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dryobius
Member Rosenbergia
USA
1885 Posts |
 Posted - 12/02/2015 : 22:58:53
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I need some help identifying this one.
26 mm. Makira. Solomon Islands.
Thank you. |
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Francesco
Forum Admin
Luxembourg
9442 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2015 : 09:06:19
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It belongs to the most difficult group in the Solomons: that with scarcely differentiated species. Moreover, none of them have been recorded from the Makira-Ulawa province yet (actually, no Acalolepta is known from Makira).
However... could you take a lateral picture of the head, or tell me if the eyes are twice or three times as long as the cheeks? |
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dryobius
Member Rosenbergia
USA
1885 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2015 : 17:42:15
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Francesco - Here are some additional photos.
I have had a series of this species for about 12-13 years. They came from a French dealer that I haven't heard from since then. Therefore, locality can not be verified. I just have to trust him. There were a couple of Homonoeini in the package which occur in the Solomons, so the location is reasonable.
If you can't identify the species, please tell me what the options are.
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Francesco
Forum Admin
Luxembourg
9442 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2015 : 20:08:35
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Dear Dan,
I insert here the part of my key to these species.
Unfortunately, I have not my specimens with me and I do not exactly remember their features (I do not see them since 2008  ).
Moreover, your specimens could also belong to a new "form"
6. Teeth of the pronotum blunt, tuberculated at apex ... 7.
-. Teeth of the pronotum regularly conical, pointed at apex ... 8.
7. Larger; elytral apex narrow; inferior eye-lobes 3 times as long as cheeks; scape clavate; antennae at least 2,5 times as long as body in male, 26-32 mm (Mono, Nggela, Malaita, Maramasike) ...griseofumata (Gressitt, 1952)
-. Smaller; elytral apex large; inferior eye-lobes 2 times as long as cheeks; scape conical; antennae 2 times as long as body in male,17-27 mm (Bougainville) ... strandiella (Breuning, 1935)
8. Larger (29-31 mm) and slender; antennae thin; elytral apex emarginate, both angles distinctly angulate (Bougainville) ... sericeiceps (Kriesche, 1936)
-. Smaller (20-25 mm) and stouter; antennae thicker; elytral apex obliquely truncated, inner angle rounded ... 9.
9. Pubescence grey; scape clavate (Bougainville) ...bisericans (Kriesche, 1936)
-. Pubescence golden-brown; scape conical (Malaita, Bellona), perhaps subspecies of the previous ... sulcicollis (Gressitt, 1952)
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dryobius
Member Rosenbergia
USA
1885 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2015 : 01:07:45
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Thank you for the key. It is still difficult, as you stated.
It might possibly be A. sulcicollis, but I think the elytral apex is wrong.
I have two more Solomon species, which might be easier to identify by photographs. One of them could be A. bisericans. I will try to post them soon. |
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Francesco
Forum Admin
Luxembourg
9442 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2015 : 07:04:37
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I also had this doubt, but A. sulcicollis should be a shorter species.
Here my specimens from Malaita:
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Actually, A. sulcicollis was described from Bellona and possibly, my specimens might belong to another further form. |
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Solomon Islands, Acalolepta
