Euops singularis Voss

Riedel, Alexander, 2001, The pygmaeus-group of Euops Schoenherr (Coleoptera, Curculionoidea, Attelabidae), weevils associated with Nothofagus in New Guinea, Journal of Natural History 35 (8), pp. 1173-1237 : 1186-1189

Euops singularis Voss

(®gures 1, 15, 16, 19, 39, 64, 69, 70, 94, 110, 135, 158, 159, 173, 185, 201, 212, 223) Euops singularis Voss, 1924: 57 . See Riedel (1998: 98, 106).

Diagnosis. Colouration largely black with metallic lustre. Procoxa anteriorly with two blunt knobs (®gure 15). Pronotum shining. Female: Abdominal sternite VI with simple row of modi®ed setae (®gure 59). Male: Head below eye ¯ange-like, extended laterad (®gure 16). Pronotum protruding hunchback-like (®gure 15). TA as in ®gures 135, 158.

Range. Figure 223. Jayawijaya Prov. ( Anggruk , Bime , Borme , Galbok , Taramlu ), Sandaun Prov. ( Telefomin ), East Sepik Prov. ( Mt. Buergers ). Altitude : 1300±1700 m .

Type material. HOLOTYPE, female (by monotypy): Papua New Guinea: East Sepik Prov., Lordberg [5 Mt. Buergers ]; labels: 1) [grey, rectangular]`Lordberg, 226, 11.xii.12, Kais. Augustaūû, BuÈrgers S. G. [handwritten]’ 2) [white, rectangular]`Euops singularis n.sp. [handwritten], det. E. Voû [printed]’ 3) [white, rectangular]`Zool. Mus. Berlin [printed]’ ( MNHB).

Other material examined: Irian Jaya: Jayawijaya Prov., two females, Angguruk, 1600±1700 m, 21/27/ 30.ix.1991, leg. A. Riedel ( ARC) ; three males, one female, Angguruk-Tanggeam, 1500 ±1800 m, 28± 29 September 1991, leg. A. Riedel ( ARC) ; seven males, nine females, Galbok (W Nalca), 1700±1800 m, 3 October 1993, leg. A. Riedel ( ARC) ; one male, one female, Bime, 1600±1900 m, 11 September 1993, leg. A. Riedel ( ARC) ; nine males, ®ve females, Taramlu, 1500±1700 m, 6 September 1993, leg. A. Riedel ( ARC) ; four males, one female, Borme, 1000±1300 m, 13± 18 August 1992, leg. A. Riedel ( ARC) . Papua New Guinea: Sandaun Prov., three males, one female, Telefomin, trail towards Eliptamin, 1700±1900 m, 16± 17 May 1998, leg. A. Riedel ( ARC) .

Redescription

Selected male specimen (Borme). Length, pronotum 1 elytron: 3.16 mm. Colouration. Black; head with greenish lustre, remainder of body with bluish-oily shine. Head. As in ®gure 69; short, with gena 0.76 Ö as long as width of head behind eyes; contours of genae parallel in dorsal view; vertex shining, with moderately deep transversely conūent punctures; eyes dorsally approximated, separated by c. 0.14 Ö basal width of rostrum; eye unevenly rounded, in oblique laterodorsal aspect with anterior contour longer and less strongly curved than short posterior contour; frons smooth, anteriorly without median longitudinal impression, centre without median costa; ventrally postgena (morphological sense) extended laterad, ¯angelike, anteriorly strongly projecting, terminating bluntly angulate at front level of eye (®gure 16); ventrally in front of gular region shining, shallowly punctate, with median furrow, anteriorly with short median submental carina (®gure 19). Rostrum 1.95 Ö as long as mouthparts, at widest point 1.45 Ö wider than at base; clypeus with median process apically concave; antennal insertion at base, approximately within basal ®fth of rostrum; in lateral aspect with dorsal contour above antennal insertion weakly rounded, then in straight line to apex; ventral contour in straight line to apex; dorsal and ventral contour converging from base to apex; ventral surface as in ®gure 19, with submentum before hind level of maxillary cavities ¯at, posteriorly towards sides steeply rising to postgenal recesses, margins of ¯at median area converging basad, continued by median submental carina. Antenna as in ®gure 94. Prothorax. As in ®gures 15, 39; sides rounded; with indistinct preapical constriction; dorsum in apical quarter markedly swollen, protruding hunchback-like; disc shining, basally with transverse wrinkles, apically wrinkles leading to highest point of protrusion. Elytron. At humerus simple; 2.44 Ö longer than wide; striae moderately deeply impressed. Thoracic venter. Prepectus c. 2.5 Ö as long as postpectus. Height of pterothorax 0.78 Ö length of elytron. Legs. Procoxa anteriorly with two blunt knobs (®gure 15). Profemur clavate, with dorsal contour strongly curved, with ventral contour weakly curved; ventrally at one quarter of its length from apex with low, apically truncate knob; anteriorly sparsely granulate. Protibia (®gure 110) with dorsal contour weakly curved, ventral contour subparallel, weakly sinuate; ventral surface densely granulate, densely setose. Mesotibia with dorsal edge subapically simple, without extension. Uncus of metatibia curved ventrad, at base without accessory tooth. Abdomen. Ventral contour in lateral view weakly concave; venter subglabrous, apically sparsely setose; sternite VII with apex evenly concave; pygidium c. 1.18 Ö wider than long, shining, moderately densely and deeply punctate, setose, base laterally overlapped by elytral apex. Genitalia. Sternite VIII (®gure 159) with apex truncate, apically setose with moderately long setae, entire surface sclerotized. Tegminal plate (®gure 185) with sides diverging before apex; apex truncate, glabrous. Aedeagus as in ®gure 135. Apical scoop of pedon (®gure 173) with lateral margins straight and converging, with apex slightly extended forward. TA as in ®gures 64, 158.

Female holotype. Same as male except: length, pronotum1 elytron: 2.97 mm. Colouration. Elytra and legs deep reddish-brown, almost black. Head. As in ®gure 70; eyes separated by c. 0.12 Ö basal width of rostrum; eye evenly rounded; ventrally postgena (morphological sense) forming indistinct blunt ridge along ventral margin of eye, but neither extended ¯ange-like, nor strongly projecting. Prothorax. Sides weakly rounded; dorsum evenly convex, not protruding hunchback-like; disc shining, corrugate with moderately deep transverse wrinkles, laterally strongly punctate. Elytron. 2.40 Ö longer than wide. Thoracic venter. Prepectus c. 0.5 Ö as long as postpectus. Height of pterothorax 0.74 Ö length of elytron. Legs. Procoxa anteriorly with contour sinuate, blunt knob at middle indistinct. Profemur ventrally smooth, without knob; protibia in anterior view with dorsal contour weakly curved, ventral contour weakly sinuate, convex at base, concave at apex; apex of pro-, meso- and metatibia with uncus and premucro. Abdomen. Patch of modi®ed setae c. 0.91 Ö as long as wide; sternite VI with simple row of modi®ed setae. Genitalia. Sternite VIII as in ®gure 212. Spermatheca (®gure 201) robust; with membranous spermathecal gland.

Intraspeci W c variation. Length, pronotum1 elytron: 2.38±3.33 mm (n 5 44, xÅ 5 2.93 Ô 0.24). Colouration. Usually uniformly black with bluish-oily shine, head with more or less distinct greenish lustre; on older specimens, elytra may appear deep reddish-brown from grease accumulation; exceptionally (one pair from Galbok) with natural reddish-brown patch in basal half of elytron. Head. Eyes separated by c.0.09± 0.14 Ö basal width of rostrum (n 5 2, xÅ 5 0.12); smaller males with eye more evenly rounded and less projecting. Prothorax. In smaller males apical portion less swollen. Elytron. 2.39± 2.63 Ö longer than wide (n 5 20, xÅ 5 2.52 Ô 0.07). Thoracic venter. Height of pterothora x 0.71± 0.78 Ö length of elytron (n 5 25, xÅ 5 0.74 Ô 0.02). Legs. Ventral knob of male profemur more or less distinct. Abdomen. Female patch of modi®ed setae c.0.76± 0.96 Ö as long as wide (n 5 11, xÅ 5 0.87 Ô 0.06).

Biological note

This species was collected in Galbok and Taramlu on the young leaves of a Nothofagus sp. growing as scrubby, secondary vegetation along trails near the village.