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Photo#1653741
scolytine weevil - Euwallacea validus

scolytine weevil - Euwallacea validus
Great Falls, C&O Canal NHP, Montgomery County, Maryland, USA
April 17, 2019
Size: 3.8mm
Keys out to Euwallacea using the American Beetles Scolytinae key (1) and to E. validus using Gomez et al. (2).

Both E. validus and E. interjectus have been reported from Virginia and this beetle was found just off the Potomac River (which is the Virginia/Maryland border). Although the habitus of the beetle fits E. validus, there is one caveat to the ID that I'd appreciate some input on. Gomez et al. state an elytral length/width ratio of 2 for E. validus and 1.5 for E. interjectus. This beetle has length/width ratio of 1.5 but, when I determined the ratios for these 2 species from Gomez et al.'s figure 11, I get 1.5 and 1.35, respectively.

A great many of these beetles were flying when I caught this one. Open woodlands with some dead trees.
TIA

Images of this individual: tag all
scolytine weevil - Euwallacea validus scolytine weevil - Euwallacea validus scolytine weevil - Euwallacea validus

Hey Steve
Despite the size ratio discrepancy, I still think this is validus. I just measured fig 11 and got ~1.75 for validus and ~1.55 for interjectus. I think you may be measuring incorrectly. The correct way to measure elytral length for Euwallacea is in the lateral view, from the top front margin to the tip of the declivity, so basically a diagonal line across the elytra in the lateral view. Totally not intuitive, so can easily be misinterpreted. See (1) figure 1. (Although, in that paper, they measure elytral width as the width of only 1 elytron, which wouldn't give the ratios in the Euwallacea key either. I'll have to ask them about that one. I can send you a copy if you don't have access to that journal). At any rate, the habitus, overall length, and declivital tubercles (the ones on interstriae 2 don't continue all the way to the apex, somewhat noticeable in your dorsal shot) all point to validus. For future reference, nearly always helpful for scolytinae is an oblique shot of the declivity such as the one below.


Hope this helps!

 
Thanks Marc!
You're right that I didn't measure that correctly. I just measured the linear distance front to back and side to side. I also won't have guessed that an oblique shot would help but will make sure I get them in the future. I'm just in the habit of getting my usual mugshots: dorsal, lateral, ventral, and head-on. Some of those angles are hard to get with a beetle that can't hang on to the glass walls of the cuvette I keep them in for photography.
The Gomez paper is paywalled so I haven't been able to look at it – $45 for 24 hours which isn't as bad as Wiley papers but is bad enough.

Thanks again

Moved
Moved from Euwallacea.

Moved
Moved from Beetles.

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