Metapocyrtus (Orthocyrtus) ginalopezae, Cabras & Medina, 2019

Cabras, Analyn Anzano & Medina, Milton Norman, 2019, Metapocyrtus ginalopezae sp. n., a new Orthocyrtus from Davao de Oro, Mindanao Island, Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 19 (2), pp. 205-211 : 206-209

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.12520989
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/494287A6-FFE4-0459-4D52-FE9450C7D77E
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Metapocyrtus (Orthocyrtus) ginalopezae
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Metapocyrtus (Orthocyrtus) ginalopezae sp.n.

( Fig. 1 View Fig A-D)

Holotype ( Fig. 1 A, C View Fig ), male: Philippines- Mindanao/ Davao de Oro /Maragusan / September 2019 /coll. K. Jumawan (typed on red card). Presently in CRC, it will be deposited in National Museum of Natural History ( NMNH) under National Museum of the Philippine ( NMP).

Paratypes (1 males, 5 females): 5 females, Philippines - Mindanao / Davao de Oro / Maragusan / September 2019 /coll. K. Jumawan ; 1 male - Mindanao / Davao de Oro / Maragusan / October 2019 /coll. N.Morales

Diagnosis. Metapocyrtus (Orthocyrtus) ginalopezae sp.n. belongs to the subgenus Orthocyrtus and superficially resembles the general shape of Metapocyrtus Orthocyrtus mansaka but differs for its unique elytral ornamentation, less pronounced medial groove and absence of scales on basal half of rostrum and shape of the aedeagus.

Description. Male. Dimensions: LB: 10.5-11.7 (holotype 10.5 mm). LR: 1.5-1.7 (1.5 mm). WR: 1.7-1.8 (1.7 mm). LP: 3.3-3.6 (3. 3mm). WP: 4.0-4.2 (4.0 mm). LE: 6.4-6.6 (6.4). WE: 5.5-5.7(5.5). N=4. Body shiny black; pronotum, head and legs black with weak lustrous of sparse peach and turquoise scales; body surface with weak lustrous with peach and turquoise. Eyes, antennae and tarsomeres black.

Head with the following markings: a) dense elongated light peach and turquoise stripes under eye on each lateral side of rostrum, and b) sparse scales of light peach and turquoise on front, extended to basal half of rostrum. Rostrum rugose, longer than wide with minute light hairs in the dorsal surface and long white to yellowish hair in the lateroventral part, and towards the apex; dorso-apically slightly convex; prominent transverse basal groove, and less pronounced longitudinal median groove forming a cross shape. Front semi-rugose covered with sparse peach scales. Eyes and weakly convex. Antennal scape as long as the funicle plus club, with flattened hair. Funicular segments I and II almost of the same length, 3 times longer than wide; segments III - VII as long as wide; club subellipsoidal, nearly 3 times longer than wide.

Pronotum subglobular, widest at middle, weakly convex, glabrous, with very minute and sparse punctures and hairs and with short medial groove; with thin bands of peach to turquoise scales at the anterior and posterior margin; thin transverse band in the middle of pronotum reaching towards lateral margin.

Elytra with regular weakly striate-punctate intervals with sparse scales, moderately convex, with few short apical hairs. Each elytron with the following markings: 1) thin band of peach and turquoise stripe behind the base 2) median stripe extending from interval I to lateral margin; 3) triangular marking on apical third to apex of elytra confluent with the median thin band through a stripe on lateral margin. Underside weakly lustrous with pale peach and turquoise scales on the basal margin of the pronotum and latero-ventral side of ventrites 1 and 2.

Legs wide with strongly clavate femora. Tibiae serrate along internal edge. Middle and hind femora covered with hairs along posterior margins. Each tibia fringed with pubescence along internal margin, sparsely mixed with short hairs. Apical part of femora with dense metallic yellow and red scales and short setae. Tibiae with sparse scales and short setae, with minute teeth and long hair in the inner edge.

Tarsomeres covered by sparse pubescence.

Male genitalia as shown in Figure 2 View Fig A-C.

Female. Dimensions: LB: 12.1-12.5mm (12.1): LR: 1.5.1.7mm (1.5): WR: 1.9-2.0 (1.9). LP: 3.5-3.6 (3.5).

WP:4.0-4.1 (4.0). LE: 9.1-9.3 (9.1). WE: 6.2-6.5 (6.2). N=5.

Habitus as shown in Figure 1 View Fig B-D

Elytra wider and longer than the male. Shape of the elytra imperfectly obovate if compared to the male, largest before middle as compared to male. Pronotum slightly shorter than in the male, not perfectly subglobular. Otherwise mentioned, similar to male.

Female genitalia as shown in Figure 2 View Fig D-F

Etymology. The new species is named after the former DENR secretary Ms. Gina Lopez who was an environmental champion in the Philippines. She dedicated her life fighting for conservation in the Philippines and working with indigenous tribes and local communities to promote environmental sustainability.

Distribution. Metapocyrtus (Orthocyrtus) ginalopezae sp.n. is known so far from Maragusan, Davao de Oro.

Brief Ecological Note. The new species was collected on the shrubs Solanum sp. 200 m away from the stream in Barangay Langgawisan, Maragusan, Davao de Oro. The area is relatively open and next to a small rural road. Additional materials were also collected in Solanum sp. along the roads 50 m away from the stream of Barangay New Albay, Maragusan. The leaves of the Solanum sp. where it was collected was filled with holes which could be obtained from the insects feeding on it including the new species. However, like most habitats, it is also threatened with several anthropogenic activities which include illegal logging, and slash and burn farming. On the other side of the stream, several hectares of land was recently burned to give way to a corn farm. Conversion of habitats is still one of the main reasons for insect loss especially for weevils with narrow geographic range, food plant, and habitat preference. A similar case was observed for the recently described Metapocyrtus willietorresi sp.n. ( Cabras & Medina, 2018) in Mt. Apo Natural Park in Davao del Sur. The continuous conversion of forest to farmland may cause this species to totally disappear in the wild.