri, allotype.