Aphanerostethus nudus Lewis & Kojima, 2024

Lewis, Jake H., Kojima, Hiroaki, Suenaga, Miyuki, Petsopoulos, Dimitrios, Fujisawa, Yusuke, Truong, Xuan Lam & Warren, Dan L., 2024, The era of cybertaxonomy: X-ray microtomography reveals cryptic diversity and concealed cuticular sculpture in Aphanerostethus Voss, 1957 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), ZooKeys 1217, pp. 1-45 : 1-45

Aphanerostethus nudus Lewis & Kojima sp. nov.

Figs 2 M – P , 8 A – C , 12 C, D , 15 O, P

Specimens examined.

Holotype: Malaysia: Brinchang : • 17. V. 1973, S. Miyakawa, male deposited in KUM, JHLHY_DAR_014 . Paratypes: Malaysia: Brinchang : • 17. V. 1973, S. Miyakawa, (3, KUM; 1, OIST), JHLHY_DAR_012 , JHLHY_DAR_013 , JHLHY_DAR_015 , JHLHY_DAR_074 ; • Pahang, Cameron Highlands, Brinchang , 18–31. VII. 1992, C. W. & L. B. O’Brien, (2, OIST; 8, KUM), JHLHY_DAR_127 , JHLHY_DAR_130 – JHLHY_DAR_138 .

Diagnosis.

Body length 1.7–1.9 mm. Cuticle dark red and largely bare; covered unevenly with yellow scales. Funicle with six articles. Procoxae contiguous. Eyes dimorphic (connected at base of rostrum in male; separated in female). All elytral intervals with erect scales. Erect elytral scales evenly distributed, not concentrated in bundle. Scutellum reduced. Femora without ventral tubercle or tooth. Prosternal cavity very weakly defined and without steep lateral ridges. Metaventrite flattened between meta- and mesocoxae, without a distinct elevated transverse ridge. Metatibial uncus weakly spiral-shaped in male (Fig. 2 M – P ). Aedeagus wide at midpoint, and tapering near apex (Fig. 15 O, P ). Internal sac with basal protruding structure (Fig. 15 O, P ).

Distribution.

This species is currently only known from Malaysia (Brinchang).

Etymology.

The specific name nudus is a Latin adjective that refers to the distinctly naked (unscaled) cuticle of this species.

Figures

Figure 2. Metatibial unci in Aphanerostethus (males) A – D A. magnus sp. nov. (JHLHY _ DAR _ 075) E – H A. morimotoi sp. nov. (JHLHY _ DAR _ 113) I – L A. spinosus sp. nov. (JHLHY _ DAR _ 077) M – P A. nudus sp. nov. (JHLHY _ DAR _ 012).

Figure 8. X-ray microtomography generated 3 D models of Aphanerostethus pronota with scales removed, revealing otherwise hidden differences in underlying puncture morphology A – C Aphanerostethus nudus sp. nov. (JHLHY _ DAR _ 012, 013, and 014, respectively) D – F Aphanerostethus taiwanus sp. nov. (JHLHY _ DAR _ 070, 021, and 086, respectively).

Figure 12. Lateral and dorsal photographs of Aphanerostethus species A, B Aphanerostethus armatus sp. nov. (JHLHY _ DAR _ 078) C, D Aphanerostethus nudus sp. nov. (JHLHY _ DAR _ 014). Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 15. Aedeagi of Aphanerostethus species A, B A. bifidus sp. nov. (JHLHY _ DAR _ 102) C, D A. distinctus (Morimoto & Miyakawa, 1985) (OKENT 87658) E, F A. falcatus sp. nov. (JHLHY _ DAR _ 099) G, H A. incurvatus sp. nov. (JHLHY _ DAR _ 100) I, J A. japonicus sp. nov. (JHLHY _ DAR _ 052) K, L A. magnus sp. nov. (JHLHY _ DAR _ 022) M, N A. morimotoi sp. nov. (JHLHY _ DAR _ 113) O, P A. nudus sp. nov. (JHLHY _ DAR _ 012) Q, R A. spinosus sp. nov. (JHLHY _ DAR _ 077) S, T A. taiwanus sp. nov. (JHLHY _ DAR _ 016) U, V A. vannideki Voss, 1957 (JHLHY _ DAR _ 082).