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Number 490: 1-9 ISSN 1026-051X (print edition)
ISSN 2713-2196 (online edition) November 2023
https://doi.org/10.25221/fee.490.1
https://elibrary.ru/aixhba
https://zoobank.org/References/D2910B47-8F37-4E12-8823-210E81C84F1C
METAPOCYRTUS MADAYAW SP. N. (COLEOPTERA:
CURCULIONIDAE, ENTIMINAE), A NEW FLIGHTLESS
WEEVIL FROM EASTERN MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
A. A. Cabras1,3*), J. Villegas2), A. Ponce3), M. N. D. Medina3,4)
1) Terrestrial Invertebrate Research, Laboratory, Davao Oriental State University,
City of Mati, Davao Oriental, 8200 Philippines. *Corresponding author, E-mail:
ann.cabras24@gmail.com
2) Faculty of Teacher Education / Center for Futures Thinking and Regenerative
Development, Davao Oriental State University, City of Mati, Davao Oriental, 8200
Philippines.
3) Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Davao Oriental State University,
City of Mati, Davao Oriental, 8200 Philippines.
4) Tropical Genomics Laboratory, Davao Oriental State University, City of Mati,
Davao Oriental, 8200 Philippines.
Summary. The flightless weevil Metapocyrtus (Artapocyrtus) madayaw Cabras
et Medina, sp. n. is described and illustrated from Davao Region in Mindanao
Island, Philippines. Holotype and paratypes are deposited at the Philippine National
Museum of Natural History (Manila, Philippines). Ecological notes on the new
species are also provided.
Keywords: beetles, Entiminae, Pachyrhynchini, taxonomy, Oriental Region.
А. А. Кабрас, Дж. Виллегас, Э. Понсе, М. Н. Д. Медина. Metapocyrtus
madayaw sp. n. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Entiminae) – новый бескрылый
долгоносик из Восточного Минданао, Филиппины // Дальневосточный
энтомолог. 2023. N 490. С. 1-9.
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Резюме. Из региона Давао на острове Минданао, Филиппины описан и
проиллюстрирован долгоносик Metapocyrtus (Artapocyrtus) madayaw Cabras et
Medina, sp. n. Голотип и паратипы нового вида хранятся в Национальном музее
естественной истории (Манила). Также приведены экологические заметки о
новом виде.
INTRODUCTION
The Philippines is one of the 17 megadiverse countries with many endemic flora
and fauna species (USAID, 2017). Among the taxa that recently gained momentum
in discovering new species is the genus Metapocyrtus Heller, 1912 (Coleoptera:
Curculionidae, Entiminae, Pachyrhynchini). Due to their flightless ability, this
genus has a narrow and restricted biogeographic distribution (Cabras et al., 2021;
Van Dam et al., 2022).
Known for their association with forested habitats, the denudation and
fragmentation of Philippine forests may have inadvertently led to the increasing
decline of weevil diversity, especially endemic ones. Only around 7,226,394
hectares or 25% of forest remain in the country (DENR-FMB, 2021), which may
have caused many species to be lost to science even before taxonomists could
describe them. Weevil research in the country is still in the taxonomic stage, with
many species remaining undescribed and very scarce information about their
ecology and conservation, making species management and protection difficult.
In this paper, a new species of the genus Metapocyrtus subgenus Artapocyrtus
Heller is described from Davao Region, making it the 28th species of the subgenus.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Morphological characters were observed under Luxeo 4D and Nikon SMZ745T
stereomicroscopes. The treatment of the genitals follows Yoshitake (2011). Female
genitalia are not illustrated as very little of the chitinous structures are used to
identify and characterize different species of Pachyrhynchini (Cabras et al., 2012).
Images of the habitus were taken using a Nikon D5300 digital camera with a Sigma
18–250 macro lens. Images were stacked using Helicon Remote ver 4.3.0 W
Registered Version and processed using Helicon Focus 8.1.1 Registered Pro
Lifetime. Photos were cleaned and brightness adjusted using Photoshop CS6
Portable. Label data are indicated verbatim.
Abbreviations and symbols mentioned in this paper are abbreviated as follows:
LB – body length, from the apical margin of pronotum to the apex of elytra; LR –
length of rostrum; LP – pronotal length, from the base to apex along the midline;
LE – elytral length, from the level of the basal margins to the apex of elytra; WR –
maximum width across the rostrum; WP – maximum width across the pronotum;
WE – maximum width across the elytra.
Comparative materials and specimens used in the study are deposited in the
following institutional collections: PNM – Philippine National Museum of Natural
History, Manila, Philippines; SMTD – Senckenberg Natural History Collections,
Dresden, Germany; TIRL – Terrestrial Invertebrate Research Laboratory, City of
Mati, Philippines.
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TAXONOMY
Genus Metapocyrtus Heller, 1912
Subgenus Artapocyrtus Heller, 1912
NOTES. This subgenus Artapocyrtus is taxonomically distinguished from other
subgenera of Metapocyrtus by the following characteristics: “rostrum relatively
short, as long as broad, squarish or trapezoidal, the sides set off at right angles from
the dorsal surface, arched lengthwise and separated from the curved front by a
prominent transverse groove” (Schultze, 1925: 137; Yap & Gapud, 2007).
Metapocyrtus (Artapocyrtus) madayaw Cabras et Medina, sp. n.
https://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/45998040-F0F1-449C-9236-95E0F6F17050
Figs 1–4
MATERIAL. Holotype: ♂, the Philippines: labeled “Philippines–Davao de
Oro, Maragusan, New Albay / July 2019 / leg. A.A. Cabras (typed on white card) //
HOLOTYPE male / Metapocyrtus (Artapocyrtus) madayaw sp. nov. / CABRAS &
MEDINA, 2023 (typed on red card)”, (PNM). Paratypes: 4 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, the same
data as holotype (PNM); 6 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, “Philippines–Davao Oriental, Municipality
of Caraga, Barangay Lamiawan/ April 2023/ leg. M. N. Medina” (TIRL, PNM).
DESCRIPTION. Male. Dimensions. LB: 9.2–10.3 mm (holotype 9.2 mm), LR:
1.8–1.9 mm (1.8 mm), WR: 1.8–1.9 mm (1.8 mm), LP: 3.3–3.8 mm (3.3 mm), WP:
3.8–4.3 mm (3.8 mm), LE: 6.0–6.4 mm (6.0 mm), WE: 4.8–5.1 mm (4.8 mm) = 5
Coloration. Integuments of head, rostrum, prothorax, elytra, apical portion of
femora, base and apex of tibiae, and tarsus black; femora except apex and tibiae
except base and apex mostly brick red. Body surface, rostrum, head, and underside
moderately lustrous.
Head dorsal surface between eyes with minute adpressed pubescence; coarsely
punctured apically, basal portion with only sparse punctures; lateral side below eyes
with metallic thinly elliptical and piliform adpressed scales; forehead between eyes
weakly raised with distinct median furrow; eyes medium-sized and moderately
convex, slightly protruding on the outline of the head.
Rostrum punctate with minute adpressed whitish setae, as long as wide
(LR/WR:1.8 mm/1.8 mm); base of rostrum deeply and widely concave beset with
turquoise and yellow-green round scales; dorsum with two huge humps, divided by
median furrow reaching beyond the middle and lateral sides with weak arc; lateral
sides with white suberect setae; dorsal contour deeply concave at the base then
abruptly raised and gradually declines towards apex. Antennal scape as long as
funicle, scape reaching hind margin of eyes, sparsely covered with adpressed whitish
setae, funicle with suberect brownish setae. Funicular segments I as long as II, two
times longer than wide, segments III- IV slightly longer than wide, V-VII as long as
wide; club sub-ellipsoidal.
Prothorax subglobular, slightly wider than long (LP/WP: 3.1 mm/3.8 mm), pun-
ctate, widest before middle, weakly convex on dorsal surface, dorsal contour highest
point on apical third. Prothorax with the following scaly markings: a) thin stripe of
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metallic, pale yellow, and light blue with pink sheen, imbricate and adpressed ovate
and elliptical scales at anterior margin, b) two subcircular spots of metallic pale
yellow and light turquoise imbricate and adpressed round scales on each side of the
disc at the middle, and c) elongate patch of metallic pale yellow, and turquoise with
pink sheen imbricate and adpressed round scales on lateral sides before coxa.
Fig. 1 Metapocyrtus (Artapocyrtus) madayaw sp. n. A – male holotype, dorsal view; B –
female paratype, dorsal view; C – male holotype, lateral view; D – female paratype, lateral
view.
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Elytra ovate (LE/WE: 6.0 mm/4.8 mm), slightly longer than wide and nearly
twice longer and moderately wider than prothorax (WE/WP: 4.8 mm/3.8 mm, LE/
LP: 6.0 mm/3.3 mm), with coarse striate punctation, dorsum weakly convex, dorsal
contour highest at middle, lateral contour evenly arcuate, widest at middle; apex
with white setae. Each elytron with the following scaly markings of mostly metallic
turquoise and pale yellow and pink imbricate and adpressed round scales: a) two
subcircular basal spots, one between stria I and V, and another on lateral side near
Fig. 2. Metapocyrtus (Artapocyrtus) spp. A, B – M. (A.) pardalis Heller, 1912: A –
female type, dorsal view, B – same, lateral view; C, D – M. (A.) madayaw sp. n.: C – female
paratype, dorsal view; D – same, lateral view.
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margin, b) two subcircular spots in middle, one between stria I and III, and another
between stria VI-X, c) one post-median subcircular patch between stria II-VI, d) one
small subapical spot on lateral side, e) one irregularly shaped patch towards apex,
and f) one short post-median elliptical patch along lateral margin not reaching apex.
Legs with moderately clavate femora. Femora brick red except apex black, cove-
red with white pubescence. Fore tibiae brick red except base and apex black covered
with subadpressed brownish setae, weakly serrate along inner edge with very few
denticules. Mid and hind tibiae brick red except base and apex black covered with
suberect brownish setae. Fore tibiae and mid tibiae bear a mucro at apex. Tarsomeres
pubescent. Coxa pubescent. Mesoventrite pubescent. Metaventrite with small ovate
Fig. 3. Metapocyrtus (Artapocyrtus) spp. A, B – M. (A.) pardalis Heller, 1912 (female
paratype): A – rostrum, dorsal view, B – same, lateral view; C, D – M. (A.) madayaw sp. n.:
C – rostrum, dorsal view; D – idem, lateral view.
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and elliptical pale-yellow scales with a pink sheen on the distal end. Ventrite I
pubescent on distal ends covered with turquoise and sparse pale yellow round scales
mostly towards the distal ends. Ventrite II to V sparsely pubescent. Ventrite V
punctured with sparse pubescence.
Fig. 4. Metapocyrtus (Artapocyrtus) madayaw sp. n., aedeagus. A – dorsal view; B –
lateral view; C – sternite IX in dorsal view.
Female. Dimensions: LB: 10.5–11.8 mm, LR: 1.8–2.0 mm, WR: 1.8–2.0 mm,
LP: 3.2–3.9 mm, WP: 3.8–4.5 mm, LE: 6.8–7.4 mm, WE: 5.4–6.3 mm, N = 13.
Habitus as shown in Fig. 1 B, D. Females differ from males in the following: a)
pronotum with coarser punctures, b) middle of pronotum with weak rugae near the
base, c) elytra slightly longer and moderately wider, d) Ventrite I slightly convex on
disc, and e) Ventrite V weakly depressed with triangular projection. Otherwise,
female is similar to the male.
VARIATION. The pronotal and elytral markings vary from turquoise to yellow-
green and cream-colored (Figs 1A–D, 2C, D). The legs' color can also vary from
brick red to black for both males and females.
DIAGNOSIS. The new species is similar to Metapocyrtus (Artapocyrtus)
pardalis Heller, 1912 (Figs 2A, B, 3A, B) by pronotal and elytral patterns but
differs from the latter by the following characteristics: a) wider rostrum with deep
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median furrow creating two distinct and huge humps on dorsum, b) base of rostrum
deeply concave dorsally then abruptly raised then gradually declined towards the
apex, c) wider pronotum, and d) wider elytra.
Fig. 5. Habitats of Metapocyrtus (Artapocyrtus) madayaw sp. n. A – Lamiawan, Davao
Oriental; B – Maragusan, Davao de Oro.
HABITAT. Specimens of the new species were collected in two populations, first
at a forest patch near a banana plantation in Maragusan, Davao de Oro at around 800
m (Fig. 5B) and second within the riparian ecosystem of Kapuka Falls at around
800–900 m in Barangay Lamiawan, Municipality of Caraga, Davao Oriental
Philippines. The ecosystems are dominated by several species of Dipterocarpaceae
such as Shorea sp. (Fig. 5A). The soil type of both habitats is predominantly karst
covered with a thin layer of loam soil from organic decomposition. The species
inhabits a tourism destination in Caraga, Davao Oriental, frequently visited by
domestic and foreign tourists. A proper environmental management plan must be in
place to protect and conserve the species. This indicates that the species may be
able to tolerate certain levels of anthropogenic disturbance as long as their habitat
vegetation is not eliminated.
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DISTRIBUTION. Philippines: Mindanao Island – the mountainous eastern side
of Davao de Oro to the highlands of the northeastern side of Davao Oriental.
ETYMOLOGY. The name is derived from the Mandaya term ‘madayaw’ which
means good, pleasant, or beautiful. It is dedicated to the Mandaya indigenous people
of Davao Oriental, Philippines, for their pleasant welcome to efforts that contribute
to environmental sustainability and regeneration in Davao region.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We wish to express our gratitude to Dr. Arvids Barševskis (Daugavpils, Latvia)
for his continuous support, especially during the first author’s visit to Ilgas,
Daugavpils, Latvia; Dr. Hiraku Yoshitake (Tsukuba, Japan) during the first author’s
visit to the Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, NARO, Tsukuba, Japan; Dr.
Klaus-Dieter Klass and Olaf Jäger (both from Dresden, Germany) for their help
during the first author’s visit to Senckenberg Natural History Collections, Dresden,
Germany; and Dr. Mattias Forshage (Stockholm, Sweden) for accommodating the
first and last authors’ visit to Swedish Museum of Natural History. Also, we want to
thank the Davao Oriental State University (DOrSU), especially President Roy G.
Ponce, for supporting the 2023 Philippine Coleoptera Expedition (PhilColEx).
REFERENCES
Bollino, M., Sandel, F., & Yoshitake, H. 2019. Four New Species of the Genus Metapocyrtus
Heller, Subgenus Artapocyrtus Heller (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae) from the
Philippines. Elytra, Tokyo, New Series, 9(2): 395–407.
Cabras, A.A., Villegas, J.P., Dagta, M.J., Medina, M.N., & Barsevskis, A. 2022. Two new
species of Metapocyrtus Heller, 1912 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae) from
Lanao and Panay, Philippines. Baltic Journal of Coleopterology, 22(1): 185–194.
DENR-FMB. 2012. Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Forest Mana-
gement Bureau. 2021. Philippine Forestry Statistics. 11 pp.
Schultze, W. 1925. A monograph of the pachyrrhynchid group of the Brachyderinae,
Curculionidae: Part III. The genera Apocyrtidius Heller and Metapocyrtus Heller.
Philippine Journal of Science, 26: 31–309.
Yap, S.A. & Gapud, V.P. 2007. Taxonomic review of the genus Metapocyrtus Heller
(Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae: Pachyrrhynchini). Philippine Entomology, 21:
115135.
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