Curculio challeti Pelsue and Zhang 2002, new species
Creators: name: Pelsue, Frank W.
name: Zhang, Runzhi
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2002
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Curculionidae
Curculio
Curculio challeti

description: Curculio challeti Pelsue and Zhang, new species   
Figs. 19–20, 83–85  
HOLOTYPE. China. Tongchuan: male[China / Shaanxi /Tongchuan/ 23 May 1981 / Y. Jiang] (IZAS).  
PARATYPES (6). China. Lijiang: two males [China / Yunnan /Lijiang/ 17–24 July 1984 / 2,800–3,000 m / S. Wang] (IZAS), (FWPC); one male [China / Shaanxi /Heyang/ October 1980 / FSSX](FWPC); one male [China / Shaanxi /Huangling/ 28 May 1960 / FSSX] (FWPC); one female [China / Yunnan /Lijiang/ 17–24 July 1984 / 2,800–3,000 m / S. Wang] (IZAS); one female [China / Shaanxi / Huangling / 05 August 1960 / FSSX] (FWPC).  
 Description. Male: length: 5.4–6.0 mm (mean = 5.62 mm, n = 5) width: 2.8–3.0 mm (mean = 2.92 mm, n = 5). Head moderate­sized; punctures small with small, narrow, elongate, white scales; ventral macula of small, clavate, white scales; frons, 0.24 as broad as head across eyes; few narrow, elongate, white scales. Rostrum: length: 2.7– 3.5 mm (mean = 3.18 mm, n = 5); 0.56 as long as body; sub­cylindrical; base broader than apex; 5 dorsal carinae from frons to past antennal insertion with deep oval punctures between carinae; straight to antennal insertion, then arced down to apex; scrobe ventral; scape inserted in basal half. Antennae: length: scape 1.3–1.4 mm (mean = 1.3 mm, n = 5); funiculus: segment one 0.4 mm, two 0.35 mm, three 0.25 mm, four 0.2 mm, five 0.2 mm, six 0.2 mm, seven 0.25 mm, club 0.55 mm, funicle 1.65 mm in length (n = 5); scape 0.81 as long as funiculus; funiculus clothed with narrow elongate white scales; club small, oval, acuminate, as long as funicular segments 5–7. Thorax: length: 1.5–1.8 mm (mean = 1.6 mm, n = 5); width: 2.0– 2.2 mm (mean = 2.1 mm, n = 5); 0.77 as broad as long; disc with margins subparallel, rounded to constriction, slightly convex in lateral view; punctures small, numerous, with mixture of narrow, elongate, testaceous and white scales; base subsinuate; mesosternal intercoxal process prominent, sparsely clothed with narrow, elongate, white scales; scutellum large, longer than broad, densely clothed with narrow, elongate, white scales; mesepimeron densely clothed with narrow, clavate, ochraceous scales; mesepisternum, metepisternum sparsely clothed with narrow, white scales; metasternum with small lateral macula of clavate, ochraceous scales proximal to metacoxae; procoxae clothed with narrow, white scales. Elytra: length: 3.3–3.7 mm (mean = 3.48 mm, n = 5). striae narrow, deep, glabrous; humeri rounded; intervals narrow, flat clothed, with narrow, elongate, testaceous scales, with confused small macula of white scales; disc flat in lateral view; crosshatched setae short, piceous. Legs: length of hind femur 2.2–2.8 mm (mean = 2.5 mm, n = 5), tooth medium, wedge shaped with acute apex; pro­ and mesofemoral teeth small, acute apex; femoral clava moderate­sized; vestiture of all femora of narrow, elongate, white, few testaceous scales; tibiae sinuate, prouncus small, meso­ and metauncus short, broad, blunt. Abdomen: sternite 1 longer than 2 behind coxal cavity; sternite 2 ascending to 3; sternites 3 and 4 equal in length, combined longer than sternite 5; sternite 5 with truncate apex; sternite 2 with L shaped macula of dense, clavate, ochraceous scales, remaining scales narrower, shorter, some clavate, ochraceous to white. Pygidium: medium, with dense tuft of narrow, elongate, testaceous seta­like scales. Genitalia: median lobe of aedeagus 1.2 mm (n = 1) in length; 0.3 mm (n = 1) in width, rectangular with thin margins, squared apically in dorsal view, evenly thick to apex, then deflected in lateral view with acute apex; apodeme 1.0 mm (n = 1) in length (Figs. 83–84). Female: length: 4.9–7.1 mm (mean = 6.0 mm, n = 2) width: 2.4–3.5 mm (mean = 2.95 mm, n = 2). Rostrum: length: 4.4–5.4 mm (mean = 4.9 mm, n = 2), 0.82 as long as body. Frons: 0.29 as broad as head across eyes. Antennae: length: scape 1.1–1.8 mm (mean = 1.45 mm, n = 2) funiculus: segment one 0.5 mm, two 0.5 mm, three 0.4 mm, four 0.25 mm, five 0.2 mm, six 0.2 mm, seven 0.2 mm, club 0.6 mm, funicle 1.7–2.2 mm (mean = 1.95 mm, n = 2); scape 0.74 as long as funicle. Thorax: length: 1.5–2.1 mm (mean = 1.8 mm, n = 2) width: 1.7–2.6 mm (mean = 2.15 mm, n = 2). Elytra: length: 2.8–4.2 mm (mean = 3.5 mm, n = 2). Legs: length of hind femur 2.3–3.1 mm (mean = 2.7 mm, n = 2); pro­ and mesouncus large, as long as tarsal claw, metauncus small. Abdomen: sternite 1 as long as 2 behind coxal cavity. Pygidium: small. Genitalia: spermatheca: ramus oblique; collum triangular with somewhat acute angle; cornu base thinner then thickens to broad rounded apex (n = 1) (Fig. 85).   
 Plant Associations. Quercus sp.   
 Remarks. Appears very similar to Curculio tarae n. sp. and Curculio bidens (Heller). Separated from C. tarae by sternite 1 as long as 2 behind coxal cavity, male genitalia, from female by length of rostrum, and spermatheca; C. bidens by single tooth on hind femur (C. bidens has 2 teeth), length of hind femur, and origin of rostrum.   
 Etymology. Named in honor of the senior author’s good friend Gilbert L. Challet.
description: Published as part of Pelsue, Frank W. & Zhang, Runzhi, 2002, A Review Of The Genus Curculio From China With Descriptions Of New Taxa. Part III. The Curculio subfenestratus Voss Group (Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Curculionini), pp. 1-39 in The Coleopterists Bulletin 56 (1) on pages 25-26, DOI: 10.1649/0010-065X(2002)056[0001:AROTGC]2.0.CO;2, http://zenodo.org/record/10102918