The Middle American species of Ambates Schönherr (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Baridinae).

Abstract

Taxonomic and nomenclatural aspects of eight genus group names related to Schönherr’s concept of Ambates are reviewed. Peridinetus schoenherri Chevrolat is designated as the type species of Drepanambates Jekel. Structural details of the male genitalia and character states on the rostrum are employed to distinguish two groups of species with generic rank, which take the names Embates Chevrolat and Ambates Schönherr (gen. res.). Neaedus Pascoe and Pycnambates Casey (syn. n.) are synonyms of Ambates. Ambatodes Voss is a new junior synonym of Embates. The Middle American species of Ambates are revised. 19 previously described species from South America are listed without revision. Thirteen species of Ambates are recognized in the Middle American fauna. Seven new species are described: A. septimus, A. inornatus, A. neglectus, A. speciosus, A. talamancae, A. fasciger and A. signifer. Pantoteles albocinctus Champion is regarded a subspecies of A. albiventris Champion (stat. n.). In the South American fauna, Peridinetus variegatus Hustache (= P. hustachei Wibmer & O’Brien) is placed in Ambates as A. variegatus (Hustache) comb. n., and Curculio apricans Herbst is transferred from Ambates to Peridinetus as P. apricans (Herbst) comb. n. New synonymies are A. pusio (Boheman) (= A. rufitarsis Kirsch, = A. callangaensis Voss) and A. schoenherri (Chevrolat) (= A. brasiliensis Janczyk).

Keywords

weevils, taxonomy, revision, pepper, Neotropics.

Nomenclatural Acts

fasciger Prena, 2003 (Ambates), spec. n.
immaculatus Champion, 1907 (Ambates), Lectotype
inornatus Prena, 2003 (Ambates), spec. n.
neglectus Prena, 2003 (Ambates), spec. n.
septimus Prena, 2003 (Ambates), spec. n.
signifer Prena, 2003 (Ambates), spec. n.
speciosus Prena, 2003 (Ambates), spec. n.
talamancae Prena, 2003 (Ambates), spec. n.
variegatus (Hustache, 1950) (Ambates), comb. n. hitherto Peridinetus variegatus
Ambatodes Voss, 1954 (Curculionidae), syn. n. of Embates Chevrolat, 1833
Pycnambates Casey, 1922 (Curculionidae), syn. n. of Ambates Schöenherr, 1836
albocinctus Champion, 1907 (Pantoteles), stat. n. now a sspec. of Ambates albiventris Champion, 1907