Melathra Huyenae Franz, a new genus and new species of entimine weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae) from Southwestern Hispaniola

Melathra huyenae Franz, new genus and new species, is described to accommodate an enigmatic species of entimine weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae) from southwestern Hispaniola. The new genus is closely related to Apotomoderes Dejean and therefore placed in the tribe Geonemini Gistel, but is distinguished by the following unique suite of features: labial palps 2-segmented; post-epistomal region not depressed; scrobe passing over eye; profemur with a small cuticular tooth; metatibial apex simple; elytral humeri not well-defined; wings reduced; female sternum VIII elliptical; spermatheca with corpus swollen; and aedeagus with groups of setae present in dorsal subapical region, flagellum sclerotized, and with paired anterior, narrowly plicate sclerites. The single constituent species M. huyenae is characterized by a uniformly grey-silver to brown scale coverage which is most conspicuously interrupted by two anteromesally positioned rusty brown spots on the elytra. Melathra huyenae is apparently narrowly endemic to the coastal dry forest habitat of the Jaragua National Park. The host plant associations remain unknown.