Aphanerostethus japonicus Lewis & Kojima 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Lewis, Jake H.
name: Kojima, Hiroaki
name: Suenaga, Miyuki
name: Petsopoulos, Dimitrios
name: Fujisawa, Yusuke
name: Truong, Xuan Lam
name: Warren, Dan L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Curculionidae
Aphanerostethus
Aphanerostethus japonicus

description: Aphanerostethus japonicus Lewis & Kojima sp. nov.
Figs 3, 6 C – F, 11 C, 13 F, 15 I, J, 16 C, D, 18 B
Specimens examined.
Holotype: Japan: Miyazaki Prefecture: • Gokase-chou, Shiraiwa-yama, 6. V. 2009, Y. Tsutsumiuchi, male deposited in KUM, JHLHY_DAR_052. Paratypes: Japan: Ehime Prefecture: • Odamiyama, 2. IV. 1986, E. Yamamoto, (1, KUM), JHL_SYN_197; Kagawa Prefecture: • Shionoe-chou, Ootaki-yama, 11. VII. 1992, K. Kume, (1, KUM), JHLHY_DAR_053; Miyazaki Prefecture: • Gokase-chou, Shiraiwa-yama, 6. V. 2009, Y. Tsutsumiuchi, (3, KUM; 1, OIST), JHLHY_DAR_048 – JHLHY_DAR_051; • Gokase, Mt. Mokouzaka, 17. VI. 2017, R. Ito, (4, KUM), JHLHY_DAR_059 (EGP 0160 E 04), JHL_SYN_194 – JHL_SYN_196; • Mt. Goyodake, Hinokage, 15. VII. 2018, R. Ito, (1, KUM), JHL_SYN_199; Oita Prefecture: • Saiki-shi, Fujigawachi-keikoku, 10. IX. 2017, R. Ito, (2, KUM), JHLHY_DAR_054, JHLHY_DAR_055; • Saiki-shi, Fujigawachi-keikoku, 18. V. 2018, R. Ito, (3, KUM), JHLHY_DAR_056 – JHLHY_DAR_058, EGP 0160 E 05; Okinawa Prefecture: • Okinawa Island, Kunigami, Yona Field (26.73894°N, 128.23720°E), 10–24. VI. 2016, L. Iha, T. Kinjo, (1, OIST), OKENT 0062435; • Okinawa Island, Kunigami, Yona Field (26.73894°N, 128.23720°E), 5–19. II. 2016, L. Iha, T. Kinjo, (1, OIST), OKENT 0055232 (EGP 0160 B 12); • Okinawa Island, Kunigami, Yona Field (26.73894°N, 128.23720°E), 22. VII. – 5. VIII. 2016, T. Kinjo, K. Uekama, (1, OIST), OKENT 0055516 (EGP 0160 B 11); • Okinawa Island, Kunigami, Yona Field (26.73894°N, 128.23720°E), 27. XI. – 11. XII. 2015, Y. Tamaki, S. Iriyama, T. Yoshida, (1, OIST), OKENT 0055168; Tokushima Prefecture: • Mima-gun, Tsurugi-chou, Ichiu, 33°53'N, 134°4'E, 31. VII. 2011, K. Kume, (4, KUM; 1, OIST), JHLHY_DAR_037 – JHLHY_DAR_041; • Mt. Tomaru, Tsurugi-chou, 27. VII. 2014, K. Kanno, (1, KUM), JHL_SYN_198; • Nishiiyayama-son, 33°58'N, 133°4'E, 4. VIII. 2021, K. Kume, (1, KUM), JHLHY_DAR_042; • Miyoshi-shi, Mikamo-chou, Furonto, 22. VII. 2012, K. Kume, (4, KUM; 1, OIST), JHLHY_DAR_043 – JHLHY_DAR_047 (EGP 0160 F 03).
Diagnosis.
Body length 1.4–1.7 mm. Cuticle coated in crusty dark, sandy gray, and white scales in weakly defined pattern. Funicle with six articles. Procoxae contiguous. Eyes not dimorphic (separated in both sexes). Only odd-numbered elytral intervals with erect scales. Erect elytral scales evenly distributed, not concentrated in bundle. Scutellum distinct. Femora each with low, obtuse tooth ventrally. Prosternal cavity very weakly defined and without steep lateral ridges. Metaventrite flattened between meta- and mesocoxae, without a distinct elevated transverse ridge. Metatibial uncus simple in both sexes. Aedeagus rounded in lateral half (Fig. 15 I, J). Internal sac with basal protruding structure (Fig. 15 I, – J).
Distribution.
This species is currently only known from Japan, north from Tokushima Prefecture and Kagawa Prefecture, and in the Ryukyu Islands from Okinawa Prefecture (Yambaru National Park).
Etymology.
The specific name japonicus is a Latin adjective in reference to the country of collection. We also suggest the Japanese common name ニッポンダルマクチカクシゾウムシ [Nippon-daruma-kuchi-kakushi-zômushi], which translates in English to “ Japanese daruma cryptorhynchine weevil ”.
Variation.
Specimens of A. japonicus from Okinawa Island are noticeably slenderer than those collected on the mainland, but are otherwise indistinguishable and do not possess any structural characters that would support treating these as different species.
Comments.
The exact phylogenetic relationship of A. japonicus (along with A. nudus and A. armatus) to typical Aphanerostethus (i. e., those possessing a prominent prosternal canal and ridge between the meso- and metacoxae) remains uncertain given that the molecular data presented here does not clearly suggest whether they represent a lineage nested within or sister to typical Aphanerostethus (see Fig. 3). However, the fact that A. nudus possesses dimorphic metatibial uncus, a character which occurs sparsely in weevils, is significant and further supports the association of typical Aphanerostethus and the A. nudus group.
Like A. distinctus (see Comments under A. distinctus), this species was only collected from one site (Yona, Yambaru National Park) on Okinawa Island despite several years of malaise trapping at twenty-four sites across the island suggesting that it is also sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance.
description: Published as part of Lewis, Jake H., Kojima, Hiroaki, Suenaga, Miyuki, Petsopoulos, Dimitrios, Fujisawa, Yusuke, Truong, Xuan Lam & Warren, Dan L., 2024, The era of cybertaxonomy: X-ray microtomography reveals cryptic diversity and concealed cuticular sculpture in Aphanerostethus Voss, 1957 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), pp. 1-45 in ZooKeys 1217 on pages 1-45, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1217.126626