Floromadane , a new genus of baridine weevils associated with Rubiaceae in Costa Rica and Panama ( Coleoptera : Curculionidae : Baridinae )

In a previous study (PRENA 2003), I synonymized four genera with Pardisomus PASCOE using a combination of morphological and ecological criteria as exemplary evidence for the existence of artificial barriers imposed by the current concepts of the tribes Ambatini, Peridinetini, Pantotelini, Cyrionychini, and Optatini of the subfamily Baridinae. The recognition of Pentagonia (Rubiaceae) as the relevant host plant genus for Pardisomus, combined with subsequent surveying of the Costa Rican flora, provided the necessary material and data in that particular case. When extending the scope of the study of Rubiaceae-feeding weevils to other plant genera, I recently discovered some other species with potential relevance for a future reclassification of these weevils. One group of them is represented reasonably well in collections and is described herein. This study was conducted in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBio), the Ministerio del Ambiente y Energia, and the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS). Travel to Costa Rica and field work were supported by grants of the National Science Foundation (DEB-0072702), the National Geographic Society (7331-02, 7751-04), and the German Science Foundation (444 COS-112/1/04) as part of the Arthropods of La Selva project (http:// viceroy.eeb.uconn.edu/ALAS/ALAS.html). Thanks are due to JACK LONGINO (Evergreen State


Introduction
In a previous study (Prena 2003), I synonymized four genera with Pardisomus Pascoe using a combination of morphological and ecological criteria as exemplary evidence for the existence of artificial barriers imposed by the current concepts of the tribes Ambatini, Peridinetini, Pantotelini, Cyrionychini, and Optatini of the subfamily Baridinae.The recognition ofP entagonia (Rubiaceae) as the relevant host plant genus for Pardisomus, combined with subsequent surveying of the Costa Rican flora, provided the necessary material and data in that particular case.When extending the scope of the study of Rubiaceae-feeding weevils to other plant genera, I recently discovered some other species with potential relevance for a future reclassification of these weevils.One group of them is represented reasonably well in collections and is described herein.
This study was conducted in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBio), the Ministerio del Ambiente y Energia, and the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS).Travel to Costa Rica and field work were supported by grants of the National Science Foundation (DEB-0072702), the National Geographic Society (7331-02, 7751-04), and the German Science Foundation (444 COS-112/1/04) as part of the Arthropods of La Selva project (http:// viceroy.eeb.uconn.edu/ALAS/ALAS.html).Thanks are due to Jack Longino (Evergreen State Prena, J.: Florom adane, a new genus of baridine weevils College) for excellent project management, Alvaro Herrera (INBio) for administrative support, José Gonzales (OTS) and Barry Hammel (Missouri Botanical Garden) for identification of Psychotria chitaria, and all project members for assistance and company in the field.Robert Hamilton (Loyola University, Chicago), Robert Anderson (Canadian Museum, Ottawa), Ronald Ochoa, and Allen Norrbom (both USDA-ARS-SEL, Washington, DC) commented on the manuscript and made helpful suggestions.

Material and methods
C h a m p io n 's (1907) concept of Optatini is adopted here without further discussion; the phylogenetic relationships in this tribe are currently being investigated by M. BARBOSA (Brazil).Twenty-two specimens were studied from the following collections (curators in brackets): CMNC, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa (R.A nderson, F. Genier); CWOB, C harles W. O 'Brien personal collection, Green Valley, AZ; HPSC, Henry P. Stockwell personal collection, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama; INBC, Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Costa Rica (A.SoLis); JPPC, J ens Prena personal collection; USNM, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC (S.Lingafelter).Measurements of length were taken with an ocular micrometer in a dissecting microscope as follows: total length, from anterior margin of eye to abdominal apex in dorsal view; standard length, from anterior margin of pronotum to abdominal apex in dorsal view; width, greatest width at humeri.Genitalia and associated structures are illustrated only for the type species, because their morphology is of little diagnostic value for species identification.Drawings were drafted from extended focus images taken with a JVC digital camera KY-F70 and Archimed software (Microvision Instruments).Overview images of genitalia were taken with a W ild M400 photomacroscope using bottom illumination and 25x magnification.Structural details were photographed with an Olympus BX50 compound microscope.Chlorazol black was applied to highlight membranous structures.

Recognition:
Species of F lorom adane concur with Champion' s (1907) concept of Optatini in being broadly triangular, having dentate femora and the pygidium covered by the elytral apices.The included species can be distinguished from those of related genera by the following character states: (1) antennal club moderately elongate, neither short oval as in Pardisomus nor very elongate and spindle shaped as in Telemus Pascoe and M acroptatus Champion, (2) proxocae contiguous, (3) prosternal channel obsolete, (4) ventral tooth of profemur reduced, (5) rostrum moderately thick, round in cross-section, (6) elytral interstriae costate at least on apical half, 2 and 3 raised near middle, (7) sclerolepidia of type 2a or possibly reduced type 3 according to classification of Lyal et al. (2006), often partially or entirely absent, (8) all life stages associated with plants in the Rubiaceae.

Distribution:
The three currently recognized species occur on the Atlantic side of Costa Rica and in Panama, Central America.
DOI: 1 0 .2 1 2 4 8 /co n trib .en to m o l.5 9 .1 . 2 3 9 -2 4 6 Etymology: The name of the new genus is an acronym derived from the forenames of our able field assistants in the ALAS project: Flor Cascante, Ronald Vargas, M aylin Paniagua, Danilo Brenes, and N elci O conitrillo.The gender is masculine.

Discussion:
F lorom adane belongs to a lineage of Neotropical Baridinae with covered pygidium, ventrally dentate femora, and at least partially scaled integument.Their current classification contains outdated views of Schonherr (1833, 1845) who assigned the genera to Divisio I, Erirhinides and Divisio II, Cryptorhynchides and Baridides of Legio II, Mecorhynchi.Lacordaire (1863, 1866) adopted this scheme and added new family-group names to it.C hampion (1907) was the first to recognize their close relationship and, by grouping them together, defined the Baridinae in today' s sense.Since Casey's (1922) description of the Cyrionychini, a total of five tribes have been used rather inconsistently for the above mentioned complex of weevils, i.e., Ambatini Lacordaire, Cyrionychini Casey [regarded as a subtribe of the Pantotelini by H ustache (1938)], Optatini C hampion, Pantotelini Lacordaire, and Peridinetini Lacordaire [included in the Ambatini by Casey (1922)].Florom adane, Pardisomus, and at least one undescribed genus include species associated with Rubiaceae.Most species of the other genera of the above complex appear to be associated with different plant families, particularly with Piperaceae and Annonaceae, except for a few species in the Cyrionychini, where Casey (1922) lumped most small-sized species of C hampion's Optatini.Besides the association with Rubiaceae, I presently do not recognize any derived character that is shared only by F lorom adane and Pardisomus.As a preliminary solution, I place F lorom adane in the Optatini and hypothesize a close relationship with Pardisomus.More work on the Cyrionychini is necessary before the natural relationships of these weevils can be investigated.Description:

Key to species of Floromadane
Total length 4.7-6.3mm, standard length 4.4-6.1 mm, width 2.4-3.2mm; integument reddish brown, tarsi fuscous, yellow scales condensed in dorsolateral pronotal vitta and in variously developed subapical elytral fascia; white scales condensed in lateral fascia between metasternum and outer interstriae (Fig. 1-2), specimens from low elevations with color pattern reduced; pronotal disk slightly arched, punctures confluent, intervals granular, confluent in midline; scutellum square, apex round to acuminate; elytra subtriangular, conjointly rounded and completely covering pygidium, interstriae costate except for flat portions of disk; ventral tooth variously reduced on profemur, largest on mesofemur; tibiae with praemucro indistinct, male with sparse fringe of long hairs on ventral edge of protibia; claws subconnate at base; male genitalia and associated structures as in Fig. 7-13, flagellum approximately 3x longer than body of aedeagus, basal portion recurved and with subdistal sclerite (Fig. 10), internal sac with slight microsculpture but without denticles.

Plant association:
I collected six adult weevils from young (sterile) specimens of two unidentified plant species possibly belonging to Psychotria.The larva makes galleries in the apical portion of the main stem, thereby inhibiting further terminal growth.

Distribution:
The species is known from six localities in premontane and montane habitats (600-2100 m) in Costa Rica and Panama.

Epithet:
A Latin present participle composed of ater (black or dark) and rubens (turning red).

Description:
Total length 3.7-5.1 mm, standard length 3.6-4.8mm, width 1.8-2.7 mm; integument brown, appendages reddish brown, yellow scales condensed in dorsolateral pronotal vitta and in variously developed fascia arching from metasternum across elytral callosity to apex (Fig. 3-4), fragmented in Panamanian specimens; pronotal disk slightly arched, punctures confluent, intervals granular, confluent in midline; scutellum square, apex round to acuminate; elytra subtriangular, conjointly rounded and completely covering pygidium, interstriae costate except for flat portions of disk; ventral tooth variously reduced on profemur, largest on mesofemur; pro-and mesotibiae with praemucro distinct, male with sparse fringe of long hairs on ventral edge of protibia; claws separate at base; male genitalia similar to those of F atrorubens, apex of aedeagus with sides less converging, basal portion of flagellum more narrowly curved, internal sac denticulate.

Plant association:
I collected the holotype and one paratype from foliage of Psychotria chitariana Dwyer & Hammel (identification confirmed by B. Hammel).

Distribution:
The species has been collected at three localities, one in Costa Rica (Atlantic side) and two in Panama, between 300-820 m elevation.

Epithet:
A modified perfect participle derived from Latin p in go, meaning fairly colored.

Note:
The specimens from the three collecting sites show considerable variation in the color pattern; only the two Costa Rican specimens possess completely developed fasciae.Because the only male in the series is atypically small, I selected a fully developed female as holotype.

Plant association:
Unknown.

Distribution:
The species is known only from Cerro Campana in central Panama.

Epithet:
A Latin present participle derived from tum eo meaning "swollen".