First Report of Peltophorus adustus (Fall) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Baridinae) in Mexico, with Two New Host Associations Author(s): Pedro Figueroa-Castro, Víctor López-Martínez Héctor GonzálezHernández Robert W. Jones and Irma Azucena Zamora Gallegos Source: The Coleopterists Bulletin, 70(3):667-670. Published By: The Coleopterists Society DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1649/0010-065X-70.3.667 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1649/0010-065X-70.3.667

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The Coleopterists Bulletin, 70(3): 667–670. 2016.

SCIENTIFIC NOTE

FIRST REPORT OF PELTOPHORUS ADUSTUS (FALL) (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE: BARIDINAE) IN MEXICO, WITH TWO NEW HOST ASSOCIATIONS PEDRO FIGUEROA-CASTRO, VÍCTOR LÓPEZ-MARTÍNEZ Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos Av. Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, CP 62209 Cuernavaca, Morelos, MEXICO [email protected]

HÉCTOR GONZÁLEZ-HERNÁNDEZ Postgrado en Fitosanidad-Entomología y Acarología, Colegio de Postgraduados Carr. México-Texcoco, Km 36.5, CP 56230, Montecillo Texcoco, Estado de México, MEXICO

ROBERT W. JONES Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro Avenida de las Ciencias s/n, Juriquilla, CP 76230 Querétaro, Querétaro, MEXICO AND

IRMA AZUCENA ZAMORA GALLEGOS Margaritas #4, Col. Villas de Tolimpa, CP 56225 Texcoco, Estado de México, MEXICO

González et al. 2007; Pérez and Rubio 2007). In Guerrero, two weevils have been reported as pests in mezcal agaves, S. acupunctatus (Barrios et al. 2006) and the spotted agave weevil, Peltophorus polymitus Boheman (González-Hernández et al. 2015). During recent collecting efforts conducted in native Agave populations in Guerrero, we observed adults of P. adustus damaging seed pods (Fig. 1A) and larvae feeding in seeds of A. cupreata and A. vivipara (Fig. 1B), which affected seed viability. Pupal development occurred inside the seed pods among damaged seeds (Fig 1C). Adults emerged from their pupal chamber constructed of damaged seed parts (Fig. 1D, E). Adult weevils were killed and conserved in 70% alcohol, pinned, and identified using the key by Sleeper (1963) and by comparison with identified specimens of P. polymitus. Voucher specimens were deposited in the Entomological Collection at Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico. Peltophorus adustus (Fig. 2) is a moderately abundant species in Agave palmeri Engelm. (Sleeper 1963) in Arizona and New Mexico, USA (Fig. 3). It can be easily distinguished from P. polymitus by

Peltophorus adustus (Fall) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Baridinae) is recorded for the first time in Mexico, on Agave vivipara L. (= Agave angustifolia Haw.) and A. cupreata Trel. & A. Berger (Asparagaceae). Adult weevils were found attacking the agave seed pods, and larvae fed in seeds of these agaves. The damage to the seed pods and seeds of Agave L. by this weevil are described. Mexico is a center of diversity for Agave, with many native and commercial species with local, regional, and international impact (Gentry 1982; Granados 1993). In the Mexican state of Guerrero, wild populations and small commercial plantations of “maguey espadín” (A. vivipara) and “maguey papalote” (A. cupreata) are harvested for elaboration of the distilled beverage mezcal, with a continuing increase in land area dedicated to this crop (Barrios et al. 2006). Cultivated agaves are affected by many insect pests, mainly the agave weevil, Scyphophorus acupunctatus Gyllenhal (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) (Vaurie 1971; Waring and Smith 1986; Velázquez et al. 2006). In Mexico, Agave species are also affected by several other insect pests (Espinosa et al. 2005; Barrios et al. 2006; Aquino et al. 2007; 667

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Fig. 1. Damage to Agave cupreata by Peltophorus adustus. A) Feeding damage to a boll by adults, B) Seeds damaged by larvae, C) Pupa inside seed, D–E) Emerging adults.

color pattern. In P. adustus, the propleura is whitish and the pronotum is black with lateral areas whitish. In contrast, the propleura and pronotum of P. polymitus are white with irregular black spots. Additionally, P. adustus has the lateral margins of the prothorax parallel in basal the two-thirds to three-fourths; in P. polymitus, the lateral margins of the prothorax are convergent (Sleeper 1963). Material Examined. MEXICO: Guerrero, Cerro Grande, Quetzalapa, Huitzuco de los Figueroa,

22/March/2013, Agave cupreata Trel. & A. Berger (18.3592°, -99.1681°, 1,290 m elevation), six specimens (four adults collected in plants and two adults from larvae reared in agave seeds in the laboratory); same data, but 15/April/2013, one specimen; many dates during March–April/2015, on wild A. cupreata (18.3593°, -99.1693°, 1,285 m elevation; 18.3607°, -99.1685°, 1,280 m elevation; 18.3543°, -99.1683, 1,300 m elevation; 18.3627°, -99.1682°, 1,210 m elevation; 18.3591°, -99.1680°,

Fig. 2. Peltophorus adustus. A–C) Lateral, dorsal, and ventral views, respectively.

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1,150 m elevation), five specimens; El Llano, Quetzalapa, Huitzuco de los Figueroa, August– September/2014, on wild A. angustifolia (18.3804°, -99.1537°, 1,120 m elevation; 18.3804°, -99.1538°, 1,135 m elevation), four specimens. Guerrero is now the southernmost distribution record for P. adustus, leaving a considerable geographical gap between the previous records from the southwestern USA (Fig. 3). This gap may be the result of lack of collection of the insect fauna associated with native and wild Agave populations in Mexico, suggesting that the distribution of P. adustus covers the biogeographical provinces of

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Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexican Pacific Coast, to the Balsas Basin. However, if the geographical gap is real, this may be the result of a natural disjunct distribution due to specific host relationships on Agave. Future collections in the gap region will reveal the true biogeographical distribution of this species. At this time, P. adustus does not represent a serious threat to cultivated agaves in Mexico, because, in general, the agave growers prevent the development of the floral structures and cut the reproductive stalk or “quiote” before seed pods develop. New plantations are planted with “hijuelos”,

Fig. 3. Distribution of Peltophorus adustus and three species of Agave in Mexico and USA. Distribution in Mexico is plotted according to the biogeographic provinces proposed by Morrone (2005, 2014). Data for P. adustus in the United States is according to Sleeper (1963). Distribution of Agave species is based on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, SEInet, and Herbario Nacional UNAM databases.

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the clonal offshoots from the mother plant. However, P. adustus may represent a potential ecological limiting factor for the natural reproduction of wild agaves, mainly A. cupreata, which reproduce primarily by seeds.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank M. C. Jorge M. Valdéz Carrasco (Colegio de Postgraduados) for his invaluable help taking the photographs and the Programa para el Desarrollo Profesional Docente (PRODEP) for providing a Posdoctoral scholarship to the first author at the Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos.

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