Rhoptobaris cylindrifera ( Casey, 1892 ) Prena, Jens, 2012

Prena, Jens, 2012, A Review of RhoptobarisLeConte (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Baridinae) from North and Central America, The Coleopterists Bulletin 66 (3), pp. 233-244 : 240

Rhoptobaris cylindrifera ( Casey, 1892) , new combination

( Figs. 3, 4 )

Orthoris cylindrifera Casey 1892: 571 . Lectotype: female, designated here, labeled “Ari.”, “ ♂ ” [error], “Casey/ bequest/ 1925”, “TYPE USNM/ 37808 ”, Casey’ s hand “cylindrifera [sic!]/ Csy.” (USNM). Paralectotype: 1, female, Arizona, labeled as paratype by Buchanan (USNM).

Diagnosis. Rhoptobaris cylindrifera is very similar to R. scolopax , which also has a strongly tumescent prosternum in front of the coxae and a conspicuously elongate female pygidium. The main difference lies in the more elongate antennal club of R. cylindrifera and its convex elytral striae with a single row of setae set on subtle tubercles.

Redescription. As in the generic description above, with the following specific character states: Rostrum slightly curved, basally humped, 1.19– 1.26X (female) longer than pronotum, ventrally without erect setae except near apex; antennal club 1.2X (female) longer than funicle; pronotum and elytra shiny with inconspicuous microsculpture, elytral interstriae increasingly convex toward apex, with 1 row of brown to dingy white, decumbent setae set on subtle tubercles; prosternum noticeably tumescent in front of coxae and medially depressed in between; tibia with more or less appressed setae, ventrodistal spine small and barely projecting beyond distal setae; sclerolepidia slightly projecting, not peg-like; female with pygidium (tergite VII) longer than wide; total body length 3.2– 3.4 mm, width 1.3–1.5 mm.

Distribution. This species was described from Arizona without precise locality data and has been collected in Honduras. The occurrence of this species in the United States requires confirmation. The records from Texas ( Pierce 1907b, c) and Mexico ( Champion 1909) are based upon misidentifications of R. piercei .

Biology. Unknown.

Material Examined. USA: Arizona, lectotype and paralectotype ( USNM 2 ) . HONDURAS: Comayagua ( USNM 1 ). Total 3 specimens. [A morphologically slightly deviating male specimen collected by R. Turnbow in Chiapas ( CWOB) may belong to R. cylindrifera , but is not included in the above description.]

Note. The specific epithet has been treated in the literature either as a noun or as an adjective. Casey (1892) apparently considered Orthoris in the original description as being masculine, which allows both interpretations. However, he labeled the first of the two syntypes as “cylindrifera”, possibly later in connection with his 1920 revision, where he considered Orthoris as being feminine and the epithet as adjectival. I noticed that Casey repeatedly removed and replaced existing labels in his collection and, in this particularly case, he also marked one syntype as male, an error evidently introduced subsequent to the publication of the description, where he had considered it as a female. Casey’ s actions suggest that he meant to use the epithet as an adjective, so the change to “cylindrifera” in Casey (1920) is a mandatory change rather than an emendation or incorrect subsequent spelling.

Figures

Figs. 1–4. Dorsal and lateral views of female Rhoptobaris species. 1, 2) R. scolopax, Green Valley, Arizona;