Compsoricus, Franz, 2012

Franz, Nico M., 2012, Phylogenetic reassessment of the Exophthalmus genus complex (Curculionidae: Entiminae: Eustylini, Geonemini), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 164 (3), pp. 510-557 : 550

COMPSORICUS GEN. NOV. ( FIGS 103, 104 )

Diagnosis: The habitus of Compsoricus superficially resembles that of certain South American species of Compsus and Exorides : e.g. of Compsus zebra Marshall, 1922 , as described in Marshall (1922a: 199–200), and Exorides wagneri , as redescribed in Franz (2010a). In particular, the integument is shiny black and the pronotum and elytra display a characteristic pattern of large and widely rounded, glabrous longitudinal elevations (character 39, state 1), which alternate with linear to zigzag stripes of variously greenish to yellowish to purple metallic scales [ Figs 103, 104 ; see also the original species descriptions by Wolcott, 1923 (1924): 125–126; and 1948 (1951): 389–390]. These traits alone distinguish this new genus from other Puerto Rican and Greater Antillean eustyline weevils, including Puerto Rican species presently (mis-)classified in Exophthalmus , such as Exophthalmus quinquedecimpunctatus and Exophthalmus roseipes . Moreover, and in spite of the presence of the striking yet presumably convergent pronotal and elytral elevations, Compsoricus differs from Compsus as well as other South American eustyline taxa by the combination of the following traits (see also above): labial prementum chordate (character 3, state 2); rostrum in lateral profile slightly arched and tumescent in mid region (character 9, state 1); epistoma of rostrum shallow, in lateral profile neither sharply angled nor abruptly descending (character 11, state 0; character 12, state 0); rostrum dorsally sparsely covered in scales, with a slight and widely rounded median elevation (character 16, state 1), not narrowly or widely depressed (character 19, state 0); occipital sutures of rostrum not extending to subapex (character 26, state 0); transition of rostrum to head in lateral profile abruptly angulate, marked by a circum-capital suture (character 31, state 1); head lacking an anteocular invagination (character 34, state 0); metatibial apex ‘ventrally’ glabrous, without appressed lamellate scales (character 59, state 0); elytra posteriorly not tuberculate (character 65, state 0), yet with long anteapical posterior projections (character 67, state 1); wings with denticles distributed in a linear field along the proximal margin of the anal region (character 84, state 1; character 85, state 2); aedeagus lacking complex, asymmetrical, anteriorly positioned sclerites (character 107, state 0), instead with a single, elongate, ampullate–tubular, centrally positioned endophallic sclerite (character 110, state 1; character 111, state 0; character 114, state 1); and collum and ramus of spermatheca separate, not forming a sharp narrow triangle (character 140, state 0). Molecular evidence (COI and EF1 -a) also supports the placement of Compsoricus among Caribbean eustylines such as the Puerto Rican ‘ Exphophthalmus ’ species (see comments above), and clearly separate from South American eustylines (Mazo).

Type species: Compsoricus maricao [ Wolcott, 1923 (1924): 125], comb. nov. (for Compsus maricao ), by present designation.

Additional species: Compsoricus luquillo [ Wolcott,

Figures

Figures 103 & 104. Compsoricus maricao (Wolcott), dorsal and lateral habitus.