Debus fallax (Eichhoff)

Hulcr, Jiri, 2010, Taxonomic changes in palaeotropical Xyleborini (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae), ZooKeys 56, pp. 105-119 : 107

Debus fallax (Eichhoff)

Xyleborus fallax Eichhoff, 1878

Debus fallax (Eichhoff): Hulcr and Cognato in press

Xyleborus shoreae Stebbing, 1909, syn. n.(complete taxonomic history in Wood and Bright 1992)

Specimens examined.

Xyleborus shoreae : India, Kumaon, (2), Beeson det., BMNH); Malaysia, Kedah, (two labels: Xyleborus shoreae , Browne det., Xyleborus fallax , Schedl det., BMNH); Thailand, Pong Yaeng N. P., (Beaver det.); Borneo (Schedl det., BMNH); Debus fallax : Malaysia, Sabah, Danum Valley (Hulcr det.); Malaysia, Sabah, Danum Valley (51, Hulcr det.); New Guinea, Morobe Province, Bulolo (Jordal det.); New Guinea (BBM, 5 indiv.); Sulawesi (Browne det., BMNH); Thailand, Pong Yaeng N. P. (2, Hulcr det.); PNG, Madang Prov. (36), Oro Prov. (66), West Sepik (123) (Hulcr coll, det.); Philippines, Luzon, Mt. Makiling ( Xyleborus amphicranulus Egg. holotype, Xyleborus fallax syn., SMTD).

Comments.

Holotype of Xyleborus shoreae in FRI, inaccessible, non-type specimens identified by several authorities available. Location of Xyleborus fallax holotype unclear. Wood and Bright (1992) indicated IRSNB as holotype depository, however museum personell reports that holotype has never been deposited there. Xyleborus shoreae is a variant of Debus fallax (Eichhoff), declivital emargination shallower than in most Debus fallax . All other characters identical to Debus fallax : color uniformly brown to bicolored (light brown to orange pronotum), elytral denticles all small except the denticle in the middle of declivital face, which is slightly longer than others; declivity surface shining, most specimens with remnants of strial punctures, size 2.6 - 3.0 mm. Declivity emargination depth intermediate between Debus fallax and Debus emarginatus , most other characters (size, coloration, flat posterolateral processes) shared with Debus fallax . Maiti and Saha (2004) had access to holotype, redescription and illustration fits Debus fallax . Stebbing not consistent in distinguishing Xyleborus shoreae from Xyleborus fallax , assigned similar specimens to either species ( Maiti and Saha 2004).

Biology and distribution:

Reported from India and Thailand, and by Browne (1983) as imported from PNG to Japan. Despite the name “shoreae”, the species is a broad generalist ( Wood and Bright 1992).