Chryasus clunis Prena 2024, new species
Creators: name: Prena, Jens
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Curculionidae
Chryasus
Chryasus clunis

description: 16. Chryasus clunis Prena, new species
(Figs. 21, 43, 44)
http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: D7F52AB0-1155-4810-98DD-369CFDDFFB13
Diagnosis. At first glance, C. clunis resembles other small reddish species, in particular C. persimilis. Chief diagnostic characters are the tumid, medially depressed distal male ventrite and metaventrite, comparably long rostrum and legs and the non-confluent pronotal punctation (Figs. 43, 44). See notes below.
Description. Total length 2.1–2.8 mm, width 0.9–1.3 mm (n=51); integument reddish brown, body elongate ovate with moderately protruding humeri; rostrum nearly 3x as long as eye; pronotum comparatively large but not humped, with rather coarse, non-confluent punctation, interspaces not forming oblique ridges, flank with larger and more distant pits in smooth area; elytron 2.1x longer than pronotum, disc at base with transverse depression, interstriae ridged and with minute setae; metaventrite tumid in female, somewhat angularly produced and cleft by discrimen in male, male ventrite 5 tumid, 1, 2 and 5 with deep median depressions bordered by erect squamulae; profemur sublinear, 2x longer than head diameter; male genitalia as Fig. 21, flagellum short, curved, with long basal appendage.
Material examined. Holotype male, labeled “Est. Pitilla, 700 m, 9 km S Sta. Cecilia, P. N. Guanacaste, Prov. Guan., COSTA RICA, 18 abr a 19 may 1993, P. Ríos, L-N-330200, 380200”, “INBIO CRI001 397023” (MNCR). Paratypes (32 males, 19 females): same data as holotype, with barcodes CRI001 396769, 396773–74, 396878, 4 males (MNCR); same locality as holotype, 4.–25.xi.1991, C. Moraga, CRI000 497788, 1 male (MNCR), 24.viii.– 11.ix.1992, P. Ríos, CRI000 832161, 1 female (MNCR), 6.–12.iii.1996, J. Prena, 1 dissected male (JPPC), VI/1996, C. Moraga, CRI002 422519, 1 male (MNCR); P.N. Guanacaste, Estac. Cacao, L-N-323300 375700, VI/1990, CRI000 255832, 1 dissected male (MNCR), VII– III/1990, malaise trap, CRI000 248710, 1 female (MNCR); Puntarenas, Estac. La Casona, Monteverde, III/1994, N. Obando, CRI001 780686, 1 male (MNCR); Monteverde, Est. Biologica, 10.3147 N 84.7969 W, 1500–1800 m, 30.vi.–9.vii.2009, J. Prena, 8 males, 7 females (JPPC), 2.– 7.vi.2011, J. Prena, 2 males, 2 females (CMNC), 10 males, 5 females (JPPC), 2 males, 2 females (MNCR), 2 males, 2 females (NHMUK).
Additional material. COSTA RICA. Alajuela: San Ramón, Río San Lorencito, III/1990, CRI000 157455, 1 female (MNCR). Cartago: P.N. Tapantí, Quebrada Segunda, 7.–8.iv.2000, J. Prena, 1 female (JPPC). Limón: P.N. Hitoy Cerere, sendero hacia Río Moín, 28.ix.2000, W. Arana, INB0003337173, 1 female (MNCR). Puntarenas: P.N. Corcovado, Estac. Los Patos, 10.v.2004, J. Prena, 1 female (JPPC). GUATEMALA. Petén: 13 km NW Machaquilá, 29.v.2009, LLAMA #Go-B-06-3-02, 1 dissected male (CMNC). HONDURAS. Cortés: P.N. Cusuco, 15.vi.1995, R. Turnbow, 1 female (ASUCOB), 8.iii.1997, J. Prena, 1 dissected male (JPPC); Sierra del Merendón, 24.vii.2001, R. Turnbow, 1 female (ASUCOB). PANAMÁ. Bocas del Toro: Isla Colón, 26 Feb 2004, H. Stockwell, 2 specimens (CMNC). Canal Area: Madden Forest, 23.iv.1970, H. Hespenheide, 1 male (JPPC). Chiriquí: Reserva La Fortuna, 26.v.–9.vi.1995, F.I.T., S. Ashe & R. Brooks, 1 female (CMNC). Panamá: Cerro Azul, 21.v.1996, R. Turnbow, 1 dissected male (CMNC).
Life history. Specimens were collected on two occasions from the same two flowering Miconia shrubs in a dense secondary forest at Monteverde. Each time, they occurred together with numerous C. montyi and, in 2009, with a single female of a still unnamed species.
Etymology. The name is a Latin noun in apposition referring to the tumid fifth abdominal ventrite.
Notes. Chryasus clunis is one of several local populations with uncertain status, with the male genitalia differing from site to site. I apply the name to Costa Rican collections from mid elevations in the Cordillera de Guanacaste (Fig. 43) and include also a series of slightly more slender specimens with a wider penis from the Cordillera de Tilarán (Fig. 44). The few available males from Guatemala and Honduras (Fig. 45) and from Panamá each have the distal ventrite less tumid, the body of the penis differently shaped and a longer though basally similarly curved flagellum (Figs. 22, 23). I have seen a photo of a male specimen from Oaxaca, México (TAMU) that seems to belong to this complex as well. Reasonably representative collections of male C. cavernosus and C. persimilis exhibit much less variation.
description: Published as part of Prena, Jens, 2024, Consolidation of Aniops Casey, Psiona Casey, Preglyptobaris Bondar and Prospoliata Hustache with Chryasus Champion (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Baridinae) and descriptions of new species, pp. 1-24 in Zootaxa 5492 (1) on page 18, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5492.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/13211499