New Project Starts!
Today I started sorting out specimens from various "corners" of my collection that might pertain to Cotithene Voss, a currently monotypic genus of derelomine flower weevils. This is a presumably small project and a "leftover" from my thesis work. I had been planning to revise Cotithene for several years now, and have amassed specimens that may represent 3-4 new species in the genus. That assumption is rooted largely in the gestalt of the males.
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In my thesis I had established three separating characters for Cotithene:
1. Rostrum, dorsolateral margins; male: with one distinct, slightly elevated carina extending along entire length of rostrum, producing a rectangular (instead of subcircular) impression of the rostrum in cross-section (character 50; synapomorphic).
2. Rostrum, lateral view; male: dorsally slightly broadened (tumescent) near central region, proximad of antennal insertion (character 54; synapomorphic).
3. Prosternum, central region, separation of procoxal cavities, ventral view; female: procoxal cavities narrowly separated by distance not exceeding breadth of antennal club (character 81; homoplasious).
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As I sorted through my ethanol collection, I have added vials with specimens to the "Cotithene material" that seem close yet are not exactly what I would currently assign to the genus.
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In my thesis I had established three separating characters for Cotithene:
1. Rostrum, dorsolateral margins; male: with one distinct, slightly elevated carina extending along entire length of rostrum, producing a rectangular (instead of subcircular) impression of the rostrum in cross-section (character 50; synapomorphic).
2. Rostrum, lateral view; male: dorsally slightly broadened (tumescent) near central region, proximad of antennal insertion (character 54; synapomorphic).
3. Prosternum, central region, separation of procoxal cavities, ventral view; female: procoxal cavities narrowly separated by distance not exceeding breadth of antennal club (character 81; homoplasious).
----
As I sorted through my ethanol collection, I have added vials with specimens to the "Cotithene material" that seem close yet are not exactly what I would currently assign to the genus.
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