Spathaspina noohi Ramesha and Mahendiran, 2025

Ramesha, B., Mahendiran, G. & Anooj, S. S., 2025, Spathaspina Ramesha and Mahendiran, a new genus of Ceutorhynchinae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from India, Zootaxa 5642 (6), pp. 592-596 : 593-595

Spathaspina noohi Ramesha and Mahendiran , sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:42B932F4-640B-4D30-9F9B-2ED991562598

(Figs. 1‒16)

Material Examined: Holotype male, INDIA, Meghalaya, Umran , N25° 46' 13.5'' E91° 52' 8.7'' 781m, 14.v.2016, Coll. Anooj S.S .. Paratype: female, with same data (both specimens deposited at ICAR-NBAIR, Bengaluru. Karnataka- 560024) .

Description: Habitus as in Figs 15, 16; black in general appearance; antennae and tarsi reddish brown; femora and tibiae black with red tinge at tibial apex; integument black. Vestiture: Head moderately densely clothed with yellowish white narrow scales. Rostrum covered with same scaling on basal half but distally with long yellowish white, hair-like scales. Prothorax sparsely covered with white to yellowish white narrow scales, ocular lobes with vibrissae evident ventrally. Elytral interstriae with three rows of linear white hair-like scales at base of elytra, striae deep with single row of yellow hairy scale. Legs clothed moderately densely with white recumbent lanceolate scales; scales replaced with brownish hairs in apical part of tibiae. Prosternum densely clothed with golden yellowish, plumose scales in middle, sparsely so with narrow hair-like scales on sides. Mesosternum densely covered with golden yellow, plumose scales in middle; mesanepisterna sparsely clothed with greyish white long scales fringed with lanceolate scales along margins; mesepimeron fringed with long grey hair-like scales, more so on periphery. Metasternum densely covered with dark broad golden yellow scales on disc, sparsely covered with narrow grey scales on sides; metanepisterna sparsely covered with greyish white scales, fringed with white lanceolate scales along upper margin. Venter sparsely covered with dark hair-like scales mingled with greyish white lanceolate scales on sides; all the ventrites with lanceolate white hairy scales. Pygidium moderately covered with dark hair-like scales.

Head densely punctured, punctures broader, each puncture with white lanceolate scale, median carina extending from vertex to base of head. Area between eyes sunken; forehead moderately depressed, slightly narrower than base of rostrum at apex. Eyes strongly prominent, widely separated anteriorly. Rostrum robust, 0.67±0.12 times shorter than pronotum, abruptly curved in apical 2/3; dorsum densely punctured, strongly convex in basal 1/3, with a median carina from base to apex and laterally carinate, carina up to antennal insertion, rostral rugosely punctured apically, shining, sides subparallel to antennal insertion, then strongly expanded towards apex; antennal scrobes well separated along entire length (Figs. 1-‒2). Antennae inserted 2/3 from base of rostrum; scape nearly as long as funicular segments 1-7 combined; funicle 7 segmented (segment 1 slightly longer than 2; 2 slender, 1.04–1.7 times longer than 3; slightly longer than 4; 4 nearly as long as 5; 5 slightly longer than 6; 6 slightly longer and narrower than 7; 7 as long as wide); club lanceolate, finely pubescent. Pronotum 1.1 times wider than long, widest at base, sub-parallel sided from base to apical 1/3, then rapidly convergent towards strong subapical constriction; dorsum densely punctured with strong median carina running from apex to base, produced to form sharp spine to 1/3 of elytron, carina very prominent on anterior and posterior margin, between central carina two small carinae to middle of pronotum, with a pair of strong tubercles on either side of carina at middle of pronotum (Figs. 3‒4). Scutellar shield not exposed, hidden by basal pronotal spine. Elytra rhomboidal, 1.04-1.05 times wider than long, widest just behind humeri, slightly narrowed to middle, then convergent towards sub-apical calli, suture very evident; humeral calli strongly developed, each interval more or less strongly tuberculate; odd numbered intervals wider than even numbered ones; interval 1 without any tubercles; 2 with two medium tubercles just after middle; 3 with very large tubercles in middle and two medium tubercles in subapical and subbasal parts; 4 with medium-sized tubercles in middle and subbasal part; 5 with medium sized tubercle in middle and one large in subapical part; 6 with a row of small tubercles; 7 with large tubercle at apical end and one medium sized tubercle in middle; interval 8 with a row of small tubercles behind humerus; 9 with two large tubercles just behind humerus; 10 with row of small tubercles; tubercles acutely granulate, each bearing small grey hair like scales; striae sinuate, shallow but well-marked with small recumbent hairy scale (Fig. 5).

Legs slender; femora clavate, prominently toothed; hind femora stouter than others, tibiae gently curved, simple at apex, lacking mucro; corbel long, sinuate, fringed with golden slender setae; tarsi simple, lacking projection; claws appendiculate with large tooth (Fig. 7).

Sterna moderately punctured. Sternal canal shallow, not extending to posterior margin of fore coxae; mesosternal portion ridged laterally along entire length; ridges slightly projected over metasternum; metasternum raised over pro- and mesosternum. Venter coarsely but sparsely punctured; punctures becoming sparser and minute towards sides; ventrite 1 with inconspicuous small depression on disc; 2 with posterior margin medially produced into obtuse angle.

Female genitalia: Sternite 8 sclerotized, inverted Y shaped, apodeme little longer than arm (Fig. 10); ovipositor with hemisternite less sclerotized, longer with tubular styli at apex (Fig. 8); collum constricted at base, ramus distinct, nodulus larger, constricted, insertion of spermathecal duct and gland widely separated (Fig. 9).

Male genitalia: Aedeagus with median lobe curved in middle, well sclerotized at lateral edges, apex bluntly pointed, apophyses as along as median lobe; tegmen without parameres, short and thick (Figs. 11‒13); spiculum gastrale uniformly thick, slightly curved, apex blunt (Fig. 14).

Distribution: INDIA: Meghalaya.

Etymology: The species name is a Latinised form of the surname of Sri. P. B. Nooh, IAS (Indian Administrative Service), Director of Tourism, Government of Kerala, in honour and recognition of his contributions to eco-friendly tourism projects that protect nature in Kerala.