Trigonopterus chewbacca Van Dam & Riedel

Van Dam, Matthew H., Laufa, Raymond & Riedel, Alexander, 2016, Four new species of Trigonopterus Fauvel from the island of New Britain (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), ZooKeys 582, pp. 129-141 : 131-132

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Curculionidae

Trigonopterus chewbacca Van Dam & Riedel sp. n.

Diagnostic description.

Holotype, male (Fig. 1 a–c). Length 3.34 mm. Color black; legs and antenna ferruginous. Body subrhomboid; in dorsal aspect with marked constriction between pronotum and elytron; in profile dorsally convex. Rostrum dorsally with rows of erect, clavate scales; with broad median costa bearing three fine ridges; with pair of sublateral furrows; epistome subglabrous, with sparse long setae, posteriorly forming transverse ridge bearing denticles; median denticle largest. Forehead in middle with denticle; laterally with row of long, erect, clavate scales bordering eye. Pronotum with subapical constriction; anteriorly with coarse punctures and sparse clavate scales, laterally angularly projecting; disk subglabrous, with sparse small punctures; basal margin bordered by row of coarse punctures; laterally subglabrous with sparse coarse punctures, posteriorly with large fovea. Elytra subglabrous, striae weakly marked by rows of minute punctures; intervals flat; laterally few punctures deeply impressed; apex subangulate, medially with suture incised, in profile curved ventrad, slightly beak-shaped, punctate-granulate, with sparse recumbent scales. Femora edentate, coarsely punctate, with sparse suberect scales. Metafemur with dorsoposterior edge markedly denticulate; subapically without stridulatory patch. Tibiae dorsally denticulate, with row of erect scales. Abdominal ventrites 1-2 forming common, subglabrous cavity; lateral rim with sparse scales; ventrite 5 with broad, subglabrous impression, subapically coarsely punctate. Penis (Fig. 1b) with apodemes and transfer apparatus in repose reaching into prothorax,> 4 × longer than body of penis; sides of body parallel, apex subangulate, medially with sparse setae; transfer apparatus flagelliform, enveloped by sclerotized sheath; endophallus at base of body with funnel-shaped sclerite; ductus ejaculatorius basally sclerotized, apical portion broken and missing. Intraspecific variation. Length 2.78-3.13 mm. Female rostrum with median ridge only basally; in apical third punctate, epistome without distinct transverse ridge.

Material examined.

Holotype (ANIC): ARC4224 (GenBank # KU888903), Papua New Guinea: West New Britain Prov.: E of Silali Village, Nakanai Range, S05°31.233', E151°03.343', 800 m, from leaf litter, 21-22-XI-2014. Paratypes (SMNK, UPNG): 2 exx, ARC4222 (GenBank # KU888901), ARC4223 (GenBank # KU888902), same data as holotype.

Etymology.

This epithet is a noun in apposition and based on the likeable fictional character Chewbacca in George Lucas’ Star Wars movies, portrayed primarily by Peter Mayhew. This species has dense scales on the head and the legs, which reminds the authors of Chewbacca’s dense fur.

Notes.

Presumably, the species belongs in the Trigonopterus basalis -group of Riedel et al. (2013b).