Euscelus sexmaculatus (Chevrolat)

Hamilton, Robert W., 2007, Euscelus species of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Attelabidae), Zootaxa 1495 (1), pp. 1-34 : 18-20

Euscelus sexmaculatus (Chevrolat)

( Figs. 9 , 53–56)

Attelabus sexmaculatus Chevrolat, 1876

Type locality: Puerto Rico

Type data: Type not examined

Type holder: Type location unknown. Not in NHRS with other Chevrolat types .

Specimen data: PUERTO RICO: 1 male, Santurce Condado , viii-1957 , A Archer; 1 male & 9 females, Mameyes , ii-19-1925 ; 1 female, Bayamon, 1-28 ; 1 male, La Muda , 1-27 ; 1 male, Mayaguez, Guayaba leaf roller, x-25-1913 ; 1 male, Mayaguez, ix-15-1912 , on guava, CW Hooker collector; 6 males & 2 females, Anasco, ix-93 ; 2 males & 2 females, Caguas, May 28–29, 1915 ; 1 male & 1 female, Mayaguez, June 21–23, 1915 ; 2 females, Adjuntas, June 8–13, 1915 ; 1 female, Cayey, May 30–31, 1915 ; 2 males & 1 female, Aibonito, July 14–17, ‘14 ; 3 females, Mayaguez, July 24–29, ‘14 ; 1 male, Mayaguez, iv-25-1914 ( AMNH) . 1 male & 1 female [mounted on same card], Porto Rico , 1 male & 1 female, Caguas, 24-v-1923 , GN Wolcott, GN Wolcott collection ( BMNH) . 2 males & 1 female, 5 mi. NE Jayuya, 23-vii-1969 , H & A Howden ( CMNC) . 1 male, Hwy. 10, km 24, 8 June 1977 , on Psidium guajava, J Micheli ; 1 female [same as previous except 10 June 1977]; 2 males [same as previous except 16 June 1977]; 1 male, Cambalache Forest Res., July 28, 1979 , GB Marshall; 2 males, Roosevelt Roads , 31-iii-1976 , on guava, HS Harlan & AE Gillogly ; 1 male, Barranquitas, iii-17-1970 , R Lavigne; 1 male, Cambalaches St. For., viii-3-1999 , at night, CW O’Brien, PW Kovarik ; 3 males & 2 females [same as previous except viii-1-1999, on trees]; 1 female, Cambalache Forest Res., July 28, 1979 , CW O’Brien; 1 female [same as previous except LB O’Brien]; 2 females, Lago Garzas , 16-vii-1972 , on Psidium guajava, J. Micheli ; 1 female, 8 mi SE Arecibo, ii-8-1969 ; 1 male & 2 females, Guilarte St. For., Summit Tr., viii-5-1999 , CW O’Brien, P Kovarik ( CWOB) . 1 male, Porto Rico [sic], West Indies, America , ( UMRM) . 1 female, Rio Piedras , 21-ii-1920 ; 2 females [same as previous except 31-v-1932, on guava, Mills & Anderson ]; 1 female, Mayaguez, 20-xii-1911 , [nidus mounted with specimen], CW Hooker; 1 male & 1 female [same as previous except 30-i-1912]; 2 females [same as previous except 15-xi-1912 & on guava]; 1 male, Mayaguez, 9-ix-1910 , on guava leaves, WV Tower; 1 male & 1 female [same as previous except 14-ix- 1910]; 1 male [same as previous except 15-viii-1910]; 3 males & 3 females, Mayaguez, Jan 1899 , A Busck; 1 female [same as previous except Feb 1899, Culebral]; 1 female, Mayaguez, 1-vii-1917 , H Morrison; 1 male, Anasco, 30-viii-1913 , on Psidium guava, EG Smyth ; 1 male & 4 females, Mayaguez, San Juan , 10-iv-1939 ; 1 male, Mayaguez, x, xii-1962 , J Maldonado; 1 male [same as previous except 1-viii-1932, F. Mora]; 1 male [same as previous except 23-iii-1950, CE Stringer Jr., Eugenia jambolana ]; 1 female, Mayaguez, San Juan , 2- viii-1934 , guava leaf, AG Harley; 1 female [same as previous except no date, Guayaba]; 1 female, Solanum, Sb. Ponce, 22-vii-1952 ; 4 males, Guilarte , 20-iv-1975 , J Micheli; 1 female, Bayamon, 21-iii-1932 , on bitter almond flower stalk, F Anderson; 1 male, Arecibo, 4-v-1934 , on guava, Mills & Anderson ; 1 male & 1 female, Patillas, v-1940 , Eucalyptus rebustos, D DeLeon ; 1 male & 1 female, [same as previous except 14-v- 1940] ( USNM) . VIRGIN ISLANDS: 1 male & 1 female, St. John , iii-6-1925 ; 1 female, St. Thomas , iv-13- 1925 ( AMNH) . 1 male, St. Thomas, French Bay Est., Morning Star Gut , el. 150 ft, 17-viii-1980 ; 1 female [same as previous except 18-viii-1980] ( FMNH) .

Description: Color: Reddish-brown with paler antennae and abdominal ventrites; pronotum with variable wide dark longitudinal stripes; middle and hind legs yellowish; elytra with yellowish-white spots. Size range: Male (n = 55) 3.5 x 1.4 mm to 6.6 x 2.7 mm; Female (n = 60) 3.6 x 1.6 mm to 6.2 x 2.7 mm. Head elongate, sub-conical, wider at base, weakly constricted behind eyes; punctures small, not dense; interspaces minutely wrinkled; frons narrow, about 1/3 as wide as rostral base; smooth, weakly convex; with weak median channel. Rostrum shorter than head, widened beyond antennal insertions; apex about ½ wider than rostral base; punctures minute, sparse. Antennae long, slightly longer than head and rostrum together; scape and funicle segment 1 ovo-globose; scape more robust; funicle segment 1 slightly shorter than scape; funicle segment 2 slender, weakly clavate, twice as long as segment 1; funicle segments 3–5 subequal, clavate, slightly shorter than segment 2; segment 6 short, subequal in length to segment 1; segment 7 long, slightly longer than segment 2, with club like texture; basal and middle club segments subequal; terminal club segment slightly longer, acuminate. Pronotum wider than long, smooth, shiny, very minutely punctured; punctures widely spaced; with v-shaped groove across middle; groove weakly recurved laterally; with more or less distinct wide dark longitudinal stripes; anterior collar weakly set off by shallow groove, widest through middle; anterior basal carina wide, punctured; posterior basal carina narrow, about ½ as wide as anterior carina. Scutellum large, sub-triangular, at base about ½ wider than long, smooth, shiny, without punctures; sides weakly sinuate, posterior margin rounded. Elytra longer than wide, widest at humeri; narrowed posteriorly from humeri to apices; striae small, weakly impressed, becoming smaller and less distinct beyond elytral base; intervals smooth, flat; each elytron with three yellowish spots; 1 large raised spot near scutellum; 1 spot laterally at humeri; and 1 dorso-lateral spot just beyond middle of elytron; humeri angulate. Abdominal ventrites sparsely punctured; with thin median setosity.

Femoral sexual dimorphism: The profemur of the male is armed with two projections. The disti-ventral projection is elongate, pointed and distinctly up curved. The mid-ventral projection is tuberculate, blunt tipped and bent upward. A weakly developed setose sensillum is located near the inner base of the mid-ventral projection. The profemur of the female is armed with a single disti-ventral projection subequal to that of the male.

Distribution: The species is reported from Cuba and Puerto Rico by O’Brien and Wibmer (1982). Specimens examined were from Puerto Rico and the Virgin islands.

Comments: E. sexmaculatus is easily recognized by the reddish-brown color, wide dark pronotal stripes and the six spots on the elytra. It is closely related to E. aureolus in having the same elytral spot pattern and a similar aedeagus but E. aureolus is distinctly smaller in body size, lacks pronotal markings and has a paler elytra. E. dominicanus n. sp. and E. haitensis n. sp. have elytral spots as well but the pattern is distinctly different.

Host plant: The species has been taken from Eugenia jambolana . Wolcott (1951) reported it feeding on Psidium guajava and Eucalyptus sp. He also states that males and females cooperate in cutting and rolling the leaf rolls. It is generally thought that leaf preparation and rolling in attelabid weevils is done only by the female.

Figures

FIGURES 9–12. Male genitalia of West Indies Euscelus species, 64 X: a) tegmen, dorsal view b) median lobe with endophallic sac and transfer apparatus in repose, ventral view c) same as previous, dorsal view 9) Euscelus sexmaculatus, Puerto Rico, Mayaguez 10) Euscelus aureolus, Cuba, Baracoa 11) Euscelus haitensis, Dominican Republic, Azua 12) Euscelus dominicanus, Dominican Republic, La Vega.