Hellerenius lobifer Wanat

Wanat, Marek, 2013, The Apionidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) of New Caledonia. Genera Archellerenius gen. nov. and Hellerenius Wanat, Zootaxa 3717 (4), pp. 515-542 : 525-528

Hellerenius lobifer Wanat

( Figs 38–45 , 47–57 )

Hellerenius lobifer Wanat, 2001: 139 .

Redescription. Body length 4.0– 4.6 mm. Elytra weakly bluish, completely matt.

Rostrum as in Figs 51–53 , glabrous, impunctate, finely microreticulate, at base irregularly crenulate (more distinctly in male); venter of prorostrum polished, with traces of ventral sulci in apical third. Head: frons often with indistinct median pit; vertex weakly convex and finely punctate in front; temples evidently shorter than eye; head underside shagreened, posteriorly with coarse wrinkles and usually with small median tubercle. Antennae ( Fig. 50 ): length/width ratios: scape ca. 10.0, funicular segments: 1st 2.6–3.0, 2nd 3.4–4.3, 7th 1.2–1.5, club 4.0–4.2; scape as long as 5–6 basal funicular segments combined; club ca. 0.75 scape length. Pronotum: front margin partly with more or less distinct short, oblique scratches; disc densely microreticulate, with microscopic punctulation and subapical constriction traced across; subbasal line often retained; posterior lateral groove shallow; behind procoxae sternellum and hypomeron even. Elytra with narrowly extended caudal part—especially in male, in profile somewhat conical ( Figs 47, 48 ); intervals with dense scale-like microsculpture and irregular transverse grooves; mid portions of striae progressively broader outwards; sensory setae 3–4 ordered along 9th stria and 1 closer to junction of striae 3+6. Wing: radial window obsolescent; anal 1A as two rudiments; 3A distinct, with expanded apical melanisation, forming nearly complete anal cell with 2A. Metaventrite only 1.1× longer than large and prominent mesocoxae. Legs robust; coxae and trochanters with sparse, minute, erect setae, in male present also on base of femur; metafemur exceeding elytra by ca. 0.33 length; tibiae straight, with apical tuft extended along distal third of inner margin; protarsus 2.7–2.9×, its 1st segment 2.3–2.6× as long as wide, 2nd tarsomere slightly transverse ( Fig. 49 ).

Male. Rostrum bare ventrally. Antennal insertion 0.37–0.39. Legs unmodified. Metaventrite with round median depression bearing small tubercle on posterior margin. Last abdominal ventrite with pair of highly elevated, protrudingly setose lateral lobes bordering polished and finely punctured median concavity. Pygidium apical third exposed, separated by shallow but complete transverse sulcus; marginal rim obsolete; tongue-like process broadly rounded. Sternite VIII evenly sclerotised, lobes long, triangular. Sternite IX with narrow and short basal fork; apodeme with minute tooth close to fork ( Fig. 38 ). Tegminal plate ( Figs 41, 42 ) twice as long as broad, subarticulated, with lobes only narrowly separated; membranous lobes very short; suprafenestral sclerites narrowing distad, about twice as long as fenestrae; macrochaetae 12–15, varying in length but never longer than fenestrae, spread through apical half of each suprafenestral sclerite; sensilla numerous; fenestrae elongate, clearly margined; postfenestral plate largely reduced; prostegium long, uniform, shallowly incised at sides. Penis: apodemes and pedon equally long; pedon parallel sided, slightly constricted subapically, subtruncate and weakly downcurved at apex ( Fig.39 ); tectum membranous, shortened; terminal membranous process of endophallus small ( Fig.40 ), suborificial region armed with minute, isodiametric sclerotized plates.

Female. Prorostrum narrowest at apex; underside of mesorostrum polished and impunctate. Antennal insertion 0.30–0.36, segments of funicle usually more elongate. Last abdominal ventrite triangular, ca. 1.6× as wide as long, elevating apicad, with large median depression and distinct, polished apical flange formed of narrow posterior extensions of laterosternites ( Figs 54–56 ). Tergite VII campaniform in outline ( Fig. 44 ). Terminalia as in Fig. 45 ; tergite VIII slightly elongate, without evident submedian constriction, with short marginal setae; sternite VIII ca. 2.4× longer than coxite, curved and with elongate apical plate; ovipositor parallelsided; foretube (genital sheath) densely clothed with microtrichia simple or arranged in combs, in part covering gonocoxites replaced with simple triangular plates; spermatheca rather reverse L-shaped ( Fig. 43 ); openings of duct and gland well separated, not on projections.

For more detailed morphological description consult Wanat (2001). Morphological indices in Tab. 1.

Biology. Specimens were observed while piercing ripened fruit of Hedycarya sp. for feeding (Wanat & Munzinger, 2012).

Material examined. Province Nord: Thoven, 20.47S / 164.53E [-20.7833/164.8833], 450 m, 5 II 2004, from Hedycarya sp., 2 ♀, leg. MW (MW).

Province Sud: Mt Mou [-22.06/166.35], 7-12 I 2005, 1 ♂ 1 ♀, leg. A. Kudrna jr. (MW). Farino/Barbou L. [- 21.61197/165.70272, 364 m, site 13], 20 I 2005, 2 ♂, leg. C. Mille (IACP). Col d’Amieu (6.5–7.0 km from gate), - 21.5868/165.7738, 450 m, malaise trap, 24 VIII –26 X 2007, 1 ♂, 16 V –27 VII 2008, 1 ♀, 20 VI –19 IX 2008, 1 ♂ - leg. C. Mille & S. Cazeres (IACP). Sarramea, 27 XII 2006 – 10 I 2007, 2 ♂ 2 ♀, leg. I. Jeniš (CG).

Remaining material listed in Wanat (2001). Total distribution in Fig. 57.

Comments. Hellerenius lobifer turns out to be a much less common species in New Caledonia than the two other species described below, namely H. plumipes sp. nov. and H. tibialis sp. nov. It also seems to express different phenology being mostly collected between January and October, while both H. plumipes and H. tibialis were predominantly found in November–February.

Figures

FIGURES 33 – 45. Archellerenius giustoi, male (33 – 37), Hellerenius lobifer, male (38 – 42) and female (43 – 45): 33) penis with apodemes, lateral view; 34, 39) penis, dorsal view; 35, 38) sternites VIII and IX; 36, 41) tegminal plate and basal piece, lateral view; 37, 42) tegminal plate, dorsal view; 43) spermatheca; 44) tergite VII; 45) complete terminalia. Abbreviations: b, bursa; d, spermathecal duct; ed, ejaculatory duct; gl, spermathecal gland; r, rectum; s, spermatheca.

FIGURES 47 – 56. Hellerenius lobifer, male (49, 51), female (47, 48, 50, 52 – 56): 47) pronotum and elytra, lateral view; 48) elytra, dorsal view; 49) protarsus; 50) antenna; 51) head with rostrum and pronotum, dorsal view; 52) head with rostrum, dorsal view; 44) rostrum base, lateral view; 54) apical flange of 5 th abdominal ventrite and corresponding tergite VII (t), posterolateral view; 55, 56) abdomen in ventral (55) and lateral (56) view.