Laparocerus exophthalmus, Machado, Antonio, 2007

Machado, Antonio, 2007, New species of Laparocerus Schönherr, 1834 from La Gomera, Canary Islands (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae), Zootaxa 1643, pp. 1-38 : 12-14

Laparocerus exophthalmus n. sp.

( Figs. 4 A, 11A–C, 17E, 18G)

Dimensions, holotype (ɗ). Length: total (without rostrum) 5.50 mm, head 1.30 mm, rostrum 0.60 mm, eyes 0.32 mm, scape 1.32 mm, funicle 1.54 mm, segments (1st/ 2nd/ 3rd/ 4th) 0.34 /0.30/ 0.20 / 0.18 mm, club 0.48 mm, pronotum 1.25 mm, elytra 3.95 mm, and tibiae (pro- /meso- /meta-) 1.60 /1.52 / 1.84 mm. Width: head (with eyes) 1.08 mm, head (between eyes) 0.62 mm, rostrum (with pterygia) 0.63 mm, rostrum (minimum dorsal /ventral) 0.40 / 0.56 mm, eyes 0.32 mm, scape (apicad) 0.14 mm, club 0.17 mm, pronotum (anterior / maximum /posterior) 1.14 /1.64 / 1.38 mm, elytra (maximum) 2.65 mm. Height: abdomen 2.10 mm. Specimen slightly teneral.

Male. Length 5.4–5.9 mm, oblong-elliptical. Integument piceous to blackish, shining, with dense cover of small, linear, decumbent, testaceous to glaucous scales arranged in diffuse mosaic pattern on elytra, interspersed with small, blackish protruding setae; antennae and legs ferrugineous. Antenna slender; scape bisinuate, slightly longer than pronotum, abruptly capitate at apex (29% of length); funicle longer than scape, 2nd segment equal or shorter than 1st, shorter than 3rd + 4th; 7th slightly incrassate, larger than 6th; club large, fusiform, almost twice as wide and longer than three previous segments combined. Head broad at base, trapezoidal, dorsally flattened up to vertex, slightly depressed at frons; rostrum short, lateral edges divergent basad, surpassing eyes; temples elevated, with abrupt post-ocular declivity; median fovea narrow, often extended backwards. Prorostrum well delimited, not canaliculate, with isodiametric microreticulation in centre, laterally with few punctures; epistomal keel marked, complete. Pterygia small, moderately protruding. Eyes asymmetrically globular, protruding (convexity 56%), not reaching border of frons, with periocular sulcus. Dorsal integument coarsely and shallowly punctate except on prorostrum and base of metarostrum. Pronotum transverse (L/W ratio 0.76), 0.32 × length of elytra, less convex, sides strongly curved in median third, widest at middle or slightly behind, often with anterolateral depression on disc. Surface shiny, with regular, large, distinct, deep punctures; interspaces very narrow (1/4 of puncture diameter), micropunctate; usually without trace of median line. Vestiture composed of mixed scales (longer and thinner, shorter and broader), sparse, quite uniform. Scutellum slightly elevated, densely covered with scales. Elytra elliptical with straight, truncate base, not very convex, laterally uniformly curved, widest at middle; shoulders short, with moderate humeral carina at base of 7th interval. Striae marked by large punctures, reduced in size apicad; intervals subconvex, 8th largely visible from above; elytral border at apex shortly raised into small peak; integument shining, with dense cover (8–10 across interval) of small, linear, testaceous, brown and glaucous scales in more or less defined mosaic pattern; rows of short protruding dark arcuate setae along intervals (not longer than claws). Legs not particularly incrassate at tibial apex; protibia slightly sinuate preapically and with inner brush of long hairs, apex on outside roundly angled, on inside acute with very long, sharp mucro; meso- and metatibial mucro much smaller. Ven t er with sparse cover of hair-like scales; integument shining, ventrites 1–2 with transverse microrugosity; inter-mesocoxal process small, cariniform, little elevated; last ventrite truncate, shortly notched. Abdominal convexity 79%. Aedeagus (fig. 11B–C) 0.7× as long as elytron, median lobe feebly arcuate, apex broadly pointed, in profile straight with short dorsal hump. Internal sac with strongly developed proximal, median and distal fields of denticles.

Female. As male but on average larger (length 5.4–6.9 mm) and broader, duller, elytra with less well marked humeral carina and 9th interval slightly swollen at apex; protibia completely straight and mucro smaller, obtuse; mesotibial mucro developed, metatibial mucro very small. Last ventrite apically rounded. Sternite VIII as in fig. 17E, spermatheca with very simple duct lobe and long incurved gland lobe (fig. 18G).

Etymology. The specific epithet is an adjective denoting the strongly protruding eyes of this species.

Remarks. Laparocerus exophthalmus is readily recognisable by its extraordinary protruding eyes and further characterised by the flattened trapezoidal head with a postocular protruberance, slightly incrassate 7th funicle segment, strongly and distinctly punctate pronotum and by the small, blackish arcuate setae protruding all over the elytra. It belongs to the group of Laparocerus mendicus Wollaston, 1864 and, apart from its cryptic sister species, L. oculatissimus , it is closely related to L. mateui Roudier, 1954 (unpublished genetic data).

Material examined. Holotype: La Gomera: Pajarito, 1360 m (UTM = 28R 0 27975 311175), 6-12-2002, leg. A. Machado, 1 ɗ ( TFMC, reg. CO-15536). Paratypes: same locality and collector, 16 exx. (10 teneral) ( AMC, NHM, MNHN); same locality, 6-12-2002, leg. R. García, 20 exx.; 6-12-2006, leg. R. García, 2 exx. (RGB); 6-12-2006, leg A. Aguiar, 8 exx. ( AAC); 8-12-2006, leg. A. Machado, 4 exx. ( AMC); Alto de Garajonay, 7-12-1976, leg. A. Machado, 2 exx. ( AMC); Bosque del Cedro, 1-1-1972, leg. P. Oromí, 1 ex. (POM); El Cedro, 800 m, 25-12-1998, leg. J. Messutat, 23 exx.; same data, 26-12-1998, 9 exx. (JM); Garajonay, 1400- 1480 m, 26-12-1998, leg. V. Assing, 1 ex. (PS). Other specimens: Los Acebiños, 900 m, 1-4-2001, 1 ex.; sam data, 23-10-2001, 12 exx.; Cumbre de Juan Tomé, 1350 m, 6-12-2002, 24 exx.; Vegaipala NE, 870 m, 16-3- 2003, 2 exx.; Montaña Destene, 950 m, 16-3-2003, 4 exx.; Degollada de Peraza N, 950 m, 16-3-2003, 27 exx.; Apartacaminos, 1030 m, 2-1-2005, leg. A. Machado, 1 ex. ( AMC); Juan Tomé, 3-1-1978, 1 ex.; Montaña del Dinero, 4-1-2003, 1 ex.; same data, 15-2-2003, 3 exx.; Apartacaminos, 15-2-2003, 3 exx.; El Bailadero, 15-2- 2003, leg. P. Oromí, 1 ex. (POM); Cabezo de la Atalaya, 950 m, 20-3-1985, leg. E. Colonnelli, 4 exx. ( MZUR); Monte de Arure, leg. H. Franz, 1 ex. ( NMW).

Distribution and ecology. L. exophthalmus is endemic to La Gomera, where it is widely distributed in the high-mountain laurel-forest district but also occurs at their margins and in adjacent agricultural fields. It is a winter-active, hygrophilous and nocturnal species that feeds on various woody plants, generally on Argyranthemum broussonetii gomerensis but also on Sonchus hierrensis and Cistus monspeliensis , and it is occasionally beaten from ferns and apple-trees.

Figures

FIGURE 4. New Laparocerus species from La Gomera, holotypes: (A) L. exophthalmus n. sp. (B) Laparocerus oculatissimus n. sp. Scale = 2 mm