Revision of the palm-pollinating weevil genus Elaeidobius Kuschel, 1952 (Curculionidae, Curculioninae, Derelomini) with descriptions of two new species

  • Julien M. Haran CBGP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRA, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9458-3785
  • Laurence Beaudoin-Ollivier Systèmes de Pérennes, CIRAD, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier
  • Laure Benoit CBGP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRA, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier
  • Guillermo Kuschel Manaaki Whenua, New Zealand Arthropod Collection, Private Bag 92170, Auckland 1142
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2020.684
Keywords: pollination, Elaeis guineensis, new species, Afrotropical Region, integrative taxonomy

Abstract

The genus Elaeidobius Kuschel, 1952 (Curculionidae, Curculioniae, Derelomini) is an Afrotropical genus associated with the male inflorescences of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis Jacq. The activity of species in this genus is critical for pollen transportation and for the fruit set of this economically important palm. In this study, the genus Elaeidobius was revised using an integrative taxonomic approach, combining traditional taxonomic treatment of species and an analysis of sequences of mitochondrial genes (COI and COII). A total of eight species is now recognized: five now formally included within it [E. bilineatus Hustache, 1924) comb. nov., E. kamerunicus (Faust, 1898) comb. nov., E. plagiatus (Fåhraeus, 1844) comb. nov., E. singularis (Faust, 1898) comb. nov., E. subvittatus Faust, 1898)], one transferred here from the genus Prosoestus to the genus Elaeidobius, E. spatulifer (Marshall, 1950) comb. nov., and two newly described species (E. pilimargo Haran & Kuschel sp. nov., E. piliventris Haran & Kuschel sp. nov.). The following new synonymies are proposed: Prosoestus armatus Voss, 1956 = E. bilineatus (Hustache, 1924) comb. nov. and Derelomus uelensis Hustache = E. singularis (Faust, 1898). An illustrated key to the species is provided with photographs of the adult habitus and male genitalia.

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Published
2020-07-10
How to Cite
Haran, J. M., Beaudoin-Ollivier, L., Benoit, L., & Kuschel, G. (2020). Revision of the palm-pollinating weevil genus Elaeidobius Kuschel, 1952 (Curculionidae, Curculioninae, Derelomini) with descriptions of two new species. European Journal of Taxonomy, (684). https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2020.684
Issue
No. 684 (2020)
Section
Entomology

Copyright (c) 2020 Julien M. Haran, Laurence Beaudoin-Ollivier, Laure Benoit, Guillermo Kuschel

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