Limnobaris elliptica (Marshall, 1948) Marshall, 1948

Prena, Jens, Korotyaev, Boris, Wang, Zhiliang, Ren, Li, Liu, Ning & Zhang, Runzhi, 2014, A taxonomic revision of Limnobaris Bedel in the strict sense (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Baridinae), with particular emphasis on the species found in China, ZooKeys 416, pp. 41-66 : 48

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Curculionidae

Limnobaris elliptica (Marshall, 1948) comb. n.

Calyptopygus ellipticus Marshall, 1948: 466. Syntypes 8, Kambaiti [Kan Paik Ti], Myanmar (BMNH, NHRS).

Diagnosis.

Limnobaris elliptica is very similar to Limnobaris babai from Japan. These two species can be distinguished from all others by the short, curved rostrum, the blunt ventromedian process on the male protibia and almost glabrous elytra. Limnobaris elliptica is on average somewhat smaller than Limnobaris babai (3.2-3.8 mm vs. 3.5-4.5 mm), has an apically pointed penis (rounded in Limnobaris babai ) and at least the males have longer setae on the underside of the profemur. Limnobaris basalis , another similar species, has a longer rostrum, larger scales on the elytral base and occurs in Fujian. The Nepalese Limnobaris martensi is slenderer and almost entirely glabrous.

Distribution.

The species is known from three sites west of the Gaoligong Mountains in the border region between Myanmar and Yunnan Province, China (Fig. 13).

Biology.

We found larvae, pupae and freshly eclosed adults inside flowering culms of Scirpus wichurai Böckeler in late September. A few specimens already had exited the plant and one was observed on a tall Scleria species, which does not appear to be a larval host. Many larvae were killed by three to five specimens of an apparently undescribed Entedon Dalman species ( Eulophidae , Hymenoptera ), a large and widespread genus known to parasitize beetle larvae (C. Hansson, in litt.). The weevil overwinters and the first specimens appear on the host plant in late March.

Material examined.

CHINA. Yunnan: 盈江伐木場 [Famuchang (logging headquarter), Yingjiang], 1700 m, 13.iv.1980 (IZCAS 3); Xiaozahe, Tengchong County, 1800 m, 26.ix.2013 (IZCAS 4, JPPC 4, ZIN 2). MYANMAR. Kachin: Kambaiti [Kan Paik Ti], Myitkyina District, 2130 m, 28.iii.-3.iv.1934 (3x), 14.iv.1934 (BMNH 4).