The genus Cratopus in the Seychelles Islands (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

The Seychellian species of the genus Cratopus are reviewed, and four new taxa described. The large-sized (16[long dash]19 mm) C. roberti n. sp. possesses ten elytral striae, small denticules on its foretibiae, the profemoral tooth included, and a metallic squamulose green vestiture with a white stripe at the base and along the sides of the elytra as well as along each side of the prothorax. About 8[long dash]10 mm long, C. venustus n. sp. is recognizable from its black, shining integuments, its reduced metallic blue vestiture, its twelve elytral striae of strong punctures, and its careniform 8. and 9. interstriae. C. griseovestitus northislandensis n. ssp. differs from the nominative form C. griseovestitus griseovestitus Linell 1887 by its coriaceous integuments and denser vestiture with golden to green refl ections. C. griseovestitus fregata n. ssp. differs from the nominative form by its more or less dark brown integuments, with scattered, very small hairs and squamules. The synonymy of C. parcesquamosus Fairmaire 1893 and C. abbotti Linell 1907 with C. aurostriatus Fairmaire 1892 is confi rmed, and an identification key to the Seychellian species of the genus is given. These species can be divided into two sets according to their distribution. One of these sets comprises three species of the griseovestitus group, which have a broad distribution and inhabit coastal areas and low coral islands, and probably arrived fairly recently. The second set comprises six species living in the granitic islands, fi ve of them having their habitat restricted to the interior of one or two islands. They are certainly of much older stock. The Cratopus are folivores at the adult stage, and often polyphagous, and a list of their known host-plants is provided.