Miloderes viridis Pierce 1909
Creators: name: Van Dam, Matthew H.
name: O'Brien, Charles W.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Curculionidae
Miloderes
Miloderes viridis

description: Miloderes viridis Pierce, 1909
(Figs. 1–5 A, 12, 13, 18)
Miloderes viridis Pierce, 1909: 348. Holotype, AZ: Keams Copper Mine, Navajo Indian Reservation, 23 April 1901, A.W. Barber, examined (USNM). Pierce, 1913: 379. Ting, 1940: 152. Kissinger, 1960: 26. Tanner, 1966: 15. Tanner, 1974: 296. O’Brien & Wibmer, 1982: 60.
Miloderes allredi Tanner, 1974: 291. New synonymy. Holotype male, Cotton Beach, Glen Canyon City, 4 May 1973 Ref# 290, Site 10, Tra/Sta A1, examined (BYU). O’Brien & Wibmer, 1982: 60.
Description. Body clothed in long dense setae. Head with scales on frons convex. Pronotum without pattern, lateral margins strongly convex. Elytra blue to light green without pattern. Legs with front tibial shape flat, greatly expanded on outer lateral edge, tibial brush elongate; hind tibial apex truncate. Median lobe not strongly curved. Endophallus with basal lobe recurved and distended, dorsal absent, distal projection absent, endophallus terminal recurved, median ventral lobe absent, middle narrow, ventral apical lobe position of apex low pointed ventrally, shape weakly conical, subapical lobe free, transfer apparatus strongly sclerotized. Spermatheca with basal lobes of relatively equal lengths.
Notes about synonymy. In the course of this study we examined all of the type specimens of Miloderes. Upon examination of the types and the specimens listed below, we could not find any characters to separate M. viridis and M. allredi. In the original description of M. allredi it is not clear if the type of M. viridis was examined. Additionally no discussion of characters to discriminate between the two species is provided. In addition to external morphology we also examined endophallic characters. We compared the endophalli from specimens collected in the vicinity of Moenkopi AZ (near the type locality of M. viridis), with individuals from Littlefield AZ and the Coral Pink Sand Dunes UT (near the type locality of M. allredi). The endophalli examined showed no discrete differences between locations. We therefore conclude that M. viridis and M. allredi are conspecific.
Specimens examined. AZ: Keams Copper Mine, Navajo Indian Reservation, 23 April 1901, A.W. Barber (2 USNM, 1 CAS) [N35.813367, W-110.206359]. Coconino Co.: 2.6 mi. SE Moenkopi, sifted from sand dunes, 30 April 1978, Andrews and R. Hardy coll. (8 CDFA) [N36.091336, W-111.196617]; Moenkopi Wash, 21 April 2005, sifting sand dune C. W. O’Brien coll. (13 CWOB) [N36.098892, W-111.201746], Hwy. 264, 8 mi. S. Moenkopi Wash, on Chrysothamnus sp. at night, 21 April 2005, R. Turnbow coll. (5 CWOB) [N36.019373, W-111.133782]; S of Page Hwy. 98, 2.2 mi. E. Hwy. 20, sifting sand dunes-sage, 22 April 2005, C.W.O’Brien coll. (16 CWOB) [N36.898799, W-111.417713]; 1.5 mi. WSW of Moenkopi 36˚05’.56”N, 111˚12’.03”W, 4 April to 4 May 2013 barrier pitfall black cup W.W. Warner coll. (8 CWOB). Mohave Co.: Littlefield, 9 October 1989, D.G. Kissinger coll. [elytra] (6 CDFA) [N36.897533, W-113.935506]; same location information: Found dead sifting sand under Artemesia tridentata 7 November 1998 C.W. O’Brien (9 CWOB); sifting dunes 24 March 2002 C. W. O’Brien(4 CDFA, 28 CWOB); Beaver Dam dunes W of golf course on top of mesa under Larrea, N36°53’48.6” W113°56’07.9”, 6 February 2011, M. Van Dam coll. (6 MVD, EMEC); same location information: sifted from sand under Franseria sp, 9 APRIL 2003, Turnbow coll. (5 CWOB); dunes, sifted from sand under Larrea tridentata (D. C.) 18 April 2006, R. Turnbow coll. (CWOB); BeaverDam, Jones Flat, sifting sand dunes 18 April 2005, C.W.O’Brien coll. (6 CWOB); [same except, at night, on Larrea tridentate, C. W. O’Brien coll. (1 CWOB); Jones Flat, Hwy. I-15 Beaver Dam exit, sand dunes, sifted under Gutierrezia, 19 April 2007 C.W.O’Brien coll. (3 CDFA. 10 CWOB). NV: Clark Co.: Kaolin Wash, 1.2 mi. W of Overton; elev 1392 m., N36˚30’43” W114˚26’39”, on Dicoria canescens, 26 May 2003, G.R. Ballmer coll. (4 UCR). UT: Kane Co.: 6321’ Ponderosa Rec. Area, Coral Pink Sand Dunes, N37˚05.208 W112˚40.435, 20 April 2005, sifting, C.W. O’Brien coll. (CDFA, 33 CWOB); same except, at night (1 CWOB); Cotton Beach, Glen Canyon City, 4 May 1973 Ref# 290, Site 10, Tra/Sta A1 (1BYU) [N37.031095, W-111.567075]; same location information: 6 January 1973 Ref# 42, Site 10, Tra/Sta D1 (1 BYU); Glen Canyon City, 3705/11139 1250m, (SandFlts), BandS/Sifting, 10/ 11 April 1979 E. L. Sleeper coll. (13 CWOB) Coral Pink Sand Dunes, 4 May 1983, M.F. Whiting coll. (3 BYU) [N37.033973, W-112.731025]; same location information: 15 May 1983, C. Riley Nelson coll. (1 BYU); 6.6 mi. WSW Hwy. 89 on Hancock Rd., N37˚05’32” W112˚39’30”, under plant in sand, 3 April 2013 W. W. Warner coll. (11 CWOB). Washington Co.: Sand Hollow St. Pk., 19 April 2005 sifted, C. W. O’Brien coll. (1 CWOB) [N37.098635, W-113.376245]; same except sifted from Artemesia sp., Turnbow coll. (33 CWOB); Warner Valley Dunes, 17 May 1970, T. Blaine Moore coll. (6 BYU) [N37.02461, W-113.433811]; same location information: 17 May 1970, Don Rogers coll. (2 BYU); 17 May 1970, R. Murooch coll. (2 BYU); 1 May 1992, T. Blaine Moore coll. (12 BYU).
Distribution. (Fig. 19) This species is found in the sand dunes associated with tributary drainage basins of the upper Colorado River.
Intra- and interspecific morphological variation. From examination of specimens of M. viridis few discernable external morphological differences were found between populations. Upon examination of the endophalli, specimens from central Arizona were observed to have a slightly more conical ventral apical lobe. This species can be distinguished from all other Miloderes by having a greatly expanded front tibia, with an external emargination near the apex. Additionally the basal lobe of the endophallus is recurved.
description: Published as part of Van Dam, Matthew H. & O'Brien, Charles W., 2015, Review of the genus Miloderes Casey, 1888 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae), with desciptions of three new species, pp. 247-284 in Zootaxa 4006 (2) on pages 256-264, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4006.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/254116