Cotithene dicranopygia Franz

Franz, Nico M., 2008, Revision, phylogeny and natural history of Cotithene Vo s s (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Zootaxa 1782, pp. 1-33 : 8-9

Cotithene dicranopygia Franz , sp. n.

Diagnosis. Length 3.1–3.4 mm; rostrum in male ( Fig. 5 A) in lateral view expanded near basal 2/5 though not angulate, head ( Fig. 5 A) without projection or long, suberect setae, pronotum ( Fig. 1 A) slightly convex, internal sac of aedeagus ( Fig. 9 A) with paired triangular sclerites, in dorsal view approximately V-shaped; procoxal cavities in female separated by narrow septum, sternum VIII with furcal arms slightly arcuate, spermatheca ( Fig. 9 A) C-shaped, apically gradually narrowed; association with Dicranopygium Harling. Cotithene dicranopygia may be distinguished from all species of the leptorhamphis-melanoptera clade by its relatively small size and more basal expansion of the rostrum in the male, and from C. stratiotricha by the absence of modifications on the head of the male, as well as the male and female terminalia. Apparently C. dicranopygia has retained numerous plesiomorphic character states in comparison with other Cotithene species.

Description. Male. Length 3.4 mm, width 1.4 mm, l/w = 2.4 (N = 1). Color light reddish-brown, rostrum and head slightly darker, legs yellowish-brown, elytra darker, brown. Rostrum ( Fig. 5 A) short, 0.9 mm, r/p = 0.7; dorsally slightly arcuate, slightly expanded near basal 2/5 though not angulate; dorsal impression or rugulosity indistinct; antennal insertion near apical 2/5. Head without dorsal elevation and projections, setation indistinct. Pronotum ( Fig. 1 A) expanded, anterolaterally not impressed. Prosternum lacking anterolateral impressions or tumescences; procoxal cavities separated by less than width of antennal club. Elytra ( Fig. 1 A) not attenuate; anterior elevation indistinct; striae slightly narrower than intervals. Spiculum gastrale slightly shorter than aedeagus; furcal arms straight, apically obliquely narrowed. Aedeagus ( Fig. 9 A) l/w = 3.0 (N = 1), widest near apical 2/5, evenly rounded in apical 1/4, apex narrowly attenuate, reflexed; internally with a symmetrical, approximately V-shaped pair of large, explanate sclerites; sclerites in lateral view triangular; apodemes nearly half as long as body.

Female. Length 3.1 mm, width 1.4 mm, l/w = 2.3 (N = 1). Rostrum 0.9 mm, r/p = 0.8; uniformly narrow; antennal insertion near middle. Pronotum less expanded. Procoxal cavities very narrowly separated. Protibia ventrally with aurate vestiture along apical two-thirds. Elytra as in male. Sternum VIII ( Fig. 9 A) with furcal arms slightly arcuate, slightly diverging posteriad, apices with 3–5 setae. Spermatheca ( Fig. 9 A) C-shaped, widest near base, apex acuminate, slightly deflected.

Material examined. Holotype male " Costa Rica, Limón, P.N. Br. Carillo [Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo], Q. [Quebrada] González, 50 m, N 10°09'78'', W 83°56'17'', on Dicranop. umbrophilum , leg. N. Franz, VI-11-2003 " ( MUCR); female paratype, same label data as holotype ( MUCR).

Etymology. Named for its apparent reproductive association with inflorescences of the cyclanth genus Dicranopygium Harling , as observed at Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, Costa Rica (see above).

Natural history. Cotithene dicranopygia occurs in the Costa Rican Cordillera Central ( Fig. 13 A), Quebrada González (Braulio Carrillo). A mating pair was taken on an inflorescence of Dicranopygium umbrophilum Hammel.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal habitus of Cotithene, males. A, C. dicranopygia; B, C. globulicollis.

FIGURE 5. Rostrum and head of Cotithene males, lateral view. A, C. dicranopygia; B, C. stratiotricha.

FIGURE 9. 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. A, C. dicranopygia; B, C. stratiotricha.

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