Metapocyrtus (Dolichocephalocyrtus) aliwagwag sp. nov., a new flightless weevil (Curculionidae, Entiminae, Pachyrhynchini) from the Aliwagwag Protected Landscape, Mindanao Island, Philippines

By

Pajota, Efrhain Loidge
Pepito, Mark John
Añuber, Rylle
Obrial, Graden
Agbas, Daven Jayson
Villegas, Jhonnel
Medina, Milton Norman
Cabras, Analyn

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-11-18

Original Publication

Biodiversity data journal

Volume

13

Pages

1--18

Subjects

Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor , mimicry complex , Pachyrhynchini , Philippine endemic , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia Pensoft Publishers [2013]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.13.e163127

 

Abstract

<br> The genus<br> Metapocyrtus<br> Heller, 1912, is the most speciose and taxonomically complex genus in the tribe Pachyrhynchini. Currently, the genus is comprised of more than 250 species that are classified into seven subgenera. One of the least studied subgenera under the genus Metapocyrtus is the subgenus Dolichocephalocyrtus Schultze, 1925, whose members are generally known for their long and slender rostrum (0.60 to 0.76 times as long as wide). Another distinct feature of this subgenus is the evident sexual dimorphism: males possess elytra with a rounded apex and a steep apical declivity, while females exhibit a sharply pointed, triangular projection at the elytral apex. Like most weevils under the genus<br> Metapocyrtus<br> , species under the subgenus Dolichocephalocyrtus have a narrow geographic range due to their flight inability; this is probably the reason why all known species under this subgenus are endemic to the Philippines.<br> <br> <br> A new species of flightless weevil, belonging to the genus Metapocyrtus Heller, 1912, subgenus Dolichocephalocyrtus Schultze, 1925, from the Aliwagwag Protected Landscape (APL), Cateel, Davao Oriental, Mindanao, Philippines, is described and illustrated. Named after the Aliwagwag Falls, the novel species, Metapocyrtus (Dolichocephalocyrtus) aliwagwag Pajota &amp; Cabras, sp. nov., is the first species of the genus to be formally described from Cateel, Davao Oriental. The description of this novel species adds to the rich diversity of the genus<br> Metapocyrtus<br> in the country and highlights the ecological significance of the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor (EMBC).<br>