The Genus Lepilius Champion (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae: Conotrachelini) in North America, with Description of a New Species, Lepilius chisosensis Anderson, from Big Bend National Park, Texas, U. S. A.
Author
Anderson, Robert S.
Canadian Museum of Nature Ottawa, ON K 1 P 6 P 4, CANADA
randerson@mus-nature.ca
text
The Coleopterists Bulletin
2012
2012-03-01
66
1
67
69
journal article
10.1649/072.066.0122
1938-4394
4893134
Lepilius chisosensis
Anderson
,
new species
(
Figs. 1–9
)
Description.
Length, male,
1.8–2.4 mm
; female,
1.9–2.3 mm
. Width, male, 1.0–
1.4 mm
; female,
Figs. 1–2.
Lepilius chisosensis
, female.
1)
Lateral view;
2)
Dorsal view.
Figs. 3–5.
Lepilius chisosensis
, female.
3)
Dorsal view;
4)
Ventral view;
5)
Lateral view.
Figs. 6–7.
Lepilius chisosensis
, female.
6)
Front leg, lateral view;
7)
Hind leg, lateral view.
Figs. 8–9.
Lepilius chisosensis
, male.
8)
Aedeagus, dorsal view;
9)
Aedeagus, lateral view.
1.1–1.4 mm
. Vestiture of body of intermixed pale to medium brown recumbent scales; no obvious contrasting pattern of maculations. Eyes small, widely separated by about 1.3X width of an eye; frons between eyes with moderately dense, suberect clavate scales. Pronotum slightly wider than long, with recurved, subappressed, anteriorly directed scales. Elytra with each interval with row of short, suberect, clavate, apically rounded scales. Tibia robust, greatest width almost as wide as width of apex of femora, densely covered with intermixed suberect scales and fine setae. Lateral portion of meso- and metasterna, and venter of abdomen with moderately dense, elongate-narrow scales. Aedeagus short, robust, slightly ventrally arcuate; length of body about 1.5X width; apex broadly truncate with 3 large setae per side situated on apical margin; internal sac with no evident sclerotization.
Diagnosis.
Lepilius chisosensis
is distinguished from the only other described species in the genus,
L. pulchellus
, by the pattern of surface vestiture, robust tibia, and form of the male genitalia.
Geographic Distribution.
Texas
(
Brewster County
,
Big Bend National Park
).
My
specimens were collected at the end of
Pine Canyon
in maple leaf litter around the base of the intermittent waterfall (approximate coordinates are
29.267° N
103.253° W
). Leaf litter sampling at the Window and
Cattail Falls
in the park did not produce any specimens of this species
.
Natural History.
Adults were collected from extractions of forest leaf litter using Berlese funnels taken at an elevation of
1,600–1,850 m
.
Etymology.
This species is named after the Chisos Mountains, the mountain range that constitutes the higher elevations in Big Bend National Park.
Material Examined.
Holotype ♂ (CMNC): TEXAS
:
Brewster Co.
Big Bend National Park, Pine Canyon,
1615
m
, 6.
IX.1988
, R. Anderson, berlese hardwood litter. HOLOTYPE ♂
Lepilius chisosensis
sp. nov. R.S. Anderson. Aedeagus
extracted
.
Paratypes
:
38
♂♂,
16
♀♀ same data as holotype. 1♂, 1♀
Pine Canyon
,
1830
m
, 9.VIII. 1975, S.B. Peck, ex. berlese (#312) oak/maple litter, SP 1975-311 (BMNH, CMNC, CWOB, FMNH, TAMU, UNAM, USNM).