Microperus, Wood, 1980

Rabaglia, Robert J., Beaver, Roger A., Johnson, Andrew J., Schmaedick, Mark A. & Smith, Sarah M., 2020, The bark and ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae and Platypodinae) of American Samoa, Zootaxa 4808 (1), pp. 171-195 : 182

* Microperus sp.

A single specimen of an undetermined species of Microperus Wood was collected. The genus includes numerous species in the Oriental region and New Guinea, but is poorly known and needs revision. It would be premature to describe a single specimen as a new species. Additional specimens were sought in the BPBM which has extensive holdings from the Samoan Islands but none were present (SMS personal observation). Wood & Bright (1992) include ‘Samoan Islands’ in the distribution of Microperus alpha (Beeson) , but the species found is not M. alpha . We know of no published records of M. alpha from Samoa or American Samoa, and no specimens have been seen from the islands. We consider the record in Wood & Bright (1992) to be an error based on the mention by Beeson (1929) that Xyleborus alpha is the correct name for Xyleborus bicolor var. α Sampson, a species from the Oriental region.

Current survey records: American Samoa: Ofu Isl.: Ofu, 16 v–6 vi 2018, Quercivorol baited multifunnel trap 2° forest, -14.1674 -169.6761, M. Schmaedick coll. (1, RABC) .