Temnocerus oculatus ( Sharp 1889 )

Hamilton, R. W., 2010, Central American Temnocerus Thunberg, 1815 (Coleoptera: Rhynchitidae), Insecta Mundi 2010 (128), pp. 1-42 : 28-29

Temnocerus oculatus ( Sharp 1889)

( Fig. 35, 36 , 75 , 92 )

Type locality. Guatemala, Guatemala City Type depository. The Natural History Museum, London, England ( BMNH)

Specimens examined. Holotype male with the following labels: Guatemala City, Champion, Rhynchites oculatus type D. S. [on card with specimen]; Type [circular label with red margin]; Guatemala City, 6,000 ft. Champion ; B.C.A. Col. iv.a, Rhynchites oculatus Sharp ; Sharp coll. 1905-313 [upside down label]; GUATEMALA: 2 females, Baja Verapaz, 14.5 km N. Salami on Pantin Rd., 01.vi.1991, 1620 m, H & A Howden ( CMNC). MEXICO: 2 females, Chis., 17 mi W P.N. Montebello, vii-301974, 4,800’, O’Brien & Marshall ( CWOB); 1 female, Chis., hwy 24, 9 mi SE Teopisca, v.16, 1969, H.F. Howden; 1 female, Oaxaca, 5 km N Oaxaca, 14.vi.1979, 1700 m, H. & A. Howden; 1 female, Chiapas, Laguna Belgica , 16 km NW Ocozocoautla, 31.v. 1990, 970 m, H & A Howden; 1 female, Guerrero, 12.0 km SW Xochipala, 14-vii- 1992, 1700 m Oak /acacia woodland, on Quercus, R. S. Anderson ; 1 female, N. L. [Nuevo Leon], Chipinque Mesa nr. Monterrey , vii. 8.1963, 5,400 ’, A.T. Howden ( CMNC). 1 male, Hidalgo, 6 mi. S. Jacala, March 18, 1975, Clark & Schaffner; 1 male, Puebla, 4.7 mi SW La Cuabre, 5100’, vii-23-1987, J. Woolley, & G. Zolnerowich, 8/055 ( TAMU).

Description. Color and pubescence: Body blackish throughout with a faint rosy and brassy luster above. Pubescence inconspicuous and consisting of short fine brownish reclinate setae. Abdominal ventrites with longer more whitish setae along each side of midline. Size: Male (n = 2) 2.3 x 0.9 mm to 2.5 x 1.0 mm; Female (n = 8) 2.2 x 0.8 mm to 2.4 x 0.9 mm. Head quadrate, about as long as wide, sparsely punctured; punctures small, round; interspaces minutely granulose; frons wide, about twice as wide as rostral base; eyes large, oval, moderately protuberant. Rostrum short, about.33 times longer than head, parallel-sided; in lateral view nearly straight, apically depressed; basi-dorsal 1/2 minutely granulose as in head interspaces; sides moderately punctured; apico-dorsal 1/4 smooth, shiny. Antenna inserted at basal 1/4; scape and funicular segment 1 ovoglobose, subequal,; funicular segments 2 and 3 narrow, weakly clavate; segment 2 slightly longer than 3; segments 4-7 shorter, bead-like; segments 6 and 7 slightly more robust; club abrupt; basal and middle club segments subequal, wider than long; terminal segment smaller than basal or middle segment, rounded, bluntly acuminate. Pronotum about as long as wide, weakly constricted anteriorly, widest behind middle, very densely punctured; interspaces minutely granulose. Scutellum rectangular, slightly wider than long, minutely granulose. Elytra about twice as long as pronotum, widest just behind middle; humeri simple; striae subquadrate, deeply impressed, similar in size throughout; intervals narrow, raised, with single row of setigerous punctures; strial interspaces with single setigerous puncture. Thoracic pleura and sterna densely with moderate to dense coarse setigerous punctures. Adominal ventrites distinctly concave, with sparse, small, setigerous punctures; punctures along each side of midline with longer more numerous setae; lateral interspaces minutely granulose.

Distribution. A widespread species with adults recorded from central Mexico south into Guatemala and Honduras ( Fig. 92 ).

Comments. The adults of this species can be recognized by the rostrum that is nearly straight, parallelsided, distinctly depressed apically (“needle nosed”) and with minute granulations in the dorso-basal half. The pronotum is very densely punctured and weakly constricted anteriorly. The aedeagus ( Fig.75 ) has a short apically tapered median lobe with the pedon apex sharply truncate. The tectum is spearheadshaped. The tegminal cap piece is finger-like and the knob-like pigmented apex bears a cluster of setae. Endophallic bands are linear, pigmented and elongate. The aedeagus of this species shows affinities with those of T. potosi and T. pseudaeratus ( Fig. 76 and 77 ).

Plant association. A single female specimen is recorded from Quercus sp. in the Mexican state of Guerrero.

Figures

Figure 35-46. Heads of Temnocerus species, frontal view, male left and female right. 35-36) T. oculatus (Sharp). 37-38) T. potosi n.sp., holotype and allotype. 39-40) T. pseudaeratus n.sp., holotype and allotype. 41-42) T. pueblensis n.sp., holotype and allotype. 43-44) T. pusillus (Sharp). 45-46) T. regularis (Sharp).

Figure 59-86. Aedeagal tegmen and median lobe of Temnocerus species, dorsal view, 64X. 59) T. abdominalis (Voss). 60) T. chiapensis n. sp. 61) T. chiriquensis (Sharp). 62) T. confertus (Sharp). 63) T. cyaneus n. sp. 64) T. ellus n. sp. 65) T. giganteus n. sp.; 66) T. guatemalenus (Sharp). 67) T. guerrerensis n. sp. 68) T. herediensis n. sp. 69) T. mexicanus n. sp. 70) T. michoacensis n. sp. 71) T. minutus n. sp. 72) T. niger n. sp. 73) T. oaxacensis n. sp. 74) T. obrieni n. sp. 75) T. oculatus (Sharp). 76) T. potosi n. sp. 77) T. pseudaeratus n. sp. 78) T. pueblensis n. sp. 79) T. pusillus (Sharp). 80) T. regularis (Sharp). 81) T. rostralis n. sp. 82) T. rugosus n. sp. 83) T. salvensis n. sp. 84) T. tamaulipensis n. sp. 85) T. thesaurus (Sharp) 86) T. yucatensis n. sp.

Figure 91-94. Distribution of Temnocerus species. 91) T. rugosus, red; T. obrieni, black; T. oaxacensis, blue; T. niger, green. 92) T. pseudaeratus, black; T. potosi, blue; T. cyaneus, green; T. oculatus, red. 93) T. pueblensis, red; T. pusillus, blue; T. regularis, black; T. salvensis, green. 94) T. tamaulipensis, red; T. thesaurus, blue; T. yucatensis, black.