Genistogethes Audisio & Cline, 2009

Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew Richard, Biase, Alessio De, Antonini, Gloria, Mancini, Emiliano, Trizzino, Marco, Costantini, Lorenzo, Strika, Sirio, Lamanna, Francesco & Cerretti, Pierfilippo, 2009, Preliminary re-examination of genus-level taxonomy of the pollen beetle subfamily Meligethinae (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 49 (2), pp. 341-504 : 388-391

13. Genistogethes Audisio & Cline , gen. nov.

( Figs. 13 a–h )

Type species. Meligethes punctatus C. N. F. Brisout de Barneville, 1863: 56 (by present designation) [= Genistogethes punctatus (C. N. F. Brisout de Barneville, 1863) comb. nov.].

Generic description and diagnosis. Inclusive species vary greatly in size (1.3–3.1 mm length), and share the following combination of characters.

Body color and pubescence: pubescence silvery-whitish to golden, recumbent, usually short and fine, rarely more conspicuous, never obscuring the blackish dorsal body surface; pronotal and elytral sides narrowly flattened, typically the same color as disc, rarely paler. Lateral margin of pronutum and elytra with a series of faintly distinct, small and short setae, each seta usually 0.3–0.5× as long as those on elytral disc; posterior margin of pronotum with long, usually distally trifid or multifid microsetae, microsetae uniformly distributed on middle region anterior to scutellum ( Fig. 13e ).

Dorsal habitus: body moderately convex, usually long and slender ( Fig. 13a ); dorsal punctures on pronotal disc larger than eye facets, usually deeply impressed and densely distributed; anterior margin of clypeus usually moderately arcuately emarginate, distinctly but narrowly bordered ( Fig. 13b ), without small, faint, medial bulge; circum-ocular furrows (occipital sulci) on dorsal side of head narrow, moderately to deeply impressed, complete ( Fig. 13b ); eyes large and usually moderately projecting laterally ( Figs. 13a, b ); pronotum with obtusely rounded posterior angles, never directed posteriorly ( Fig. 13a ); scutellum regularly punctured on most of exposed portion; elytra with variable punctation, punctures simple, never transversely strigose; elytral humeral angle moderately distinct, not protruding laterally ( Fig. 13a ); elytral humeral striae scarcely distinct; elytral pre-sutural striae more or less distinct, originating at scutellar vertex, terminating close to elytral apex, and delimiting on each elytron a slightly raised and narrow sutural border, border distinctly narrower than proximal portion of 3 rd antennomere; elytral apices truncately rounded in both sexes ( Fig. 13a ); pygidium partially exposed, moderately convex, apically rounded in both sexes ( Fig. 13a ), or with strong triangular expansions ventrally directed in males (Fig. 113 l in AUDISIO 1993b).

Ventral habitus: antennal furrows markedly delimited, parallel-sided; mentum subpentagonal, normal shaped submental impression ( Fig. 13c ); antennal furrows on anterior margin of prosternum moderately raised and short ( Fig. 13c ); prosternal process relatively wide, subapical dilated portion 2.3–2.5× as wide as maximum width of 1 st antennomere, apex usually triangularly convex and blunt ( Fig. 13g ); lateral borders of prosternal process delimiting moderately shallowly impressed but distinct furrows, distally terminating over predistal widely developed lateral expansions, approximating smooth posterior margin ( Fig. 13g ); posterior margin of mesoventrite simple, not medially incised ( Fig. 13g ); variably developed male impressions on metaventrite, ridges, and tubercles ( Figs. 6–9 in AUDISIO 2002); first two visible abdominal ventrites simple in both sexes, without tufts of setae; caudal marginal lines of metacoxal cavities variable, subparallel and partially contiguous to posterior margin of metacoxal cavities, or strongly deviating posteriorly in some species (Fig. 125 j in AUDISIO 1993b; Figs. 6–9 in AUDISIO 2002), comprising moderately deep arched impression of outer ‘axillary’ line ( Fig. 13d ); ‘axillary’ space on first abdominal ventrite reduced, ‘axillary’ angle bluntly right angled ( Fig. 13d ); large, long, and deeply impressed arched impressions on basal portion of last visible abdominal ventrite, frequently partially covered by distal portion of penultimate visible abdominal ventrite ( Fig. 13f ); last visible abdominal ventrite frequently expressing sexual dimorphism, males often with tubercles or raised median ridges posteriorly ( Figs. 6–9 in AUDISIO 2002).

Appendages: male 1 st antennomere 0.8–0.9× as long as width of protibiae excluding distal teeth ( Fig. 13a ); 3 rd antennomere in both sexes long and slender, usually 3.3–3.6× as long as wide, 1.2–1.3× longer and distinctly thinner than 2 nd antennomere ( Figs. 13a, b ); 4 th and 5 th antennomeres in both sexes subequal, short, slightly longer than wide; antennal club compact, mid-sized, simple, comprising last 3 antennomeres in both sexes (8 th antennomere scarcely widened, 0.5–0.6× as wide as 9 th antennomere) ( Fig. 13a ), narrower than width of protibiae, sexual dimorphism absent; labial palpi short in both sexes ( Fig. 13c ), terminal segment nearly1.6–1.7× as long as wide; maxillary palpi peculiarly short in both sexes ( Fig. 13c ), terminal segment 1.5–1.7× as long as wide; mandible mid-sized ( Fig. 13a ), distally acuminate, no sexual dimorphism; tarsal claws simple, never toothed at base (as in Fig. 5e ); tarsi of normal size and shape, 0.5–0.7× as long as corresponding tibiae ( Fig. 13a ); protibiae with a series of usually small, frequently uneven, variably shaped (blunt to sharply acuminate) teeth on lateral margin ( Figs. 13a ; Figs. 127 n–q in AUDISIO 1993b), with a subdistal group of 5–10 longer teeth, perpendicular to tibial margin, first and penultimate teeth usually larger than others; meso- and metatibiae on lateral margin bearing a single and usually moderately even row of relatively small robust spurs, without U-shaped sinuosity at distal third ( Figs. 13a, h ); meso- and metatibiae of variable width, usually slender and narrow ( Fig. 13a ), never subtrapezoidal or axe-shaped; no sexual dimorphism in metatibial shape ( Fig. 13a ); tarsal plates of prolegs wider in males; anterior margin of profemora and posterior margin of metafemora in both sexes without gibbosities, tubercles, or spines.

Male genitalia: processes along inner side of parameres absent (Figs. 139 a–l in AUDISIO 1993b), tegmen with shallowly incised or subtruncate distal margin, without deep median longitudinal desclerotization from proximal portion of tegmen extending to medial distal Vshaped excision; median lobe of aedeagus variable, without emargination laterally, narrowed, bluntly acuminate and variably shaped distally, usually with minute distal excision.

Female genitalia (ovipositor): variably shaped, usually large; styli short, simple, cylindrical, unpigmented, inserted close to apex of contiguous gonostyloids; each gonostyloid lightly sclerotized and frequently more darkly pigmented distally, with a simple, never indentate outer portion of basicoxites (Figs. 156 a-f in AUDISIO 1993b), and a single, narrow, lightly pigmented and sclerotized arcuate area along outer subdistal portion of gonostyloids. ‘Central point’ of ovipositor usually located centrally or slightly more proximad than middle, with or without proximad directed short spicule.

Etymology. The generic name is derived from the Latin ‘ Genista ’ (= broom), to emphasize the larval association of some species with Genista , and ‘- gethes ’, to emphasize its phylogenetic relationship with Meligethes . Gender masculine.

Biology. All species are strictly associated for larval development with flowers of Fabaceae , in particular Genista L., Spartium L., Cytisus L., Coronilla L., Lotus L., and allied genera ( AUDISIO 1993b).

Phylogenetic position. Available molecular and morphological datasets provide strong and unequivocal evidence for the distinctness of this taxon ( TRIZZINO et al. 2009). Genistogethes gen. nov. may be the sister taxon of Fabogethes gen. nov., however this hypothesis is only weakly supported by molecular data. Both genera are likely not distantly related to Afrogethes gen. nov. and allied genera. Phylogenetic relationships between these taxa are still unclear, and only partially supported by molecular data.

Taxonomy and geographic distribution. Genistogethes gen. nov. includes eight described species, formerly attributed to the ‘ Meligethes carinulatus ’ species-group. Inclusive species are distributed in European and circum-Mediterranean areas ( AUDISIO 1993b, 2002; JELÍNEK & AUDISIO 2007).

Genistogethes bidentatus (C. N. F. Brisout W Europe, Caucasus, E Turkey, NW Africa de Barneville, 1863) comb. nov.

Genistogethes carinulatus (Förster, 1849) comb. nov. W Palaearctic

Genistogethes coronillae (Easton, 1962) comb. nov. NW Africa, S Spain

Genistogethes cyrenaicus (Rebmann, 1940) comb. nov. N Lybia

Genistogethes erichsonii (C. N. F. Brisout Europe, NW Turkey, NW Africa de Barneville, 1863) comb. nov.

Genistogethes immundus (Kraatz, 1858) comb. nov. Circum-Mediterranean

Genistogethes punctatus (C. N. F. Brisout Central and E Mediterranean areas, Middle East de Barneville, 1863) comb. nov.

Genistogethes zapparolii (Audisio, 1989) comb. nov. E Turkey, NW Iran, Syria

Figures

Fig. 13. Genistogethes Audisio & Cline, gen. nov.: a – G. immundus (Kraatz, 1858); b–h – G. punctatus (C. N. F. Brisout de Barneville, 1863). a – male habitus (length 2.7 mm); b – dorso-lateral view of head; c – ventral view of head and anterior portion of prosternum; d – caudal marginal line of metacoxal cavity; e – anterior portion of scutellum and microsetae on middle of posterior margin of pronotum; f – exposed portion of last visible abdominal ventrite; g – prosternal process and mesoventrite; h – middle leg with outer margin of mesotibia. Scale bars: Figs. b, c, d, f, g, h = 100 μm; Fig. e = 30 μm.

Fig. 6. Clypeogethes Scholz, 1932 and Xerogethes Audisio & Cline, gen. nov.: a, c – C. chlorocyaneus (Jelínek & Audisio, 1977); b, d–e – C. elongatus (Rosenhauer, 1856); k–n – C. lepidii (Miller, 1851); f–g – X. osellai (Audisio & Jelínek, 2000); h – X. rotundicollis (C. N. F. Brisout de Barneville, 1863). a – male habitus (length 2.5 mm); b, c, h – ovipositors; d–e, f–g – male genitalia; k – exposed portion of last visible abdominal ventrite; m – dorsal view of head; n – ventral view of head and anterior portion of prosternum. Figs. b–h: refer to AUDISIO (1993b) and AUDISIO et al. (2000) for scale. Scale bars: Figs. k, m, n = 100 μm.

Fig. 7. Xerogethes Audisio & Cline, gen. nov.: a – X. osellai (Audisio & Jelínek, 2000); b–g – X. rotundicollis (C. N. F. Brisout de Barneville, 1863). a – male habitus (length 2.0 mm); b – dorso-lateral view of head; c – ventral view of head and anterior portion of prosternum; d – prosternal process and mesoventrite; e – exposed portion of last visible abdominal ventrite; f – caudal marginal lines of metacoxal cavities; g – microsetae on middle of posterior margin of pronotum. Scale bars: Figs. b, c, d, e, f = 100 μm; g = 30 μm.

Fig. 8. Idiogethes Kirejtshuk, 1977: a–e – I. angustitarsus Kirejtshuk, 1977. a – male habitus (length 2.2 mm); b – dorsal view of head; c – antenna; d – anterior leg; e – mesotibia. Figs. b–e: refer to KIREJTSHUK (1977a) for scale.

Fig. 9. Boragogethes Audisio & Cline, gen. nov.: a, d, k, m – B. symphyti (Heer, 1841); b–c, e–h – B. rosenhaueri (Reitter, 1871). a, b – male habitus (a – length 3.0 mm; b – length 2.5 mm); c, d – dorsal view of head; e – microsetae on posterior margin of pronotum; f – ventral view of head and anterior portion of prosternum; g – prosternal process and mesoventrite; h – exposed portion of last visible abdominal ventrite; k – caudal marginal lines of metacoxal cavities; m – outer margin of mesotibia. Scale bars: Figs. c, d, f, g, h, m = 100 μm; Fig. e = 20 μm; Fig. k = 200 μm.

Fig. 5. Neolariopsis Audisio & Cline, gen. nov.: a, c–h – N. cercoides (Reitter, 1872); b – N. thalycroides (Kirejtshuk & Audisio, 1995). a, b – male habitus (a – length 2.1 mm, b – length 2.1 mm); c – dorsal view of head; d – ventral view of head and anterior portion of prosternum; e – middle leg with outer margin of mesotibia; f – prosternal process and mesoventrite; g – exposed portion of last visible abdominal ventrite; h – antenna. Scale bars: Figs. c, d, f = 100 μm; Figs. e, h = 20 μm; Fig. g = 30 μm.