Gymnopholus (Niphetoscapha) audax Gressitt
Creators: name: Riedel, Alexander
name: Kilmaskossu, Agust
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Curculionidae
Gymnopholus
Gymnopholus audax

description: Gymnopholus (Niphetoscapha) audax Gressitt
(Figs. 1–2, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 28, 31, 42)
Gymnopholus (Symbiopholus) audax Gressitt, 1966: 254 (type locality: Itouda, Kamo valley).
Diagnosis. Body nude except antennal scrobe densely squamose. Pronotum punctate-granulate. Elytra with shallow transverse wrinkles; without distinct subapical tubercles.
Redescription. Males (Fig. 1). Length. Total length 23.5–27.5 mm (n=6, x =25.8 ± 1.5); pronotum + elytron 18.5–21.7 mm (n=6, x =20.1 ± 1.1).
Color of integument black; body largely nude.
Head (Fig. 9) dull, microreticulate, punctulate, with minute setae; between eyes 0.85 X as wide as vertical diameter of eye. Eyes weakly prominent from outline of head. Gena ca. half as long (0.53 X) as vertical diameter of eye.
Rostrum (Fig. 9) 2.11–2.45 X longer than wide at base (n=6, x =2.27 ± 0.13); maximum width in front of antennal insertion 1.41–1.56 X width at base (n=6, x =1.47 ± 0.06). Dorsum with marked median impression and shallow pair of dorsolateral furrows nude; antennal scrobes densely clothed with scales and brown encrustations.
Antenna. Funicle + club 1.56–1.69 X length of scape (n=8, x =1.64 ± 0.05); club 3.88 X as long as wide.
Thorax. Pronotum 1.04 X longer than wide; sides subparallel, subapically weakly converging; disc nude, dull, microreticulate, towards sides weakly tuberculate, with coarse punctures; medially with shallow impression. Thoracic venter subglabrous, with sparse thin setae; mesoventrite and mesocoxae with dense recumbent setae.
Elytron 4.12–4.44 X longer than wide between humeri (n=6, x =4.25 ± 0.11), at greatest width 1.08–1.24 X wider than between humeri (n=6, x =1.14 ± 0.06); sides converging to apex; almost nude, subapically with sparse short setae; surface dull, with distinct coriaceous sculpture, without coarse wrinkles; intervals 4–6 in basal third with impression devoid of setae or associated glands; epipleural edge with very sparse fringe of setae; apical declivity at suture with blunt knob continued laterad by Omega-shaped ridge.
Legs. Surface coriaceous, densely provided with granules and stiff, suberect setae. Femora weakly clavate, moderately long; metafemur in repose not reaching elytral apex.
Abdomen. Ventrite 1–2 medially flat; with sparse, long setae; ventrite 5 flat, subapically densely setose. Penis (Fig. 21) with asymmetrical apical tip moderately widened. Transfer apparatus ca. 1.7 X as long as wide at base.
Females (Fig. 2). Same as males except: Length. Total length 24.5–31.0 mm (n=6, x =28.6 ± 2.6); pronotum + elytron 20.5–26.5 mm (n=6, x =23.1 ± 2.2). Rostrum 1.95–2.50 X longer than wide at base (n=6, x =2.27 ± 0.13); maximum width in front of antennal insertion 1.38–1.44 X width at base (n=6, x =1.41 ± 0.03). Elytron wider, 4.00–4.48 X longer than wide between humeri (n=6, x =4.24 ± 0.18), at greatest width 1.13–1.30 X wider than between humeri (n=6, x =1.20 ± 0.06); sides more rounded.
Intraspecific variation. Elytral surface nude or sparsely setose with suberect, brownish bristles; presumably, bristles worn-off in nude specimens; one single specimen with inconspicuous coverage of recumbent scales; surface smooth or markedly coriaceous.
Material examined. WEST NEW GUINEA, Paniai Reg.: 10 males, 7 females, Bilogay [E 137° 01´S 03° 44´], 2100–2200 m, 22–30.XII.1995 (ARC, SMNK); 2 males, Bilogay, Tigipigu, 2100–2400 m, 23.XII.1995 (ARC, SMNK); 1 male, 4 females, Bilogay—Bilai, 2100–2300 m, 1.I.1996 (ARC, SMNK).
Other material recorded. WEST NEW GUINEA, Paniai Reg.: Holotype, male, Itouda, 1550 m, Kamo valley, nr. Wissel Lakes, 13.VIII.1955 (BPBM 6830) (Gressitt, 1966); 1, Enarotali [E 136° 20´S 03° 55´], 1900 m, 25.VI.1962; 22, Araboebivak [E 136° 40´S 03° 40´] and Paniai, 10.IX–4.XI.1939 (Gressitt & Sedlacek, 1967).
Distribution (Fig. 42). Paniai Reg. (Enarotali, Kamo valley, Bilai, Bilogay). Elevation: 1550–2100 m.
description: Published as part of Riedel, Alexander & Kilmaskossu, Agust, 2017, Revision of the subgenus Niphetoscapha Heller of Gymnopholus Heller (Coleoptera, Curculionoidea, Entiminae, Eupholini) and a new species with epizoic symbiosis from West New Guinea, pp. 339-356 in Zootaxa 4254 (3) on pages 348-349, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4254.3.3, http://zenodo.org/record/546827