Geochus similis, Broun, 1893, 1221

Leschen, Richard A. B., Davis, Steven, Brown, Samuel D. J., Brav-Cubitt, Talia & Buckley, Thomas R., 2022, The Enigmatic Dead-Leaf Miner Geochus Broun (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): Phylogenetic Placement, a New Species, and Lectotype Designations, The Coleopterists Bulletin 76 (1), pp. 1-35 : 30

GeOchUs similis Broun, 1893 ( Figs. 15 , 17 )

Geochus similis Broun 1893b: 1221 . Type locality: Tairua.

Type Depository. BMNH : LT, 2 PLT.

Distribution. New Zealand (CL).

Remarks. Broun stated that he had based his description on three specimens, all of which we located in the Broun collection (BMNH). We designate one specimen as the lectotype to stabilize the epithet, with the remaining two becoming paralectotypes.

This species forms a species group with G. convexus and G. setiger . These species are united by having a nearly impunctate pronotum, non-angulate meso- and metatibiae, rounded elytra in dorsal view, the width of the strial punctures being smaller than the width of the interstriae, and having nearly flat elytral interstriae.

Type Material Examined. Lectotype, here designated ( BMNH): card-mounted, “2151. [in Broun’s hand]// New Zealand. [red underline] Broun Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922-482.//Tairua// Geochus similis [in Broun’s hand]” . Paralectotypes: 2 ( BMNH), same but lacking the identification labels .

Figures

Fig. 15. Elytral outlines for representatives of each of the Geochus species groups.

Fig. 17. Dorsal habitus photographs of representatives of the type series or holotypes of Geochus arranged into informal groups.