Beaverium venustulus ( Schedl 1969 ) Schedl, 1969

Hulcr, Jiri & Cognato, Anthony I., 2009, Three new genera of oriental Xyleborina (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), Zootaxa 2204, pp. 19-36 : 27-28

Beaverium venustulus ( Schedl 1969) comb. n.

Previous genus: Xyleborus

Diagnosis: B. venustulus is the largest Beaverium in New Guinea. Usually dark colored. Pronotal margin with continuous elevated recurved carina. Elytral disc flat or slightly concave, saddle-like (convex in most Beaverium ). The end of declivity mostly shallowly emarginate, but this character seem to vary within each Beaverium spp.

Length: 6.7–7.5 mm.

Discussion. Schedl (1969) mentioned the similarity of this species to B. (as Xyleborus ) insulindicus , and notes the following differences: B. venustulus is more slender, the heart-like depression of elytral declivity more developed (unclear), distinctly separated from the disc, punctures are coarser.

The only consistent difference between the examined series of B. venustulus and that of B. sundaensis (including types of both species) is the body size. The larger specimens currently designated as B. venustulus have all been collected in the highlands, while most of the smaller B. sundaensis are from the lowlands. The tendency of body size to increase with elevation is common in Xyleborina, thus B. venustulus and B.

sundaensis may be just two size forms of the same lineage, and intermediates will likely be found. Examined material: New Guinea, Western Highlands, Jimi Valley, (paratype, FICB); New Guinea, Moroka, ( MCG); New Guinea, Western Highlands, Jimi Valley, (paratype, NHMW).