Pimelerodius sharpi ( SleePer, 1954 )

Anderson, Robert S., 2021, The Status of Species of Erodiscus Schoenherr, 1825 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae) Described by Elbert L. Sleeper, The Coleopterists Bulletin 75 (2), pp. 501-504 : 501-502

Pimelerodius sharpi ( SleePer, 1954) ( Figs. 1–2 )

Erodiscus sharpi Sleeper 1954: 346 . O’Brien and Wibmer 1982: 101. Described from a holotype female labeled Porto Bello, Panama, II-20.

Pimelerodius sharpi ; Vanin 1986: 499.

Vanin (1986) was correct in his placement of this species in his new genus Pimelerodius Vanin, 1986 . He based this on the character states as cited in Sleeper’s description of pronotum and elytra glabrous, elytral striae deeply impressed, abdominal ventrites 1 and 2 fused, the suture between them obsolete, and femora minutely dentate. Based on examination of the holotype female I can confirm the presence of these states, although the striae appear to be more shallowly impressed than indicated by Sleeper (and they are a continuous sulcus, not a series of punctures) and agree with his conclusion. The species will key to couplet 4 in Vanin’s key to Pimelerodius ( Vanin 1986: 478) as elytral striae 1–6 are sulcate and not punctate. It differs from Pimelerodius sulcatipennis Vanin, 1986 from Brazil by distribution, the shallower elytral sulci and the eyes placed slightly wider apart as noted in the couplet below.

1. Eyes contiguous, separated by less than the diameter of one ommatidium ( Vanin 1986; Fig. 159); elytral striae deeply impressed; Brazil..… Pimelerodius sulcatipennis Vanin

1′. Eyes separated by the diameter of 2–3 ommatidia ( Fig. 1 ); elytral striae shallowly impressed ( Figs. 1–2 ); Panama …………… …………...… Pimelerodius sharpi (SleePer)

Figures

Figs. 1–4. Pimelerodius sharpi and Sicoderus panamensis holotypes. P. sharpi: 1) Dorsal habitus; 2) Lateral habitus. S. panamensis: 3) Dorsal habitus; 4) Lateral habitus.