Alcidodes confusus Lyal, 2000

Lyal, C. H. C. & Curran, L. M., 2000, Seed-feeding beetles of the weevil tribe Mecysolobini (Insecta: Coleoptera: Curculionidae) developing in seeds of trees in the Dipterocarpaceae, Journal of Natural History 34 (9), pp. 1743-1847 : 1808-1809

Alcidodes confusus Lyal , n.sp.

Length 4.15±5.94 mm (xÅ5 l4.83, m 4.98), PW 5 2.1±3.06 mm (xÅ5 l2.15, m 2.61), HW5 2.6±4.06 mm (xÅ5 l3.16, m 3.27) (n 5 l11, m 9) (®gures 27, 60, 79).

Head. Rostrum very weakly curved, slightly longer and generally more slender in female ( RL 5 1.68±2.78 mm, xÅ5 2.13, RL/ PW 5 0.76±0.91, xÅ5 0.81; RB/RD 5 0.74±0.89, xÅ5 0.80; n 5 9) (®gure 199) than in male ( RL 5 1.73±2.23, xÅ5 2.13 mm; RL/ PW5 0.72±0.80, xÅ5 0.77; RB/RD 5 0.82±1.0, xÅ5 0.91; n 5 11) (®gure 200) although there is some overlap in RB/RD; sides barely diverging towards apex in female (®gure 18); arising approximately half-way down eye in female, one-third down eye in male (®gures 199, 200) .

Thorax. PL/PW 5 0.66±0.73 (xÅ5 0.69, n 5 20) (no signi®cant sexual diOEerence); prothorax sometimes with small tubercle or bump behind fore coxae, more apparent in larger specimens than smaller. Elytra with interstriae weakly wrinkled proximally and sometimes with small bumps, strial punctures deep, narrower than interstriae and not obscuring them, humeri with interstria 9 projecting beyond 8 in dorsal view, generally obscured just posterior to humeri by 8 (®gure 27); EL/HW5 1.04±1.11 (xÅ5 1.10, n 5 20), no signi®cant diOEerence between sexes. Elytra with darker pigmentation on humeri, laterally and medially on disc, darkening with age until all of elytra uniform; elytral scales hair-like, fairly uniform. Fore femur with ventral tooth subtriangular, lacking proximal lobe, proximal margin at c.90ss to the long axis of the femur and at least as high as the length of the tooth, shorter than distal margin, distal margin dentate or serrate and with relatively steep slope (®gures 136, 162, 163); fore tibia with ventral tooth, mid and hind tibiae lacking ventral tooth or with tooth very small and indistinct. Metasternum strongly produced posteroventrally before hind coxae, its ventral margin strongly diverging from elytral margin (®gure 12).

Abdomen. Ventrite 5 with two caudal setal tufts on prominences on raised posterior margin in both sexes, those of male larger than those of female, female with median depression more or less apparent between tufts (®gures 106, 107).

Male terminalia. Tergite 7 as in ®gure 321; short row of plectral tubercles on each side. Genitalia as in ®gures 322±326. Tegmen with parameres fused at base (®gure 322). Aedeagus with apex rounded, downturned, sides sinuate so that aedeagus is approximately twice as wide at base than in distal half (®gures 324, 326), distance from ostium to apex less than width of ostium; ostiolar sclerites not fused to aedeagal body (®gures 324, 325).

Female terminalia. (®gures 327±330) Tergite 7 with approximately ®ve weak plectral tubercles on each side of midline (®gure 327). Tergite 8 with broadly rounded posterior margin, weakly sclerotized anteriorly (®gures 328). Spiculum ventrale with wider posterior portion sometimes at an angle to its apodeme when seen from the side (®gure 330), posterior`arms’ broad, converging (®gure 329). Genitalia as in ®gure 331; hemisternites with weakly ¯attened styli (®gures 331, 333); vagina with large pair of lobes ventro-laterally near junction with common oviduct (®gure 332). Spermathecal duct arising at junction of bursa and common oviduct; spermatheca with gland lobe tubular, slightly bulbous (®gure 331).

Distinguishing features. The distinguishing features of this species have been discussed above, under A. walliorum .

Etymology. The name was applied because of the puzzling nature of the weevils on Hopea species generally, and the confusion engendered by their very similar external morphology.

Specimens examined

HOLOTYPE, l Indonesia: Kalimantan, with labels:`Holo- / type’ and` INDONESIA: / W. Kalimantan; / Gunung Palung / Nat. Pk., Cabang / Panti Res. Sta.’ and`1ss15¾S.110ss05¾E / January± April 1991 / Lisa M. Curran’ and`LAB. REARED: / Ex: seeds / Hopea dyeri / ( Dipterocarpaceae ) ’ and`91Hdye16’ and`632’ and` HOLOTYPE / Alcidodes / confusus Lyal / Lyal det. 1996’ ( MZB).

PARATYPES: Indonesia: Borneo: Kalimantan: 7 ll, 8mm, same locality and host as holotype; 2mm, same locality but host Hopea mengarawan ; 4 ll, same locality but host Hopea ferruginea (MZB, BMNH, UMMZ) .

Malaysia: Borneo: 1m, W. Sarawak: Mt Matang, January ± February 1914 (G. E. Bryant) , 1m, same data but December 1913 ( BMNH) .

Range. Borneo.

Hosts. Hopea dyeri Heim. , H. ferruginea Parijs , H. mengarawan Miq.