Neomecopus tamaderai Fujisawa, Yoshitake & Kojima, 2025

Fujisawa, Yusuke, Yoshitake, Hiraku & Kojima, Hiroaki, 2025, Weevils of the genus Neomecopus Hustache, 1921 (Curculionidae: Conoderinae: Mecopini), with description of a new species from the Ryukyus, Japan, Zootaxa 5631 (3), pp. 574-584 : 581-583

Neomecopus tamaderai Fujisawa, Yoshitake & Kojima , sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3BA4E597-3E7D-4CF4-9668-06D0198F199D

[Japanese name: Okinawa-shirafu-kumo-zômushi]

( Figs 7, 10 , 12 , 16–18 , 27–30 , 36 )

Diagnosis. The new species is separable from N. subarmatus by the following features: forehead between eyes covered with yellowish white narrow scales; rostrum slightly long, 1.7 times as long as pronotum in male; posterior margin of scutellum notched; each puncture of elytral striae furnished with yellowish gray scale; metepisternum covered only with yellowish white scales, lacking black patch; metafemora evenly covered with yellowish gray scales; male endophallus with longer anchor-shaped sclerite, which is about half as long as its length.

Description. Male. Length: 5.9 mm; width: 2.5 mm.

Derm black; antennae, tibial unci, and tarsi reddish brown. Head mainly covered with whitish yellow narrow to lanceolate scales; forehead between eyes covered with yellowish white narrow scales; posterior eye margins clothed with sparse yellow scales. Pronotum mainly covered with yellowish gray narrow scales, with the following three scaly markings: 1) pair of ante-median dark patches of narrow scales, 2) transverse macula of brown to dark brown lanceolate scales on basal margin, and 3) three small patches of imbricate yellowish white lanceolate scales at basal angles and ante-scutellar part. Scutellum covered with dense yellowish white lanceolate scales, which become imbricate on apical 2/3. Elytra dominantly clothed with yellowish brown narrow scales, irregularly mixed with white scales, with two transverse maculae of black narrow scales on subbasal and submedian parts; post-scutellar patch composed of imbricate yellowish white lanceolate scales, longitudinal, three times as long as wide, located on basal 1/5 of suture. Femora and tibiae evenly clothed with yellowish gray narrow scales, immaculate; each tibia with black scaly spot at apex. Underside mainly densely covered with yellowish white oval to lanceolate scales, except metepisterna each with light brown scaly patch at apex ( Fig 12 ).

Rostrum 1.7 times as long as pronotum; dorsum closely punctate, with three weak carinae: median carina extending from base to apex and two shorter lateral carinae extending from base to apical 1/3. Antennal funicle with segment I slightly shorter, 1.7 times as long as II, II slightly longer, 1.4 times as long as wide and 1.4 times as long as III.

Prothorax 1.6 times as wide as long, widest at apical 1/3. Scutellum notched at middle of posterior margin. Elytra 1.3 times as long as wide; intervals I and II faintly conjointly depressed on basal 1/4; strial punctures each furnished with yellowish gray narrow scale. Profemora slender, slightly slenderer than mesofemora; metafemora each with larger tooth than those on front pair ( Figs 16–18 ).

Terminalia as illustrated ( Figs 27–30 ); aedeagus with apodemes slightly longer, 1.2 times as long as body; endophallus with anchor-shaped sclerite longer, ranging from base to basal 2/5.

Otherwise essentially as in N. subarmatus .

Female. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype, Male: Tamashiro , Nakijin Vill. , Okinawa-jima I. , Okinawa Pref. (26°40’09.9”N 127°58’03.1”E), 23.IV.2017, Y. Tamadera ( TUA).

Distribution. Japan (the Ryukyus: Okinawa-jima Island).

Biological note. The holotype was collected by sweeping the marginal part of the canopy layer of an evergreen broad-leaved forest ( Fig 36 ).

Etymology. The species is named after Yutaka Tamadera (Kyoto Prefectural University), who collected this rare species.

Figures

FIGURE 36. Habitat of Neomecopus tamaderai in Nakijin, Okinawa-jima I., the Ryukyus, Japan.

FIGURES 5–10. Habitus images of Neomecopus spp. 5–7, Dorsal habitus; 8–10, lateral habitus. 5 & 8, N. subarmatus, male; 6 & 9, ditto, female; 7 & 10, N. tamaderai sp. nov., male.

FIGURES 11, 12. Male undersides of Neomecopus spp. 11, N. subarmatus; 12, N. tamaderai.

FIGURES 13–18. Femora and tibiae of Neomecopus spp., in ventral view. 13–15, N. subarmatus; 16–18, N. tamaderai. 13 & 16, front legs; 14 & 17, middle legs; 15 & 18, hind legs.

FIGURES 27–30. Male terminalia of Neomecopus tamaderai. 27, Aedeagus, dorsal; 28, ditto, lateral; 29, tegmen; 30, sternite VIII and spiculum gastrale.