Tsherepanovia Korotyaev, 1992

Legalov, Andrei A., 2021, First description of the male of Tsherepanovia globosa Korotyaev, 1992 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) with new taxonomic data, Ecologica Montenegrina 41, pp. 10-14 : 11

Genus: Tsherepanovia Korotyaev, 1992 , placem. nov.

Remarks. The subfamily Erirhininae is the most primitive group among the subfamilies of Curculionidae . Its first representatives appear at the end of the Early Cretaceous ( Legalov 2012, 2014), while the finds of other subfamilies begin only in the Maastrichtian and the Paleocene ( Legalov 2015, 2020b). This subfamily differs from the other subfamilies in the tegmen with well-developed tegminal plate and ventrite 5 with distinct anal setae ( Legalov 2015). The well-developed tegminal plate is the most important character, but it is reduced in some groups (Dorytomini, Storeini, and Bagoini ), and belonging to this subfamily is determined by the presence of anal setae and antennal scrobes directed towards the eyes ( Legalov 2020a). The reduced tegminal plate and the absence of anal setae allow Tsherepanovia , placem. nov. to be placed in the subfamily Curculioninae . A preliminary report about this systematic position without justification was published by Legalov (2016). From 30 to 34 tribes belong to the subfamily Curculioninae ( Alonso-Zarazaga and Lyal 1999; Caldara et al. 2014). The genus Tsherepanovia belongs to the tribe Ellescini based on the mandible not prominent, with dentate inner face, tarsal claws free at the base, pronotum bell-shaped, without lateral carinae, uncinate tibiae, eyes not protruding from the contour of the head, abdominal ventrites 1 and 2 elongated, and ventrites 3 and 4 ventrites short. The subtribes Ellescina with the genera Ellescus Dejean, 1821 , Pachytychius Jekel, 1861 and Tsherepanovia, Acentrusina with the genus Acentrus Desmarest, 1839 , Styphlina with genera Orthochaetes Germar, 1823 , Paraphilernus Desbrochers des Loges, 1892 , Paroryx Reitter, 1913 , Philernus Schoenherr, 1835 , Pseudostyphlus Tournier, 1874 , Styphlidius Penecke, 1936 , Styphlus Schoenherr, 1826 , Trachystyphlus Alonso-Zarazaga et Lyal, 1999 , and Turanostyphlus Davidian et Savitsky, 2000 belong to the tribe Ellescini . The genus Tsherepanovia is a derivative of the diverse genus Pachytychius , but it has adapted to living in the rocky desert.