Cercopeus femoratus O’Brien, Ciegler and Girón, 2010

O’Brien, Charles W., Ciegler, Janet C. & Girón, Jennifer C., 2010, Weevils of the genus Cercopeus Schoenherr from South Carolina, USA (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae), Insecta Mundi 2010 (141), pp. 1-29 : 10-13

Cercopeus femoratus O’Brien, Ciegler and Girón , new species

( Fig. 6, 7 , 16, 22 , 25, 26, 30, 36, 43)

Diagnosis. Body elongate broad-oval; integument shining, dark reddish brown; clothed with dark brown, brownish black, and few whitish tan to white, round to elongate-oval, recumbent scales; some with scales predominantly dark brown with pale brown sparse maculae and uneven elytral fascia; and with moderately dense, distinct, suberect, moderately coarse setae.

Description. Holotype female. Length, pronotum and elytron: 4.70 mm. Width, elytra: 2.4 mm. Rostrum weakly curved, dorsal line nearly flat in basal 2/ 3 in lateral view; apical 1/3 weakly depressed; dorsal median area medially narrowly impressed from base to apical 1/3; basal 2/3 densely clothed with large, imbricate, tan to white, recumbent scales, nearly concealing large punctures; apical 1/3 subglabrous, clothed with few small round shining, recumbent scales and with coarse, moderately dense, elongate, suberect setae; nasal plate sharply defined, not carinate or punctate. Head with frons with small median, round, deep fovea in transverse shallow impression at base of eyes nearly concealed by dense cover of large to medium-sized white to pale tan scales; latter not concealing large, rugosely striate punctures; punctures behind frons striate, smaller, with smaller sparse scales; eyes elongate-oval, moderately weakly convex. Antennae long, slender; scape weakly clavate, extended beyond anterior margin of pronotum, with very sparse small oval recumbent scales, and moderately dense long coarse suberect setae; funicular antennomere 1 about 0.40× longer than 2 and 0.33× wider, 3 about 0.56× as long as 2, 4-7 moniliform and about 1/2 as long as 2; club elongate, broad-oval (Fig. 30). Prothorax transverse, 1.15× as wide as long, subquadrate with sides subparallel, widest near basal 1/5, base with carinate collar; at apical 1/5 narrowed to short subtubulate apex; disc completely striate, with small, moderately sparse, elongate scales in striae, medial 4/5 with strongly developed striae (Fig. 25), lateral margins in part with large denser round recumbent grayish scales partially concealing striae; striae straight medially from apex and onto broad blunt medial basal process, and becoming weakly curved laterally; in lateral or anterior view, disc forming distinct angulate but narrowly rounded margins (Fig. 26); inflexed area of pleuron concave, coarsely striate, strongly rugose above coxa, with moderately dense, recumbent, elongate, pale tan plumose scales and shining, metallic brown scales; disc with moderately dense, long, fine, mostly dark, subrecumbent setae; scales not forming distinct pattern. Elytra broad-oval, 1.17× as long as broad, rounded behind humeri, broadest at middle then sides narrowed gradually to declivity and evenly narrowed to rounded apex; median area of disc somewhat set off by significantly darker brown to black scales, surrounded by pale tan interrupted uneven moderately broad fascia of recumbent scales, inside and including humeri and along side margins and declivity; inflexed lateral area completely clothed with moderately dense, small, round to oval, pale brown, recumbent scales; strial punctures deep, round and distinct, separated by own diameter; intervals uneven in width, flat, each with one or two uneven rows of moderately fine, subrecumbent setae, and dense, round to oval, imbricate to contiguous, recumbent scales. Legs very stout; femora strongly clavate; with moderately dense, mostly contiguous, pale grayish to brown, recumbent scales and suberect, long, fine setae; foretibia nearly straight, internal margin sinuate with moderately strong, subapical, inner curvature, apex externally expanded as moderate triangle, internally with short, acute mucro, and with eight short stout subacute spines; hind tibia with two long, acute, stout, anterior, apical spines, and outer margin with about 15 short, coarse, moderately sharp, pale brown spines, with only last two or three somewhat longer posteriorly. Venter with dense to sparse noncontiguous recumbent plumose scales on pro-, meso-, and metasternum, sparse laterally on abdominal sternum I, and on articulating surfaces of all coxae; abdominal sterna all with moderately sparse fine, recumbent setae; thoracic sterna with dense, moderately coarse punctures; abdominal sterna with variable-sized, sparser punctures; abdominal sternum I flattened, not transversely impressed between hind coxae, 1.32× as long as II; II flat and 1.17× as long as subequal weakly convex III + IV; V subequal in length to II and broadly transversely concave in apical third. Genitalia: Tergum VII ( Fig. 43a ) 2× wider than long, with anterior margin rounded, 1.7× wider than posterior margin, lateral margins straight, posterior margin slightly rounded, surface with setae on apical fourth; in lateral view, dorsal outline straight. Tergum VIII ( Fig. 43b ) with anterior and lateral margins nearly straight; lateral margins convergent; anterior margin 2.3× wider than posterior margin; posterior margin rounded, with setae on marginal area. Sternum VIII ( Fig. 43c ) nearly 0.6× length of sterna I-V together, with lamina semihexagonal, 1.8× longer than wide, apically truncate, with apical half and median basilongitudinal region more sclerotized than basilateral region, with 2-3 lateral submarginal setae. Coxites + styli ( Fig. 43d ) nearly as long as lamina of sternum VIII; apex of coxites with several mid-sized anteapical setae; styli apically inserted, 2.3× longer than basal width, apically rounded, with one anteapical and four apical longer setae. Genital chamber 0.8× length of sternum VIII. Spermatheca ( Fig. 43e ) 1.2× longer than wide, j-shaped; cornu curved; ramus laterally projected, apically truncate, laterally rounded; collum apically truncate; surface of corpus, cornu, and ramus reticulate.

Allotype male. Same as female holotype except: Length, pronotum and elytron: 3.80 mm. Width, elytra: 2.0 mm. Elytra elongate-oval, 1.20× as long as broad. Legs even stouter, with forefemur more swollen, entire surface with moderately dense very long, fine subrecumbent setae; midfemur strongly asymmetrically swollen with very large ventrolateral obtuse process with two small blunt apical tubercles; foretibia with outer margin straight, rounded at apex, inner margin beginning at basal 1/3 strongly sinuate, undulate with two bluntly rounded small tubercles, apically broadly flattened, abruptly curved inward at apical 1/7 with large ventral triangular tooth, moderately long stout subacute mucro, and six short blunt pale spines; hind tibia with one stout, anterior, apical spine and outer margin with 12 long to short, acute, fine, pale spines, longest apically, gradually shorter to shortest at base of stout, moderately long, subacute mucrone. Venter with abdominal sternum I broadly moderately deeply impressed, impression barely continuing basally more narrowly on sternum II; sternum V basally nearly flat, with narrow shallow marginal impression; all abdominal sterna with very long, dense, fine, subrecumbent setae. Genitalia: Tergum VIII ( Fig. 36a ) 2.1× wider than long, with anterior margin deeply roundly emarginate, 1.9× wider than posterior margin, lateral margins convergent from basad of midpoint, posterior margin emarginate, surface lightly sclerotized on basal region, with setae in posterior half; in lateral view ( Fig. 36b ), dorsal outline sinuate. Sternum IX (spiculum gastrale, Fig. 36c ) with basal plate bifurcate, forming two opposed triangles, nearly 1.9× longer than wide each; apodeme 0.4× width of aedeagus in lateral view, 1.5× length of aedeagus. Tegmen ( Fig. 36d ) with tegminal apodeme 0.5× length of aedeagus; basal piece connate with tegminal plate; tegminal plate with mesal n-shaped projection, posteriorly directed. Aedeagus in dorsal view ( Fig. 36e ) 3.4× longer than mesal width, lateral margins parallel; apex ( Fig. 36f ) widely rounded, mesally narrowed; in lateral view ( Fig. 36g ) dorsally convex, 4.3× longer than mesal width. Endophallus with pair of subapical sclerotized plates closing the ostium and two dark areas near midpoint. Aedeagal apodemes slightly longer than aedeagus.

Intraspecific variation. The length (pronotum plus elytra) ranges from 3.6 to 4.6 mm, the width from 1.9 to 2.5 mm. In males, the tubercles of the midfemur vary in size and location, some directly across from each other, some with the anterior tubercle closer to the apex, and some with the tubercles joined into a blunt crosswise ridge. The elytral color variations include all brown, brown with paler scales on interval 1 at apical third, and brown with a broken fascia of paler scales from humerus to apical third. The size and density of prothoracic scales varies. Inflexed margins of elytra in some specimens are completely denuded, apparently by movement of the hind femora.

Remarks and comparative notes. Males can be identified by the tubercles on the enlarged midfemur. Females of this species are similar only to females of C. tibialis . The lateral margins of the prothorax and the area surrounding the coxae are more deeply striate in C. femoratus . In C. femoratus , the apical margin of the foretibia is straight and the outer margin is moderately triangularly produced; in C. tibialis , the apical margin is curved and the outer margin is rounded with a ventral process.

Range. Known only from three localities in central South Carolina.

Materials examined. On hand for this study were 41 specimens, 13 males and 28 females.

Holotype female, allotype male (in CASC on long-term loan to CWOB), and 14 paratypes: “S[OUTH]C[AROLINA]: LexingtonCo., PeachtreeRockH[eritage]P[reserve], Edmund 9-III-08, N33 o 49.809', W81 o 11.847' / J.C.Ciegler, berlese, sifted, pine,oak.sw.gum”.

Paratypes. S[OUTH] C[AROLINA]: Kershaw Co., Goodale State Pk , Camden 27-I-08, N34 o 17.112' W80 o 31.535' / J. C. Ciegler, berlese, sifted, ex lichens on sand (2) ; same except N34 o 16.974', W80 o 31.596' (5); same except N34 o 17.165', W80 o 31.521', 1-III-08, ex lichens, longleaf pine (1); same except N34 o 17.146', W80 o 31.515' (2); SC: Lexington Co., Peachtree Rock H [eritage] P[reserve], Edmund 5-II-08 N33 o 49.986', W81 o 11.630' / J. C. Ciegler, berlese ex lichens on sand (1) ; same except 8-III-08 N33 o 49.655, W81 o 11.870' (1)same except 9-III-08 N33 o 49.902', W81 o 11.870' / ex lichens, moss on sand (1); SC: Richland Co., Sandhills Res & Ed, Center, Pontiac ; 3/24/2005, Sweeping, Coll. J.C. Ciegler (1); SC: Richland Co., Pontiac , Sandhills, R&E Ctr. 12-I-08, N34 o 08.167', W80 o 52.494', J. C. Ciegler, berlese ex pine chips in mixed woods (1) ; same except N34 o 08.260', W80 o 52.217', ex lichens, longleaf pine (4); same except 15-I-08, N34 o 08.364', W80 o 52.188', 15-I-2008, ex lichens, longleaf pine straw (2); same except N34 o 08.367', W80 o 52.056' (1); same except N34 o 08.363', W80 o 52.078' (1); same except 9-III-08, N33 o 49.809', W81 o 11.847', lichens, moss (2). Paratypes are in the following collections: BMNH, CASC, CMNC, CUAC, CWOB, FSCA, JCCC, JFCC, SCSM, and USNM.

Etymology. This epithet is from the Latin adjective femoratus (= of the femur), and refers to the strangely formed middle femora and tibiae of the male.

Figures

Figure 6-10. Habitus of Cercopeus species: dorsal view, lateral view, and life-size silhouette. 6) C. femoratus, male. 7) Same, female. 8) C. maspavancus, female. 9) C. paulus, male. 10) Same, female.

Figure 16-23. Legs of Cercopeus species. 16) Left midfemur, C. femoratus, male, ventral view. 17) Left foretibia, C. alexi, male, lateral view. 18) Left foretibia, C. tibialis, male, lateral view. 19) Right foretibia, C. cornelli, male, ventral view. 20) Right foretibia, C. chrysorrhoeus, female, dorsal view. 21) Left foretibia, C. maspavancus, female, dorsal view. 22) Right foretibia, C. femoratus, female, dorsal view. 23) Left foretibia, C. tibialis, female, lateral view.

Figure 40-48. Female genitalia of Cercopeus species: a. tergum VII, dorsal view; b. tergum VIII, dorsal view; c. sternum VIII, ventral view; d. coxite, lateral view; e. spermatheca. 40) C. alexi. 41) C. chrysorrhoeus. 42) C. cornelli. 43) C. femoratus. 44) C. maspavancus. 45) C. paulus. 46) C. skelleyi. 47) C. strigicollis. 48) C. tibialis. Scale bars: 0.5 mm for a, b and c; 0.2 mm for d and e.

Figure 34-39. Male genitalia of Cercopeus species: a. tergum VIII, dorsal view; b. tergum VIII, lateral view; c. sternum IX (spiculum gastrale); d. tegmen; e. aedeagus, dorsal view; f. apex of aedeagus, dorsal view; g. aedeagus, lateral view. 34) C. alexi. 35) C. cornelli. 36) C. femoratus. 37) C. paulus. 38) C. skelleyi. 39) C. tibialis. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.