Eusphyrus walshii LeConte

Janicki, Julia & Young, Daniel K., 2017, Nemonychidae and Anthribidae of Wisconsin (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea), Insecta Mundi 2017 (579), pp. 1-36 : 26

Eusphyrus walshii LeConte

(Fig. 41–42)

Eusphyrus walshii LeConte 1876: 400 .

Ormiscus walshii (LeConte) ; Valentine 1960: 62.

Description. Length 2.0– 2.8mm (head excluded). Integument light to dark reddish-brown; pronotum usually darker. Vestiture consisting of white or grey and light brown to dark brown setae; brown setae scattered on apical 1/2 of elytra and forming vague medial spot; white setae scattered in small spots on basal 1/2 of elytra and forming a vague transverse spot extending to base of interstriae 6 and 7, interstriae 3–5 with baso-medial brown spot. Rostrum flattened, broad; surface with small, shallow punctures. Frons strongly convex; surface dull, with small, shallow punctures; interpunctural space densely reticulate. Pronotal width 1.5X length, widest at basal angles, weakly arcuate laterally, converging to broadly rounded apex; disc convex, surface densely granulate punctate; transverse carina basal, emarginate, acutely elevated, capable of contacting elytral base. Elytral length 1.3X width, 2.0X pronotal length, sides parallel on basal 2/3, broadly rounded apically; striae weakly impressed, with moderately deep and moderately large punctures; interstriae smooth, convex, 2.0X strial width, with minute punctures.

Diagnosis. Eusphyrus walshii can be distinguished from Ormiscus species by the basal transverse pronotal carina that is capable of contacting the elytral base. It can be distinguished from other Eusphyrus species by the visible scutellum that is larger than adjacent elytral punctures, and by the microgranulate pronotal surface, due to traces of very small crowded punctures with fragmentary rims.

Natural history. Valentine (1998) collected this species with various methods in many contexts: by rearing from dead poison ivy ( Toxicodendron radicans ) vines, beating dead branches of white oak ( Quercus alba ), beating dead elm ( Ulmus spp. ), beating dead leaves, beating dead limbs, from under oak bark, recovered from Lindgren funnel, Malaise, and flight intercept traps, at light, and recovered from a Berlese funnel of leaf litter samples. In general, the adults breed in dead wood of deciduous trees. This species can also be collected at light.

Phenology. In Wisconsin, adults have been collected in July and August.

Colleting Methods. The two Wisconsin specimens examined during this study from two counties represent a NEW STATE RECORD. One specimen was recovered from a Malaise trap at the edge of a southern mixed deciduous forest while the other was taken from a Malaise trap in a beech-maple forest.