Eupholus sulisi Bollino and Anderson, 2024

Bollino, Maurizio & Anderson, Robert S., 2024, A new species of Eupholus Boisduval, 1835 from Indonesian New Guinea with notes on the taxonomy of the genus (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), Zootaxa 5443 (3), pp. 431-445 : 432-435

Eupholus sulisi Bollino and Anderson , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1A–G )

Diagnosis. A brilliant blue-green Eupholus species with two glabrous transverse black bands towards elytral declivity (one just in front of declivity and one just behind) and black glabrous, swollen humeri; scales of body and appendages a metallic blue-green but more vividly blue (but sparse) anterolaterally on pronotum, in posthumeral area and surrounding second transverse black band on elytra. It is very similar in pattern to Eupholus prasinus Heller 1910 from which it is immediately distinguished by the shape of the rostrum, furrowed in E. sulisi and with a median ridge in E. prasinus , and to E. humeralis Heller 1908 , from which it is distinguished by the different pattern of elytral scales, the glabrous black, although also swollen, humerus in E. sulisi , and the different shape of the aedeagus and of the everted endophallus.

Type material. Holotype, female ( Figs. 1A–B ): Indonesia — Papua Prov. / Dormena vill. (Jayapura, Papua Regency ) / Cyclops Mountains / VII.2023 / Lgt. local people—coll. Bollino // HOLOTYPE / Eupholus sulisi / BOLLINO & ANDERSON, 2024 (typed on red card), in CMNC .

Paratypes (6♂♂, 5♀♀): 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ Indonesia — Papua Prov. / Dormena vill. (Jayapura, Papua Regency ) / Cyclops Mountains / VII.2023 / Lgt. local people—coll. Bollino ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ Indonesia — Highland Papua Prov. / Weime District / Bintang Mountains Regency / ( Star Mts. )—m 2000— VII.2023 / Lgt. local people—coll. Bollino ; 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ Indonesia — West Papua / Neney village—Ransiki distrik / Manokwari province / March 2022 —m 900 / Lgt. local people—coll. M. Bollino , all in MBLI. All paratypes with additional red label: PARATYPE / Eupholus sulisi / BOLLINO & ANDERSON, 2024.

Description. LB 18.9 mm; LE 14.2 mm; LP 4.2 mm; LR 3.7 mm; WE 8.7 mm; WP 5.2 mm; WR 2.4 mm. Holotype female. Length. Total length 23.9 mm; pronotum + elytron 18.9 mm. Coloration brilliant blue-green, elytra with two glabrous transverse black bands towards elytral declivity (one just in front of declivity and one just behind it) and humeri also black, glabrous, humeri swollen; scales of body and appendages metallic blue-green but more vividly blue anterolaterally on pronotum, in posthumeral area and surrounding second transverse black band on elytra. Head with pale translucent, recumbent to suberect apically truncate scales in addition to appressed metallic scales, both types of scales more dense bordering eye; surface dull, micro-reticulate, crenulate behind eye. Eye height approximately 1.3 × the width. Rostrum 1.83 × longer than wide at base; maximum width in front of antennal insertion, there 1.46 × width at base; dorsum trisulcate, median furrow terminating well in front of eyes, with low glabrous median carina terminating at indistinct linear impression between front of eyes, and with pair of sublateral furrows in front of eyes; in addition to metallic scales with pale translucent, recumbent to suberect apically subtruncate scales; epistome V-shaped, sunken posteriorly, ridged; scrobes short, descending, not reaching eyes; venter densely covered with adpressed metallic blue-green scales interspersed with scattered long suberect setae, with median furrow and pair of sublateral furrows, anteriorly behind prementum with 2 stiff erect setae, half the length of prementum. Antenna: funicle + club about 2 × longer than scape; scape with metallic scales and sparse elongate erect seta-like scales; funicle covered with appressed pale green scales and dense long erect seta-like scales; club about 3 × as long as wide. Pronotum 1.23 × wider than long; sulcate and glabrous medially, especially so just in front of midlength; with dense metallic green scales not fully concealing surface, scales less dense and more vividly blue (although sparse) in lateral band starting behind eyes and extended posteriorly to hind margin pronotum; surface texture irregular, weakly punctate-rugose. Scutellum circular, covered with erect setiform pale translucent scales. Thoracic venter densely squamose with blue-green, round to lanceolate, recumbent scales; posterior process between fore coxae glabrous. Elytron 1.89 × longer than width at humerus; 1.42 × wider at humerus than maximum width of the pronotum, greatest width near middle, there 1.1 × wider than at humerus; humerus evenly rounded, with protruding knoblike swelling; all intervals flat or very slightly convex; surface with dense appressed round metallic scales almost fully covering elytral surface except for two glabrous transverse black bands towards elytral declivity (one just in front of declivity and one just behind it) and humeri; striae distinct, punctures small but deep; epipleural edge with fringe of pale, lanceolate scales. Legs with uniform vestiture of metallic green rounded scales, interspersed with dense suberect yellow setalike scales, especially on tibia; front and middle tibia with inner margins toothed distally, teeth small, widely separated; front tibia with apical one-third rather strongly curved inwardly. Abdomen densely squamose with blue-green, round to lanceolate, subrecumbent scales. Genitalia. Hemisternite (9E) similar to those of the other species of the Eupholus schoenherri- group

Male ( Figs. 1C, F–G ). Like female, but slightly smaller (LB: 17.2–18.8); 1.25–1.27 × wider at humerus than maximum width of the pronotum, greatest width near middle, there only slightly (1.03–1.04 ×) wider than at humerus; humerus uniformly rounded, with barely noticeable swelling. Genitalia. Aedeagus ( Figs. 9I–L ) and everted endophallus ( Figs. 3G–I ) as illustrated. Apart from the evident difference in the morphology of the aedeagus compared to the externally most similar species ( E. humeralis ), it is worth noting that E. sulisi exhibits an unusual morphology of the subapical diverticulum of the everted endophallus (see red arrows in Figs. 3G–I ). This diverticulum, in fact, has a subquadrangular shape in lateral view, whereas all other species we studied within the Eupholus schoenherri- group have it triangular and oriented ventrally.

Variability (1C–G)

Eupholus sulisi is a species with considerable variability, both among populations and within the same population. Individuals from the Arfak Mountains lack glabrous areas to trace lines, while those from the typical locality vary greatly both in terms of glabrous areas and the extent of the vivid blue posthumeral bands of elytra. Finally, the pair from the Star Mountains exhibit an unusual gray coloration of the scales, a hue shared by the majority of specimens of Eupholus schoenherri Boisduval that we have received from the same locality.

Distribution.

The new species is distributed to the north of the highlands running west to east along the entire island of New Guinea. South of this mountain range, Eupholus humeralis , the most closely related species, appears to be distributed ( Map 1 )

Etymology.

This species is dedicated to the friend of the first author, Sulistiningsih (Sulis for friends) (Sentani, Indonesia), for the generous assistance provided, enabling him to obtain interesting specimens. The species name is a feminine noun in the genitive case.

Taxonomic notes

Riedel (2002), identified two distinct types of transfer apparatus occurring within the genus Eupholus . This character, combined with the structure of the dorsal surface of the rostrum, whose differences in various species were already recognized by Heller (1923), allowed our contemporary colleague to identify two groups of species: 1) the Eupholus loriae- group, characterized by a rather compact transfer apparatus (if observed with the inflexed endophallus), and a median ridge on the rostrum in most species, even if some species have a medially furrowed rostrum, and 2) the Eupholus schoenherri- group, characterized by an elongate sting-like transfer apparatus when observed with the inflexed endophallus, and with a furrowed rostrum.

Having the opportunity to study the everted endophallus and/or the female genitalia of 38 of 71 known species recognized as valid at the moment ( Porion and Audibert 2020; Limoges & Le Tirant 2022; present paper), we can confirm the existence of the two species group (i.e. the Eupholus loriae- group and the Eupholus schoenherri-group ) plus another species group to which we will refer to as the Eupholus alternans- group. Finally, Eupholus antonkozlovi Porion and Audibert , due to the morphology of the everted endophallus, appears not to belong to any of the three identified groups and will be discussed later.

Figures

FIGURE 1: A: Eupholus sulisi Holotype female, dorsal view; B: same, lateral view; C: E. sulisi male, Cyclops Mt.; D–E: E. sulisi females, Cyclops Mt.; F: E. sulisi male, Arfak Mts.; G: E. sulisi male, Star Mts.

MAP 1. Known distribution of Eupholus sulisi (red asterisk: type locality; red squares: other localities) and Eupholus humeralis (blue asterisk: type locality; blue squares: other localities).

FIGURE 3: Lateral view of Eupholus loriae-group male A: E. cuvierii Female left hemisternites of Eupholus loriae-group B: E. loriae; C: E. prasinus; D: E. euphrosyne; E: E. bruijni; F: E. cuvierii, Lateral view of endophallus of Eupholus schoenherrigroup males G: E. sulisi Cyclops Mts.; H: E. sulisi Arfak Mts.; I: E. sulisi Star Mts.; L: E. humeralis Kutubu Lake; M: E. humeralis Bosavi Mt.; N: E. humeralis Merauke Prov.

FIGURE 9: Female left hemisternites of Eupholus schoenherri-group and Eupholus alternans-group. A: Eupholus azureus; B: E. dhuyi; C: E. amalulu; D: E. browni; E: E. sulisi; F: E. alternans; G: E. amaliae; H: E. antonkozlovi. Male genital of Eupholus spp., aedeagus in dorsal (I, N) and lateral view (L, O); sternite IX in dorsal view (M, P): E. sulisi sp. n. (I, L, M), E. humeralis (N,O, P)