Heilipus draco ( Fabricius, 1801 )

Sanz-Veiga, Priscila A., Leivas, Fernando W. T., Díaz-Grisales, Valentina, Anzaldo, Salvatore, Rosado-Neto, Germano H., Lampert, Silvana, Maggio, Daniela H., Corrêa, Alberto S. & Savaris, Marcoandre, 2024, Sympatric species of Heilipus Germar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Hylobiini) on fruits of Lauraceae: a new species from Brazil and redescription of Heilipus draco (Fabricius, 1801), Zootaxa 5463 (1), pp. 63-83 : 66-70

Heilipus draco ( Fabricius, 1801)

Figs. 1–23 , 44

Rhynchaenus draco Fabricius, 1801: 461 [description].

Heilipus draco : O'Brien & Wibmer 1982: 64 [catalog]; Wibmer & O'Brien 1986: 146 [catalog]; Janzen 1987: 351 [host plant]; Morrone 1999: 54 [distribution]; Hirano 2004 [host plant]; Gripenberg et al. 2019 [host plants]; Downey et al. 2020: 09 [host plants]; Díaz-Grisales et al. 2021 [distribution]; Pessotto et al. 2021: 2–7 [host plant]; Rodríguez-Sánchez et al. 2022: 7–11 [host plant].

Hilipus rectirostris Champion, 1902: 12 , pl.1, figs. 19–19a, Kuschel 1955: 296 [synonym].

Diagnosis. Heilipus draco differs from most of the congeneric species by: the straighter rostrum ( Figs. 2, 4 , 7, 8 ); the less elongate body; the pronotum being wider than long (0.76–0.91 times as long as wide); the elytra being 1.30– 1.43 times as long as wide ( Figs. 1–4 ); the whitish ( Figs. 1, 2 ) or yellowish ( Figs. 3, 4 ) lateral stripes of imbricate oval-shaped scales along each side of the pronotum; the whitish or yellowish C-shaped lateral stripe of imbricate oval-shaped scales extending along the anterior half to two thirds of the elytral length ( Figs. 1–4 ); an irregularly bordered round patch of yellowish scales enclosing the prominent declivital callus ( Figs. 5, 6 ); and the elytral patches not being connected in most specimens. This species resembles H. odoratus , H. parvulus and H. vividaensis Sanz-Veiga, Savaris & Leivas , sp. nov. in having a similar scale pattern, namely, a lateral pronotal stripe, a C-shaped elytral stripe and a round declivital patch. From H. odoratus it differs mainly by: the shorter (1.60–2.28 mm long, 1.05–1.32 times as long as the pronotum), almost straight rostrum (longer and weakly curved in H. odoratus ); the pronotum being wider than long (as long as wide in H. odoratus ); the elytra being wider and less elongate (more elongate in H. odoratus ); the pronotal and elytral patches having denser, imbricate whitish or yellowish scales (less dense, brownish or pale brown scales in H. odoratus ); the penis body being slender, less arcuate in lateral view, with a strong preapical constriction and more narrower apex ( Fig. 15 ) (penis body wider at basal half, more arcuate, with less strong preapical constriction and wider apex in H. odoratus ). It differs from H. parvulus by: the straighter rostrum (more curved in H. parvulus ); the pronotum being wider with a less convex disc (slender and more convex in H. parvulus ); the pronotal and elytral patches with scales more closely arranged, either whitish or yellowish pronotal stripe and C-shaped elytral stripe, and yellowish declivital patch (less closely arranged, mostly pale yellow scales, mottled whitish and yellowish scales in H. parvulus ); the pronotal and elytral patches being wider (slender in H. parvulus ); the protibial uncus being longer than meso- and metatibial uncus (almost same size in H. parvulus ). From H. vividaensis it differs mainly by: the shorter and almost straight rostrum (longer a more curved in H. vividaensis ); the shallower depression on the posterior third of pronotum (stronger depression in H. vividaensis ); the wider pronotal and elytral lateral stripes of whitish or yellowish scales that are more closely arranged (brownish scales less closely arranged in H. vividaensis ); the abdominal ventrites being slightly less convex (more convex in H. vividaensis ); the penis body narrowing from the basal third toward the apex, with a stronger preapical constriction and narrower apex (slightly narrowing toward the apex, with very weak preapical constriction in H. vividaensis ); the wider gonocoxites (more slender in H. vividaensis ); and the wider apical distance between the two arms of female sternite VIII ( Fig. 23 ) (smaller distance in H. vividaensis ).

Description. Body 5.7–8.4 mm long in males, and 5.5–8.5 mm long in females; integument slightly rugose and shining, from reddish-brown to dark and light brown; sparsely covered with short pale-brown or yellowish scales; with imbricate oval-shaped white or yellowish scales delimiting a stripe along each side of pronotum, sometimes bordered with pale or whitish scales; a lateral C-shaped whitish or yellowish stripe, sometimes bordered with pale or whitish scales, extending along anterior half up to two thirds of elytral length; and an irregular round yellowish patch, sometimes bordered with pale or whitish scales, enclosing the prominent declivital callus ( Figs. 1–6 ). Head. Integument reddish-brown to light brown; sparsely covered with yellowish scales; vertex with shallow small punctures; distance between eyes 0.43–0.56 times the rostral width at base in frontal view. Rostrum. In males, 1.61–2.00 mm long, 1.06–1.21 times as long as the pronotum ( Fig. 7 ), and in females, 1.60–2.28 mm long, 1.05– 1.32 times as long as the pronotum ( Fig. 8 ); subcylindrical, almost straight before antennal insertion; slightly curved at antennal insertion; apex slightly wider. Female rostrum slightly more slender and longer than male, with weak lateral constriction after antennal insertion ( Fig. 8 ). Integument light brown with sparse fine punctures; basal half slightly rugose, covered by short pale scales; smooth and almost glabrous at apical half ( Figs. 7, 8 ). Antenna inserted near the middle of rostrum in females ( Fig. 8 ), and shortly after the middle in males ( Fig. 7 ); scape reddish-brown, half the rostral length in females and almost two thirds the rostral length in males, 2–3 times as long as segment I; segment II 0.6–0.7 times as long as I and 1.3 times as long as III; segments IV to VI subequal and half the length of II; segment VII slightly longer and wider than VI; club elongate oval, almost twice as long as wide, and twice the length of segment I. Prothorax. Pronotum 0.76–0.91 times as long as wide in males and females; sides round near the middle, subparallel posteriorly; slightly wider near middle; anteriorly weakly constricted, with anterior margin round; posterior margin bisinuate with sides angulate; disc slightly arcuate or almost flat at anterior half, posterior third with very weak depression or almost flat; with faint carina along midline ( Figs. 1, 3 ). Integument reddish-brown to dark brown, with shallow and broad punctures; covered with short yellowish scales; smooth and glabrous along midline; with wide lateral stripe of dense imbricate oval-shaped white or yellowish scales sometimes bordered by pale or whitish scales. Ventrally, the anterior margin of pronotum surrounded by a row of yellowish setae. Mesothorax. Scutellum short; subtriangular; covered with whitish scales. Elytra 1.30–1.43 times as long as wide, 1.34–1.53 times wider and 2.30–2.74 times longer than the prothorax in males and females; sides subparallel along anterior three fourths, slightly wider at middle; humeral calli rounded; anteriorly, sometimes with a weak depression just behind the scutellum on each side of the elytral suture; striae with shallow punctures; interstriae weakly arcuate, wider than the striae. Integument reddish-brown to dark brown; covered with short yellowish scales ( Figs. 1, 3 ); laterally with a C-shaped stripe of imbricate oval-shaped white ( Figs. 1, 2 ) or yellowish scales ( Figs. 3, 4 ) extending toward the middle and up to two thirds of elytral length, with irregular inner and outer margins sometimes bordered by pale or whitish scales ( Fig. 5 ); declivital calli prominent, covered with a few short scales, surrounded by an irregular patch of imbricate yellowish oval-shaped scales sometimes bordered by whitish scales ( Fig. 6 ); declivital patches almost meeting at the elytral suture. Lateral and declivital elytral patches rarely connected. Ventrally, subapical elytral surface with a patch of parallel ridges perpendicular to the suture in males ( Figs. 9, 10 ), integument in females rugose without ridges ( Figs. 11, 12 ). Mesanepisternum, mesepimeron and mesoventrite same color as elytra; sparsely covered with short oval-shaped whitish and yellowish scales. Metathorax. Metaventrite convex, with a strong depression or depressed point near posterior margin. Metanepisternum and metaventrite the same color as elytra; sparsely covered with short whitish and yellowish scales. Legs. Femoral integument light brown on basal third and dorsally, dark brown in the enlarged subapical region; sparsely covered with slender pale scales. Tibiae light brown, lighter than femora; sparsely covered with pale scales, slender than femoral scales; tibial apex with two clusters of long setiform scales immediately under the uncus; uncus slightly longer on protibia. Abdomen. Abdominal ventrite I almost flat medially, slightly depressed posteromedially in males, and mostly flat in females; ventrite I slightly wider than II; ventrites III and IV equal in width but half the width of II; ventrite V slightly wider than the IV; posterior margin of ventrite V convex. Integument reddish-brown to dark brown; sparsely covered with yellowish scales. Male terminalia. Tergite VIII subquadrate, 1.5 times wider than long; apex weakly convex with somewhat angulate sides; laterally almost straight or slightly concave; with lateral margins more strongly emarginate near the middle; basally with a subquadrate projection on each side; dorsally covered with short setae, glabrous at basal third ( Figs. 13, 14 ). Sternite VIII with two subtriangular glabrous plates, both wider than long ( Fig. 13 ). Sternite IX emarginate with two inverted lobes at base; slender apical lobes; slender and curved spiculum gastrale ( Fig. 13 ). Penis body about 5 times as long as wide, 1.2 times longer than penis apodeme; wider at basal third; sides narrowing toward the apex; with strong preapical constriction and narrow apex; apical margin slightly rounded ( Figs. 15, 16 ); penis body arcuate in lateral view; acuminate apically ( Fig. 17 ). Tegmen parameroid lobes approximate at base, parallel and slightly divergent towards apex; longer than the tegminal apodeme; almost half penis body length; tegminal apodeme short, curved and slightly enlarged at anterior end ( Fig. 18 ). Female terminalia. Tergite VIII subtrapezoid; 1.7 times wider than long; wider at base; lateral margins weakly emarginate at basal third; convex at apex; dorsally covered with fine setae on apical third; ventrally with setae just on apical margin ( Fig. 22 ); weakly sclerotized at basal three fourths. Sternite VIII sclerotized, Y-shaped, with large apically expanded glabrous arms twice as long as the spiculum ventrale; spiculum ventrale slightly expanded and bisinuous at base ( Fig. 23 ). Gonocoxites elongate, about three times longer than wide; glabrous; sclerotized just on external margin; styli cylindrical and short, slightly longer than wide, with few small setae on apex ( Fig. 22 ). Bursa copulatrix elongate, two times longer than wide; membranous; anteriorly expanded; with common oviduct inserted near the middle; spermathecal duct inserted anteriorly ( Fig. 19 ). Well-sclerotized C-shaped spermatheca; ramus slightly longer than wide, positioned on basal third; spermathecal gland membranous, oval, 1.3 times the length of spermatheca ( Fig. 20 ). Unlaid eggs translucent brown; 1.1 mm long; elongate; with parallel sides ( Fig. 21 ).

External sexual dimorphism. Female rostrum slightly longer and more slender than male, with slightly more pronounced lateral constriction ( Figs. 7, 8 ). Median depression on metaventrite and abdominal ventrite I deeper in male. Ventrally, elytral apical surface with a patch of parallel ridges perpendicular to the suture in male ( Fig. 10 ), rugose and without ridges in female ( Fig. 12 ). This last characteristic may be associated with the presence of the stridulatory apparatus in males, similar to that observed in H. odoratus and H. gibbus (see Nunes et al. 2009; Vanin & Bená 2015).

Remarks. Heilipus draco has been cited as morphologically similar to Heilipus odoratus Vanin & Gaiger, 2005 , a species reared from seeds of A. rosodora in the Amazonia Forest of Brazil ( Vanin & Gaiger 2005). It is also similar to H. vividaensis Sanz-Veiga, Savaris & Leivas , sp. nov. with which it shares the same host plants.

Distribution. This species is widespread in Central America ( Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Panama), the West Indies ( Cuba), and South America ( Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana (type locality), Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela) ( Fabricius 1801; Champion 1902; O'Brien & Wibmer 1982; Wibmer & O'Brien 1986; Janzen 1987; Morrone 1999; Gripenberg et al. 2019; Downey et al. 2020; Díaz-Grisales et al. 2021; Pessotto et al. 2021). In Brazil, this species is known from the states of Rio Grande do Sul (Santa Maria and Taquaruçu do Sul), Santa Catarina (Chapecó, Seara (district of Nova Teutônia), Corupá, Timbó), Paraná (Coronel Vivida, Irati, Prudentópolis and Vitorino), São Paulo (Guapiara, Piracicaba and São Sebastião), and Rio de Janeiro (Corcovado) ( Fig. 44 ).

Biology. This species has been recorded in association with fruits of Damburneya salicifolia in Mexico ( Rodríguez-Sánchez et al. 2022), Mespilodaphne veraguensis in Costa Rica ( Janzen 1987), Ocotea puberula , O. oblonga , O. cernua , Nectandra cissiflora , N. lineata , Beilschmiedia tovarensis and Aiouea montana in Panama ( Gripenberg et al. 2019; Downey et al. 2020), O. porosa in Santa Catarina ( Hirano 2004) and O. puberula in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil ( Pessotto et al. 2021). For the first time H. draco is recorded from seeds of N. angustifolia sampled from São Paulo State, in Brazil (Guapiara and Piracicaba).

Type data. Essequibo. Smidt. Nus.T.Lund. Rhynchaenus draco . F. Entomological collection of Zoological Museum in Kiel University , Germany. Images provided by Prof. Dr. Michael Kuhlmann ( Figs. 1, 2 ) .

Specimens examined. BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Sul: Santa Maria , 09.viii.1982, M. Rosenau col., 1 specimen ( DZUP 470192 ) . Santa Catarina: Chapecó , Dec. 2005, 27°02'49.0"S 52°37'07.6"W, 697 m, reared from fruits of Ocotea puberula, M. Savaris col., 5♂ 5♀ ( MELQ ESALQENT001715–24 ) ; Corupá , ii.1954, Dirings col., 1♀ ( MZUSP) ; same, xii.1959, 1♀ ( DZUP 470177 ) ; Seara, Nova Teutônia , 27°11´B. 52°23´L, iii.1977, F. Plaumann col., 1♂ ( DZUP 470183 ) ; Timbó , IV.1956, Dirings col., 1♂ ( MZUSP) . Paraná: Coronel Vivida, BR 373, 03 Jan. 2020, 25°59'23.7"S 52°33'19.1"W, 793 m, reared from fruits of Ocotea puberula, M. Savaris, S. Lampert cols., 10♂ 10♀ ( MELQ ESALQENT001655–74 ) ; Irati , 2/VII/2003, A.O. Portela col. 1♂ 1♀ ( CEAM) ; Prudentópolis , 03 Jan. 2020, 25°18'25.17"S 51°6'34.77"W, 809 m, reared from fruits of Ocotea puberula, M. Savaris, S. Lampert cols., 10♂ 10♀ ( MELQ ESALQENT001675–94 ) ; Vitorino , 03 Jan. 2020, 26°15'36.79"S 52°45'32.77"W, 714 m, reared from fruits of Ocotea puberula, M. Savaris, S. Lampert cols., 10♂ 10♀ ( MELQ ESALQENT001695–1714 ) . São Paulo: Piracicaba , 14.iii.2005, M. Martins col., 1♂ ( MELQ ESALQENT001725 ) ; same, Dec. 2021, 22°42'49"S 47°37'36"W, 537 m, reared from fruits of Nectandra angustifolia, P.A.S.Veiga col., 4♂ ( MELQ ESALQENT001726– 29 ) ; Guapiara, Sítio São José , Feb. 2022, 24°11'49.0"S 48°32'46.0"W, 730 m, reared from fruits of Nectandra angustifolia, P.A.S. Veiga col., 1♂ ( MELQ ESALQENT001730 ) ; São Sebastião , 02.vii.1957, A.P. Silva col., 1♂ ( MZUSP) . Rio de Janeiro: Corcovado , x.1962, Alvarenga & Seabra cols., 1♀ ( DZUP 470194 ) . COLOMBIA. Antioquia: Carepa, Tulenapa farm, 31/III/2014, 07°46'N 76°39'W, 40 m, capture with entomological net in forest, P. Bermeo col., 1 specimen ( UNAB) . Valle del Cauca: Caicedonia , in coffee plantation, 29/IX/2005, 1167 m, M. Angarita col., 1 specimen ( CEUNP) ; Cali , IX/1944, Figueroa col., 1 specimen ( CEUNP) ; Pance river , without collector or collection date, 1200 m, 1 specimen ( MUSENUV) .

Figures

FIGURE 44. Distribution map of Heilipus draco and Heilipus vividaensis, with early and new records of H. draco.

FIGURES 1‒6. Heilipus draco. 1) Habitus, dorsal view and 2) lateral view, of the type specimen (with white lateral stripes) from the Zoological Museum in Kiel University, Germany. 3) Habitus, dorsal view, with lines of different colors indicating the measurements taken, and 4) lateral view of a male (with yellow lateral stripes) reared from fruits of O. puberula in Paraná, Brazil. Scale lines = 1 mm. 5) Detail of the imbricate white and yellow elytral scales. Scale line = 0.2 mm. 6) Detail of the patch of imbricate scales surrounding the elytral declivital callus on the posterior region of elytra. Scale line = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 7‒12. Sexual dimorphism in Heilipus draco. 7) Lateral view of male rostrum. 8) Lateral view of female rostrum. Scale lines = 1 mm. 9) Male right elytron, ventral view. Scale line = 1 mm. 10) Detail of the right elytron apex showing the parallel ridges in males (black arrow). Scale line = 0.5 mm. 11) Female right elytron, ventral view. Scale line = 1 mm. 12) Detail of the right elytron apex showing the granulose surface in females (black arrow). Scale line = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 13‒18. Heilipus draco male terminalia. 13) Tergite VIII, sternites VIII and IX, ventral view. 14) Tergite VIII, dorsal view. Scale line = 0.5 mm. 15) Aedeagus, dorsal view. 16) Aedeagus, ventral view. 17) Penis body, lateral view. 18) Tegmen, dorsal view. Scale line = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 19‒23. Heilipus draco female terminalia. 19) Bursa copulatrix, common oviduct, spermatheca and spermathecal gland. Scale line = 0.2 mm. 20) Spermatheca and spermathecal gland. Scale line = 0.1 mm. 21) Unlaid eggs found inside females. Scale line = 0.5 mm. 22) Tergite VIII, gonocoxites and stylus, ventral view. 23) Sternite VIII. Scale line = 0.5 mm.