Weevils - Entomological Society of Canada

Pte roc o I u s ovatus (Fabricius)
Figs. 7, L45,146
Attelabus ouatus Fabricius, 1801:426 (neotype, Balsam, N.C.;OSU).
Pterocolus ouatus: Blatchley and Leng 1916:65; Kissinger 1964:50;
Hamilton 1969:133; O'Brien and Wibmer 1982:18.
Description. Length 2.8-3.2 mm. Body bright metallic blue or
gleen; antennae, rostrum, and legs somewhat darker. Frons much
narrower than dorsal tip of rostrum. Rostrum with sides constricted at
antennal insertion, diverging to broad apex; surface shining, with
2longitudinal rows of close punctures near lateral margin; area
between rows very finely, sparsely punctured. Head densely punctured
on vertex. Pronotum about 1.3 times wider than long, widest atjunction
of elytral humeral angles; disc strongly convex, with dense, evenly
spaced punctures, each with 1 short, recumbent hair-like seta;
interpuncture spaces shining, smooth, much narrower than diameter of
puncture. Elytra (measured at longest and widest points) 1.2 times
wider than long; striae moderately impressed, with moderate-sized
deeply impressed punctures; interstriae about twice as wide as striae,
shining, smooth, with 1 irregular row of medium-sized punctures, these
similar to those in striae, each interstria with 1 recumbent, fine,
hair-like seta. Visible abdominal tergites with large, strong, dense
punctures.
Distribution. Southern Ontario, south through the eastern
United States to Florida, Iowa, and Arizona. Ontario: Ojibway and
Walsingham.
Comments. Adults of this species are easily recogrized by the
characters summarized above and by the accompaning illustration
(Fig. 7). The species cannot be confused with any other Canadian weevil.
Kissinger (1964) records that the femalePterocolus enters the leaf roll of
Attelabus species and destroys the Attelobas egg before ovipositing. The
unique body shape of P ouatus is evidently an adaptation to allow the
female to push through the leaf roll to reach the host egg. Adults occur on
foliage of oak (Quercus species), plum and peach (Prunus species), and
wild grape (Vllis species). Hamilton (1983b) designated the neotype of
this species.
r46