Curculio obrieni Pelsue and Zhang, 2002

Pelsue, Frank W. & Zhang, Runzhi, 2002, A Review Of The Genus Curculio From China With Descriptions Of New Taxa. Part III. The Curculio subfenestratus Voss Group (Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Curculionini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 56 (1), pp. 1-39 : 33-34

Curculio obrieni Pelsue and Zhang , new species

Figs. 51–52, 103–106

HOLOTYPE. China. Shaxian : male[ China / Fujian /Shaxian/ 25 August 1979 / N. Lin] ( IZAS).

PARATYPE (1). China. female[ China / Fujian / Shaxian / 25 August 1979 / N. Lin] ( FWPC) .

Description. Male: length: 5.6 mm (n = 1). width: 2.8 mm (n = 1). Head: moderatesized, short in lateral view; punctures small with short, narrow, testaceous scales; frons 0.14 as broad as head across eyes, clothed with narrow, elongate, testaceous scales. Rostrum: length: 3.0 mm (n = 1); 0.54 as long as body; sub­cylindrical, margins subparallel gradually tapering from frons to antennal insertion, narrowing to apex; 5 dorsal carinae from frons to insertion of antennae with slit­like fovea at insertion of scape, punctures deep, oval between carinae; almost straight from frons to antennal insertion, then slightly arced to apex; scrobe ventral; scape inserted in apical half. Antennae: length: scape 1.4 mm, funiculus: segment one 0.35 mm, two 0.35 mm, three 0.2 mm, four 0.18 mm, five 0.18 mm, six 0.14 mm, seven 0.2, club 0.45 mm, funicle 1.6 mm (n = 1); scape 0.88 as long as funicle; club small, elongate, acuminate, slightly longer than funicular segments 5–7. Thorax: length: 1.1 mm (n = 1). width: 2.2 mm (n = 1); 0.77 as long as broad; disc broadly rounded to constriction, slightly convex in lateral view; punctures small, numerous with clavate, testaceous scales; base sinuate; mesosternal intercoxal process prominent, clothed with dirty white scales; scutellum small, longer than broad, clothed with a few testaceous scales; mesepimeron clothed with broad, clavate, testaceous scales; mesepisternum, metepisternum vestiture of shorter, narrower, clavate, testaceous scales. Elytra: length: 3.6 mm (n = 1); striae moderately deep with short, clavate, testaceous scales; scutellar declivity very shallow; humeri prominent, rounded; intervals broad, flat, clothed with elongate, clavate, testaceous scales, few fuscous scales mixed; crosshatched setae short, not prominent, testaceous. Legs: length of hind femur 2.5 mm (n = 1), all femora with teeth small­sized; femora base slender, clava medium­sized; hind femur slightly exceeding apex of abdomen; base fuscopiceous, clava fuscorufous, apex fuscopiceous; tibiae sinuate, derm fuscopiceous, pro­, meso­ and metauncus lacking. Abdomen: sternite 2 longer than 1 behind coxal cavity, ascending to 3; sternites 3 and 4 equal in length combined longer than 5; sternite 5 with centroapical declivity, lateral tufts of testaceous seta­like scales; all sternites clothed with clavate, testaceous scales. Pygidium : small, triangular, clothed with short, fulvous seta­like scales. Genitalia: median lobe of aedeagus 1.0 mm (n = 1) in length; 0.2 mm (n = 1) in width, margins thicker basally, becoming thinner towards apex in dorsal view, thin with short deflection at apex in lateral view; apodeme 1.4 mm (n = 1) in length (Figs. 103–105) Female: length: 5.9 mm (n = 1). width: 3.3 mm (n = 1). Rostrum: length: 3.5 mm (n = 1); 0.59 as long as body, almost straight, scape inserted in basal half. Frons: 0.19 as broad as head across eyes. Antennae: length: scape 1.3 mm, funiculus: segment one 0.4 mm, two 0.4 mm, three 0.25 mm, four 0.2 mm, five 0.2 mm, six 0.175 mm, seven 0.2 mm, club 0.45 mm, funicle 1.8 mm (n = 1), scape 0.72 as long as funicle. Thorax: length: 1.9 mm (n = 1). width: 2.4 mm (n = 1); 0.79 as long as broad. Elytra: length: 3.6 mm (n = 1); feeble fascia of fuscous scales on intervals 3–6. Legs: length of hind femur 2.6 mm (n = 1), reaching apex of abdomen. Pygidium : concealed. Genitalia: spermatheca: ramus obliquely erect; collum pronounced, broadly rounded; cornu evenly broad to abrupt acute apex (n = 1) (Fig. 106).

Remarks. Similar to C. gangkuensis n. sp., but separable by length of scape longer than funicular segments 1–6.

Etymology. Named in honor of eminent entomologist and friend Professor Charles W. O’Brien.