Taurodemus militaris Petrov, 2020

Petrov, A. V., 2020, New species and records of Xyleborini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) from Peru, Russian Entomological Journal 29 (4), pp. 402-409 : 402-404

Taurodemus militaris Petrov , sp.n.

Figs 1–4 , 9, 10 .

MATERIAL. Holotype, ♀ ( ZMM): Peru: Huanuco region: 20 km S from Tingo Maria, Cayumba village , S 9°29´14.0´´ W75°57´04.3´´ h~ 780 m, 29.01.2005, leg. A. V Petrov Paratypes (2 ♀♀ in CDFA, 2 ♀♀ in MSUC, 2 ♀♀ in NHMUK, 2 ♀♀ in NHNW, 2 ♀♀ in NMNH, 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂ in RABC, 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂ in ZIN, 59 ♀♀, 9 ♂♂ in APP); same place and date as HOLOTYPE (1 ♂) , near Cayumba village but S 9°29´36.7´´ W75°57´23.0´´, h~ 765 m, 22.XII.2019 leg. A. V Petrov (25 ♀♀ and 5 ♂♂) , 7 km SSW from Tingo Maria, near Las Pavas village , 9°21´71.7´´W75°58´57.5´´, h~ 670 m, 12.IV.2014, leg. A. V Petrov (4 ♀♀, 1 ♂) ; Junin region: Satipo province, 15 km NW from Satipo, near Rio Venado village , S11°11´25.0´´ W74°46´12.5´´ h~ 1160 m, 24.03.2013, leg. A. V Petrov (15 ♀♀, 4 ♂♂) ; same place but 17. V.2014 (6 ♀♀), in S11°11´35.2´´ W74°46´07.0´´, h~ 1300 m, 9–12.X.2015, leg. A. V Petrov (9 ♀♀) ; 25 km NW from Satipo, Cuviriaki village , S11°08´59.6´´ W74°51´13.9´´, h~ 1000 m, ex. “Moena”, 4–7.IV.2014, leg. A. V Petrov (4 ♀♀, 1 ♂) ; 44 km NNE from Satipo, left river bank of Perene,near Canan Eden village , S11°04´30.5´´ W74°16´50.9´´,h~ 1100 m 15.II.2006 and 7.I.2007, leg. A. V Petrov (3 ♀♀) ; Loreto region: 58 km SW from Iquitos, Itaya river , 04°15´23.3´´S 73°27´59.1´´W, h~ 120 m, FIT, 8.III.2008,leg.A. V Petrov (1♀) ; Pasco region: 13 km NNE from Pozuzo, near Sta Roza village , S09°41´36.6´´ W76°05´05.2´´, h~ 1150 m, FIT, 6–11.X.2017, leg. A. V Petrov (4 ♀♀)

DESCRIPTION. Female. Body stout, length 3.6 mm, 1.90 times as long as wide, body dark brown with reddish brown antennae and legs ( Figs 3–4 ).

Head dark brown, weakly shining. Frons broadly convex, with median, weakly elevated carina from level of upper half of eyes to vertex; frontal surface minutely reticulate, evenly punctured by large, sparse pointunctures, in upper part of the frons with sparse, longitudinal shallow wrinkles; vertex minutely reticulate without punctures; vestiture of fine sparse pale hairs, epistoma with transverse row of abundant short yellow setae. Eyes shallowly emarginate, 3.1 times as long as widely, flat, eyes wide separated above by distance 3.2 times their width. Antennomeres reddish brown, scape almost as long as wide as club, funicle 5-segmented, pedicel scyphoid, club obliquely truncate, segment 1 on anterior face corneous.

Pronotum dark brown, disc shining in the basal half, 0.91 as long as wide; the base straight, lateral margins rounded; sides subparallel in basal half, broadly rounded an anterior half, anterior margin armed by eight coarse median serrations; summit at middle, anterior slope closely asperate; basal half of pronotal disc minutely reticulate, with numerous, small, shallow punctures. Vestiture of fine sparse pale hairs on anterior half and lateral margins of pronotum, basal half of disc glabrous.

Scutellum dark brown, glabrous, triangular.

Elytra dark brown to black, shining; 1.06 times as long as wide, 1.16 times as long as pronotum; lateral margins subparallel, disc occupying 45 percent of elytra length; surface glabrous, with transversal shallow wrinkles; striae not impressed, punctures small, shallow, distinct; interstriae about six times as wide as striae, smooth, shining, punctures confused, half as large as those of striae. Declivity on basal half strongly sulcate between interstriae 3, much more broadly impressed on anterior slope; surface of declivity glabrous, shining; the base of declivity ornamented by medium-sized pointed tubercles and small granules, tubercles of interstriae 1 longer as those of interstriae 2–5 ( Fig. 9 ); in addition to larger tubercles,a very small tubercle on interstriae1; interstriae 2with two medium-sized pointed tubercles, interstriae 3 armed at the base of declivity by three medium-sized pointed tubercles and one very small tubercle; interstriae 4 armed by four pointed tubercles and three very small granules, interstriae 5 ornamented by a row of 13 pointed tubercles; interstriae 6 armed by 3 very small pointed tubercles. Interstriae 3 armed by a major, pointed, conical spine at about 1/2 of declivity length from anterior margin. Surface of declivity glabrous, shining, with confused, deep, round punctures.

Metepisternum and metasternum dark brown, with numerous deep punctures, covered by erect short setae. Abdomen dark brown, ventrites 1–4 with numerous punctures, covered by long erect pale setae, ventrite 5 glabrous.

Procoxae separated. Legs unicolored, reddish brown, tibiae with abundant short errect pale setae, protibia with twelve small lateral socketed teeth on distal half.

MEASUREMENTS. Paratypes (females): Mature color almost dark brown to black, length 3.4–3.8 mm, 1.9–2.0 times as long as wide; anterior margin of pronotum armed by 6–8 coarse median serrations, elytra 1.1–1.2 times as long as wide.

Male: body stout, bicoloured, length 2.7–3.5 mm, 1.8 times as long as wide ( Figs 1–2 ); frons similar to female, except for a median fovea on vertex, and longer setae on epistoma over mandibles; eye half as large as female, eyes widely separated above by 3.2 times their width. Pronotum reddish brown to dark brown, as long as wide, median part of pronotal base with triangular projection directed towards scutellum, lateral margins weakly rounded, pronotum widest in anterior third; apical margin broadly rounded, unarmed. Anterior slope flat, median part on middle third of pronotal length flattened, summit at middle of anterior slope, weakly asperate, basal third punctured by minute points. Surface glabrous, sparse minute setae on lateral part of pronotum. Scutellum reddish brown, triangular.

Elytra reddish brown, 1.0–1.1 as long as wide, 1.26–1.3 as long as pronotum. Lateral margins weakly rounded, elytra widest in the middle part of the length. Disc occupying 50 percent of elytra length; striae not impressed, punctures small, distinct; intrerstriae about five times as wide as striae, smooth, weakly shining, punctures as large as those of striae; interstriae 1 with transverse shallow wrinkles. Declivity sulcate between interstriae 3, the base of declivity with small equal sized granules, interstriae 3 bear a major, pointed, conical spine at about 1/2 of declivity length from anterior margin, apical third of interstriae 3 armed by 1–3 smaller pointed teeth, interstriae 4 on apical margin armed by 2–3 pointed teeth ( Fig. 10 ). Surface of declivity glabrous, shining; punctured by confused, numerous deep punctures. Metepisternum, metasternum and abdomen reddish brown, ventrites 1–5 with numerous punctures, covered by sparse long erect pale setae, apical margin of ventrite 5 with tuft of yellow setae. Legs as in female.

DIAGNOSIS. The new species is closely related to Taurodemus sanguinicollis (Blandford, 1898) but can be distinguished by the larger size of the pointed tubercles on interstriae 1 on the base of the declivity, and transverse shallow wrinkles on interstriae 1. The new species is distinguished from T. sharpi (Blandford, 1898) , T. varians (F., 1801), T. varulus (Wood, 1974) by the much lower position of the major spine on the elytral declivity. The male can be distinguished by the major compound spine, positioned in middle of declivity, and coarse transverse wrinkles on interstriae 1.2.

BIOLOGY. The species was collected in foothill forest (Bosque basimontano de Yunga),or rarely in tropical rain forest (Bosque de colina baja). Females boried in wood of branches and stems of Inga edulis ( Fabáceae ) and Protium sp. ( Burseraceae ). The tunnel runs radially into the wood for about 1.3–3.5 cm, and does not bifurcate ( Fig 13 ). Eggs were deposited loose in the tunnel. The larvae fed communally on the ambrosia mycelium and on the wood as they expanded the tunnel into an elongate area of 2.5–3.5 cm 2 in the longitudinal plane. Each gallery system included 15–35 young females and 1 male.

ETYMOLOGY. The species name reflects the stout body with two large pointed processes on the declivity. “Militaris” means martial (pertaining to war) in Latin.

Figures

Figs 1–4. Habitus of Taurodemus militaris sp.n.: 1, 4 — male; 2, 3 — female; 1–2 — dorsal view; 3–4 — lateral view. Рис. 1–4. Габитус Taurodemus militaris sp.n.,: 1, 4 — самец; 2, 3 — самка; 1–2 — сверху; 3–4 — сбоку.

Figs 9–12. Elytral declivity: 9–10 — Taurodemus militaris sp.n.; 11, 12 — Taurodemus peruanus sp.n.; 9, 11 — female; 10–12 — male. Рис. 9–12. Скат надкрылий: 9–10 — Taurodemus militaris sp.n.; 11–12 — Taurodemus peruanus sp.n.; 9, 11 — самки; 10, 12 — самцы.

Figs 13–14. Galleries of Taurodemus: 13 — Taurodemus militaris sp.n.; 14 — Taurodemus peruanus sp.n.; 14 — galleries were attacked by mycocleptist Sampsonius giganteus. Рис. 13–14. Ходы Taurodemus: 13 — Taurodemus militaris sp.n.; 14 — Taurodemus peruanus sp.n.; 14 — ходы были атакованы микоклептистом Sampsonius giganteus.