Scelianoma elydimorpha, a new genus and new species of entimine weevil from southwestern Puerto Rico (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Entiminae)

• Autor(a) principal: Franz,Nico M
• Data de Publicação: 2009
• Outros Autores: Girón,Jennifer C
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Neotropical entomology (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-566X2009000200009
• topic: Endemism; Eustylini; Guánica; morphology; systematics

Scelianoma elydimorpha Franz & Girón, new genus and new species, an entimine weevil endemic to southwestern Puerto Rico, is described and illustrated in detail, and assigned to the tribe Eustylini (Curculionidae: Entiminae). Scelianoma is distinguished from related taxa by the following diagnostic features: shape narrowly elongate, length/width ratio 2.8-3.5; integument with densely arranged scales; pronotum without conspicuous sculpturing; male metatibia with row of 5-7 teeth, each tooth with a spine-like seta; female metatibia lacking teeth, yet with row of long, narrowly depressed setae; metatibial corbel linear; elytral humeri absent, elytra in lateral view with dorsal outline subplane, lacking cuticular projections, posterior declivity strongly angulate, slightly convex (male) to rectate (female); and wings absent. The elytra of S. elydimorpha are sexually dimorphic, attenuating in males along the posterior 5/6 yet mostly subparallel in females, and the females furthermore have two rows of erect setae along each mesal side of the declivity. Scelianoma elydimorpha is common on the southern limestone slopes of the well-preserved Guánica dry forest. The immature stages and host plants are unknown.