Euops ibelensis, Riedel, 2001

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 : 1203-1207

Euops ibelensis sp. n.

(®gures 6, 92, 93, 99, 115, 141, 142, 148, 167, 178, 190, 204, 215, 225)

Diagnosis. Colouration bronze. Length of pronotum plus elytron c. 2.9±3.1 mm.

Elytral humerus without tooth. Male: TA as in ®gure 148. Range. Figure 225. Jayawijaya Prov. (Ibele Valley). Altitude: c. 2800 ±2950 m. Type material. HOLOTYPE: Irian Jaya: Jayawijaya Prov., Moss forest between

Theila and Lake Habbema, 2800±2950 m, 22 Octber 1993, leg. A. Riedel (ARC).

PARATYPES: one female (marked as`allotype’): Same data as holotype ( ARC) .

Description

Holotype, male. Length, pronotum 1 elytron: 2.94 mm. Colouration. Entirely bronze; elytron with slightly reddish shine, head and pronotum with slightly greenish shine, meso- and metathorax rather black. Head. As in ®gure 92; short, with gena 0.93 Ö as long as width of head behind eyes; contours of genae in dorsal view subparallel, weakly converging anteriad; vertex shining, with shallow punctures, posterolaterally with irregular wrinkles curving dorsad to hind margin of eye, extended well-impressed mesad behind eye; eyes evenly rounded, dorsally distant, separated by c. 0.36 Ö basal width of rostrum; frons smooth except row of punctures along mesal margin of eye, anteriorly with median longitudinal impression, centre without median costa; ventrally in front of gular region shining, transversely rugose with deep punctures, without median furrow, anteriorly with short median submental carina. Rostrum 1.69 Ö as long as mouthparts, at widest point 1.57 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 weakly bisinuate, above antennal insertion and at middle of rostral length weakly convex; ventral contour at base continuous with contour of head, weakly concave to apex; dorsal and ventral contour converging from base to apex; ventral surface 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 99. Prothorax. Sides subparallel, straight, rounded towards apex; with indistinct preapical constriction; disc shining, punctate, in anterior half with apicad concave wrinkles. Elytron. At humerus simple; 2.62 Ö longer than wide; striae moderately deeply impressed. Thoracic venter. Prepectus c. as long as postpectus. Height of pterothorax 0.68 Ö length of elytron. Legs. Procoxa anteriorly simple. Profemur with ventral surface smooth. Protibia (®gure 115) with dorsal contour weakly curved, ventral contour weakly sinuate; ventral surface anteriorly granulate, posteriorly denticulate, densely setose. Mesotibia with dorsal edge subapically simple, without extension. Uncus of metatibia curved ventrad, at base with posteriad directed accessory tooth. Abdomen. Ventral contour in lateral view weakly concave; venter sparsely setose; sternite VII with apex evenly concave; pygidium c. 1.37 Ö wider than long, shining, densely deeply punctate, setose, with base presumably not overlapped by elytral apex. Genitalia. Sternite VIII (®gure 167) with apex bilobed, apically setose with moderately long setae, entire surface sclerotized. Tegminal plate (®gure 190) with sides diverging before apex; apex truncate, evenly setose. Aedeagus as in ®gure 141. Apical scoop of pedon (®gure 178) with lateral margins weakly concave and converging, with apex subacute, weakly rounded. TA as in ®gure 148.

Allotype, female. Same as holotype except: Length, pronotum1 elytron: 3.13 mm. Head. As in ®gure 93; eyes separated by c. 0.42 Ö basal width of rostrum. Rostrum. Apically more strongly compressed dorsoventrally; in lateral view with dorsal contour sinuate, in front of antennal insertion concave to apex. Elytron. 2.60 Ö longer than wide. Thoracic venter. Prepectus c. 0.5 Ö as long as postpectus. Legs. Protibia in anterior view with dorsal contour weakly curved, ventral contour strongly sinuate, convex at base, concave at apex; apex of pro-, meso- and metatibia with uncus and premucro; uncus of metatibia without accessory tooth. Abdomen. Patch of modi®ed setae c. 0.99 Ö as long as wide; sternite VI with simple row of modi®ed setae. Genitalia. As in ®gure 142. Sternite VIII as in ®gure 215. Spermatheca (®gure 204) slender; with membranous spermathecal gland.

Etymological note. This epithet is based on the name of the Ibele Valley which belongs to the Baliem-River-system. The type locality is located on the upper slopes of the Ibele valley close to the watershed with the Baliem-timur River.

Biological note

This species was collected on a Nothofagus sp. on the same locality as E. platyrostris . However, it can not be recalled if the pair of E. ibelensis was sitting on the same plant or a diOEerent species of Nothofagus as E. platyrostris .