Eupholus marielaurae, Riedel, Alexander & Porion, Thierry, 2017

Riedel, Alexander & Porion, Thierry, 2017, A new species of Eupholus Boisduval from West New Guinea (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Zootaxa 4263 (1), pp. 194-200 : 195-197

Eupholus marielaurae sp. n.

Description. Holotype, male ( Fig. 1 a). Coloration pale turquoise, created by dense coverage of subrotund or ovate, partly overlapping scales; elytron with black longitudinal band. Length. Total including rostrum 22 mm; pronotum + elytron 17 mm. Head densely squamose except medially between eyes with glabrous furrow; scales of rather lanceolate shape, their color yellowish-opalescent; dorsally eyes bordered by denser clusters of lanceolate scales. Vertical diameter of eye 1.31 X horizontal diameter. Rostrum ( Fig. 3 a) 2.13 X as long as wide at base; maximum width in front of antennal insertion 1.40 X width at base. Dorsum with distinct median furrow, without costa; densely covered with appressed turquoise scales interspersed with yellowish, subrecumbent setae; both scales and setae pointing towards midline. Epistome heart-shaped, somewhat sunken ventrad, anteriorly nude, posteriorly squamose. Antennal scrobes complete, sparsely squamose with lanceolate scales. Venter densely covered with appressed scales, densely interspersed with long suberect setae. Antenna. Funicle + club 2.29 X length of scape; scape and funicle densely clothed with yellowish, elongate, recumbent scales and interspersed suberect setae.

Pronotum ( Fig. 3 b) 1.10 X wider than long; disc medially with shallow impression deepening to small fovea in apical 1/3; completely covered with appressed turquoise scales; laterally interspersed with sparse, recumbent setae. Scutellum squamose, sides weakly overlapped by elytra. Elytron ( Figs. 1 a, 2a) 3.36 X longer than wide between humeri; greatest width ca. at middle, 1.06 X wider than between humeri; sides weakly curved, subparallel. Interval 5 in apical 1/4 with distinct knob; humeri with rectangularly projecting callus; interval 7 behind humeral callus somewhat swollen to level of metacoxa; striae somewhat indistinct; densely squamose with appressed turquoise scales except intervals 3–4 subglabrous; this black, subglabrous band shortened basally and at apical declivity; surface besides scaling with scattered, thin, suberect setae. Ala. Length 16.5 mm. Thoracic venter densely squamose with turquoise, round to lanceolate, recumbent scales; posterior process between forecoxae glabrous. Legs. Femora and tibiae densely squamose with round, appressed scales, turquoise; vestiture interspersed with yellowish suberect seta, relatively sparse on femora, more densely on tibiae; tarsi with ovate to lanceolate, recumbent scales. Abdomen with ventrites 1, 2, 5 densely squamose; ventrites 3–4 anteriorly subglabrous, posteriorly with fringe of lanceolate scales. Genitalia. Aedeagus ( Fig. 4 ) with sides subparallel to apical orifice, then converging to subacute apex; in lateral aspect weakly curved. Endophallus with lyriform transfer apparatus ( Fig. 4 c.) 1.39 X as wide as long.

Paratype, female ( Fig. 1 b). Same as holotype except: Length. Total including rostrum 28 mm; pronotum + elytron 22 mm. Head. Vertical diameter of eye 1.33 X horizontal diameter. Rostrum 1.85 X as long as wide at base; maximum width in front of antennal insertion 1.33 X width at base. Pronotum 1.20 X wider than long. Elytron more convex, 3.33 X longer than wide between humeri; greatest width 1.10 X wider than between humeri; sides more distinctly curved.

Material examined. Holotype: ARC 4995 (GenBank # KY570521 ), Indonesia: West Papua Prov.: Arfak Mts. , ca. 1200 m, X-2011 . Paratype: 1 ex, ARC 4996 (GenBank # KY570522 ), Arfak Mts. , ca. 1200 m, X-2007 .

Etymology. This epithet is a matronym in honor of Marie-Laure Grange, an insect-lover and the junior author´s sister in law.

Diagnosis. The new species superficially resembles E. cuvierii but can be distinguished by 1) a completely squamose pronotum (with median black line in E. cuvierii ) 2) a squamose elytral suture (black in E. cuvierii ) 3) a completely squamose elytral side (with black line starting from humeral callus in E. cuvierii ). Moreover, it appears to be of larger body size and differs by its turquoise color from the mostly bright green color of E. cuvierii .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Eupholus marielaurae sp. n., dorsal habitus: holotype (a); female paratype (b).

FIGURE 3. Eupholus spp., head and pronotum: E. marielaurae sp. n. (a – b), holotype; E. cuvierii (c – d).

FIGURES 4 – 5. Male genital of Eupholus spp., penis in lateral (a) and dorsal aspect (b); transfer apparatus (c): 4 E. marielaurae sp. n., holotype; 5 E. cuvierii.