Laparocerus oculatissimus, 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 : 14-15

Laparocerus oculatissimus n. sp.

( Figs. 4 B, 11D–F, 15B, 18K)

Dimensions, holotype (ɗ). Length: total (without rostrum) 4.10 mm, head 0.88 mm, rostrum 0.44 mm, eyes 0.24 mm, scape 1.14 mm, funicle 1.24 mm, segments (1st/ 2nd/ 3rd/ 4th) 0.24 /0.28/ 0.18 / 0.14 mm, club 0.42 mm, pronotum 1.00 mm, elytra 2.85 mm, and tibiae (pro- /meso- /meta-) 1.24 /1.10 / 1.26 mm. Width: head (with eyes) 0.92 mm, head (between eyes) 0.54 mm, rostrum (with pterygia) 0.55 mm, rostrum (minimum dorsal /ventral) 0.34 / 0.49 mm, eyes 0.20 mm, scape (apicad) 0.12 mm, club 0.12 mm, pronotum (anterior / maximum /posterior) 0.86 /1.30 / 1.14 mm, elytra (maximum) 2.10 mm. Height: abdomen 2.10 mm. Specimen slightly teneral.

Differential diagnosis. Length: total ɗɗ 4.4–5.1 mm, ΨΨ 4.3–5.2 mm. Similar in appearance and structrual details to its apparent sister species, L. exophthalmus , but smaller and with shorter and less elliptical elytra. Elytra on average 2.88× longer than pronotum (instead of 3.46×). 2nd funicle segment longer than 1st, 7th not incrassate (equal to 6th). Rostrum shorter (L/W ratio 1.3× instead of 1.5×), less constricted dorsally; pterygia not protruding, median fovea short, rarely extended; eyes globular, even more protruding (convexity 58– 60%), posteriorly subpedunculate; postocular protruberance not or clearly less developed; protruding elytral setae whitish. Protibial mucro in male much smaller, meso- and metatibial mucrones very small in both sexes. Aedeagus (fig. 11D–F) more arcuate, apically not straight but strongly curved upwards, ending in a downward-pointing, shoe-like tip, in profile very narrow and slightly twisted (not broad-triangular); internal sac with less strongly developed fields of denticles. Spermatheca with lobes and tail much shorter (fig. 18K).

Etymology. The specific epithet is an adjective in the superlative referring to the extraordinarily protruding, globular eyes of this species, the most distinct known in Laparocerus .

Remarks. It is easy to distinguish L. oculatissimus from L. exophthalmus by its smaller size and shorter body proportions (rostrum and elytra) when having both species at hand. Otherwise, the posteriorly subpedunculate eyes, the 7th funicle segment not being incrassate and the whitish protruding elytral setae serve to distinguish L. oculatissimus , and all doubt about its identity is removed when examining the male genitalia, in particular by the shoe-like apex of the aedeagus.

Material examined. Holotype: La Gomera: San Sebastián, Loma del Camello, 350 m (28R 0 290820 3107214), 3-1-2005, leg. A. Machado, 1ɗ ( TFMC, reg. CO-15525). Paratypes: s ame data, 10 exx. (1 TFMC, 9 AMC); s ame data, 5-12-2006, 36 exx. (2 NHM, 2 DEI, 2 MNCN, 30 AMC); s ame data, leg. R. García, 15 exx. (RGB); s ame data, leg. A. Aguiar, 6 exx. ( AAC).

Distribution and ecology. L. oculatissimus appears to be restricted to the eastern part of La Gomera. It was collected at night from Argyranthemum frutescens in the dry Euphorbia- dominated vegetation belt that occurs at low altitude, and it is apparently more xerophilous than L. exophthalmus .

Figures

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