Ita turkmena, Meregalli & Borovec, 2011

Meregalli, Massimo & Borovec, Roman, 2011, Radiation in the halophytic coenoses of the Peri-Tethys: taxonomy and biogeography of the genus Ita (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Journal of Natural History 45 (21 - 22), pp. 1331-1401 : 1372-1374

Ita turkmena sp. nov.

(Figure 14)

Type locality

N Turkmenistan, N Kaplankyra reserve, approximately 41 ◦ 11 ′ N 56 ◦ 37 ′ E .

Material examined

Holotype ♂. TURKMENISTAN, “sev. krafi Kaplankyra, 45 km SV g. Palvankyr, S. Turkmeniu, Andreeva 26–27.V.1987 ” [north kraj Kaplankyra, 45 km NE g. Palvankyr [g. Palvankyr: 40 ◦ 52 ′ N 56 ◦ 17 ′ E], N Turkmeniya, Andreeva, 26–27.V.1987], ( ZIN).

Paratypes: same data as the holotype, one ♀ ( ZIN) ; “ Codan Dag , zlƁdar [Tschodan Dag, Eldar [40 ◦ 35 ′ N 55 ◦ 57 ′ E ]], 1.VI.[1]934, Th. Lukjanovitsh ”, two ♂, one ♀ ( ZIN, MER) . UZBEKISTAN, “Plato BelƂtau, oz. Karateren, 12.VI.1987, A.-R. EmelƂunov ” [ Plato Beltau , oz. Karateren, [43 ◦ 14 ′ N 63 ◦ 23 ′ E], 12.VI.1987, A.-R. Emelyanov], 2 ex. ( ZIN) . UNKNOWN COUNTRY, “ St. buhtocka [St. bukhtotschka], 13.VII.[19]81” (locality not identified), one ♂, two ♀ ( ZIN, BOR) .

Diagnosis

A species of Ita vicariant of I. latirostris and characterized by the very slender tarsi, the regularly and strongly curved rostrum, the dense vestiture of scales, slightly raised posteriorly on the elytra; aedeagus with sclerotized sides of the median lobe broad, curved inwards and nearly touching in the median part.

Description of the male. Head, pronotum, elytra and coxae black; base of rostrum, trochanters, base of femora, antennal club, segments 2–3, onychium and claws of tarsi ferruginous; apex of rostrum and femora light ferruginous; tibiae and segment 1 of tarsi, antennal scape and funicle yellow (Figures 14A, B). Scales light greyish, slen- der, long rectangular, truncated at the extremes, four times as long as wide, slightly raised in apical part, relatively dense but not completely hiding integument on head, pronotum, elytra, underside, narrower and much sparser on legs, particularly on tibiae (Figures 14K, L). Rostrum robust, strongly and regularly curved from base to apex, sides concave from base to antennal insertion, strongly broadened and weakly concave from antennal insertion to apex; dorsum very minutely, finely and shallowly punctulate, glossy also in basal part, sides slightly more deeply sculptured (Figures 14C, E). Scrobes deep, curved, extended basad to margin of eyes. Antennal scape longer than rostrum width at antennal insertion, curved, very scarcely thickened towards apex; funicle segment 1 twice as long as wide, moderately thickened, segments 2–6 slightly longer than wide; segment 7 as long as wide, globose; club elliptical (Figure 14I). Sides of pronotum distinctly broadened, maximum width at mid-length, median line smooth, apical margin very slightly sinuate. Elytra oblong, very slightly and regularly convex in lateral view, sides feebly curved from base to point of maximum width, a little beyond mid-length, regularly convergent at apex. Tarsi very slender, segment 1 nearly four times as long as wide, segment 2 twice as long as wide, segment 3 very short, half as long and as wide as segment 2, lobes not broadened; onychium nearly as long as segments 2 + 3 together (Figure 14J). Aedeagus moderately curved, sides of median lobe slightly compressed, sclerotized margins expanded inwards, nearly touching in centre, membranous part very narrow; sides long tapered ahead, apical lamella curved upwards.

Description of the female and variation. Size larger. Rostrum slender, strongly and very regularly curved, sides concave in basal and apical parts, strongly broadened at apex; dorsum glossy and minutely punctulate, sides matt in basal part, more deeply sculptured (Figures 14D, F). Scrobes short and shallow, scarcely extended basad. Antennal segments slightly longer.

The species is quite constant in all its discriminating traits. Also the specimens from the relatively distant locality of Plato Beltau do not show any significant variation.

Etymology

From the country of origin, Turkmenistan.

Natural history

Unknown.

Distribution

Ita turkmena inhabits the salty marshes and depressions of the Turkmen desert, near the eastern coasts of the Caspian Sea, in northern Turkmenistan and neighbouring north-western Uzbekistan.

Remarks

This species, as already mentioned, is the sister taxon of I. latirostris , from which it differs in the slightly broader elytral scales, particularly on the sides (Figure 14L vs 13I); the longer, more slender and more curved rostrum, at least in the female; and the less basal antennal insertion (Figures 14D, F vs 13C, D).

Figure 14. Ita turkmena , holotype ♂: (A, B) body; (C, E) rostrum; (I) antenna; (J) fore tarsus; (K) scales of dorsum and (L) side of elytra. Ita turkmena, Plato Beltau , paratype ♂: (G, H) aedeagus. Ita turkmena, Plato Beltau , paratype ♀: (D, F) rostrum. Scale bar: (A, B) 1 mm; (C–J) 250 µm.