Trigonopterus aequalis (Pascoe)

Riedel, Alexander & Taenzler, Rene, 2016, Revision of the Australian species of the weevil genus Trigonopterus Fauvel, ZooKeys 556, pp. 97-162 : 99-100

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Curculionidae

1. Trigonopterus aequalis (Pascoe)

Idotasia aequalis Pascoe, 1872: 100.

Trigonopterus aequalis (Pascoe): Pullen et al. 2014: 271.

Diagnostic description.

Lectotype (Fig. 1a). Length 3.50 mm. Color black, legs tending to deep ferruginous. Body subovate, almost without constriction between pronotum and elytron; in profile evenly convex. Rostrum with median ridge and pair of submedian ridges; intervening furrows with rows of silvery scales; apical 1/3 rugose-punctate. Eyes with dorsal margin weakly carinate, bordered by furrow. Forehead coarsely punctate. Pronotum with disk punctate; sides foveate; interspaces microreticulate; base medially hardly extended towards elytral suture. Elytra with striae marked by distinct rows of minute punctures, interspaces weakly microreticulate; along base and humeri with row of large punctures; apex densely punctate. Legs. Femora microreticulate, punctate. Metafemur dorsally with elongate patch of dense white scales; posterior surface with ventral edge rimmed by costa and row of scales, with longitudinal furrow containing row of scales parallel to indistinct dorsoposterior edge. Mesotibia apically with uncus and larger premucro approximate at base but not fused, widely diverging. Metatibia apically with uncus and small angular premucro. Abdominal ventrite 2 swollen, with posterior edge projecting, medially forming common cavity with ventrite 1; ventrite 5 dull, microreticulate, punctate, almost flat, with weak impression. Penis (Fig. 1b) with sides of body subparallel; apex with median triangular extension somewhat confluent with outline of apex; transfer apparatus short, dentiform, bordered by indistinct sclerites; ductus ejaculatorius without bulbus.

Material examined.

Type specimens. Male, lectotype by present designation (Fig. 1) (BMNH): Queensland, Cape York? (labels Fig. 1d), ARC4079 (PCR failed). Other specimens (ANIC): 1 ex, Warrah [S Tamworth, leg. W.W. Froggatt].

Distribution.

New South Wales: Tamworth.

Notes.

Pascoe (1872) did not designate a holotype nor specify the number of specimens examined but gave two localities, "Cape York" and “Rockhampton”. Only the syntype from the first locality could be located in the BMNH. Presumably the missing syntype from Rockhampton represents a different species. A lectotype is designated here to achieve stability of nomenclature.

The question mark behind the name of the type locality ("Cape York?") suggests that there was doubt about its validity already in Pascoe’s times. This is supported by the fact that we could only examine one additional specimen, identified by Lea, from the village of Warrah, south of Tamworth in New South Wales. Additional field work should verify the occurrence of the species in this area.