Panscopus (Nocheles) bufo Buchanan, 1927

Spanton, Timothy G. & Anderson, Robert S., 2016, A Taxonomic Revision of Weevils of the Genus Panscopus Schönherr (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae: Tropiphorini), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 15) 70, pp. 1-86 : 51-53

Panscopus (Nocheles) bufo Buchanan, 1927

( Figs. 20 , 46 , 69 , Map 21 )

Panscopus (Nomidus) bufo Buchanan 1927: 31 . Schenkling and Marshall 1931: 41; Buchanan 1936: 15; Blackwelder 1939: 66.

Panscopus bufo ; O’ Brien and Wibmer 1982: 63.

Type Material. Holotype female ( USNM No. 28916): “ Round Valley , Inyo Co., California 10,000 ft. ex stomach Bufo halophilus, U.S. Biol. Survey No. 711.”

Specific Epithet. “ Bufo ” is both the Latin noun for toad and the scientific name of a genus of toads. The holotype specimen of P. bufo was collected from the stomach of Bufo boreus halophilus Baird and Girard. The specific epithet is a noun in apposition, indicating from whence came the weevil holotype.

Diagnosis. Weevils of this species are recognized by the ventral curve of tibia 3, with darkcolored spines on the lower edge in the apical third; elytral intervals subequally convex, the alternate intervals only slightly elevated near base of elytra, the even intervals with row of setae their entire length; and elytral setae flat, blunt, and decumbent.

Redescription. Females: Length 5.7–7.0 mm (n = 12); width across elytra 2.5–3.0 mm (n = 12). Males: Length 6.1–6.8 mm (n = 7); width across elytra 2.1–2.5 mm (n = 7). Color: Grey-brown, with irregular patches of lighter, cream-colored scales on elytra and laterally on pronotum. Head: Transverse impression at base of frons slight, rostrum and frons nearly continuous in lateral view; rostrum unicarinate, median longitudinal sulcus hardly visible among scales; nasal plate indistinct, nasal carina evident, U-shaped; vestiture of rostrum and frons of dense, overlapping scales and scattered, broad, scale-like, decumbent setae, group of 7 or 8 setae present supraorbitally. Antennae: Scape relatively short, extending only to anterior margin of eye; vestiture of densely distributed overlapping scales and scattered setae; integument obscured over most ofs length; antennomeres 2–8 with primary setae and dense vestiture of appressed, small, fine setae; integument visible among setae. Pronotum: Approximately 1/6 wider than long in females, slightly narrower in males; median longitudinal sulcus in females thin and deeper anteriorly; sulcus reduced or nearly absent in males; dorsal surface finely rugose-tuberculate; vestiture of dense scales and scattered setae. Elytra: Combined width approximately 50% wider than pronotum, approximately 78% length in females; combined width approximately 40% wider than pronotum, 68% length of elytra, apparently narrower and more parallel-sided in males; intervals subequally convex, alternates slightly elevated near base and along sutural interval in females; alternate intervals slightly elevated in males; all intervals with decumbent, flattened setae along length; serial punctures each with round to oval scale larger than surrounding scales; elsewhere, vestiture of dense, overlapping scales. Legs: Tibiae 1 and 2 with stout spines on ventral margin in apical half; tibia 3 distinctly curved, corbellar area closed. Abdomen: Ventrite 1 concave at middle in males, slightly convex in females. Genitalia: Females ( Figs. 20 , 46 ): Sternum VIII with apical expansion rounded at apex, approximately 1/3 length of sternum; vagina membranous, pair of curved sclerites anteriorly near confluence of common oviduct.; spermatheca small, thickened. Males ( Fig. 69 ): Aedeagus slightly decurved in lateral view; angular medially at apex in dorsal or ventral views; manubrium of tegmen approximately 1/4 longer than median lobe; median struts approximately 1/2 longer than median lobe; internal sac membranous, with broadly rounded, horseshoe-shaped sclerite and small v-shaped sclerite, both located anteriorly in inverted sac.

Life History. Most adults examined were collected during June and July. One specimen was collected in late May and one in late August.

Plant Associations. TGS collected 121 specimens of this species from Symphoricarpos sp. (possibly S. vaccinioides Rydb. ) and Artemisia sp. (Asteraceae) near Sonora Pass, Mono Co., California. These were two of only three species of understory shrubs present in the single species pine ( P. contorta ) forest. Specimens of P. bufo were not found on the third type of shrub, Ribes sp. At other localities, TGS collected one specimen from each of Ribes nevadaense Kellogg and Prunus emarginata (Douglas) Eaton and saw one other plant record, Castanopsis (D. Don) Spach (Fagaceae) , from the label of a borrowed specimen.

Geographical Distribution. Weevils of this species live in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of east-central California and in northern California ( Map 21 ). In the Sierra Nevada, they range from elevations of 2,140 to 2,650 m .

Chorological Affinities. The range of this species is overlapped by the ranges of P. aequalis and closely related species.

Material Examined. In addition to the type material indicated above, approximately 200 specimens were examined. USA: California: El Dorado Co., Van Dyke collection (1, CASC). Fresno Co.: Huntington Lake, 23, 25 & 31.VII.1940, A.T. McClay (3, UCDC); Huntington Lake, 2140 m, 7& 18.VII.1919, E.P. Van Duzee (2, CASC); Kaiser Pass, 20.VII.1937 (1, USNM). Madera Co., Cold Spring Meadow, 24 km N.E. The Pines. 2190 m, 27.VII.1934, F.E. Blaisdell (1, CASC). Mariposa Co., 3.VI.1914, F.W. Nunenmacher (14, FMNH); Aspen Valley, Yosemite, Jun 15, G.C. Champion (3, BMNH); Glacier Pt. 2200 m, 13.VI.1931 (1, CWOB; 2, UCDC); Yosemite Valley, 5.VI.1921, 25.VI.1921, 7.VII.1921, 8.VII.1921, Van Dyke collection (10, CASC). Mono Co, Sonora Pass, 5 km E of Summit 2650 m, 16-25.VI.1986, T.G. Spanton & B.V. Brown, F.I.T. lodgepole pine forest (24, CMNC); Sonora Pass, 5 km E of Summit 2650 m, 23& 24-June-1986, T.G. Spanton, ex.: Symphoricarpos sp. (probably S. vaccinioides ), night, 5°C (69, CMNC); Sonora Pass, 5 km E of Summit 2650 m, 23& 24. VI.1986, T.G. Spanton, ex. Artemisia sp. (54, CMNC); White Mountains, 10,000 ft., 23.VI.1961, D.R. Miller (1, UCDC). Nevada Co., Cisco, 13.VI.1939, M.A. Cazier, G.E. Bohart (106, AMNH); Nevada City, 27.V.1941, A.T. McClay (1, UCDC). Plumas Co., Chester, 13.VI.1963, D.J. & J.N. Knull (2, OSUC). Siskiyou Co., Mt. Shasta, 1.VII.1940, 30.VI.1940,

30.VI.1941, A.T. McClay (3, UCDC). Sierra Co., Sierra City, 16.VI.1940, M.Cazier & T. Aitken (4, AMNH). Tuolumne Co., Lyons Dam, 5.VI.1932, E.C. Zimmerman, Ceanothus (1, USNM); Sonora Pass, 5.6 km W of Summit, 16-22.VI. 1986, T.G. Spanton, F.I.T., Aspen Grove (1, CMNC); Strawberry, 20.VI.1951, A.T. McClay (1, UCDC); 8 mi N.E. Twain Hart, 15-26.VI. 1986, T.G. Spanton & B.V. Brown, F.I.T. (3, CMNC); County unknown: Lake Tahoe, 20.VIII.1936, B.E. White (1, USNM).

Figures

Map 21. Geographical distribution of Panscopus bufo.

Figs. 17–26. Panscopus species, sternum 8 (spiculum ventrale), ventral (a) and left lateral (b) views. 17) P. torpidus; 18) P. ovalis; 19) P. tricarinatus; 20) P. bufo; 21) P. schwarzi; 22) P. coloradensis; 23) P. aequalis; 24) P. squamifrons; 25) P. abruptus; 26) P. rugicollis. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Figs. 41–46. Panscopus species, coxites and vagina, dorsal (a), ventral (b), and left lateral (c) views. 41) P. bakeri;

Figs. 68–70. Panscopus species, aedeagus, dorsal (a), ventral (b), and left lateral (c) views. 68) P. tricarinatus; 69) P. bufo; 70) P. schwarzi. b = belt of tegmen; is = internal sac; mb = manubrium of tegmen; ml = median lobe; ms = median strut; t = tegmen. Scale bar = 1 mm.