Linogeraeus perscitus (Herbst)

Prena, Jens, 2009, A Review of the Species of Geraeus Pascoe and Linogeraeus Casey Found in the Continental United States (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Baridinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 63 (2), pp. 123-172 : 163-164

Linogeraeus perscitus (Herbst)

( Figs. 39, 40 , 79 )

Curculio perscitus Herbst 1797:28 . Not found in MNHUB; described from Herschel Collection; probably lost (see Madge 1994).

Centrinus perscitus ; Schönherr (1836).

Geraeus perscitus ; Champion (1908).

Centrinaspis perscita ; Casey (1920).

Linogeraeus perscitus ; Kuschel (1983).

Centrinus exulans Casey 1892:588 . Holotype female, labeled ‘‘Wickham./ Gallup N.M.,’’ ‘‘Casey/ bequest/ 1925,’’ ‘‘Type USNM/ 37834,’’ Casey’s handwriting ‘‘exulans/ Csy.’’ Synonymy by Kuschel (1983:39).

Geraeus exulans ; Schwarz in Leng (1920) [see Leng in Sherman (1929:392)].

Centrinaspis exulans ; Casey (1920).

Centrinaspis connivens Casey 1920:397 . Syntypes, 2 males, labeled (1) ‘‘Lincoln Neb./ July,’’ ‘‘Enemy of/ Sug. Beet,’’ ‘‘σ,’’ ‘‘Casey/ bequest/ 1925,’’ ‘‘Type USNM/ 37836 ,’’ Casey’s handwriting ‘‘connivens/ Csy’’; (2) ‘‘Lincoln Neb./ July,’’ ‘‘Casey/ bequest/ 1925,’’ ‘‘connivens-2/ Paratype USNM/ 37836 .’’ Synonymy by Kuschel (1983:39).

Centrinaspis regressa Casey 1920:396 . Holotype female, labeled ‘‘Warcloud/ Miss./3-12-92,’’ ‘‘Casey/ bequest/ 1925,’’ ‘‘Type USNM/ 37835,’’ Casey’s handwriting ‘‘regressus/ Csy.’’ Synonymy by Kuschel (1983:39).

Centrinaspis lateralis Hustache 1949:22 . Synonymy by Kuschel (1983:39).

Recognition. Linogeraeus perscitus is a 2.4–3.2 mm long, reddish brown species with a distinctive color pattern, i.e., with light yellow scales on the pronotal flank, at the base of interstriae 1 and 3, and variously scattered elsewhere ( Fig. 39 ). Remotely similar species occur only in South America.

Distribution. This species has been found from the United States southward to Uruguay and Argentina as well as in the Lesser Antilles.

Type locality. North America, site not specified.

Material examined. United States: Arizona ( USNM 1 ) , Connecticut ( CWOB 2 ) , District of Columbia ( USNM 2 ) , Florida ( USNM 1 ) , Georgia ( CWOB 1 ) , Iowa ( USNM 4 ) , Kansas ( USNM 13 ) , Maryland ( USNM 4 ) , Massachusetts ( USNM 1 ) , Minnesota ( CWOB 3 ) , Mississippi ( USNM 5 ) , Missouri ( USNM 1 ) , Nebraska ( UNSM 5 , USNM 6 ) , New Jersey ( USNM 1 ) , New Mexico ( CWOB 1 ) , New York ( USNM 1 ) , Ohio ( USNM 2 ) , Oklahoma ( TAMU 1 , USNM 1 ) , Rhode Island (2 larvae, USNM) , South Dakota ( USNM 1 ) , Texas ( CMNC 2 , CWOB 2 , TAMU 10 , USNM 5 ) . Argentina ( CWOB 14 ) , Colombia ( USNM 14 ) , Costa Rica ( CWOB 1 , USNM 2 ) , Curaçao ( USNM 3 ) , El Salvador ( USNM 1 ) , Guatemala ( TAMU 1 ) , Mexico ( TAMU 1 , USNM 6 ) , Nicaragua ( USNM 1 ) , Peru ( USNM 9 ) , Trinidad and Tobago ( CWOB 1 ) , Uruguay ( CWOB 7 ) , Venezuela ( CWOB 1 ) . Total 138 specimens .

Temporal occurrence. May to August, October [2 dates].

Plant associations. Chenopodiaceae : feeding on sugar beet (Bruner 1891; UNSM, USNM). Malvaceae : ‘‘bred in cotton boll’’ [ Gossypium sp. ], Peru (Townsend, cited by Pierce 1915; USNM); ‘‘on Cotton,’’ Colombia (J. Diaz,

observation). Portulacaceae : reared from roots and stem of Portulaca sp. (Mallia and Tuthill, observation; USNM, larval collection).

Note. Linogeraeus perscitus is widely distributed in North and South America but rather uncommon. In the United States, most specimens were collected in the Great Plains. The isolated records from the east coast ( Fig. 79 ) may indicate that L. perscitus has been at least partially dispersed by commerce. Several specimens in the USNM collection were found in association with cotton and it is conceivable that the weevil expanded its range with this or other crops. Linogeraeus perscitus seems to have been relatively common in the southern United States between 1895 and 1910.

Figures

Figs. 33–40. Linogeraeus species, dorsal and lateral aspects; scale bar 1 mm. 33, 34) L. capillatus, female; 35) L. capillatus, male; 36) L. urbanus, female; 37, 38) L. urbanus, male; 39, 40) L. perscitus, male.

Figs. 78–79. Map of United States (without northwestern part) and Central America showing distributions of L. hospes, L. laevirostris, L. perscitus, L. tonsilis, and L. squamirostris.