Swezeyella, Zimmerman, 1942

Zimmerman, Elwood C., 1942, Curculionidae of Guam, Insects of Guam I, Honolulu, Hawaii: Bernice P. Bishop Museum, pp. 73-146 : 99

Genus SWEZEYELLA , new genus

Head globular, immersed in prothorax, narrowly exposed from above; eyes oval, separated by breadth of rostrum above and below. Rostrum almost straight, about as long as pronotum in male, about one third longer in female; antennae inserted at about the apical third in female, slightly beyond in male; scrobes passing rapidly ventrally, entirely ventral behind half distance between eyes and their origin, not coalescing at base of rostrum and there shallow; mandibles decussate, strongly toothed. Antennae with scape slender, almost reaching eye, about as long as funicle plus club; funicle only 5-segmented, first segment longer than second, second longer than third; club evidently 3-segmented, basal segment making up at least half its mass. Prothorax transverse; postocular lobes feebly developed and with short vibrissae. Scittellmn not visible. Elytra short and rather subquadrate, conspicuously broader across humeri than base of prothorax; without posterior calli; with ten striae, the tenth abbreviated. Wings functional. Legs with femora moderately clavate, edentate, hind pair reaching beyond apex of fourth ventrite; tibiae compressed, stout, not carinate, strongly uncinate at apex; tarsi with third segment much longer and broader than transverse second segment, deeply and broadly bilobed; fourth segment extencling only to apices of setae on segment 3 and bearing only a single claw. Sternum with prosternum with its apical margin deeply, roundly emarginate, ·broadly and shallowly concave in front of contiguous coxae; mesosternum with intercoxal process sloping cephalo-dorsad, plain, about half as broad as a coxa, mesepimeron only a fraction as large as mesepisternum; metasternum about as long between mid and hind coxae as breadth of a metacoxa, metepisternal suture usually partly or completely obliterated, reaching first ventrite above coxal cavity. Venter with intercoxal process of first ventrite br9adly rounded; ventrite fully as long along median line as segments 2 plus 3 plus 4, truncate behind, ventrite 2 somewhat longer than 3, 3 and 4 subsequal, 5 about as long as 3 plus 4, sutures between segments deep and straight. Pygidiitm with apex exposed from above.

Genotype: Swezeyella muscosa , new species.

This genus is most closely allied to Spanochelus Marshall [Insects of Samoa 4(5): 278, fig. 10, 1931]. It differs from that genus, however, in its unusual 5-segmented antenna] funicle. Its 5-segmented funicle and single tarsal claws constitute a pair of characters rarely found among weevils of this and allied subfamilies. Spanochelus Marshall and Fergttsoniella have single tarsal claws, but their 7- and 6-segmented funicles, respectively, in addition to other characters, will readily separate them from this genus.

I take much pleasure in naming this genus for Mr. 0. H. Swezey as a token of friendship and appreciation and in recognition of his careful work in Guam.