A taxonomic monograph of the Middle American leaf-litter inhabiting weevil genus Theognete Champion (Coleoptera: Curculionidae; Molytinae; Lymantini) 2458
Author
Anderson, Robert S.
text
Zootaxa
2010
2010-05-14
2458
1
1
127
https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.2458.1.1
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.2458.1.1
11755334
5316658
7E42061C-9D11-49C5-8737-CEED0864E699
8.
Theognete championi
Anderson
,
new species
(
Figures 48
,
52
,
56
)
Diagnosis
. Size. Length, male
2.40mm
; female, 3.00–
4.21mm
. Width, male
1.30mm
; female,
1.70–2.47mm
. As for
T. cozari
except rostrum with dorsal median area moderately densely punctate, mid-line with some punctures along length, especially towards base. Pronotum with posterior portion of lateral tubercle not sharp, rounded and somewhat flat. Elytra with disk flattened in middle, stria 1 longitudinally impressed for short distance in this flat area. Posterolateral area of elytra with pilose crease. Femora with very small, shallow punctures in distal portion of length. Abdominal ventrite 5 lacking median puncture. Male with aedeagus as in
Fig. 52
.
Comments
. Until very recently, the single known specimen of this species was one of the
two syntypes
of
T. laevis
Champion. This
species is very similar to
T. cozari
from the Lacandon forest of
Chiapas
,
México
, and its status as distinct species was confirmed only with discovery of a male. Despite a visit to the Cerro Zunil area in 1993, and intense sampling efforts at apparently suitable elevations, no specimens were collected; however, samples taken in 2008 from near San Marcos at
1600m
produced
three specimens
of what appear to be this same species. The
two females
are structurally similar to the Cerro Zunil specimen, and until males from Cerro Zunil (or nearby) are found, these specimens are considered conspecific. It is possible, as with the other
syntype
of
T. laevis
, that the geographic information on the label of the Cerro Zunil specimen is inaccurate (see comments under
T. laevis
).
Geographical distribution
.
Guatemala
(Quezaltenango,
San Marcos
).
Natural history
. From label data collected at elevations between
1200–1525m
(
4000–5000 ft
) and
1600m
. The habitat at Cerro Zunil is unknown but the
San Marcos
site is a wet oak cloud forest.
Derivation of specific name
. Named after the noted coleopterist George C. Champion.
Material examined
.
1♂
,
3♀♀
(
BMNH
,
CMNC
).
Holotype
♂
(
CMNC
):
GUATEMALA
:
San Marcos
.
Rd. Bojonal – Fraternidad
,
1580m
,
14.94533°N
91.88038°W
,
11 Sept 2008
,
R.Anderson
, cloud forest, 2008- 107
/
HOLOTYPE
♂
Theognete championi
sp. nov.
,
R.S. Anderson. Aedeagus
extracted.
Paratypes
: GUATE- MALA:
Quezaltenango
:
Cerro Zunil
,
4–5000 ft.
,
Champion
,
Type
(disk with red border),
Sp.
figured,
B.C.A. Col.
IV. 4.
Theognete laevis Champ.
(
1♀
,
BMNH
, one of the
two syntypes
of
Theognete laevis
Champion
).
San Marcos
:
Rd. Bojonal – Fraternidad
,
1580m
,
14.94533°N
91.88038°W
,
11 Sept 2008
,
R.Anderson
, cloud forest, 2008-107 (
1♀
,
CMNC
);
9.8 km
WSW
San Marcos
,
1600m
,
14.94427°N
91.8799°W
,
11 Sept 2008
, Laura Saenz, oak forest, LSD-126 (
1♀
,
CMNC
)
.
Chorological relationships
. Not known to be sympatric with any other species of
Theognete
.