Sphaerotrypes montanus Buhroo & Knížek, 2020

Buhroo, Abdul Ahad, 2024, A taxonomic monograph of subfamily Scolytinae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the Western Himalaya, Zootaxa 5533 (1), pp. 1-82 : 18-19

11. Sphaerotrypes montanus Buhroo & Knížek, 2020

( Figure 15 )

This species is diagnosed by the following morphological characters: ♂ frons somewhat flat and impressed similarly as in other species of the genus, covered with dense greyish pubescence and sparse long setae pointing upwards to middle of vertex, roughened with longitudinal shining granules and a median shining longitudinal carina on the lower part of frons; epistomal margin substraight with a fringe of sparse, long golden setae; vertex distinctly convex with fine pubescence and minute punctures; eyes bipartite, the two parts separated by 1.2× the width of an upper part of the eye, united by a fine keel, each part plano-convex, sub-triangular; antennal funicle with seven segments; club oval, rounded, slightly flattened, with six distinct pseudo-sutures marked by micro setae; pronotum 1.72× as wide as long; widest at base, lateral margins and base bordered by a distinct ridge, anterior margin somewhat straight, median dorsal line distinct; base of pronotum produced backwards to form an obtuse angle, and slightly concave on either side, sides rounded and strongly narrowed from base to apex; dorsum convex, impressed behind anterior margin, surface rugosely punctate with some granules, somewhat shining with a scanty covering of short pale scale-like setae and fine pubescence, mainly at apex, base and on sides, its anterior border fringed with longer erect setae; scutellum oblong with minute punctures; elytra somewhat globose, wider than pronotum, 1.1× as long as wide, 1.86× as long as pronotum; basal margin of each elytron procurved and ornamented with 14 crenulations, lateral margins gradually tapering posteriorly; declivity sloping gently from near the base of elytra; striae rather deep, shining, with obsolete punctures and reaching almost the elytral apex except striae 5 and 6 joining before reaching elytral apex; interstriae much wider than striae, flat except basal one-fifth slightly convex with distinct asperities, on apical four-fifth with irregular rows of rounded blunt granules; all interstriae gradually narrowing towards declivity, covered with very tiny scale-like setae and sparse longer obliquely erected scale-like setae, few whitish scales at the base of elytra; body length: 2.75–2.96 mm, 1.54× as long as wide.

Female similar to male except elytra longer, the frons is slightly more convex and the apex of the pronotum is less constricted; body length: 2.85 mm, 1.53× as long as wide.

Remarks: Sphaerotrypes montanus is related to S. querci ( Stebbing, 1908) but can be distinguished by the strongly constricted anterior part of the pronotum, much more impressed behind the anterior margin compared to S. querci . The sculpture and vestiture on the frons and pronotum is much coarser and dense in S. querci . There are three longer hair-like and transversely set setae on either side of median line at base of pronotum in S. montanus as opposed to more numerous (6 or 7) on entire base of pronotum in S. querci , and missing in S. pila Blandford, 1894 .

Material examined: Holotype ♂, Allotype ♀ in KUIC. Type locality: Jammu , Ramban, Batote, India

New record: India: 2 ♂ ′s. Jammu, Kishtwar (33° 18.787′ N, 075° 46.451′ E, 5610 ft.), A.A. Buhroo, 10.09.2017 ( KUIC) .

Distribution: India: Jammu and Kashmir (Batote, Kishtwar).

Hosts: Prunus persica ( Rosaceae ).

Figures

FIGURE 15. Sphaerotrypes montanus. Holotype male: dorsal view A, lateral view B.