Curculio songi Pelsue and Zhang

Pelsue, Frank W. & Zhang, Runzhi, 2003, A Review of the Genus Curculio from China with Descriptions of Fourteen New Species. Part IV. The Curculio sikkimensis (Heller) Group (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Curculionini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 57 (3), pp. 311-333 : 329-332

Curculio songi Pelsue and Zhang , new species

(Figs. 35–36)

Holotype. China. Tianmushan male[ China / Zhejiang /Tianmushan/ 18 September 1981 / S. Song] ( IZAS).

Paratype. (1) China. Lijiang female[ China / Yunnan /Lijiang/ 22 August 1962 / S. Song] ( IZAS) .

Description. Male: length: 5.9 mm (n ¼ 1). width: 2.6 mm (n ¼ 1). Head: medium-sized; punctures small, clothed with short, narrow, testaceous scales becoming longer toward frons; frons 0.2 (n ¼ 1) as broad as head across eyes, clothed with small, narrow, elongate, testaceous scales. Rostrum: length: 3.4 mm (n ¼ 1); 0.58 as long as body; cylindrical; three dorsal carinae, median carina extends from frons to 3/ 4 way to antennal insertion, 2 lateral carinae begin distad of base meeting median carina distad of antennal insertion; almost straight to antennal insertion then gradually deflected to apex; clothed with short, clavate, testaceous scales basally; scrobe lateral; scape inserted in apical half. Antennae: length: scape 1.75 mm, funiculus segment one 0.5 mm, two 0.4 mm, three 0.3 mm, four 0.25 mm, five 0.2 mm, six 0.25 mm, seven 0.25 mm, club 0.6 mm, funicle 2.15 mm (n ¼ 1); scape 0.8 as long as funicle; club small, acuminate, not as long as funicular segments 5–7. Thorax: length: 1.4 mm (n ¼ 1). width 1.9 mm (n ¼ 1); 0.73 as long as broad; disc base straight, not as broad as elytral base, margins subparallel, abruptly rounded to constriction; slightly convex in lateral view; clothed with median vitta of narrow, elongate, testaceous scales, with basolateral macula of clavate, testaceous scales, remaining scales fuscous with some testaceous scales mixed; punctures set in rugae; laterally scales elongate, clavate, testaceous with truncate apices; mesosternal intercoxal process not prominent; scutellum small, longer than broad, clothed with white scales; mesepimeron, mesepisternum, clothed with clavate, aeneous scales; metepisternum clothed with short, clavate, testaceous scales; metasternum with tuberculate process proximal to coxae. Elytra: length: 4.0 mm (n ¼ 1); striae deep with small punctures, scales short, narrow, fuscous to testaceous in fascia; humeri somewhat prominent; slightly convex in lateral view; intervals flat, moderately broad, clothed with confused basal fascia and median fascia of short, narrow, testaceous scales with confused fascia toward apex, remaining scales fuscous; crosshatch setae not prominent. Legs: length hind femur 2.6 mm (n ¼ 1), tooth medium; pro-, mesofemoral teeth small; femoral base moderately broad, moderately clavate, clothed with narrow, elongate, testaceous scales; tibiae straight, all unci small. Abdomen: sternite 2 longer than 1 behind coxal cavity; sternites 3 and 4 equal in length, combined longer than 5; sternite 5 with emarginate at apex and lateral tufts of long seta-like scales; sternites 1 and 2 clothed with lateral macula of clavate aeneous scales, medially with narrow, elongate, white scales on remaining sternites. Pygidium : medium-sized; clothed with elongate, fuscous seta-like scales. Genitalia: not dissected.

Female: length: 5.4 mm (n ¼ 1). width: 2.5 mm (n ¼ 1). Rostrum: length: 4.9 mm (n ¼ 1). Antennae: length scape 1.4 mm, funicle 2.15 mm (n ¼ 1); scape 0.65 as long as funicle. Thorax: length: 1.6 mm. width: 1.7 mm. Elytra: length: 3.5 mm (n ¼ 1). Legs: length hind femur 2.5 mm (n ¼ 1). Abdomen: sternite 5 with apical declivity and lateral long seta-like scales. Pygidium : concealed. Genitalia: spermatheca not dissected.

Remarks. These specimens were erroneously labeled Curculio alpestris (Faust) in the (IZAS) collection. The senior author examined the type of C. alpestris which is much larger, robust hind femur exceeds apex of the abdomen, and the female rostrum exceeds 16 mm in length. This species appears similar to Curculio bimaculatus (Faust) in that each has dark with light macula distad of midpoint, but in C. bimaculatus the light macula is white and the hind femur exceeds the apex of the abdomen.

Etymology. Named in honor of the collector, ‘‘S. Song.’’