Ambrosiophilus peregrinus Smith and Cognato

Smith, Sarah M. & Cognato, Anthony I., 2015, Ambrosiophilus peregrinus Smith and Cognato, New Species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), an Exotic Ambrosia Beetle Discovered in Georgia, USA, The Coleopterists Bulletin 69 (2), pp. 213-220 : 216-219

Ambrosiophilus peregrinus Smith and Cognato , new species

( Figs. 2–4 )

Type Material. Holotype, female. UNITED STATES: GEORGIA: Murray Co.: Chatsworth , 17.3 km SSE, 34.61734, -84.70987, 226 m., pine and hardwoods wholesale nursery, 10-26.VII.2013, C. VanAtta, ex. Lindgren funnel trap, BSF Database sample ID#52411 ( USNM) . Paratypes, 11: UNITED STATES: GEORGIA: Murray Co.: Chatsworth , 17.3 km SSE, 34.61734, -84.70987, 226 m, pine and hardwoods wholesale nursery, 13-24.VI.2013, C. VanAtta, ex. Lindgren funnel trap ( USNM-1 ) , 10-26.VII.2013 ( CMNH-1 ) , 26.VIII.-9. IX.2013 ( CMNH-1 ) , 9-23.IX.2013 ( MSUC-1 ) ; 34.61659, -84.70985, 226 m., pine and hardwoods wholesale nursery, 17.IV.-V.2.2014, C. Van Atta, ex. Lindgren funnel trap with a-pinene +EtOH +monochamol ( MSUC-2 (DNA vouchers Ambro unk 189, 190)), 12-27.VI.2014 ( CMNH-1 , MSUC-1 , USNM-1 ) ; near Chatsworth 34.987420, -84.634720, 30.IX.2014, J. Sullivan, ex. Walnut twig beetle trap ( UGCA-1 ) . Whitfield Co.: near Cohutta , 34.980165 ,

-84.939557, 16.X.2014, J. Sullivan, ex. Walnut twig beetle trap ( UGCA-1 ) .

Additional Specimen. GEORGIA: Cherokee Co.: Ball Ground , 11.3 km SE, 1845 Lower Creighton Rd. , Goldleaf Farms, 34.29026, -84.2684, 338 m., pine and hardwoods around wholesale nursery, 9-23.IX.2013, C. Van Atta, ex. Lindgren funnel trap with 3- Ips lure. Georgia EBB 2013 Sample # GA13-FAI-CV-101-11; CMNH Unique Specimen # 588,705 ( USNM-1 ) (not examined) .

Diagnosis. This species can be readily distinguished from all other North American Xyleborini by the rounded anterior pronotal margin, the pronotal disc lacking asperities, the lateral profile of the pronotal disc flat, the steeply rounded declivity, the impressed stria 1 and interstria1, and the convex interstria 2 which is armed by three or four evenly spaced tubercles.

This species can be distinguished from all other known Ambrosiophilus species by the presence of three to four tubercles on the convex interstria 2, impressed first stria and interstria, and by the opaque declivity.

Description (Female). Size 2.5–2.7 mm (mean = 2.59 mm, n = 10) and 2.45–2.60 times as long as wide (mean = 2.55, n = 10). Body dark red-brown, often lighter at elytral humeral angles. Legs and antennae yellow brown. Head: Epistoma entire, transverse, lined with a row of hair-like setae. Frons slightly convex from epistoma to upper level of eyes; surface shagreened, strongly opaque, punctate; punctures above epistoma small, coarse, shallow, punctures increasing in size, coarseness, and depth from epistoma to upper level of eyes. Eyes moderately emarginated above level of antennal insertion, upper portion of eyes smaller than lower part. Submentum flat, slightly impressed below genae, shaped as very narrow triangle. Scape narrow, elongate, about equal in length to club. Antennal funicle 5-segmented, segment 1 largest, segments 2–5 nearly of equal width. Club approximately circular, club type 3 ( Hulcr et al. 2007), flattened, oval; segment 1 convex, corneus, segment 2 prominent, transverse on anterior face, segment 3 visible on both sides. Pronotum: Pronotum quadrate, as long as wide. Anterior margin basic, short, parallelsided, rounded frontally when viewed dorsally (Type 2, Hulcr et al. 2007), lacking a row of serrations. Pronotum from lateral view of basic shape (Type 0, Hulcr et al. 2007). Surface shagreened, anterior half asperate, asperities close, arranged in concentric rings from midpoint of pronotum to anterior and anteriolateral areas, increasing in size and coarseness from midpoint of pronotum; disc densely and evenly punctate. Lateral margins moderately arcuate, carinate from base to near anterior margin. Base transverse. Legs: Procoxae contiguous, prosternal posterocoxal piece short, conical. Protibia broadest at apical 2/3 of length, posterior face flat, unarmed; denticles large, distinctly longer than wide, base of denticles not enlarged, 7 denticles present. Elytra: Elytral base transverse. Scutellum rounded, flat, flush with surface. Sides straight on anterior half, narrowed on posterior half, apex entire. Disc smooth, shining, occupying 2/3 of elytra, striae and interstriae flat, finely and regularly punctured (some specimens with confused punctures at midpoint of discal interstria 1); each strial puncture bearing a short, erect, golden, hair-like seta the length of a strial puncture (often abraded); each interstrial puncture bearing a single, erect, fine, golden, hair-like seta (may be abraded). Interstria 2 times width of striae. Declivity gradual, occupying 1/3 of elytra, shagreened, opaque, striae and interstria 1 impressed from base to just before apex; interstria 2 convex, armed with 3 or 4 tubercles (each elytron may bear a different number), tubercles generally evenly spaced (variable). Interstriae 3–6 bearing a few (1–2) small granules; interstria 7 with an abrupt ventrolateral carina arising from apex and continued dorsad 1/2 length of declivity.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. GEORGIA: Cherokee, Murray, and Whitfield Counties.

Biology. Unknown, but given the genus, the species may be mycocleptic and require a host xyleborine for gallery initiation. Further investigation is needed to determine if this species possesses mycangia.

Etymology. The specific epithet ‘ peregrinus ’ (Latin), means “the traveler”. The species is thus named because it is clearly an immigrant to the Nearctic region.

Figures

Figs. 2–5. Ambrosiophilus species. 2) A. peregrinus, holotype, habitus, dorsal view; 3) A. peregrinus, lateral view, holotype; 4) A. peregrinus, holotype, declivity; 5) A. atratus, declivity.