Plumolepilius Barrios-Izás & Anderson, 2016

Barrios-Izás, Manuel A., Anderson, Robert S. & Morrone, Juan J., 2016, A taxonomic monograph of the leaf-litter inhabiting weevil genus Plumolepilius new genus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae: Conotrachelini) from Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador, Zootaxa 4168 (1), pp. 61-91 : 65-66

Plumolepilius Barrios-Izás & Anderson , new genus

Type species. Plumolepilius trifiniensis Barrios-Izás & Anderson , here designated.

Gender. Masculine.

Diagnosis. Plumolepilius species are best recognized by having a prosternal channel lined with plumose scales ( Figs. 6–7 ). The pronotum is often widened at the base and always with postocular lobes. Elytral humeri are produced laterally or not, tubercles absent or two subconical tubercles on the beginning of the elytral declivity or several between the base of elytra and elytral declivity. Intercoxal distance of mesocoxae and metacoxae less than the width of a coxa. Mesepisternal suture is swollen and shorter than in other genera of Conotrachelini , except for Lepilius . The male genitalia of Plumolepilius differ from Lepilius in having a completely curved penis if seen from lateral view and the aedeagal apodemes are also much longer than in Lepilius .

Description. Head. Scales covering rostrum from antennal insertion (males) or from base of rostrum (females) to head, rostrum smooth or finely punctate, sometimes feebly rugose on dorsum; forehead slightly depressed; antenna inserted close to middle of rostrum on the first half, scrobes lateral, reaching eye margin, scape not passing base of rostrum, funiculus of 7 desmomeres, desmomeres 1 and 2 subequal in length, 3–7 moniliform; eyes lateral, medium-sized, occupying nearly one third of head. Pronotum. Coarsely punctate, laterally swollen; scales clavate, suberect, color variegate, ochreous scales sometimes forming 2 or 3 vittae; postocular lobes present. Thoracic sterna. Prosternal channel lined with plumose scales, mesoventrite depressed anteriorly but not specialized for reception of rostrum, metaventrite short. Wings. Elytra fused, with vestiture of suberect clavate scales varying in color from ochreous to dark brown; usually coarsely punctate and punctate-striate; males with humeri produced laterally or not, absent in females; tubercles absent or two or several, always before the elytral declivity when present. Hind wings absent. Abdomen. Abdominal ventrites 1 and 2 large, fused medially in most species, abdominal ventrite 1 in males depressed in middle; abdominal ventrites 3 and 4 combined usually as long as abdominal ventrite 2, abdominal ventrite 5 bearing tufts of setae at apex or not. Legs. Vestiture of scales and setae, femora armed with a small tooth or not, tibiae shorter than femora, straight or slightly sinuate, uncinate, premucro absent, corbels closed, tarsal claws 2, simple, lacking basal tooth, free. Genitalia. Aedeagus with pedon curved (lateral view), apodemes at least 2X longer than pedon, tegmen open, manubrium almost as large as pedon, parameroid lobes not distinguishable, genital sclerites differing in shape.

Derivation of the generic name. The generic name refers to the sister genus Lepilius and to the plumose scales lining the prosternal channel.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Plumolepilus canoi, female paratype. 1, Habitus, lateral view. 2, Head frontal view, 3, Antennae. 4, Ventral view. 5, Claws. 6, Prosternal channel. 7, Plumose setae.