Geraeus minor Prena, 2009

Prena, Jens, 2009, A Review of the Species of Geraeus Pascoe and Linogeraeus Casey Found in the Continental United States (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Baridinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 63 (2), pp. 123-172 : 143-144

Geraeus minor Prena , new species

( Figs. 25, 26 , 57 , 74 )

Holotype male, labeled ‘‘ ARIZONA, S. C. Co.,/ Ruby – Arivaca Rd,/ Sycamore Cyn, 3,9809/ N 31.43, W 111.19,’’ ‘‘ Aug. 3, 2007,/ C. W. O’Brien,’’ ‘‘TYPUS/ Geraeus minor / Prena, 2009’’ (California Academy of Sciences , currently as longterm loan to CWOB).

Paratypes: 24 males, 18 females. United States: Arizona, Cochise Co., Huachuca Mts., outside E. entrance, Coronado National Memorial , 12 Aug 2007, W. B. Warner ( CWOB 2 ) ; Pima Co., Madera Canyon , 31 ° 439400N 110 ° 529510W, 8 Aug 2003, E. G. Riley ( TAMU 1 ) ; Santa Cruz Co., Ruby– Arivaca Road, Sycamore Canyon , 3 Aug 2007, C. W. O’Brien ( CWOB 2 , JPPC 1 ) ; Santa Cruz Co., 1 mi S Peña Blanca Lake , 6 Aug 1982, R. Anderson ( CMNC 2 ) . Mexico: Guerrero, 1 mi E Taxco , 14 Aug 1974, C. W. & L. O’Brien, B. Marshall ( BMNH 2 , CWOB 12 , JPPC 4 ) ; Mexico, 4.3 mi NE Ixtapan , 6 Jul 1974, Clark, Murray, Ashe, Schaffner ( TAMU 4 ) ; Morelos, Cuernavaca , 25 Aug 1944 [2X], Oct 1944, Jul 1965 [7X], Sep 1965, N. L. H. Krauss ( USNM 11 ) ; Morelos, Hujintlan [Huajintlán], 22 Aug 1956, R. & K. Dreisbach ( USNM 1 ) .

Description. Total length 2.1–2.6 mm, standard length 2.0– 2.4 mm; body elongate rhomboidal ( Fig. 25 ); integument black, distal portion of appendages often brown or reddish; scales white, elongate on dorsal side of body, wider and denser on ventral side and on pleurites (particularly in Mexican specimens); rostrum stout, evenly curved, gradually tapered, dorsal profile continuous with head, male 1.06–1.23X length of pronotum, female 1.08–1.23X length of pronotum ( US specimens in lower range), anteantennal portion of male 0.37– 0.41X length of rostrum, of female 0.35–0.45X length of rostrum ( US specimens in upper range), male without tubercle on submentum, funicle stout, club rather large; pronotum with greatest width at base, sides roundly narrowed to front, apical constriction subtle, dorsal punctation shallow and separate; prosternum unmodified, spines and folds absent, posterior line of tubulate constriction with moderately deep punctures, scales not radiating from central pore; elytral interstriae mostly with 2 more or less regular rows of appressed, elongate, white scales; male with ventrites 1 and 2 slightly depressed, both genders with ventrite 5 with apical depression; all legs with ventrodistal tibial spine; body of aedeagus dorsoventrally compressed, dorsal aspect as in Fig. 60 , internal sac slightly longer than apodemes, surface with non-sclerotized asperities, gonopore without sclerite.

Distribution. This species is known from central Mexico and extends into southern Arizona ( Fig. 74 ).

Temporal occurrence. July to October [7 dates].

Plant associations. Asteraceae : Ageratina adenophora (Spreng.) King and H. Rob. [as Eupatorium adenophorum ] (N. L. H. Krauss, observation).

Specific epithet. The name is the comparative of the Latin adjective parvus meaning smaller.

Figures

Figs. 25–32. Geraeus and Linogeraeus species, dorsal and lateral aspects; scale bar 1 mm. 25, 26) G. minor, male; 27, 28) G. petilior, male; 29, 30) G. picumnus, male; 31, 32) L. crucifer, male.

Figs. 57–60. Geraeus and Linogeraeus species, aedeagus, dorsal aspect; scale bars

Figs. 73–75. Maps of southern United States and Mexico (top) and United States (without northwestern part) and Central America (bottom) showing distributions of G. euryonyx, G. minor, G. nimbatus, G. pannuceus, G. patagoniensis, G. petilior, and Linogeraeus neglectus.