Chelonychus Dietz

Clark, Wayne E. & Burke, Horace R., 2002, Revision Of The Weevil Genera Magdalinops Dietz And Chelonychus Dietz (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Anthonomini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 56 (1), pp. 107-122 : 23

Chelonychus Dietz

Chelonychus Dietz 1891:183 .

Type species (by monotypy), Chelonychus longipes Dietz .

Kissinger 1964:52, 56. O’Brien and Wibmer 1982:105.

Diagnosis. Tarsal claws long, slender, strongly flexed ( Figs. 5, 7 ), with ( Fig. 7 ) or without basal tooth; elytral interstriae with elongate, apically rounded, recumbent scales and narrower, slightly raised, curved scales.

Plant Associations. Adults of Chelonychus have been collected on Artemesia ludoviciana Nutt. (Asteraceae) . There are no indications of the site of larval development for the species, however, and the immature stages are unknown.

Remarks. The unusually long tarsal claws may indicate a close relationship of the species of Chelonychus to Magdalinops alutaceus and M. falli . Although adults of the latter two species are considerably larger than those of Chelonychus , the common association of the species with Artemesia is a possible indication of their close relationship.

Key to Species of Chelonychus

1 Antennal funiculus with 7 articles; tarsal claw with well­developed basal tooth ( Fig. 7 ); profemur toothed ---------------------------------------------- C. longipes Dietz

1 ' Antennal funiculus with 6 articles; tarsal claw simple or with minute basal prominence; profemur unarmed -------------------------------------------- C. stragulus (Fall)

Figures

Figs. 5–8. Magdalinops spp., habitus. 5) Magdalinops alutaceus, habitus, ♀, holotype; 6) M. alutaceus, ♀, holotype; 7) M. falli, ♀, Pasadena, California; 8) M. falli, ♀, Pasadena, California.