INTRODUCTION

The number of described weevils species is calculated to be nearly 62,000 (Oberprieler et al., 2007). The subfamily Zygopinae has worldwide distribution under which nearly 2000 species under 197 genera (Kumar, 2014). The Indian fauna of this family is so far represented by 64 species under 14 genera (Kumar, 2014) Out of nine species under genus Metialma studied during the course of USPL-480

ARTICLE INFORMATION:

*Corresponding Author Received 14th April, 2014

Accepted after revision 16th June, 2014 BBRC Print ISSN: 0974-6455 Online ISSN: 2321-4007

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and UGC projects, two species were found to be new which are different from all the recorded Indian fauna of the genus Metialma. The revised characterization of genus Metialma Pascoe and the complete descriptions of the new species have been included. A key to all the stud- ied species of this genus has also been given. In addition to diagnostic taxonomic characters. The structure of the male and female genitalia with respect to new species has also been given along with the details of elytral vestitures in the present communication.

7

Dalip Kumar

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The subfamily Zygopinae is one of the largest subfamilies of `Curculionidae Phanerognathes` which includes long- snouted weevils. Its members are marked by the close approximation of the eyes on the frons. The weevils are usually dark in colour but ornamented with variously col- oured scales or setae of different shape and size, forming different patterns. The tribe Mecopini is exceptional in having six segmented funicle. Besides, the mesepimeron is narrow and does not ascend between the base of pro- notum and the corresponding elytron (Pajni and Kumar, 1990, Kumar and Pajni, 1991).

GENUS METIALMA PASCOE

1871. Metialma. Pascoe, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (4) VII: 217. 1939. Metialma. Marshall, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (4)

II : 10.

Head compactly punctuate. Eyes large, convex. Ros- trum moderately arcuate, with base usually carinate; scrobes oblique, almost reaching eyes. Antenna with funicular segment 1 strongly clavate; club oval to fusi- form. Prothorax broader than long; scutellum distinct and squamose. Elytra usually rhombic; intervals much broader than punctuate striae; interval 1 with a distinct apical and subapical patch of scales. Legs long; fore-femora thick, each with a broadly triabgular tooth; tibiae arcuate, beset with fine hair like setae along inner margins. Aedeagal apodemes longer than aedaegus; phallobasic apodeme reduced, parameres absent; endophallus studded with rows of setae or spines. Spermatheca usually studded with rows of setae or spines. Spermatheca usually c-shaped; ramus and collum undifferentiated (Kumar, 2014a).

Type-species: Metialma scenica Pascoe

Distribution: Angola, Aru, Australia, urma, Cam- eroun, China, India, Indonesia, Java, Longo, Madagas- car, Philippines, Sri lanka.

Key to the Indian species of genus Metialma pascoe

1.Pronotum elevated in middle, with a path of cinna- mon-brown scales near base-------------------------

---------------------------2

Pronotum flat, without such a patch -----------------

----------------------------------------3

2.Rostrum with a pinkish basal patch. Pronotum with reticulate pattern of flavor-testaceous and while scales, with lateral pinkish spots on basal margin. Femora covered with testaceous scales----------------------

anisomelis Marshall.

Rostrum uniformly covered with whitishpale scales. Pronotal vestiture not forming reticulate pattern, without laternal pinkish spots. Femora covered with blackish scales---------------------------------------

versicolor faust

5.Rostrum shorter than prothorax. Antennal club fusiform. Prothorax devoid of median ridge. Elytral suture with whitish apical patch longer than black- ish subapical patch----------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------

utricae sp. n.

Rostrum longer than prothorax. Antennal club glob- ular. Pronotum with a median ridge. Elytral suture with apical whitish patch as long as blackish sub- apical patch.-----------------------------------------

------------------------------------------cervicornis sp.n

6.Antennae inserted at middle of rostrum. Pronotum with six transverse blackish spots and reticulate pat- tern of scales-----------------------------------------

scenica Pascoe.

Antennae inserted behind middle of rostrum. Prono- tum with blackish bands, and vestitute not forming of reticulate pattern. --------------------------------

----------------7

7.ostrum coarsely punctuate and carinate in basal half in female; in male reddish in apical half. Elytra without white spots on lateral margins. Femora with apices black------------------------------------------

cordata Marshall.

Rostrum smooth and without carina in female; in male uniformly blackish. Elytra with spot of dense white scales on lateral margins. Femora with apices red---------------------------------------------------

---------levirostris Marshall.

Head fuscus, sparsely covered with mixed whitish- grey and yellowish brown scales frons narow. Rostrum blackish, shorter than pronotum, widened at antenna insertion; surface rugulosely and coarsely punctuate in basal half and sparsely in distal half, covered with yel- lowish brown setiform scales; base 5-carinate, median carina strongly developed and 2 lateral on each side moderately developed and uneven, area after anten- nal insertion bare. Antennae reddish-brown with club blackish-brown, inserted at middle of rostrum; scape gradually clavate, as long as first five funicular seg- ments, sparsely covered with whitish scales; funicle with joint 2 longer than 1, 3-7 broader than long and mon- iliform, sparsely covered with light pale setae; club oval and pubescent. Prothorax fuscus, its apical margin con-

stricted, laterally convex; pronotal surface regulosely and reticulately punctuate; dorso-laterally covered with mixed light pale and brownish scales, disc almost bare except few sparse small scales and with a small patch of whitish scales at middle of base. Scutellum blackish, subcirucular, clothed with dense whitish pale scales.

Elytra fuscus, sides gradually narrowed towards apex; its transverse basal depression shallow and apical impression broad and deep; striae formed of deep punc- tures, each beset with yellowish-brown thick seta; inter- vals moderately rugulose; vestiture formed of mixed brownish, whitish-grey and yellowish scales, variegated with scattered dark patches, interval 1 setose up to mid-

dle and with white dense apical patch on suture longer than sub-apical short patch. Pygidium with moderately developed median carina, densely covered with brown- ish scales.

Legs fuscus with tarsi reddish, rugulose, uniformly studded with white pate setiform scales; hind femora with broad bwownish patch at middle; tibiae sinuate; tarsi with joint 3rd strongly bilobed; claws simple and free. Thoracic sterna fuscus, covered with whitish-grey scales; mesosternum depressed; metasternum sparsely covered with setiform scales in middle and with ovate pale scales laterally, and with median narrow groove, metapisterna with quadrate apical patch of brownish

Dalip Kumar

scales. Abdominal sternites, uniformly covered with light pale scales; sternite 1 with a broad circular basal depression; sternite 3 and 4 with blackish-brown patch interrupted at middle with pale scales, anal segment with median depression.

Male genitalia with aedeagus broader than long, aedeagal apodemes more than 3 times as long as aedea- gus; endophallic armature consisting of distinct rows of tubercles and apines. Phallobase ring-shaped; phalloba- sic apodeme well developed and pointed. Gastral spic- ulum with median arm thick, well sclerotized, dilated towards tip; lateral arms subequal. Female genitalia with coxites tubular, gently narrowing towards apex; styli broader than long, apices setose. Ventral spiculum with median arm slender strongly dilated towards truncate apex. Spermatheca curved; cornu pointed at apex.

MEASUREMENTS

LENGTH

Male body: 5.0 mm; rostrum: 1.5 mm.

Female body: 5.3 mm; rostrum: 1.7 mm.

BREADTH

Male body: 2.1 mm; rostrum: 0.2 mm.

Female body: 2.3 mm; rostrum: 0.3 mm.

Holotype: Male: INDIA: Himachal Pradesh; Manali;

Utrica dioca; 28. Vi. 1980; Paratypes: Males 2, Females 2, same data as for holotype. Material in Entomology Section, Department of Zoology, Panjab University, Chandigarh (Material has been deposited in IARI, New Delhi)

REMARKS

This species shows similarities with suturella Marshall (1948) in as far as the general covering of scales is con- cerned. However, new species can be easily made out from the length of the funicular segment 1 which is shorter than 2+3 taken together while in suturella Mar- shall, segment 1 is as long as 2+3 combined. The col- ouration of the sutural patches of elytra is also different in the two species.

Head piceous, reticulately punctuate, covered with whitish pale and brownish-yellow linear scales; frons represented by 2 rows of sub erect light pale setae. Ros- trum blackish with rufus tip; its basal half rugulosely punctuate, well developed median and lateral carniae, and densely squamose; apical half glossy, devoid of any carina. Antennae reddish – yellow with club reddish

dark, inserted at middle of rostrum; scape abruptly cla- vate, spaersely setose; funicle with segment 1 as long as 2, 2 elongated, 3-7 transverse; club compact, oval and densely pubescent.

Prothorax piceous, its apical margin sub-truncate and basal margin shallowly bisinuate; pronotal surface reticulately and confluently punctuate, with a median impunctate ridge in apical half; vestiture formed of rhomboidal patch of sparse narrow light pale scales in middle of basal half, surrounded by for coalescing blackish-brown spots, laterally variegated with sparse narrow pale and brownish scales enclosing an ovate black spot at about middle and a smaller one in front of it, lateral margin of base with patch of dense light pale scales. Scutellum circular and squamose.

Elytra fuscus; striae deeply punctuate, punctures pit like, each beset with short subrecumbent brownish-Yel- low seta; elytral vestiture consists of mixed white, yel- lowish and blackish-brown linear scales, elytral suture with apical whistish patch as long as blackish sub apical patch. Legs reddish-brown, rugulosely and reticulately punctuate; tarsi with joint 1 distinctly longer than rest; claws simple and free. Thoracic sterna piceous, punctu- ate, covered with light pale linear scales; metasternum with a median depression. Abdominal sternites, closely punctuate; in male sternites 1 and 2 with shallow median depression and covered with light pale scales, 3 and 4 with median large blackish patch, seternite 5 densely setose in female sternite 1 with a small depression, 2 devoid of such depression, rest as in male.

Male genitalia with aedeagus as long as broad, well sclerotized, apex pointed; endophallus clothed with distinct groups of tubercles and spines. Gastral spicu- lum with median arm strongly dilated towards tip and well sclerotized. Female genitalia with coxites tubu- lar, base truncate and broad; styli longer than broad, apices setose. Ventral spiculum with median arm well sclerotized and dilated towards truncate apex; lateral arms thick and dilated towards tip, each studded with short setae at apex. Spermatheca with cornu curved towards tip.

MEASUREMENTS

LENGTH

Male body: 5.6 mm, rostrum: 1.4 mm.

Female body: 5.7; rostrum: 1.5 mm.

BREADTH

Male body: 2.2 mm; rostrum: 0.2 mm.

Female body: 2.3 mm: rostrum: 0.3 mm.

Holotype: Male; INDIA: Himachal Pradesh; Shimla; 8.III.

1982; ex miscellaneous wood. Paratype: Female 1, same data as for holotype; Kandaghat; Males 2, Female 1, (No ecological data). Material in Entomology Section, Department of Zoology, Panjab University, Chandigarh. (Material has been deposited in IARI, New Delhi)

REMARKS

This species shows close resemblance with saeva Faust (1871), in as far as the companulate spot on the prono- tum is concerned. But it shows several differences from the same. The Scutellum is circular in the new species as

Dalip Kumar

compared to the ovate scutellum in saeva Faust. Mor- ever, sutural apical patch is much longer than the sub- apical in saeva Faust while these patches are equal in the present species.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author is grateful to the Indian Council of Agri- cultural Research, New Delhi and US Department of Agriculture, USA and UGC for financing projects on Curculionidae. The laboratory facilities provided by the Chairman of Zoology Department and Principal, PG Govt. College for Girls, Sector-42, Chandigarh are also gratefully acknowledged. The author is also thankful to the authorities of B.M. (N.H.), London and F.R.I., Dehra Dun for giving material on loan. All guid- ance provided by Prof. H.R. Pajni, former Professor, Department of Zoology, Panjab University is also fully acknowledged.

ABBREVIATIONS

AED: Aedeagus; ADA: Aedeagal apodeme; C: Cornu;

CO: Collum; CX: coxite; ENP: Endophallus; GS: Gastral

spiculum; LA: Lateral arm; MA: Mediun arm; PHB: phal-

lobase; PHBA : phallobasic apodeme; PHT : phallotreme;

R: Ramus; ST: Setae; STY : Stylus; VS: Ventral speculum.

REFERENCES

Kumar D. and Pajni H.R., (1991). Comments on Indian Phylaitis Pascoe with the description of two new species (Mecopini:Zygopinae:Curcupi onidae) J.Ent. Res. 15(2):113-119.

Kumar D., (2014). Present status and Biodiversity of the Indian Zygopinae (Couculionidae: Coleoptera), 17th Punjab Science Congress, B042:97.

Kumar D., (2014a). Significance of endophallic armature in the tax- onomy of the Indian Zygopinae, International Conference on Ento- mology, TS-16:248.

Marshall G.A.K. (1948). Entomological results from the Swedish Expe- dition, 1934, to Burma and British India. Coleoptera: Curculionidae. Novit Zool., 42:397-473.

Marshall G.A.K., (1939). On the urculionid tribe oryssomerini (col.) Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (4)II:1-32.

Oberprieler R.G., Marvaldi A.E. and Anderson R.S., (2007). Weevils, Weevils, Weevils everywhere, Zootaxa 1668:491-520.

Pajni H.R. and Kumar D. (1990). First record of genus Mecopomorphus Hustache from India through a new species, Mecopomorphus trivit- ticolis (Mecopini:Zygopinae: urcupionidae) The Indian Zoologist, 14(1&2):27-31.

Pascoe F.P. (1871). Pascoe’s catalogue of Zygopinae from the Eastern

Archipelago. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (4)VII:198-222.