Cnemidothrix protensus Fairmaire, 1879

Kuschel, Guillermo, 2008, Curculionoidea (weevils) of New Caledonia and Vanuatu: Basal families and some Curculionidae, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 197, pp. 99-250 : 164-165

Cnemidothrix protensus Fairmaire

Figs 61, 62

Cnemidothrix protensus Fairmaire, 1879: 3, 1881: 296 .

Cnemidothrix auberti Paulian, 1945: 183 , 184 n. syn.

Cnemidothrix centralis Paulian, 1945: 184 (in key, as ssp. of penicilliger ) n. syn.

Cnemidothrix pentecostae Paulian, 1945: 183 (in key, as ssp. of auberti ) n. syn.

Cnemidothrix santoi Paulian, 1945: 184 (in key, as ssp. of auberti ) n. syn.

DESCRIPTION. — Similar to C. penicilliger , dull and squamose but sides of elytra beyond middle lacking a tuft of long hairs, sides rather evenly rounded in northern populations, more often sublobate in southern populations. The aedeagus tends to converge more to a less broadly rounded tip.

Length: 6.5-8.0 mm.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Syntype specimens not present. Identified non-type specimens with BPBM, NHML, NZAC, SRFP .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — New Caledonia: Montagne des Sources , 25 km NNE of Nouméa. Vanuatu: Espíritu Santo , Pentecost, Ambrym, Efate. 330 specimens .

ETYMOLOGY. — The specific epithet ‘proténsus’ is Latin for extended, referring to the long legs that strech beyond

the elytra.

REMARKS. — Marshall (1956) expressed doubts that C. protensus Fairmaire (1881) described from ‘Îles Viti’ was a Fijian species. He saw the type and found it to fit better into the Vanuatuan fauna. There are specimens in the northern range of the complex in Vanuatu with rather inconspicuous and sparse granules on the elytra, and a prothorax with a distinct rim extending to the sides thereby the basal angles projecting a little, characters attributed to C. protensus by Marshall. It is virtually certain that the original specimen of C. protensus came not from Fiji but from Vanuatu, and that Espíritu Santo was most likely the provenance.