Laemosaccus vaurieae Hespenheide, 2019

Hespenheide, Henry A., 2019, A Review of the Genus Laemosaccus Schönherr, 1826 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Mesoptiliinae) from Baja California and America North of Mexico: Diversity and Mimicry, The Coleopterists Bulletin 73 (4), pp. 905-939 : 931

Laemosaccus vaurieae Hespenheide , new species

Zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:21BD3B2B-555D-4F41-A6B0-2ECB0F1EF237 ( Figs. 16 , 27 )

Description: Holotype Male. Length 5.15 mm, width 2.25 mm ( Fig. 16 ). Robust, subcylindrical from above and in cross section, broadly rounded behind, more narrowly so in front, black except each elytron with large, oval, red-orange spot half elytral length from posterior edge of humerus and just above lateral margins to elytral interval 3; pronotum and elytra glabrous, except for pronotal collar, thorax and abdomen ventrally with punctures each with a silvery seta, setae nearly obscuring surface, head with inconspicuous setae on sides of rostrum between eyes and antennal insertions and behind eyes, setae sparser on metafemora, more slender and erect on basal half of femora, tibiae and profemora inconspicuously setose, setae dense, hair-like, and erect on tergite 8; tergite 7 with small, scale-like setae on basal margin, otherwise appressed and hairlike. Head hemispherical, 1.20 mm wide, rostrum rounded-terete, finely punctate 0.90 mm long, antennae inserted at middle. Pronotum globose, relatively flattened in cross section and in lateral view, moderately rounded at lateral and anterior margins, conspicuously constricted before anterior margin, 1.70 mm long, 1.95 mm wide, broadest just before middle, with lateral margins more strongly rounded in front than behind, finely, evenly punctate, punctures rounded longitudinally, confluent on apical half, with indistinct medial carina on basal third. Elytra slightly wider than pronotum at base, 3.30 mm long, 2.25 mm maximum width near apical 3/4, elytral striae much narrower than intervals, striae finely punctate, intervals rounded-angulate, interval 3 strongly toothed on middle third, interval 5 strongly toothed on apical half. Abdominal ventrite 1 slightly concave along midline, with dense, short, semi-erect setae. Profemora with strong, nearly perpendicular, acute ventral tooth beyond middle; meso- and metafemora each with small tooth. Genitalia as in Fig. 27 ; aedeagus 1.60 mm long.

Allotype Female. As male but 4.95 mm long, 2.10 mm wide, rostrum subcylindrical, shiny, finely punctate, 1.4 mm long; pygidium weakly convex, coarsely punctate, setae inconspicuous, hair-like and appressed on tergite 7, semi-erect and denser only at apex.

Specimens Examined. Holotype: Arizona: Cochise Co., Pinery Cyn., Chiricahua Mts., below Onion Saddle , 7200’, 31°56’N 109°16’W, 25.06.1999, H. A. Hespenheide, on leaves of Quercus gambelli Nutt. (USNM) . Allotype: Arizona: Cochise Co., Chiricahua Mountains, Onion Saddle , 7600’, 31°56’N 109°16’W, 22.07.1981, H. A. Hespenheide, Quercus (USNM) . Paratypes: USA: Arizona: Cochise Co., Chiricahua M., 15.06.1939, D. J. & J. N. Knull (1, OSU) ; Chiricahua Mts. , 6000’, 29.06.1958, C. W. O’ Brien (3, ASUHIC) ; Chiricahua Mts., Salsbury Trail , 6.06.1978 (1, SWRS) ; Chiricahua Mts., Price Cyn. , 11.07.1968, V. D. Roth (1, SWRS) ; same data as Holotype (5, BMNH, CHAH) ; Chiricahua Mtns., Rustler Park , 27.07.1987, W. F. Barr, beating Quercus (1, WFBM) , Rustler’ s Park , 27.07.1987, G. H. Nelson, on Pinus chihuahuana (1, ASUHIC) ; Chiricahua Mts., Pinery Canyon , 24.07.1999, F. W. Skillman Jr. (3, ASUHIC) ; [Coconino Co.], Williams , “19.9,” Barber & Schwarz (1, USNM) ; [Gila Co.?], Base Pinal Mts. , 4000’, 07, D. K. Duncan, Parker (1, CASC) ; Graham Co., Graham Mts. , 8000’, 1.08.1957, C. W. O’ Brien (1, ASUHIC) ; [Maricopa Co.], Phoenix, C. Palm (1, AMNH) ; Yavapai Co., Mingus Mt. , 28.06.1966, R. L. Westcott (1, WFBM) ; 6 mi S Prescott , 29.06.1964, G. H. Nelson (6, FSCA) . New Mexico: Grant Co., Mimbres Mts., Gila Natl. For. , 1.06.1971, R. W. Hamilton, T. J. Pilat & D. J. Witt (1, CHAH) ; [Grant/ Sierra Co.], nr. Kingston, Mimbres Mts. , Emory Pass , 8,178 ft, 19.06.1948, H. S. Barber (1, USNM) .

Hosts. Adults have been collecteld on Q. gambelli and undetermined oaks, and on Pinus chihuahuana Engelm. (= Pinus leiophylla Scheide & Dieppe var. chihuahuana (Engelm.) E. Murray ( Pinaceae ).

Etymology. This species is named in honor of the late Patricia Vaurie of the American Museum of Natural History, a Coleopterist who included weevils among her studies (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Patricia_Vaurie).

Discussion. With L. howdenae , L. vaurieae is one of the largest species in the L. nephele group. Males vary in length from 3.90 to 5.20 mm (mean = 4.58 mm, n = 14); females vary from 4.35 to 6.15 mm (mean = 4.98 mm, n = 15). The rostrum of both sexes is unusually long for the genus, those of females being about one-fifth longer than that of males. Unlike L. howdenae , L. vaurieae is glabrous dorsally, has strong teeth on elytral intervals 3 and 5, and males have unusually robust genitalia.

Figures

Figs. 13–18. Laemosaccus species, dorsal habitus. 13) L. clytrinoides; 14) L. howdenae; 15) L. rileyi; 16) L. vaurieae; 17) L. westcotti; 18) L. texanus.

Figs. 25–30. Laemosaccus species. Dorsal and lateral views of aedeagus and paramere: 25) L. browerorum; 26) L. rileyi; 27) L. vaurieae; 28) L. westcotti; 29) L. peninsularis; 30) L. texanus, dorsal and lateral views of aedeagus only. 31) L. peninsularis, dorsal habitus.