Mecinus tavaresi Hoffmann, 1958

Caldara, Roberto & Fogato, Valter, 2013, Systematics of the weevil genus <i> Mecinus </ i> Germar, 1821 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). I. Taxonomic treatment of the species, Zootaxa 3654 (1), pp. 1-105 : 78

46. Mecinus tavaresi Hoffmann stat. n.

Figs 41 , 96–97 , 143

Mecinus dorsalis var. tavaresi Hoffmann 1958: 1274 , note.

Type locality. Saalheira ( Portugal).

Type series. This taxon was described as a variety of M. dorsalis from specimens from Portugal ( Saalheira ) characterized by distinctly deep elytral striae formed by large punctures that are wider than the interstriae, which are covered with stouter and regularly uniseriate seta-like scales. We believe that the name tavaresi must be considered as available according to Art. 45.6.4 of ICZN (1999), since Hoffmann (1958) reported that this taxon “semblent bien établir une race particulière ”. We examined three of these specimens (two males and one female, MNHN) pinned on the same pin and labelled “ Portugal, Saalheria, sur Linaria triornitophora (Cecidie) , Tavares”. We dissected one of the two males and designated it as the lectotype. We believe that this taxon must be considered as a species distinct from M. dorsalis .

Redescription. Male. Length 2.2 mm. Body: elongate, cylindrical, slender ( Fig. 41 ). Rostrum: black, moderately long (Rl/Pl 0.79); in lateral view distinctly and abruptly curved in basal half, weakly tapered in apical half ( Fig. 96 ); in dorsal view with subparallel sides, weakly widened at antennal insertion, moderately striatepunctured, without punctures along midline, with recumbent, white, long (l/w 3–6), seta-like scales to near apex. Head: frons as wide as rostrum at base, with moderately deep fovea; eyes nearly flat, with posterior margin abruptly raised. Antennae: black, inserted at middle of rostrum; scape moderately short, 3.5x longer than wide; funicle distinctly longer than scape, segment 1 twice as long as wide, slightly stouter and slightly longer than segment 2, which is 1.5x longer than wide, segments 2–4 about as long as wide, segment 5 transverse; club long, oval, segment 1 about as pubescent as others. Pronotum: black, with dense and regular punctures, intervals between punctures smooth and shining, well visible between recumbent to suberect, sparse, white and brownish grey, long (l/w 5–8), seta-like scales, the white ones more numerous along midline and sides; weakly transverse (Pw/Pl 1.26), with weakly rounded sides, with moderately prominent apical constriction, widest in basal third, moderately convex. Elytra: black, moderately shining; very long (El/Ew 1.75), slightly wider than pronotum (Ew/ Pw 1.18), at base moderately concave, with parallel sides, moderately convex on disc; interstriae clearly visible between suberect, sparse, white, long (slightly shorter than or as long as width of interstria; l/w 5–8), seta-like scales, arranged in a single regular row; striae clearly visible, slightly narrower than interstriae, with a row of scales similar to shorter ones covering interstriae. Legs: moderately slender, with recumbent to subrecumbent, sparse, whitish, seta-like scales, distinctly shorter than width of tibia; femora black, pro- and mesofemora with stout tooth, metafemora with smaller tooth; tibiae black, moderately slender; protibiae with apical part of ventral surface weakly directed outward; unci blackish, stout; tarsi blackish brown, tarsomere 1 1.5x longer than wide, tarsomere 2 about as long as wide, tarsomere 3 distinctly bilobed and distinctly wider than tarsomere 2, onychium shorter than tarsomeres 1–3 taken together, claws black, fused at base, asymmetrical, with one claw distinctly smaller and about half shorter than other claw. Venter: metasternum black, with sparse, whitish, narrow, seta-like scales, with shallow median fovea; mesothoracic epimera and meso- and metathoracic episterna with sparse, white, narrow, seta-like scales, and wide, fringed scales; abdomen black with bronze reflexions, with punctures dense and somewhat regular, which are clearly visible between whitish, long, seta-like scales; ventrites length ratio 1–2/3–4 1.72. Penis: fig. 143.

Female. As in male except rostrum slightly longer (Rl/Pl 1.08) ( Fig. 97 ), less punctured, antennae inserted just before middle of rostrum, femora unarmed. Sternite 8 and spermatheca: as in M. heydenii ( Figs 156 and 170 ).

Variability. Length 2.1–2.3 mm. The examined specimens did not show noteworthy differences apart from sexual characters.

Remarks and comparative notes. This species is closely related to M. dorsalis , from which it differs by the longer elytra, the scales at the sides of pronotum and on the elytral interstriae being suberect, and the rostrum being less abruptly curved at base.

Biological notes. This species was collected in galls on Linaria triornitophora (L.) Willd.

Distribution. Portugal, northern Spain.

Non-type specimens examined. PORTUGAL: Faro, coast, 18.IV.2006, Winkelmann leg. (4, HWCB) . SPAIN: Asturie, Villaviciosa , IX.1917 (3, MCNM) .

Figures

FIGURES 37–42. Habitus of (37) Mecinus barbarus; (38) M. lixoides; (39) M. heydenii; (40). M. dorsalis; (41) M. tavaresi; (42) M. aubei. Not to the same scale.

FIGURES 88–97. Rostrum in lateral view of (88) Mecinus kaemmereri, female; (89) M. setulosus, male; (90) M. janthinus, male; (91) idem, female; (92) M. barbarus, male; (93) idem, female; (94) M. dorsalis, male; (95) idem, female; (96) M. tavaresi, male; (97) idem, female. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 133–143. Penis in dorsal and lateral view of (133) Mecinus vulpes; (134) M. pipistrellus; (135) M. collaris; (136) M. lixoides; (137) M. sicardi; (138) M. janthiniformis; (139) M. barbarus; (140) M. janthinus; (141) M. heydenii; (143) M. tavaresi; (142) M. aubei. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 144–156. Sternite 8 of (144) Mecinus pascuorum; (145) M. caucasicus; (146) M. marina; (147) M. reichei; (148) M. humeralis; (149) M. circulatus; (150) M. pyraster; (151) M. simus; (152) M. collaris; (153) M. janthinus; (154) M. lixoides; (155) M. sicardi; (156) M. heydenii. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 157–171. Spermatheca of (157) Mecinus pascuorum; (158) M. caucasicus; (159) M. haemorrhoidalis; (160) M. labilis; (161) M. marina; (162) M. elongatus; (163) M. reichei; (164) M. circulatus; (165) M. pyraster; (166) M. simus; (167) M. comosus; (168) M. lixoides; (169) M. janthinus; (170) M. heydenii; (171) M. collaris. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.