Palmelampius O’Brien, 2000

O’Brien, Charles W. & Kovarik, Peter W., 2000, A New Genus And New Species Of Weevil Infesting Fruits Of The Palm Bactris Gasipaes H. B. K. (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 54 (4), pp. 459-465 : 459-461

Palmelampius O’Brien , new genus

( Figs. 1–8 )

Description. Rostrum long, arcuate, with weak but evident, transverse impression at base, base moderately swollen; cylindrical (male) to moderately flattened ventrally (female) beyond basal antennal insertion; scrobe ventrolateral, deeply grooved, dorsal margin directed to middle of eye; eye large, lateral, visible both dorsally and ventrally. Mandibles with straight inner margin, apex subacute, outer margin strongly curved with basal rounded process. Antennae with scape moderately strongly, asymmetrically clavate, short, not quite reaching eye; funicle long, antennomere 1 longer than scape, 2–4 elongate, 5 elongate in female, subequal in length and width in male, 7 slightly longer than wide in female, moderately transverse in male; club elongate­oval, moderately acute at apex, antennomere 1 less than one half length of club, all of club tomentose. Prothorax strongly transverse; apex weakly tubulate, not produced over head; base weakly bisinuate with strong well­developed projecting median lobe. Scutellum small, subquadrate, glabrous, flat. Elytra slightly wider than prothorax, strongly striate, near apex broadly subtruncate, weakly emarginate. Prosternum medially, longitudinally sulcate, near apex subquadrately deeply grooved with pair of deep foveae, sulcus posteriorly scarcely evident as widened impression to procoxae; procoxae well­separated, by distance ca. equal to diameter of one coxa, both sexes lacking prosternal process. Abdominal sterna 1 and 2 connate. Pygidium concealed. Legs with femora unarmed, internally flattened basally, not canaliculate; tibiae distinctly mucronate; tarsal claws divergent, simple.

Genitalia and associated structures. Median lobe short, broad, moderately curved in lateral view; margins sclerotized, broadly folded dorsally; apex broad and subtruncate with moderately broad, scarcely evident, rounded process; dor­ sal surface membranous, ventral surface transparent, but sclerotized; apodemes connected to median lobe by short, very thin, sclerotized, hyaline connection, ca. 2 3 as long as median lobe. Tegmen ( Fig. 8 ) forming complete fused ring with long ‘‘parameres’’; with long apodeme. Spiculum gastrale ( Fig. 7 ) short, stout, moderately curved and distinctly asymmetrically forked at apex.

Etymological Note. This masculine generic name is formed by combining the first part of the family name of the host plant, Palmae (Pal­) and the generic name of the weevil which is closely related to this new genus ( Melampius ).

Figures

Figs. 1–4. Photographs of: Palmelampius heinrichi O’Brien, n. gen., n. sp. 1, 3) habitus, dorsal and lateral respectively, line scale 5 1.00 mm; 2, 4) lateral view, head and thorax / and? respectively; line scale 5 0.50 mm.

Figs. 5–8. Palmelampius heinrichi O’Brien, n. gen., n. sp.; male genitalia. 5, 6) median lobe and apodemes, dorsal and lateral respectively; 7) spiculum gastrale; 8) tegmen; line scale 5 0.50 mm.