Irenimus crinitus Brown

Brown, Samuel D. J., 2017, A revision of the New Zealand weevil genus Irenimus Pascoe, 1876 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae), Zootaxa 4263 (1), pp. 1-42 : 14-15

2. Irenimus crinitus Brown , new species

Figures 3, 4 , 17, 18 , 35 , 38 , 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52 , 85

Diagnosis. Medium sized species, oval; grey to dark brown, variably patterned with darker scales. Scape without appressed scales. Elongate scales on the pronotum longer toward anterior margin. Lateral metaventrite with dense pappolepida. Elytra with inconspicuous swelling on interstriae 3. Males with ventrite 1 strongly depressed. Females with ventrites simple, ventrite 5 swollen medially.

Appressed scales with fine ridges, resulting in an overall appearance of a more glossy species than I. aniptus n. sp..

Description. Body length 3.20 mm to 4.10 mm (X = ̄ 3.70 mm, s = 0.30, n = 8). Integument black. Dorsum densely covered with appressed scales. Elytra with scales on disc variable in colour, predominant colour ranging from greyish yellow, through light yellowish brown to dark greyish brown; often with mottling of a darker or paler colour; usually with pale V on elytral declivity. Pronotum with similar colours to elytra, often with medial, pale macula. Femora unicolorous, same colour as lateral elytra. Tarsi integument strong red to brownish orange, metatarsi often darker. Rostrum. Length 0.68 mm to 0.86 mm (X = ̄ 0.78 mm, s = 0.06, n = 8), width 0.46 mm to 0.58 mm (X = ̄ 0.52 mm, s = 0.04, n = 8), length/width ratio 1.33 to 1.64 (X = ̄ 1.50, s = 0.09, n = 8). Epifrons with appressed scales tessellate; elongate scales setiform, erect, dark; medial and lateral carinae not evident. Dorsal carina not arched over antennal insertions. Lateral area ventrally of antennal insertions with fine setae, without appressed scales. Antennae. Scape when in repose reaching to middle of eye; covered with setae only. Funicular segments loosely articulated; segment 1 clavate, 1.7 times longer than segment 2. Segments 2 to 4 clavate, getting progressively shorter; segments 5 to 7 subspherical, subequal in length, gradually increasing in width. Head. Eyes ovate. Pronotum. Length 1.15 mm to 1.28 mm (X = ̄ 1.21 mm, s = 0.05, n = 6), width 1.44 mm to 1.92 mm (X = ̄ 1.62 mm, s = 0.18, n = 6), length/width ratio 0.91 to 1.07 (X = ̄ 1.00, s = 0.08, n = 6); widest in anterior 1/4, lateral margins evenly curved. Anterior margin entire, posterior margin evenly curved. Disc topography evenly convex; appressed scales tessellate; elongate scales setiform, erect, mixture of pale and dark, longer anteriorly. Postocular lobes poorly developed. Anterior transverse groove well developed to level with dorsal margin of eye ( Figure 35 ). Posterior transverse groove well-developed. Lateral posterior margin with obtuse inflection around 1/3 of way down ( Figure 35 ). Elytra. Length 2.24 mm to 2.91 mm (X = ̄ 2.47 mm, s = 0.23, n = 6), width 1.44 mm to 1.92 mm (X = ̄ 1.62 mm, s = 0.18, n = 6), length/width ratio 1.39 to 1.69 (X = ̄ 1.53, s = 0.10, n = 6). Anterior margin moderately to strongly curved posteriad, humeral angles narrowly rounded. Appressed scales overlapping. Elongate scales claviform, long, semi-erect, dark on disc, pale laterally and posteriorly. Striae moderately impressed; interstriae flat. Thoracic ventrites. Mesoventral process rounded in males, broadly rounded in females. Metaventrite densely covered with pappolepida ( Figure 38 ). Abdomen. Ventrites with inner vestiture composed almost exclusively of pappolepida, ventrites 1 and 2 moderately densely clothed, ventrites 3 to 5 increasingly sparse. Apex narrowly rounded. Males with ventrite 1 depressed medially, ventrite 5 shallowly concave. Females with ventrite 1 flat, ventrite 5 swollen medially. Legs. Males with profemora enlarged, relative to females. Metatibiae with corbel present, narrow, bare; ventral margin of apex shallowly emarginate. Male genitalia. Figures 47, 48 . Penis with apex narrowly rounded; dorsal plate not narrowed medially. Endophallus possessing four large, toothed sclerites close to ostium and six smaller teeth positioned distally, though still within penis when in repose; aggonoporial sclerite with long anterior lobes and long posterior lobes. Female genitalia. Figures 49–52 . Sternite 8 with blade elongate. Styli elongate. Vagina not sclerotised. Bursa copulatrix moderate, sclerites absent. Spermatheca thick. DNA Sequences: COI. KX 191242 , KX 191295 , KX 191296 . 28S. KX191804 , KX191865 , KX191866 . ArgK. KX191528 , KX191578 , KX191579 . CAD. KX 190997 , KX 191038 , KX 191039 .

Type material examined. Holotype. Male ( NZAC). Specimen mounted on card teardrop; abdomen removed, dissected and mounted in genitalia vial below specimen; left hind leg broken off at coxa, still with specimen; right tibia and tarsus missing. Labelled ‘ NEW ZEALAND SC / Belfield / Hakataramea Valley / 4 Nov 2012 / SDJ Brown’ [printed, off-white card], ‘ Blower vac sample from / road verge / 44.67452° S / 170.5663° E / SDJBcoll00111’ [printed, off-white card], ‘ Irenimus taxonomy / and systematics / SDJ Brown / PhD Thesis 2012– 2015 / IRE1748’ [printed, off-white card], ‘ HOLOTYPE / Irenimus / crinitus / Brown 2016’ [printed, red card]. Genomic DNA extract from enzyme digestion of abdomen: E065 ( NZAC) . CAD sequence KX 190997 ; COI sequence KX 191242 ; ArgK sequence KX191528 ; 28S sequence KX191804 .

Paratypes. A total of 34 specimens (10 males, 20 females, 4 of undetermined gender) designated as paratypes, bearing blue paratype label. Paratype specimens deposited in AMNZ, ANIC, BMNH, CMNZ, LUNZ, MONZ, NZAC, OMNZ, USNM.

SC: Belfield [-44.6745, 170.5663, R], 4 Nov 2012, Brown SDJ, Blower vac sample from road verge (AMNZ: 2, ANIC: 2, BMNH: 4, CMNZ: 2, LUNZ: 11, MONZ: 2, NZAC: 3, OMNZ: 2, USNM: 2); Timaru [-44.4001, 171.2551, A], 9 Sep 1969, Damaging asparagus (NZAC: 4).

Distribution. South Island:—/ SC /—( Figure 85 ).

SC: Hakataramea Valley; Timaru.

Elevational range. Label data: no elevation data recorded. Georeferenced data: 12 m to 253 m (X = ̄ 226 m, s = 78, n = 35).

Etymology. Derived from the Latin crinitus meaning ‘long-haired’, in reference to the long elongate scales at the anterior of the pronotum.

Biology. Most specimens were collected by vacuum sampling in agricultural areas. It has also been recorded as damaging asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.). Microctonus aethiopoides Loan ( Hymenoptera : Braconidae ) was reared from this species, with a parasitism rate of 45% (n = 20) ( Shields, 2013).

Figures

FIGURE 38. Metaventrite of Irenimus crinitus, left lateral view, showing pappolepida (white dart). Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 85. Distributions of Irenimus aniptus (circles), I. crinitus (squares), I. minimus (triangles) and I. stichus (stars).

FIGURES 1 – 8. Habitus photographs of Irenimus males. 1, 2: I. aniptus. 3, 4: I. crinitus. 5, 6: I. stichus, holotype. 7, 8: I. minimus. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 15 – 22. Habitus photographs of Irenimus females. 15, 16: I. aniptus. 17, 18: I. crinitus. 19, 20: I. stichus. 21, 22: I. minimus. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 35 – 36. Pronotum, left lateral view. 35, Irenimus crinitus; 36, Irenimus stichus. Abbreviations: atg—anterior transverse groove; ptg—posterior transverse groove; tooth—pronotal tooth.

FIGURES 47 – 52. Genitalia of Irenimus crinitus. 47, penis, dorsal view; 48, aedeagus, lateral view; 49, tergite 8, dorsal view; 50, ovipositor, dorsal view; 51, ovipositor and spermatheca, lateral view; 52, sternite 8, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.5 mm; 4 7, 48 at same scale; 49 – 52 at same scale.