Endeochetus helenae, Colonnelli, 2014

Colonnelli, Enzo, 2014, Apionidae, Nanophyidae, Brachyceridae and Curculionidae except Scolytinae (Coleoptera) from Socotra Island, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54, pp. 295-422 : 395-396

Endeochetus helenae sp. nov.

( Figs 115, 117 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( MCCI), ‘ Socotra ( YE) // Dohor village // 9.II.2009 - R. Sindaco’ . PARATYPE: 1 J, same label data as holotype ( MUPI).

Description. Male holotype. Body length 7.2 mm. Piceous, opaque, strongly punctured. Dorsal vestiture on rostrum formed by barely visible rather sparse golden-brownish half- -recumbent small hair-like scales; head bare; pronotum with sparse almost recumbent very elongate curved yellowish scales originating from punctures; elytra with row of suberect similar scales on intervals, which bear also large sulcate roundish scales forming pattern of Fig. 115 ; legs with sparse yellowish to silvery setae; basal two thirds of femora and internal margin of tibiae with long erect silvery or golden setae. Ventral side rather densely punctured and clothed with fairly sparse yellowish short scales originating from punctures; pro- and mesocoxae, and ventrites with long suberect golden hair-like setae ( Fig. 115 ).

Head. Rostrum quite elongate, about as long as pronotum, rather regularly and strongly curved, quite coarsely punctured, punctures irregularly confluent on sides of thin unapparent keel of basal half, keel becoming more evident from beyond antennal insertion to distance from apex about same of rostral width, where surface is densely punctured; in dorsal view sides of rostrum subparallel from base to antennal insertion, and slightly concave on apical half because rostrum is slightly dilated towards apex. Antennae inserted at middle of rostrum; scape slightly curved inwards at extreme base, then almost straight and gradually clubbed; funicular antennomere I not thicker than following ones and clearly shorter than II; antennomeres III to VII progressively little shorter, last moderately transverse and annexed to club which is subconical and slightly longer than two preceding antennomeres. Head convex, minutely punctured, space between eyes as wide as hardly more than half of rostral width at base; eyes subtriangular and not protruding from head convexity.

Pronotum 0.93 times broader than long, slightly constricted near truncate apex, base slightly convex, disc moderately convex, without median furrow and with large coarse round punctures from each of which starts erect yellow elongate scale; sides only slightly rounded on basal half, more so on apical one, maximum width imperceptibly apicad of middle. Scutellum invisible.

Elytra 1.42 times longer than wide and 2.23 times as long as pronotum, dorsum depressed on basal half between intervals I–III, then moderately convex towards apex, base little concave, sides moderately curved at basal two thirds then quite strongly curved towards apex, maximum width at apical third. Striae formed by very large subquadrate punctures from which originates an almost recumbent yellowish elongate scale. Interstriae convex and punctate, III, V and VII more convex than others, all not wider than striae.

Legs moderately elongate; femora strongly clubbed and acutely toothed, fairly densely punctured; tibiae compressed, curved at extreme base then almost straight, punctured, outer margin keeled, inner one with submedian obtuse tooth, larger on protibiae, all tibiae moderately serrate on apical half; tarsi rather narrow, tarsomere III not bilobed.

Ventral side. Tubercles on basal margin of prosternum posteriorly to coxae large and moderately protruding; metaventrite and abdominal ventrites I and II with large moderately deep common impression.

Male genitalia. Aedeagus as depicted in Fig. 117 .

Variability. The other male is very similar to the holotype, its vestiture is partly abraded and the elytral markings are less visible, and body length 5.6 mm.

Differential diagnosis. This new species very much resembles E. saccofrancisci sp. nov., from which can be differentiated particularly by the structure of its antennae, since in E. helenae sp. nov. funicular antennomere I is clearly shorter than the second and the seventh is much longer than the sixth, whereas in E. saccofrancisci sp. nov. the first two antennomeres are subequal and the seventh is extremely transverse and about as long as the sixth. The dorsal pattern of both species is also slightly different ( Figs 115 and 118 ). The third large broad- -shaped Socotran E. crassirostris sp. nov. has sulcate pronotum and cannot be confused with E. helenae sp. nov. ( Figs 114–115 ).

Etymology. The new species is named in honour of Hélène Perrin (MNHN, Paris), who significantly improved our knowledge of the Socotran weevils, and described the first species of Endeochetus from this island.

Distribution. Endemic to Socotra Island.

Figures

Figs 113–117. 113 – Endeochetus canui Perrin, 2000, habitus of a male from Wadi Ayhaft. 114, 116 – Endeochetus crassirostris sp. nov.:114 – habitus of the holotype; 116 – aedeagus of a paratype in dorsal view.115, 117 – Endeochetus helenae sp. nov., holotype: 115 – habitus; 117 – aedeagus in dorsal view.

Figs 118–123. 118, 121 – Endeochetus saccofrancisci sp. nov., holotype: 118 – habitus; 121 – aedeagus in dorsal view. 119, 122 – Endeochetus pressicornis sp.nov.: 119 – habitus of the holotype; 122 – aedeagus of a paratype in dorsal view. 120, 123 – Endeochetus maculifer sp. nov.: 120 – habitus of the holotype; 123 – aedeagus of a paratype in dorsal view.