Cotithene anaphalanta Franz

Franz, Nico M., 2008, Revision, phylogeny and natural history of Cotithene Vo s s (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Zootaxa 1782, pp. 1-33 : 24-25

Cotithene anaphalanta Franz , sp. n.

Diagnosis. Length 4.8–5.8 mm; rostrum in male in lateral view angulate and expanded near apical 2/5, basally not impressed, head with small, posterior, triangular projection and sparse, longer, recurvate setae, pronotum expanded, orange, prosternum with small obtuse elevation in front of each procoxal cavity, elytra dark-reddish-brown to black, aedeagus ( Fig. 12 A) apically evenly narrowed, internal sac ventrally with complex, annulate structure; female with color pattern similar to that of male, procoxal cavities separated by slightly less than width of antennal club, apices of furcal arms of sternum VIII ( Fig. 12 A) obliquely truncate, spermatheca ( Fig. 12 A) J-shaped, apically gradually narrowed; occurring in Costa Rica. Cotithene anaphalanta may be distinguished from similarly sized members of the leptorhamphis-trigaea clade by the particular combination of modifications on the head and proventrite in males and the shorter and wider rostrum in females. This Central American species furthermore differs from C. globulicollis by its color pattern, and from the South American C. melanoptera by the absence of a basal impression on the rostrum and less densely arranged frontal setae in males, as well as characteristics of the male and female terminalia.

Description. Male. Length 5.4–5.8 mm, width 2.4–2.6 mm, l/w = 2.3 (N = 3). Color light reddish-brown to orange, rostrum slightly more reddish, elytra dark-reddish brown to black. Rostrum 1.5–1.6 mm, r/p = 0.7– 0.8; dorsally slightly arcuate, angulate near apical 2/5; dorsal impression indistinct, basally rugulose; antennal insertion near apical third. Head with slight elevation extending between posterodorsal edges of eyes, with small, posterior, triangular projection, setae sparse, arranged, long, recurvate. Pronotum expanded, anterolaterally slightly impressed. Prosternum anteriorly slightly transversely impressed, anterolaterally of each procoxal cavity with obtuse tumescence; procoxal cavities separated by about width of antennal club. Elytra posteriorly not attenuate; anterior elevation indistinct; striae narrower than intervals; intervals dark reddishbrown to black. Spiculum gastrale slightly shorter than aedeagus; furcal arms straight, with 1 small, lateral, subapical projection. Aedeagus ( Fig. 12 A) l/w = 3.0–3.1 (N = 2), widest near middle, thereafter slightly constricted, arcuate in apical third, narrowing towards apex, apex rounded to truncate, medially slightly projected; in lateral view apically gradually narrowed, dorsal and ventral margins straight; internally with a symmetrical, subparallel pair of explanate sclerites; sclerites apically connected into a complex, annulate, weakly sclerotized structure; in lateral view triangular, ventrally more sclerotized, ventral region with membranous connection to annulate structure, margins undulate; apodemes distinctly shorter than body.

Female. Length 4.8–5.6 mm, width 2.2–2.6 mm, l/w = 2.1–2.2 (N = 3). Rostrum 1.5–1.7 mm, r/p = 0.9– 1.1; narrow, apically slightly expanded, light reddish-brown to orange; antennal insertion at apical 2/5 to middle. Pronotum less expanded. Prosternum lacking anterior impressions or tumescences; procoxal cavities separated by slightly less than width of antennal club. Elytra as in male. Sternum VIII ( Fig. 12 A) with furcal arms posteriorly slightly diverging, apices with 4–6 setae. Spermatheca ( Fig. 12 A) J-shaped, apex triangular, acute yet not projected.

Material examined. Holotype male " Costa Rica, Puntarenas, Monteverde C.F. Reserve, N 10º18', W 84º47', 1550 m, on Asplund. stenophylloides , leg. N. Franz, VI-12-2001 " ( MUCR); male paratypes, same label data as holotype ( CMNC, 1; NMFC, 1), " COSTA RICA, Prov. Heredia: 6 km ENE Vera Blanca, 1950– 2050 m, 10º11' N 84º7' W, 0 9 Abril 2002, INBio-OET-ALAS transect/ 0 9 Abril 2002, Malaise, 20/M/14/074 [hand-written label]" ( INBC, 1); female paratypes, same label data as holotype ( CMNC, 1; MUCR, 1), " Costa Rica, Puntarenas, C.F. Reserve Santa Elena, 1700 m, on Sphaeradenia occidentalis , leg. N. Franz VI-14- 2001 " ( NMFC, 1).

Etymology. Named for the sparse setation on the head of the male, the Greek anaphalantos meaning "with bald forehead".

Natural history. Cotithene anaphalanta occurs at various localities in the Costa Rican Cordillera Central ( Fig. 13 A), including Monteverde, Santa Elena and Vara Blanca (Volcán Barva). Individual weevils or couples have been collected on the inflorescences of Asplundia stenophylloides Hammel and Sphaeradenia occidentalis R. Eriksson , and their larvae probably mature in these inflorescences.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Genital structures of Cotithene species, from left to right: aedeagus, ventral view; aedeagus, lateral view; posterior region of female sternum VIII, ventral view; spermatheca, lateral view; shaded areas depicting structures of the internal sac; synapomorphic character states 32 (1) labelled. A, C. anaphalanta; B, C. melanoptera.

FIGURE 13. Reported localities of Cotithene in Costa Rica and Panama (A) and Venezuela (B). See text for further detail.