Phloeophagus orientalis Osella 1974
Creators: name: Inoue, Shûgo
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Curculionidae
Phloeophagus
Phloeophagus orientalis

description: Phloeophagus orientalis Osella, 1974
[New Japanese name: Ô-futo-kikui-zômushi]
(Figs 11–24)
Phloeophagus orientalis Osella, 1974: 416 [original description; type locality: “Vladivostok”]; Hlaváč & Maughan, 2013: 227 [cataloged]; Legalov, 2020: 483 [cataloged]; Alonso-Zarazaga et al., 2023: 117 [cataloged].
Phloeophagus sp.: Hirano et al., 2017: 81 & fig. 108 [recorded from Hokkaido, Japan].
Diagnosis. Phloeophagus orientalis can be distinguished from the other Japanese species, P. japonicus, by the following character states: rostrum longer, 1.9–2.1 times as long as its basal width; dorsal surface of prothorax with punctures smaller, present along midline, with interspaces between punctures more than 1.5 times as long as diameter of each puncture; elytra longer, 1.9–2.1 times as long as width, 2.3–2.5 times as long as pronotum, with striae composed of smaller punctures; apical part of elytral lateral margins weakly explanate; femora pedunculate. Phloeophagus orientalis can also be distinguished from the other Palaearctic species by the combination of the following characters: eyes less convex; body smooth, glossy; pronotum narrower than elytra, moderately arcuate at side, widest just behind middle, subapical constriction obsolete on dorsum; punctures on elytral intervals rather indistinct; apical part of ninth elytral intervals connecting third intervals, not reaching suture apically; aedeagal body moderately curved entirely in lateral view (based on Folwaczny 1973; Osella 1974, Osella et al. 1993).
Redescripition (based on Japanese specimens). Measurements (n = 8; in mm): BL 3.94–4.89; RWB 0.32– 0.39; RL 0.62–0.79; PW 1.11–1.27; PL 1.13–1.44; EW 1.36–1.69; EL 2.78–3.41.
Body (Figs 11–13) rather fusiform, convex, black, glossy; antennae, apex of tibiae, and tarsi dark brown.
Head. Postocular constriction weak, obsolete on dorsum; distance between eyes and postocular constriction much shorter than diameter of eye; eyes weakly convex; median fovea of forehead indistinct; dorsal surface reticulate, without distinct setae; punctures small and sparse on vertex, small and sparse on forehead. Rostrum 1.9–2.1 times as long as its basal width, subparallel-sided from base to apex; apical part weakly curved ventrally in lateral view; surface weakly reticulated; punctures small, sparse; epistome weakly prominent at right side, with several setae; dorsum with median sulcus much shallow or absent; scrobe with anterior part slightly visible in dorsal view, not angulate at middle in lateral view; posterior part of scrobe not diverged, directed obliquely toward lower side of rostrum, with upper margin almost touching eye.
Antennae weakly curved, clavate; scape almost as long as funicle, reaching middle of eye; funicle seven segmented; first segment of funicle longer than wide; club oval, as long as combination of fourth to seventh funicular segments.
Prothorax 1.0–1.2 times as long as wide, widest just behind middle, moderately arcuate; anterior margin truncated or weakly emarginate, narrower than posterior margin; subapical constriction weak, obsolete on dorsum; dorsal surface reticulate; punctures on disc small, present or absent along midline; interspaces between punctures more than 1.5 times as long as diameter of each puncture; punctures on collar smaller than those on disc; prosternal process much narrower than front coxa. Scutellum linguiform. Mesoventrite weakly depressed below the level of metaventrite; mesoventral process linguiform, about half width of mesocoxal cavity. Metaventrite almost as long as abdominal sternite III; median sulcus distinct; metacoxal cavity widely separated.
Elytra 1.9–2.1 times as long as wide, 2.3–2.5 times as long as and 1.2–1.3 times as wide as pronotum, subparallel-sided; apical part of lateral margins slightly explanate; apices conjointly rounded; intervals weakly convex; surface of each interval smooth, without setae, with irregular row of minute punctures; ninth intervals connecting third intervals, not reaching suture; striae with a row of small punctures; sixth to ninth striae not reaching base. Hind wings developed.
Legs. Femora pedunculate; front tibiae not sinuate on inner and outer margins, with dorsal side covered with setae apically; subapical fringe of front tibiae present; apex of front tibiae with large uncus on outer angle and small mucro on inner angle; inner setose fringe of front tibiae weakly angulate; third tarsal segments moderately emarginate, slightly wider than second segments.
Abdomen. (Figs 14–15) In male, sternite III, IV and VII concave in the middle, covered with yellowish setae; in female, sternites III to VII not concave, without setae; suture between sternite III and IV distinct.
Male terminalia and genitalia (Figs 16–19). Tergite VII with two rows of indistinct stridulatory plectra. Sternite VIII divided, with apical membranous area weakly sclerotized, densely covered with setae; spiculum gastrale asymmetrically curved, bifid at base, expanded and flattened at apex. Aedeagus with body 1.2 times as long as wide, gradually and obliquely diverged from base to subapical part, rapidly and arcuately convergent apically, rounded at apex without projection, moderately curved entirely in lateral view, bearing many long setae laterally on apical margin, with moderately sclerotized triangular plate on dorso-basal margin; endophallus with an elongate, ventrally curved sclerite on basal part and a pair of small sclerites on subbasal part; apodemes 3.3 times as long as aedeagal body; tegmen ring-shaped, asymmetrical; manubrium long.
Female terminalia and genitalia (Figs 20–22). Tergite VII without stridulatory plectra; sternite VIII with many setae on posterior margin; spiculum ventrale bifurcate at base; gonocoxites well developed; styli distinct. Spermatheca falciform; apical part moderately curved, roundly narrowed toward apex; collum and ramus close, not prominent.
Type material. Holotype (Figs 23–24): unsexed (NMPC), "As. or. 919 / Vladivostok / Dr. Jureôek " (typed on white card); "Mus. Nat. Pragae / Inv. 20595" (typed on yellow card); "Holotypus / Phloeophagus / orientalis m. / det. Osella 1971" (typed on red card).
Non-type material. Japan: Honshu: Aomori Pref.: 1♂, Jôgakura, Aomori-shi, 21.VII.2000, T. Ozaki leg. (KUM); 1♂, Nagadai, Ajigasawa-machi, 6.VIII.2000, T. Ozaki leg. (KUM); Iwate Pref.: 1 female, Matsukusazawa, Kawai-mura, 16.VI.1985, T. Sato leg. (KUM); Fukushima Pref.: 3♂, 2♀, Nakayama-tôge Pass, Tateiwamura, Minamiaizu, 20.VII.1999, T. Mikage leg. (KUM); 1♀, Funamata-rindo, Hinoemata-mura, 14.VIII.1995, T. Mikage leg. (KUM); 1♂, 1♀, Hirasawa-rindô, Minamiaizu-machi, 1–10.VII.2018, K. Narita leg. (KUM); 1♂, Shindenbara, Minami-Aizu, 29.VII.1984, K. Emoto leg. (KUM); Tochigi Pref.: 3♂, Yumoto, Nikko, 16.VIII.2011, K. Takahashi leg. (KUM); Gunma Pref.: 2♀, Marunuma, 12.VII.2014, Y. Fujisawa leg. (KUM); Kanagawa Pref.: 1♀, Hinokiboramaru, Nishitanzawa, 18.VI.1995, K. Kaneko leg. (KUM); 1♀, Dôdaira, Kiyokawa-mura, 5.VIII.1995, H. Karube leg. (KUM); Fukui Pref.: 1♀, Heiketaira, Ono City, 16.VI.1998, Shoji Inoue leg., by malaise trap (KUM); Nagano Pref.: 1♂, Fukushima, Kiso, 6.VI.1974, H. Hayakawa leg. (KUM); 1♀, Shirabidaira, Kamiina, 28.VIII.1997, K. Masumoto leg. (KUM); Gifu Pref.: 1♂, Ôshirakawa, Shirakawa-mura, 8.IX.2011, Shoji Inoue leg., by spraying (KUM); Gifu Pref.: 1♂, 1♀, Hirasedô, Hakusan, Shirakawa-mura, 25.VII.2024, H. Kawase leg. (KUM); Shizuoka Pref.: 1♂, Takahachi-yama, Omote-Fujisan, 1600 m, 30–31.VII.2001, Y. Notsu leg. (KUM); Wakayama Pref.: 1♂, Gomadan-yama, from tree hollow of Magnolia obovata, 2.VIII.2010, I. Matoba leg. (KUM); 5♂, 6♀, Gomadan-yama, 9.IX.2010, I. Matoba leg. (KUM); 2♂, ditto, 6.VII.2013, I. Matoba leg. (KUM); 2♂, 8♀, Mt. Gomadan, 4.VI.2011, I. Matoba leg. (KUM); Shikoku: Tokushima Pref.: 1♀, Dosutoge, 26.V.1974, M. Yoshida leg. (KUM); 1♂, Fujinoikedani, Koyadaira, Mima City, 1240 m, 17.VI –1.VII.2007, K. Tanaka leg., by flight interception trap (KUM); 1♀, Mt. Tsurugi, 11–12.VII.1976, Y. Notsu leg. (KUM); Kyushu: Miyazaki Pref.: 22♂, 14♀, Mt. Goyôdake, Hinokage-chô, 16.VII.1989, R. Noda leg. (KUM); 1♀, Mt. Mukouzaka-yama, Gokasemachi, 24.VII.2017, T. Yoshida leg. (KUM); 1♀, Mt. Shiraiwa-yama, Gokase-cho, 22–24.VII.2016, T. Yoshida leg. (KUM).
Distribution. Japan: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu; Russian Far East: Primorsky Krai and Kuril Islands.
Biological note. An adult was collected from a tree hollow of Magnolia obovata (Magnoliaceae) in Wakayama Prefecture, Honshu.
Remarks. I compared the Japanese specimens with the holotype from the Russian Far East and confirmed that most of the character states in dorsal view were consistent. Although the elytra of the holotype is gradually expanded from the base to the apical two-thirds (subparallel-sided in Japanese specimens), I concluded that this differences fall within the range of geographical variation.
description: Published as part of Inoue, Shûgo, 2025, Taxonomy of the genus Phloeophagus Schoenherr (Curculionidae: Cossoninae) from Japan, with description of a new species, pp. 179-188 in Zootaxa 5631 (1) on pages 183-187, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5631.1.9, http://zenodo.org/record/15327047