Piazorhinus scutellaris (Say)

Hespenheide, Henry A., 2021, A New Piazorhinus Schoenherr, 1836 from Arizona and New Mexico (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 75 (2), pp. 497-500 : 499-500

Piazorhinus scutellaris (Say)

(Figs. 2, 4)

Attelabus scutellaris SaY 1826: 252.

Piazorrhinus [sic] scutellaris (SaY); Champion 1903: 228.

Piazorhinus scutellaris (SaY) ; O’Brien and Wibmer 1982: 115.

DIagnosIs. Male. GenerallY similar to but somewhat larger than P. caeloinsularis ; black, except tibiae dark reddish-brown, tarsi and antennae uniformlY pale reddish or Yellowish brown, apex of rostrum darker reddish brown; overall more or less uniformlY, sparselY covered with long pale tan or white hair-like scales on pronotum, on sternites, and on legs, except short and inconspicuous on head and ventrites; scales in pattern on elYtra (Fig. 2). Rostrum micro-punctate at base, widening and flattening dorsoventrallY, and verY weaklY rugose beYond antennal insertions; scape of antenna relativelY long, equal in length to basal four antennomeres of funicle, antennal club broadly oval and concolorous with funicle. Pronotum stronglY, conspicuouslY domed, with coarse medial carina. Genitalia as illustrated in Fig. 4. Specimens examined varY in FIgs. 1–4. Piazorhinus species. 1 ) P. caeloinsularis , new species, dorsal habitus (New Mexico: Otero Co., James CanYon Campground, Lincoln National Forest, 20.08.1982, R. Turnbow [TAMU]); 2) P. scutellaris , dorsal habitus (Massachusetts: Middlesex CountY, Groton, 25.07.2009, Tom MurraY; ©Tom MurraY, reproduced bY permission); 3) P. caeloinsularis , new species (holotYpe), male genitalia, dorsal and lateral view; 4) P. scutellaris , male genitalia, dorsal and lateral view (North Carolina: Durham Co., SW of rd. 751 at Mud Creek, 8.09.1963, J.W. BerrY [CHAH]). Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

length from 1.85 mm to 2.20 mm (mean = 2.01 mm, N = 5).

Female. As male, but rostrum longer, flattened, broader at apex. Specimens examined vary in length from 2.15 mm to 2.40 mm (mean = 2.26 mm, N = 7).

Specimens Examined. In addition to the states listed by O’Brien and Wibmer (1982), I have seen the following material, representing new state records: Connecticut: Mansfield [Township], Storrs , 23.05.1972, 7, 8.07.1973, H. A. Hespenheide (3, CHAH) . Louisiana: Grant Parish, Gray Branch, SW of Breezy Hill off Hwy 123, 28.07.1982, C. B. Barr (2, LSAM; LSAC0142051 , LSAC0142054 ) . Maryland: Prince Georges, Croom, Jugs Bay , 21.04.1989, C. L. & S. L. Staines (1, CHAH) . Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Groton , 25.07.2009, T. Murray (image: bugguide.net/node/ view/310379 and Fig. 2) . Texas: Anderson [Co.], Salmon , 20.07– 3.08.1975, H. R. Burke, Malaise Trap (1, TAMU) ; San Augustine Co., Coleman Cemetery , 10 mi SE Broaddus, 19.03.1994, E. Riley (1, TAMU) . West Virginia: Preston Co., Cranesville Swamp , 29.07.1989, C. L. & S. L. Staines (1, CHAH) .

Discussion. Champion (1903) described two Central American species he stated were similar to specimens he misidentified as P. scutellaris , namely, Piazorhinus curtus (Champion) and Piazorhinus cingulatus (Champion) . Champion described P. curtus from a unique male specimen from Panama which he said was “shorter in form than P. cingulatus and its allies, the legs shorter and stouter, the antennae very short, the elytral pubescence irregularly and more widely distributed, but showing a tendency to form an angulated fascia before the middle.” Champion described P. cingulatus from a number of specimens from Guatemala and Panama and said that P. cingulatus is very like the Central American specimens he considered to be P. scutellaris , but differs from them “in the very large eyes and the arrangement of the elytral pubescence, the latter forming a single curved fascia at the middle in P. cingulatus and two transverse fasciae in P. scutellaris ”. On biogeographical grounds, it is possible that the Panamanian and Guatemalan specimens of P. cingulatus are not conspecific. Species with this general habitus can be difficult to distinguish, as with P. caeloinsularis and P. scutellaris . In addition to these, I have a specimen among my collections with the manuscript morphospecies number of PZ13 from the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica similar to P. scutellaris that appears to be distinct and undescribed. Further close study of this species group is required.