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 84. Theognete laurentae Anderson , new species ( Figures 253 , 270 , 287 ) Diagnosis. Size. Length, male, 2.25–2.81mm ; female, 2.71–3.05mm . Width, male, 1.10–1.32mm ; female, 1.44–1.65mm . Antennal scrobes broadly visible in dorsal view. Pronotum transverse and inflated in male; punctures of disk and flanks large, deep in both sexes; pronotal and elytral scales fine, suberect and recurved; elytral intervals shallowly impressed on disk, not punctate; posterolateral aera of elytra with 3 or 4 large, distinct, deep punctures; basal margin in humeral region not toothed. Aedeagus as in Fig. 270 . Geographical distribution . México ( Querétaro ). Natural history . Collected from berlese extraction of mixed oak-pine forest leaf litter at 2450m . Derivation of specific name . Through his support of the Nature Discovery Fund at the Canadian Museum of Nature, this species is named after Nikki Laurent of Montreal, Quebec , Canada , as a gift from Mario Lalanne. Material examined . 33♂ , 25♀♀ ( CMNC , CWOB , ECOS , UAQM ). Holotype ♂ ( CMNC ): MÉXICO : Querétaro . Municipio Pinal de Amoles , Cruz de Palo (near Pinal de Amoles ), 2450m , 21º08.095N , 99º38.021W , 28.VII.2006 , R.S. Anderson , oak-pine forest litter, 2006-0025 / HOLOTYPE ♂ , Theognete laurentae sp. nov. R.S. Anderson. Aedeagus extracted. Paratypes : MÉXICO . Querétaro . Municipio Pinal de Amoles , Cruz de Palo (near Pinal de Amoles ), 2450m , 21º08.095N , 99º38.021W , 28.VII.2006 , J.L. Cozar , oak-pine forest litter ( 16♂ , 14♀♀ CMNC , CWOB , ECOS , UAQM ). Municipio Pinal de Amoles , Cruz de Palo , campground (near Pinal de Amoles ), 2450m , 21º08.095N , 99º38.021W , 28.VII.2006 , P.J. Horsley , oakpine forest litter ( 1♂ , 2♀♀ CMNC ). Municipio Pinal de Amoles , Cruz de Palo (near Pinal de Amoles ), 2450m , 21º08.095N , 99º38.021W , 28.VII.2006 , R.S. Anderson , oak-pine forest litter, 2006-25 ( 7♂ , 6♀♀ CMNC ). Municipio Pinal de Amoles , 3.4 km E. Pinal de Amoles , 2120m , 21º09.095N , 99º36.659W , 28.VII.2006 , R.S. Anderson , alder-oak-pine forest litter, 2006-24 ( 8♂ , 3♀♀ CMNC ) . Chorological relationships . Sympatric with Theognete grimblyae . Theognete hesmos species group Recognition . As with species of the T. semistriata and T. bothynometopon species groups, T. hesmos group members have the prosternum not transversely swollen or shelf-like in front of the procoxae but rather simply medially impressed or punctate between the coxae ( Figs. 16–18 ). They can be distinguished from members of the T. bothynometopon species group by the tuberculate elytra in the latter and from members of the T. semistriata species group by the more robust pronotum, which is widest at or in front of the middle, and by the form of the elytral discal area, which at most has a very shallowly impressed sutural stria, not distinctly punctate and the area generally not flattened. With the exception of 2 species, the aedeagus is not sclerotized across the base. Theognete reprela is unique within the genus in possessing an antennal funicle of 6 articles and the smallest eyes of any known species, and T. lakarms is unique in possessing a pair of simple punctures on each of the meso- and metasternum ( Fig. 18 ). The elytral striae (other than the sutural one) are not impressed. To date, all species of this group are found north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Diagnosis. Length 2.3–4.1 mm . Cuticle black. Legs moderate in length; femora with small, shallow to moderately deep punctures. Pronotal disk weakly (5 species) to strongly (4 species) cordate (and inflated in males) or subcordate (1 species); in part medially carinate (3 species) or not (7 species); moderately densely, shallowly to moderately deeply punctate, regularly sculptured or with pair of low dorsal median tubercles (1 species); vestiture composed of moderately sparse, fine to coarse, appressed to erect, shallowly to distinctly plumose scales more or less evenly distributed over disk or concentrated in paramedian and laterodorsal clumps (1 species). Pronotum with flanks flat to subtuberculate anterodorsally. Elytra elongate-oval to rounded and stout, widest at or near midlength; smooth or weakly tuberculate (1 species), without evident striae; vestiture composed of fine to coarse scales scattered regularly over disk or concentrated in clumps (1 species), appressed to erect, not plumose (4 species) to long, distinctly plumose; strial punctures not impressed in lateral region of elytra. Posterolateral area of elytra with punctures variously impressed as series of 3–6 separate to contiguous punctures or with punctures lacking (2 species). Procoxae narrowly or moderately (2 species) separated. Mesocoxae separated by less than 1.5 x width of coxa. Prosternum not to slightly swollen immediately in front of coxae, without raised shelf, impressed or coarsely punctate to various degree between coxae. Mesosternum flat or slightly sloping anteriad, punctate or impressed to various extent at extreme apex (usually obscured by prosternum) (1 species) or with median transverse, pit-like, usually pilose impression bounded posteriorly by metasternum (8 species) or with only one pair of shallow punctures (1 species). Metasternum with moderately deep median impression, with distinct, separate small pits or setose punctures laterally behind mesocoxae that may be subcontiguous with median impression (9 species) or with only two shallow punctures (1 species). Abdominal ventrite 5 virtually impunctate (1 species) to more or less punctate throughout (7 species) or with large median basal excavation (2 species). Aedeagus short (3 species) to moderate (4 species) or long (2 species), apex rounded, not produced (2 species) to slightly produced (4 species) to markedly produced and acuminate (3 species); dorsally not sclerotized (7 species) or sclerotized (2 species) across base. Distribution. Click here for GoogleEarth® maps of T. hesmos species group distributions. Key to species of the T. hesmos species group 1 Antennal funicle with 6 articles; eyes reduced in size, each composed of 7–8 facets; aedeagus as in Fig. 304 ........... ......................................................................................................................................................................... T. reprela 1’ Antennal funicle with 7 articles; eyes each composed of more than 10 facets ............................................................ 2 2 Meso- and metasternum each with pair of simple punctures, not otherwise impressed ( Fig. 18 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 301 ................................................................................................................................................................ T. lakarms 2’ Meso- and metasternum each with transverse pilose impression ( Figs. 16–17 ).......................................................... 3 3 Pronotum with pair of low dorsal median tubercles, carinate to various extent between tubercles; elytra weakly tuberculate in some specimens ( Fig. 290 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 300 ............................................................. T. cristata 3’ Pronotum lacking dorsal median tubercles, not carinate (low median elevation present in some specimens but there no tubercles); elytra not tuberculate ............................................................................................................................ 4 4 Pronotum and elytra with long, shaggy dorsal vestiture; scales clumped ( Fig. 294 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 303 ............. ................................................................................................................................................................... T. tomneyeae 4’ Pronotum and elytra with dorsal vestiture; scales not or only weakly clumped in indistinct patches of slightly denser scales ............................................................................................................................................................................ 5 5 Scales of elytra appressed to suberect and linearly arranged; pronotum subcordate to weakly cordate .................... 6 5’ Scales of elytra suberect to erect, often recurved towards apex, linearly arranged; pronotum strongly cordate, inflated in males ........................................................................................................................................................... 7 6 Generally larger than 3mm ; pronotum weakly cordate, some specimens with low, impunctate median elevation; scales broader, not hair-like ( Fig. 288 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 298 .................................................................. T. hesmos 6’ Smaller than 3mm ; pronotum subcordate and with no trace of median elevation; scales very fine, hair-like ( Fig. 296 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 305 ......................................................................................................................... T. minuta 7 Pronotum impunctate, scales very long, fine, erect, recurved towards apex ( Fig. 293 ) .................................. T. draco 7’ Pronotum punctate, scales short to long, suberect to appressed, arched but not recurved .......................................... 8 8 Elytral scales erect, bristle-like, very slightly recurved at extreme apex ( Fig. 297 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 306 .............. .................................................................................................................................................................... T. grimblyae 8’ Elytral scales appressed to suberect, if approaching erect then strongly arched ......................................................... 9 9 Elytral scales suberect, strongly arched ( Fig. 292 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 302 ................................................. T. harbini 9’ Elytral scales appressed to suberect, fully, gently arched ( Fig. 289 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 299................... T . michaudi