Pactola setacea (Montrouzier)

Mazur, Miłosz A., 2014, Review of the New Caledonian species of the genus Pactola Pascoe, 1876 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Eugnomini), with description of two new species, Zootaxa 3814 (2), pp. 202-220 : 205-208

Pactola setacea (Montrouzier)

(figs. 1, 2a–f, 6, 10, 14a, 15a, 16a, 17a–c, 21a–c, 25, 29, 32, 34)

Macropoda setacea Montrouzier, 1861: 878 (320); Klima, 1934: 82.

Pactola setacea (Montrouzier) : Kuschel, 1964: 446 (by implication, following synonymy of Macropoda and Pactola ). Macropoda kanalensis Perroud, 1864: 167 ; Klima, 1934: 82; syn. n.

Pactola kanalensis (Perroud) : Kuschel, 1964: 446 (by implication, following synonymy of Macropoda and Pactola ).

Diagnosis. Interstriae 5 extended into prominent tubercle exceeding posterolateral elytral margin in dorsal view. Median lobes of male pygidium massive, subtriangular with maximum width at base.

Redescription. Body colour and vestiture (figs. 1, 2a–f). Body covered with mixture of small, dense setae, tessellate to imbricate scales and longer, single erect setae. Scales short and robust, erect setae frequently paler than small ones, both truncate. Colour of scales very variable; integument varying from dark brown to almost black. Tarsi usually paler. Scape uniformly reddish; antennal funicles variable in colour, from reddish, only slightly darker than scape, to dark brown, first segment often darker than others.

Head (figs. 10, 14a, 15a). Head transverse (hw/hl = 1.38–1.50). Forehead slightly narrower than base of rostrum, flat; eyes gently protruding above forehead. Vertex convex, sometimes medially with two small tubercles, each furnished with bundle of few elongate scales. Eyes rounded, convex, distinctly protruding beyond margin of head; half as long as head (eyl/hl= 0.58–0,70). Temples half as long as eye in lateral view. Entire head capsule covered with single, protruding, elongate scales. Rostrum indistinctly curved, longer than wide at the apex (rl/arw= 1.17–1.50); apex usually asetose, matte. Scrobes straight, not reaching front margin of eye. Rostrum glabrous ventrally, black, only with thin, piliform scales on prorostrum, directed anteriad. Antennae inserted at ca. apical third of rostrum. Scapes elongate, reaching beyond posterior eye margin. Funicles shorter than scape; segment 1 elongate, almost as long as 2+3+4, 2 longer than 3, 3–6 subquadrate, almost as long as wide, 7 wider than long. Clubs elongate, 2.5 × longer than wide, shorter than funicle; covered with dense, piliform setae.

Pronotum (figs. 6, 10). Subquadrate (bpw/pl =1.00–1.15), base 1.20–1.38 × wider than apex, anteriorly constricted, anterior margin straight, basal margin slightly bisinuate. Pronotal disc medially convex, with two tubercles, each with bundle of a few elongate, erect scales; space between medial convexity and basal and anterior margins depressed. Surface with minute punctures, between them glabrous.

Elytra (figs. 6, 10). Surface across humeral calli, 1.45–1.60 × longer than maximum combined width (el/ mew); base almost twice wider than base of pronotum. Humeral calli well developed, protruding. Elytral disc with regular, strongly to weakly protruding tubercles, arranged as in fig. 6: largest tubercle at middle of interstria 3, elongate; surface between them depressed, flat. Interstriae generally flat with punctures except for tubercles, interstriae 5 convex between 2nd and last tubercles; all with median row of erect, elongate setae; tubercles with tuft of few, similar scales. Striae composed of small, separate, shallow, oval punctures. Scutellum elongate, 2 × longer than wide.

Legs (figs. 16a, 17a–c). Front and middle tibiae apically sinuate; with pale, piliform scales that are adpressed on inner margin and strongly protruding on outer margin, as long as tibial width or longer. Hind tibiae strongly, regularly curved, constricted subapically. Front and middle femora slender, very thin at base, with sharp median tooth, on front femora tooth short and sharp, longer and blunter on middle ones. Hind femora with inner surface flattened, glabrous, at base with numerous, fine, transverse furrows extending almost to medial portion; median tooth very large, almost as long as half maximum width of femur, its outer margin with row of short setae that sometimes are elongate and apically hooked. Tarsi narrow; with segment 1 elongate, longer than 2, 2.0–2.2 × longer than wide; 2 triangular, wider than long, as long as 3; 3 broad, strongly bilobed; hind tarsi distinctly elongate, with segment 1 as long as 2 and 3 together, or slightly longer; all segments covered with pale, truncate scales. Tarsal claws curved, adentate, only slightly expanded at base.

Abdomen. Ventrites stout, together 1.15–1.20 × longer than maximum width at base; dark brown, with paler apical one; two most basal ventrites convex, medially with distinct, sparse, punctures, surface between them with microsculpture and pale, elongate, strongly protruding, piliform scales situated on small nodules; sutures between ventrites 2–4 strongly depressed; apical ventrite rounded apically, covered with fine, adjoining, dense, piliform setae. Pygidium of male (fig. 25) subquadrate, inner margins on ventral side each with a large median lobe furnished with fine punctures and dense, short setae at posterior end of the lobes and small, separated, setose tubercles at apex; of female ca. 1.40–1.45 × wider than long, flat, distinctly narrowing to truncate apex, surface with distinct, shallow punctures, basal margin deeply bisinuate.

Terminalia (fig. 21a–c, 29, 32, 34). Male. Aedeagus constricted medially, gently curved in lateral view; apex truncate, medially slightly incised. Endophallus with distinct rows of spinules near ostium. Tegmen with parameres narrowly separate, tegminal apodeme almost as long as parameres. S8 (spiculum gastrale) laterally strongly hookshaped.

Female. Spermatheca as in fig. 34. Sternite 8 with subcircular basal plate and two tufts of setae on apical margin; apodeme with tridentate apex; styli long. Tergite 8 as long as maximum width of incised base; strongly narrowed to apex; outer margins bisinuate; rounded apically with erect setae.

Distribution. New Caledonia

Biology. Unknown

Remarks. Macropoda setacea was described from a single specimen with missing elytra (Kuschel, pers. comm.). This specimen has not been located. Kuschel (pers. comm.) thus a female specimen from Lifu (type locality) was selected by him as a neotype in 2004; however, this action was never published so in this paper, I formally designate (see below) this specimen as a neotype to ensure nomenclatural stability. In my study I have also compared syntypes (identified by G. Kuschel) of P. kanalensis with a number of P. setacea specimens and found them as belonging to one species. Consequently, P. kanalensis is here treated as a new junior synonym of P. setacea and in order to further ensure nomenclatural stability I here designate (see below) a male syntype as lectotype.

Pactola setacea is distinguished from other Pactola species with tuberculate elytra by possessing the following characters: elytra with numerous tubercles entirely covering their surface; all femora with distinctive tooth; tarsal claws without tooth or distinct basal projection. Pactola setacea is most similar to P. proxima sp. n. in sharing a distinctive tooth on the front and middle femora, non-appendiculate tarsal claws and a similar arrangement of tubercles on the elytra. Pactola setacea can, however, be distinguished by the eyes more convex, protruding above forehead; tubercles on elytron very high (fig. 10), intervals only with punctures, without distinctive nodules bearing setae; tegmen with unfused parameres (connected only by membrane), as long as tegminal apodeme; front and middle tibia more slender with long, erect scale (figs. 17a,b).

The species is very variable in colour, size and proportion of the body as well as form of the elytral tubercles. In some cases only examination of the terminalia allows identification of this species with certainty.

Type. Neotype ♀— Macropoda setacea , (here designated): Macropoda setacea Montr., 1861 ; Loyality Is.: Lifu, Nr. We (Oue), 2– 35 m., 26–28.III.1968; J L. Gressitt & T.C. Maa Collectors; Pactola setacea ( Montr. 1861) ( NZAC).

Additional material. Lectotype ♂— Macropoda kanalensis , (here designated) Macropoda kanalensis Perroud, 1865 ; Coll. R.I.Sc.N.B., New Caledonia, Kanala rec. Montrouzier, ex coll. Fauvel ( NZAC). Paralectotypes, 3♀—Coll. R.I.Sc.N.B., New Caledonia, Kanala rec. Montrouzier, ex coll. Fauvel; Pactola setacea ( Montr. 1861) ; Macropoda kanalensis Perroud, 1865 ( NZAC). 1♂ —Monts des Koghis, 420 m., 21.IX.1979; W.C. Gagne, G.M. Nishida, G.A. Samuelson Coll., Bishop Museum, Acc. No. 1979.380 ( NZAC). 1♂ — 6km N of Paita, 25.I.65, Kuschel leg.; Pactola setacea ( Montr., 1861) ( NZAC) 1♀—Mt. Ouenarou, 300m, 24 Oct. 1978, G. Kuschel ( NZAC). 1♀— SRFP, sur S. gabriele, 23/04/04, J. Brinon coll. ( NZAC). 1♂ —Mt Rembai, 700m, 19 Oct 1978, J.C. Watt, beating at night ( NZAC). 3♀—Mt Rembai, 700m, 18 Oct 1978, J.C. Watt, beating logging at night ( NZAC). 2♂ —on Araliaceae , Pactola setacea ( Montr., 1861) Kuschel 2004 ; Col d Rousseltes, 550m, 5.2.63 Kuschel leg., ( NZAC). 1♂ — Pactola kanalensis Perr. + Montr., Kuschel det. 1963; 7 km S of Col des Rousselte ( NZAC). 1♀— Macropoda canalensis Perr., 1864 ; det. from deser.; G.A.K. Marshall; Stephanorhynchus , Macropoda canalensis , montr., N. Caled. ( BMNH). 1♀— Macropoda Kanalensis, Nouvelle Caledonie. ; Sharp Coll. B.M. 1948-336 ( BMNH). 2♂ —Rivérie Bleue, parcelle 6, fogging, 2 février 1991, J. Chazeau Réc. Museum Paris ( MNHN). 1♀—Rivérie Bleue, p. 6, Fogging, 21 I 1993; Museum Paris, E. Guilbert Réc.; labels with number “2” ( MNHN). 2♂ —Rivérie Bleue, parcelle 6, fogging, 2 février 1991, J. Chazeau Réc. Museum Paris ( MNHN). 1♀—♂, p. 6, Fogging, 21 I 1993; Museum Paris; labels with number “12”, E. Guilbert Réc. ( MNHN). 1♀—Rivérie Bleue, p. 6, Fogging, 16 VII 1992; Museum Paris. E. Guilbert Réc.; labels with number “23” ( MNHN). 1♀—Museum Paris, L. Bonet de Larborgne, J. Chazeau & A.S. Tillier réc.; Réserv. nat. de la Rivérie Bleue, Forét dense humide— 180 m., 166 0 40’E 22 0 00’S—part 5, P. malaise: 26 III 1987 - 9 IV 87 ( MNHN). 1♂ —Rivérie Bleue, p. 6, Fogging, 21 I 1993; Museum Paris; labels with number “39”, E. Guilbert Réc. ( MNHN). 1♂ — 7 km E of Col des Rousselte, 500m, 6.2.63, Kuschel leg. ( MNHN). 1♂ —11490, 20 0 19’S × 164 0 26’E, Col’d Amoss Picnic Area, 29Nov2003 – 31Jan2004, G. Monteith, Malaise (QM). 1♂ —12030, 22 0 17’S × 166 0 53’E, 250 m., Pic du Grand Kaori, site 2, 21Dec2004 – 12Jan2005, Wright, Burwell, Malaise, RF; photog. Spm, PS0819; Curculionid 48 (QM).