Metapocyrtus ( Dolichocephalocyrtus ) aliwagwag Pajota & Cabras, 2025

Pajota, Efrhain Loidge P., Pepito, Mark John T., Añuber, Rylle G., Obrial, Graden G., Agbas, Daven Jayson D., Villegas, Jhonnel P., Medina, Milton Norman D. & Cabras, Analyn A., 2025, Metapocyrtus (Dolichocephalocyrtus) aliwagwag sp. nov., a new flightless weevil (Curculionidae, Entiminae, Pachyrhynchini) from the Aliwagwag Protected Landscape, Mindanao Island, Philippines, Biodiversity Data Journal 13, pp. e 163127-e 163127 : e163127-

Metapocyrtus ( Dolichocephalocyrtus) aliwagwag Pajota & Cabras sp. nov.

Materials

Type status: Holotype. Occurrence: recordedBy: RG Añuber; individualCount: 1; sex: Male; lifeStage: Adult; occurrenceID: 8CF9E918-DED4-5F19-8971-5587311C71E9; Taxon: kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Coleoptera ; family: Curculionidae ; genus: Metapocyrtus ; subgenus: Dolichocephalocyrtus ; specificEpithet: aliwagwag ; Location: continent: Asia; island: Mindanao; country: Philippines; countryCode: PH; stateProvince: Davao Oriental; municipality: Cateel; locality: Aliwagwag Protected Landscape (APL) ; Identification: identifiedBy: ELP Pajota; AA Cabras; Event: samplingProtocol: Handpicking; year: 2024; month: 7; day: 17-21; Record Level: institutionCode: UMCRC

Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: RG Añuber; individualCount: 12; sex: 4 males, 8 females; lifeStage: Adult; occurrenceID: F48700E9-A642-5AF2-8E24-D9449FE12469; Taxon: kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Coleoptera ; family: Curculionidae ; genus: Metapocyrtus ; subgenus: Dolichocephalocyrtus ; specificEpithet: aliwagwag ; Location: continent: Asia; island: Mindanao; country: Philippines; countryCode: PH; stateProvince: Davao Oriental; municipality: Cateel; locality: Aliwagwag Protected Landscape (APL) ; Identification: identifiedBy: ELP Pajota; AA Cabras; Event: samplingProtocol: Handpicking; year: 2024; month: 7; day: 17-21; Record Level: institutionCode: UMCRC

Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: P Camposo; S Cadayona; individualCount: 4; sex: 2 males, 2 females; lifeStage: Adult; occurrenceID: 37593EDF-415B-5130-AB85-8B5B2CDD1CD9; Taxon: kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Coleoptera ; family: Curculionidae ; genus: Metapocyrtus ; subgenus: Dolichocephalocyrtus ; specificEpithet: aliwagwag ; Location: continent: Asia; island: Mindanao; country: Philippines; stateProvince: Davao Oriental; municipality: Cateel; locality: Aliwagwag Protected Landscape (APL) ; Identification: identifiedBy: ELP Pajota; AA Cabras; Event: samplingProtocol: Handpicking; year: 2024; month: 7; day: 17-21; Record Level: institutionCode: UMCRC

Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: GG Obrial; individualCount: 7; sex: 4 males, 3 females; lifeStage: Adult; occurrenceID: 61CDF402-B66F-5178-B36D-2004CAE92A5A; Taxon: kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Coleoptera ; family: Curculionidae ; genus: Metapocyrtus ; subgenus: Dolichocephalocyrtus ; specificEpithet: aliwagwag ; Location: continent: Asia; island: Mindanao; country: Philippines; stateProvince: Davao Oriental; municipality: Boston; locality: Barangay Simulao ; Identification: identifiedBy: GG Obrial; DJD Agbas; AA Cabras; ELP Pajota; Event: samplingProtocol: Handpicking; year: 2024; month: 7; Record Level: institutionCode: DGC

Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: DJD Agbas; individualCount: 22; sex: 15 males, 7 females; lifeStage: Adult; occurrenceID: 2827321B-3E84-5F6C-8C78-DAC3B04244B6; Taxon: kingdom: Animalia; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Coleoptera ; family: Curculionidae ; genus: Metapocyrtus ; subgenus: Dolichocephalocyrtus ; specificEpithet: aliwagwag ; Location: continent: Asia; island: Mindanao; country: Philippines; stateProvince: Davao Oriental; municipality: Cateel; locality: Aliwagwag Protected Landscape (APL) ; Identification: identifiedBy: GG Obrial; DJD Agbas; AA Cabras; ELP Pajota; Event: samplingProtocol: Handpicking; year: 2024; month: 7; day: 17-19; Record Level: institutionCode: DGC

Description

Male. Dimensions: LR 1.75–2.5 ( Holotype: 2.0; ā: 2.06). WR 1.0–1.2 ( Holotype: 1.0; ā: 1.01). LP 2.0–3.0 ( Holotype: 3.0; ā: 2.79). WP 2.5–3.5 ( Holotype: 3.0; ā: 3.03). LE 5.0–6.0 ( Holotype: 6.0; ā: 5.5). WE 3.0–4.0 ( Holotype: 3.2; ā: 3.46). N = 25 for all measurements.

Habitus as shown in Fig. 1 (A-F).

Colouration: Integuments are all black, except proximal half of legs, reddish-brown. Body surface, rostrum, head, legs and ventral side moderately lustrous.

Head: Dorsal surface finely rugose, except posterior third. Dorsal area between eyes sparsely pubescent with short sub-appressed white setae; densely beset with blue and black round and elliptical scales. Median furrow distinct, extending from apex of head to basal third, forming a vertex with transverse groove. Median furrow from posterior margin of eyes to basal third less distinct. Eyes moderately convex; area around eyes coarsely rugose. Lateroventral surface sparsely beset with short adpressed white setae and long adpressed piliform scales.

Rostrum: Twice as long as wide (LR / WR: 2.0 / 1.00); overall surface punctate – with punctures finer at apical area and coarser at basal area; basal half coarsely rugose. Dorsum surface of apical half sparsely beset with short adpressed white setae; basal half surface densely beset with long sub-erected white setae. Apicad towards mandible beset with several long erected golden setae. Median furrow present; V-shaped ridge visible at basal half – forming a shallow depression. Metallic blue round and elliptical scales present at basal half – specifically at shallow depression formed in between V-shaped ridge towards transverse groove. Hump-like protuberance formed by V-shaped ridge at base of rostrum less prominent in males than in females. Lateroventral area between oblique furrow and antennal scrobe bulging; minutely pubescent with fine sub-adpressed white setae; area below antennal scrobe densely pubescent with long sub-adpressed blue and white setae.

Antennae: Antennal scape slightly longer than funicle; reaching beyond posterior margin of eyes; densely beset with relatively long adpressed white setae. Funicle sparsely pubescent of long sub-adpressed white setae. Funicular antennomere 1 slightly longer than 2; approximately three times as long as wide. Funicular antennomere 3 slightly longer than three succeeding antennomeres. Funicular antennomeres 4, 5 and 6 subglobular — nearly as long as wide. Funicular antennomere 7 longer than the last four antennomeres, narrow at base and wider at apex, resembling an inverted trapezoid. Club sub-ellipsoidal; widest at middle; approximately three times longer than wide; densely pubescent with sub-erect short brown setae.

Prothorax subglobular; as long as wide (LP: 3.0; WP: 3.0); coarsely granulated, resembling a blackberry; mid-line groove distinct. Widest at middle, weakly convex, dorsal contour highest at posterior third. Pronotum having scaly markings of blue and black round and elliptical scales, arranged as follows: a) circular patch located at middle near dorsolateral margin, at each side of disc; b) longitudinal band of imbricate scales confluent to the band of scales at the anterior transverse groove. Dorsolateral area smooth; beset with fine white setae. Ventrolateral surface sparsely pubescent with short, adpressed white setae.

Elytra subovate; longer than wide (LE: 6.0; WE: 3.2); slightly wider than prothorax (WE / WP: 3.2 / 3.0). Elytral surface irregularly striate-punctate, with some areas sparsely pubescent with very short white setae. Dorsum widest at middle; weakly convex, with abrupt apical declivity; dorsal contour highest at middle. Declivity densely beset with much longer sub-erected white setae. Each elytron with the following scaly marking of appressed metallic blue, teal and black round and elliptical scales: a) an interrupted anterior stripe of scales forming a subcircular anterior spot near elytral suture; and a dense strip of scales diagonally placed at dorsolateral surface; b) interrupted median transverse stripe widened laterally, forming another subcircular patch of scale near elytral suture; and a dense strip of scales extending through dorsolateral surface; c) thin, interrupted transverse band at the beginning of the apical declivity, composed of clustered elliptical scales; d) a small circular patch of scales at apex, adjacent to elytral suture.

Legs with moderately clavate femora; basal third of femora reddish-brown, minutely pubescent with short adpressed white setae. Tibiae black, densely beset with moderately long gold and white setae; serrate along inner edges of basal third towards apex. Fore-tibiae mucronate at apex. Tarsomeres densely beset with long sub-adpressed white setae; ventrolateral area beset with longer erect brown and golden setae. Coxae beset with long sub-adpressed white setae. Pubescence in mesocoxae and metacoxae much denser than in the procoxae. Mesoventrite and metaventrite densely beset with long erected white setae; Mesoventrite prominently protruding at middle. Abdominal ventrite 1 weakly depressed towards metaventrite; densely covered with long sub-adpressed and erect fine white setae. Abdominal ventrite 3–5 sparsely covered with sub-adpressed fine white setae; abdominal ventrite 5 moderately rugo-punctate.

Male genitalia and sternite IX are shown in Fig. 2 A – C.

Female. Dimensions: LR 1.9–2.0 (ā: 1.98). WR 1.0–1.2 (ā: 1.06). LP 2.0–3.0 (ā: 2.4). WP 3.0–4.0 (ā: 3.25). LE 6.0–7.5 (ā: 6.89). WE 3.5–5.0 (ā: 7.8). N = 20 for all measurements.

Females (Figs. 1 D – F) differ from males, based on the following characteristics: Rostrum with noticeably more distinct V-shaped ridge resulting in a much deeper medial depression; hump-like protuberance at base of the rostrum significantly more prominent. Relatively wider Prothorax, with presence of glabrous discal area free of granulations at middle of pronotum. Elytra clearly wider and longer; with a distinct sutural hump-like protuberance beset with erect setae at beginning of apical declivity similar to M. ( D.) kutongbusaw Pajota, Medina & Cabras, 2022 ; however, unlike the latter, the projected inward curve is not as concave. Furthermore, the apex of elytra bears a triangular projection, a common sexual dimorphism characteristic within the subgenus. Lastly, the second series of type specimens collected from Barangay Simulao, Boston comprises several female individuals bearing green and yellow scales, rather than the predominantly blue scales observed in the holotype and paratypes from the APL, exhibiting intraspecific variation in scale colouration within the species.

Diagnosis

Metapocyrtus ( Dolichocephalocyrtus) aliwagwag Pajota & Cabras sp. nov. belongs to the subgenus Dolichocephalocyrtus in having a long and slender rostrum, presence of a V-shaped ridge on the basal half of the rostrum and the sharp triangular projection at the elytral apex in females, as prescribed by Schultze (1923), Yap and Gapud (2007) and Cabras et al. (2022). The new species bears a close resemblance to Metapocyrtus ( Dolichocephalocyrtus) baulorum Cabras, Pajota & Medina, 2022 , but can be easily distinguished from the latter, M. ( D.) baulorum , by the following morphological characteristics: A) difference in the colour of the integument of the prothorax. M. ( D.) aliwagwag Pajota & Cabras sp. nov. bears a black pronotum, while M. ( D.) baulorum exhibits a reddish-brown pronotum; and B) the presence of short white setae inside the punctures on the surface of the elytra. In M. ( D.) baulorum , these white setae are consistently present throughout the surface of the elytra, whereas in M. ( D.) aliwagwag , the pubescence within the punctures is observed only on the apical declivity near the suture and along the lateral margin of the elytral apex. For the female, C) the new species bears a hump-like protuberance at the apical declivity, a character not exhibited by the female M. ( D.) baulorum . Meanwhile, E) the erect white setae in the triangular projection at the elytral apex of M. ( D.) aliwagwag Pajota & Cabras sp. nov. are less dense than the setation observed in M. ( D.) baulorum . Moreover, the female specimen of M. ( D.) aliwagwag Pajota & Cabras sp. nov. also bears a superficial resemblance to the patterns of Metapocyrtus ( Metapocyrtus) subfasciatus variabilis Schultze, 1925 ( Schultze 1925) from Samar Island, Eastern Visayas, Philippines, but can be easily distinguished by the hump-like protuberance at the apical declivity found in the female individuals of M. ( D.) aliwagwag Pajota & Cabras sp. nov., which changes the overall shape of the elytra. Lastly, in males, compared to M. ( D.) ruficollis Waterhouse, 1842 ( Waterhouse 1842, Schultze 1925), M. ( D.) aliwagwag Pajota & Cabras sp. nov. has a less distinct mid-line groove in the pronotum due to its coarsely granulated, blackberry-like pronotal surface, contrasting with the punctured surface of M. ( D.) ruficollis Waterhouse, 1842 . Another distinguishing feature between the two species is the presence of a conical projection on the ventral surface of the rostrum, which is only observed in the females of M. ( D.) ruficollis and is absent in females of both M. ( D.) aliwagwag sp. nov. and M. ( D.) baulorum .

Etymology

The specific epithet aliwagwag is a noun in apposition, named after the Aliwagwag Falls. The Falls lie within the APL, where most type specimens, including the holotype, were collected. By naming the species after the Aliwagwag Falls, the authors underscore the ecological and conservation significance of the APL.

Distribution

The new species described in this paper is known to occur within the Mt. Pasian-Agtuuganon Mountain complex (Fig. 3 ), which spans multiple districts across different municipalities in Davao Oriental and Davao de Oro. The holotype and most paratypes were collected from the APL within the territorial boundaries of Cateel, Davao Oriental, Mindanao, Philippines. Additionally, a separate series of paratypes exhibiting a yellow-coloured scale variation in females was obtained from the territorial boundaries of Barangay Simulao, Boston, Davao Oriental, Mindanao, Philippines.

Ecology

The type specimens of Metapocyrtus ( D.) aliwagwag sp. nov. were collected from the leaves of several plants, including Leucosyke capitellata (Poir.) Wedd. ( Urticaceae ), Ficus minahassae (Teijsm. and de Vr.) Miq. ( Moraceae ), Chromolaena odorata (L.) R. M. King and H. Rob. ( Asteraceae ), Premna cumingiana Schauer ( Lamiaceae ), Homalanthus macradenius Pax and K. Hoffm. ( Euphorbiaceae ), Ficus botryocarpa Miq. var. botryocarpa ( Moraceae ), Piper aduncum L. ( Piperaceae ), Ficus odorata (Blanco) Merr. ( Moraceae ) and Cypholophus moluccanus ( Urticaceae ) (Fig. 4 ). Most of the abovementioned plant species associated with M. ( D.) aliwagwag Pajota & Cabras sp. nov. are known to be pioneering native tree species, with Chromolaena odorata , an exotic plant species, being an exception.

Given the composition of these plant species, the ecosystem in which M. ( D.) aliwagwag Pajota & Cabras sp. nov. was collected appears to be undergoing secondary succession, transitioning towards a climax stage. This process was likely triggered by the destruction caused by Typhoon Pablo in 2012, severely impacting the entire Davao Oriental Region, including the Aliwagwag Protected Landscape (APL). The species was collected at an elevation range of 600–700 m above sea level (m a. s. l.), considered moderate, but vulnerable to typhoon impacts. The collection site lies within a transition zone between the multiple-use zone and the strictly protected zone, where perennial crops and pristine forests co-exist. Regarding the proximity to water sources, M. ( D.) aliwagwag Pajota & Cabras sp. nov. was found approximately 300–500 m from the nearest creek. Regarding vegetation cover, the species was collected under a canopy cover ranging from 60 % to 80 %, allowing sufficient sunlight penetration. This observation supports the findings of Cabras et al. (2021 c), who noted that species of Metapocyrtus are often found along trails and ridges that are partially or fully exposed to sunlight. The sustained protection, management and conservation of the APL are critical to the hidden diversity of jewel weevils.

Sympatric Convergence of Patterns

Mimicry in the tribe Pachyrhynchini has been recorded as early as 1889, with Wallace followed by Schultze in the 1900 s; they documented mimicry complexes involving the said tribe and other beetles from the family Cerambycidae ( Wallace 1889, Schultze 1923, Schultze 1925). Apart from their rigid bodies, which act as their primary defence mechanism, Pachyrhynchine weevils, especially those in the genus Pachyrhynchus , have evolved stunning colouration and ornamentation on their exoskeletons. These vibrant patterns not only render them strikingly beautiful, but also serve as an aposematic signal deterring their predators, by displaying their unpalatability through their bright colouration ( Tseng et al. 2014, Wang et al. 2018, Agbas et al. 2024). In Mindanao, one of the fascinating mimicries in the tribe was recorded in the papers of Cabras et al. ( Cabras et al. 2018, Cabras et al. 2021 b, Cabras et al. 2021 c), a mimicry complex amongst the species Doliops daugavpilsi Barsevskis, 2014 ; Pachyrhynchus tikoi Rukmane, 2016 ; Metapocyrtus pseudahirakui Cabras & Medina, 2021 ; and Metapocyrtus ( Orthocyrtus) hirakui Cabras, Medina & Bollino, 2021 , where their elytral patterns display longitudinal lines which are observed to be mimetic.

Another recently-documented example was recorded in the paper of Obrial et al. (2024), where an interspecific mimicry complex was discovered in Mt. Candalaga, Maragusan, Davao de Oro, between the species of the genus Metapocyrtus , a weevil from the tribe Celeuthetini and a leaf beetle ( Chrysomelidae ), characterised by the brick-red and all-black colouration on their exoskeletons. On a similar note, a previous study conducted by Cabras et al. (2021 c) also recorded a mimicry complex on the same mountain amongst several species of Pachyrhynchini weevils from two genera ( Metapocyrtus and Pachyrhynchus ), displaying similar patterns of three scaly bands on the elytra. This finding was further observed by Agbas et al. (2024), who added two new species to the said mimicry complex. In this paper, four species of the genus Metapocyrtus , under three different subgenera, were found to exhibit closely-similar external patterns, presumed to be mimetic in nature. These shared features are primarily defined by conspicuous circular to subcircular scaly blotches on the pronotum and elytra, as shown in Fig. 5. This proposed mimicry complex represents the first recorded instance in Davao Oriental and involves Metapocyrtus ( Dolichocephalocyrtus) aliwagwag Pajota & Cabras sp. nov.; Metapocyrtus sp. 1 ; Metapocyrtus sp. 2 and Metapocyrtus ( Sphenomorphoidea) sp. To better understand the evolutionary significance and the underlying mechanisms of this mimicry phenomenon, additional morphological and molecular studies are recommended.

Variation of Scales Amongst Individuals

The variation in scale colouration and even the presence or absence of scaly markings amongst individuals were notably observed amongst the specimens in the type series of M. ( D.) aliwagwag Pajota & Cabras sp. nov. Most specimens collected at the APL exhibit iridescent blue scaly markings (Fig. 6 a ), while some individuals were observed to be completely scaleless (Fig. 6 b ). In contrast, the second series of type specimens collected from Barangay Simulao, Boston, displays a distinctive range of iridescent scaly markings, ranging from green to yellow-green scales (Fig. 6 c ).

Figures

Figure 1. Habitus of M. (D.) aliwagwag Pajota & Cabras sp. nov.: A Male, dorsal view; B idem, lateral view; C idem, ventral view; D Female, dorsal view; E idem, lateral view; F idem, ventral view.

Figure 2. Male genitalia of M. (D.) aliwagwag Pajota & Cabras sp. nov.: A Aedeagus in dorsal view; B idem in lateral view; C sternite IX in dorsal view.

Figure 3. Distribution map of M. (D.) aliwagwag Pajota & Cabras sp. nov. at the Mt. Pasian – Agtuuganon Key Conservation Area, Davao Region, Philippines.

Figure 4. A Habitat of M. (D.) aliwagwag sp. nov. in the Aliwagwag Protected Landscape, Cateel, Davao Oriental, Philippines; B-D Species of plants associated with M. (D.) aliwagwag Pajota & Cabras sp. nov.; B Chromolaena odorata; C. Cypholophus moluccanus; D Ficus botryocarpa var. botryocarpa.

Figure 6 a. M. (D.) aliwagwag sp. nov. ♂ (Holotype);

Figure 6 b. M. (D.) aliwagwag sp. nov. ♂ (Paratype; collected from the APL);

Figure 6 c. M. (D.) aliwagwag sp. nov. ♀ (Paratype; collected from Brgy. Simulao, Boston);