Acicnemis azumai Morimoto & Miyakawa, 1995

Lewis, Jake H., Kojima, Hiroaki & Campbell, Erin O., 2025, A Japan-focused review of East Asian Acicnemis Fairmaire, 1849 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) reveals cryptic diversity in a well-studied region, ZooKeys 1259, pp. 103-167 : 103-167

Acicnemis azumai Morimoto & Miyakawa, 1995

Figs 1 , 2 A , 3 A , 6 B 1–6 , 2 , 7

Type material examined

( Japan: 82; South Korea: 3; Total: 84). Holotype. Japan: Okinawa Prefecture: • Kudeken, Chinen-son , 22. IV. 1975, H. Irie, bears red label reading “ (HOLOTYPE) Acicnemis azumai Morimoto et. Miyakawa, 1994 ”, JHL_AREV_113 , ELKU, ELKU 2962 . Paratypes. Japan: Okinawa Prefecture: • Sueyoshi , “ 1988-6 - 5 ”, T. Ueno (5, KUM), JHL_ACITAI_041 (dissected male), JHL_AREV_134 – JHL_AREV_137 ; • Yona , 9–13. VIII. 1969, H. Makihara (4, KUM), JHL_AREV_108 – JHL_AREV_111 ; • Shuri , 14. VI. 1958, O. Nakachi (1, KUM), JHL_AREV_138 ; • Shuri , 16–20. V. 1978, H. Makihara (1, KUM), JHL_AREV_117 ; • Aguni Island , 24–25. VIII. 1989, Teruhisa Ueno, JHL_ACITAI_081 (dissected male) (4, KUM), JHL_AREV_124 – JHL_AREV_126 ; • Mabuni , 11. VI. 1977, H. Irie (2, KUM) JHL_AREV_127 , JHL_AREV_128 ; • Nago , 18. VI. 1984, Teiso Esaki (1, KUM), JHL_AREV_130 ; • Akajima Island , 29–30. VIII. 1980, Teruhisa Ueno (1, KUM), JHL_AREV_129 ; • Mount Banna, Ishigaki Island , 30. VII. 1970, I. Matoba (1, KUM), JHL_AREV_131 ; • Tonaki Island , 27. IX. 1989, Teruhisa Ueno (2, KUM), JHL_AREV_132 , JHL_AREV_133 ; • 18. VI. 1970, H. Makihara (2, KUM), JHL_AREV_122 , JHL_AREV_123 ; • Tamagusuku , 4. V. 1962, M. Kina (1, KUM), JHL_AREV_151 ; • Tamagusuku , 23. VIII. 1962, M. Kina (2, KUM), JHL_AREV_152 , JHL_AREV_153 ; • Otomi, Iriomote Island , 25. IV. 1969, H. Makihara (1, KUM), JHL_AREV_143 ; • Shimozato, Miyako Island , 1. IX. 1958, T. Hidaka (1, KUM), JHL_AREV_144 ; • Kudeken , 31. V. 1976, T. Ogasawara (1, KUM), JHL_AREV_145 ; • Shuri , 5–9. V. 1969, H. Makihara (1, KUM), JHL_AREV_146 ; • Naha , 13. VIII. 1952, K. Hamamatsu (1, KUM), JHL_AREV_147 ; • Sueyoshi , 9. VII. 1987, Teruhisa Ueno (1, KUM), JHL_AREV_148 .

Non-type material.

Japan: Okinawa Prefecture: • Iriomote Island, Mt. Tedo , 28. III. 2022, Y. Obae (1, KUM), JHL_AREV_511 ; • Ishigaki Island, Inoda , 24. III. 2022, S. Imada, M. Maruyama, T. Nozaki (1, KUM), JHL_AREV_512 ; • Kabira Park, Ishigaki Island , 6. VI. 1968, M. Takagi (1, KUM), JHL_AREV_763 ; • Okinawa Island, Sakukawa , 8. XI. 1971, T. Terya (1, RUMC), JHL_AREV_513 ; • Okinawa Island, Nishihara , 16. VII. 1977, M. Arasaki (1, RUMC), JHL_AREV_514 ; • Okinawa Island, Yona , 24. IV. 1965, T. Kakinohana (2, RUMC), JHL_AREV_515 , JHL_AREV_516 ; • Okinawa Island, Kudeken , 28. VI. 1977, K. Omato (1, RUMC), JHL_AREV_517 ; • Okinawa Island, Shuri , 7. VII. 1972, M. Kinjo (1, RUMC), JHL_AREV_518 ; • Miyako Island , 1. IX. 1958, T. Takara (3, RUMC), JHL_AREV_519 – JHL_AREV_521 ; • Okinawa Island, Shuri , 16. VI. 1961, O. Nakachi (1, RUMC), JHL_AREV_522 ; • Okinawa Island, Shuri , 24. VIII. 1962, O. Nakachi (1, RUMC), JHL_AREV_523 ; • Okinawa Island (1, OIST), JHL_AREV_984 (GenBank accession number: PV 255625 ) ; • Tancha , Okinawa Island, 4. III. 2025, J. H. Lewis, to residential lights (1, OIST), JHL_AREV_995 ; • Tancha , Okinawa Island, 14. III. 2025, J. H. Lewis, to residential lights (1, OIST), JHL_AREV_993 ; • Tancha , Okinawa Island, 29. VIII. 2025, J. H. Lewis, to residential lights (1, OIST), JHL_AREV_2081 ; • Sueyoshi Park , Naha, 12–26. II. 2016, (1, OIST), OKENT 0132427 ; South Korea • Oseag Ri, Ganweondo , 4–6. VII. 1984, T. Senoh (1, KUM), JHL_AREV_155 ; • Sam Jeong Li, Ma Cheong Meon, Hamyang Gun, Gyeongsamnamdo , 9–15. V. 1991, K. Morimoto (2, KUM), JHL_AREV_154 , JHL_ACITAI_079 (dissected male) .

Diagnosis.

Body length 3.3–4.9 mm. Covered in pale brown scales, with alternating white and black scaled bands on odd elytral intervals. Pronotum with two exposed, bare tubercles medially at the base (one on each side) (Fig. 3 A ). Scutellum covered in yellow scales. Only odd elytral intervals with erect scales. Sclerolepidia distinct and protruding. Posterior edge of prosternum lacking prominent projections contiguous with the fore-coxae (Fig. 2 A ) (present in A. laeta ). Third tarsomeres distinctly emarginate. Pedon with lateral edges approx. parallel in dorsal view, but converging evenly into a point. Internal sac without tuberculate or roughened musculature inside the aedeagus, but with a non-hooked protruding structure (unmodified in posterior 1 / 2, with roughened in anterior 1 / 2) that is equal in length to the pedon (Fig. 6 B 1 – 2 ).

Distribution.

This species occurs in southern Japan ( Okinawa Prefecture, Ryukyu Islands) and South Korea.

Remarks.

On Okinawa Island ( Japan) this species is commonly encountered in the spring and is often attracted to residential building lights.

Figures

Figure 1. Maximum likelihood tree of twelve Acicnemis species based on a 300 base-pair long CO 1 gene fragment constructed in IQ-TREE v. 1.6. 12 using a GTR + F + I + G 4 model. Branch support values represent standard nonparametric bootstraps (1000 replicates). Bootstrap values less than 75 are not displayed on the tree. The codes MEBLA 191-14, VVGPL 2845-15, and OWEVG 891-15 are BOLD Systems accession numbers, whereas all other codes are GenBank accession numbers. Associated Acicnemis weevil figures on the right of the tree are approximately to scale.

Figure 2. Diagnostic morphological characters in Acicnemis. A. A. azumai Morimoto & Miyakawa, 1995 (JHL _ ACITAI _ 081) showing lack of prominent posterior prosternal projections; B. A. laeta Hubenthal, 1919 (JHL _ AREV _ 533) showing prominent prosternal projections; C. A. kiotoensis Nakane, 1963 (JHL _ AREV _ 982) showing antenna with the second funicular antennomere longer than antennomeres 3 + 4; D. A. koguma Lewis & Kojima, sp. nov. (JHL _ SYN _ 141) showing antenna with the second funicular antennomere shorter than antennomeres 3 + 4; E. A. luteomaculata Morimoto & Miyakawa, 1995 (JHL _ AREV _ 189) showing truncate third tarsomere; F. A. ryukyuana Lewis, 2023 (JHL _ ACI _ 011) showing weakly emarginate third tarsomere; G. A. maculaalba Roelofs, 1875 (JHL _ AREV _ 577) showing strongly emarginate third tarsomere.

Figure 3. Scutella and pronota of various Acicnemis species. A. A. azumai Morimoto & Miyakawa, 1995 (JHL _ ACITAI _ 081) showing two bare (unscaled) tubercles baso-medially on the pronotum; B. A. kiotoensis Nakane, 1963 (JHL _ AREV _ 982) showing a broad, unscaled scutellum; C. A. koguma Lewis & Kojima, sp. nov. (JHL _ SYN _ 141) showing a bare, but more slender scutellum than A. kiotoensis; D. A. maculaalba Roelofs, 1875 (JHL _ AREV _ 577) showing a small scutellum covered in scales; E. A. palliata Pascoe, 1872 (JHL _ AREV _ 779) showing a larger scutellum that is shiny and bare dorsally, and surrounded along the perimeter by yellow scales; F. A. shigematsui Morimoto & Miyakawa, 1995 (JHL _ ACITAI _ 052) showing a smaller scutellum covered in scales.

Figure 6. Aedeagi of Acicnemis. A 1–2. A. albofasciata (Ter-Minasian 1953); B 1–2. A. azumai Morimoto & Miyakawa, 1995; C 1–2), A. cryptica Lewis & Kojima, sp. nov.; D 1–2. A. dividicincta Morimoto & Miyakawa, 1995; E 1–2. A. exilis Morimoto & Miyakawa, 1995; F 1–2. A. kiotoensis Nakane, 1963; G 1–2. A. laeta Hubenthal, 1919; H 1–2. A. luteomaculata Morimoto & Miyakawa, 1995; I 1–2. A. maculaalba Roelofs, 1875; J 1–2. A. nobilis Hubenthal, 1919; K 1–2. A. nohirai Morimoto & Miyakawa, 1995; L 1–2. A. palliata Pascoe, 1872; M 1–2. A. postica Hubenthal, 1919; N 1–2. A. ryukyuana Lewis, 2023; O 1–2. A. sauteri Hubenthal, 1919; P 1–2. A. shibatai Voss, 1971; Q 1–2. A. shigematsui Morimoto & Miyakawa, 1995; R 1–2. Acicnemis sp. 1; S 1–2. A. squamata Lewis & Kojima, sp. nov.; T 1–2. A. suturalis Roelofs, 1875.

Figure 7. Acicnemis azumai Morimoto & Miyakawa, 1995 (OKENT 0132427). A. Lateral; B. Dorsal. Scale bar: 1 mm.