Wittmerella PESARINI , 1973: 81

Yunakov, N. N. & Klass K. D., 2012, Contribution to the taxonomy and nomenclature of Entiminae from the Palaearctic region and South Africa (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 62 (2), pp. 427-445 : 436-438

Wittmerella PESARINI, 1973: 81

[type species: Wittmerella viridisetosa Pesarini, 1973 ; by original designation]

Sciaphilomorphus Alonso-Zarazaga & Lyal, 1999: 177 , syn. n.

[type species: Sciaphilus aurosus Boheman, 1845 ; by original designation]

Wittmerella viridisetosa is the only species assigned to this genus, and males are unknown. The original description in Pesarini (1973) is overall sufficient, but there are some gaps to be filled.

Partial redescription:

Measurements. Body length 3.65-4.80 mm, width 1.55-1.75 mm. Female genitalia. Sternite VIII with very transverse lamella and long, thin apodeme. Caput of apodeme vestigial. Ovipositor with coxite undivided, poorly setose, without styli ( Fig. 56 ). Spermatheca robust, ramus and collum situated very close to one another, vestigial (can be recognized by junction of spermathecal gland duct and ductus spermaticus, respectively); corpus not swollen. ( Figs 44-45 ).

Diagnosis:

The structure and shape of the antennae and rostrum in Wittmerella (including Sciaphilomorphus ) are very similar to those of Polydrusus subgenus Leucodrusus Stierlin, 1884 and Sauromates arnoldii Korotyaev, 1992 , which suggests these groups to be related to each other ( Figs 34, 37 ).

Taxonomic notes:

Sciaphilomorphus includes two small species (body length 3-4 mm) occurring in Italy, Tunisia and Algeria: S. aurosus (Boh.) and S. sulcirostris (Chevr.) . Both are wingless, and the pterothorax is strongly modified as a consequence of this (as convergently in many Entiminae ). The aedeagus of Sciaphilomorphus sulcirostris and S. aurosus has dentate ligulae ( Fig. 49 ). The internal sac has a densely spiculate field in its apical half, and the aggonoporium is almost unarmed. The tegmen is heavily sclerotized, the tegminal plate with the parameres is well developed ( Fig. 50 ). The furcal arms of male sternite IX are heavily sclerotized ( Fig. 51 ). Tergite VIII has a deep apical groove ( Fig. 52 ).

The previous proposal of identity of Sciaphilomorphus with Stasiodis Gozis, 1886 ( Yunakov 2006) seems to be inappropriate, misled by the extreme similarity in general appearance due to body miniaturization. Stasiodis is distinct from Sciaphilomorphus by its tenuous antennal scape and slender funicular segments, ligulae of median lobe membranous, aggonoporium with well developed armature, parameres fused in proximal half, male tergite VIII without transverse groove ( Figs 52-55 ), ramus and collum of spermatheca situated far apart, coxites of ovipositor with well developed styli, and sternite VIII with large lamella ( Figs 46-47 , 57 ).

Sciaphilomorphus and Wittmerella viridisetosa ( Figs 5-8 in Pesarini 1973) are also very similar in general appearance, but also in most morphological details. They share a similar structure of the epistomal area: epistome fused with frons, glabrous, bearing well visible pores, with few pairs of chaetae. The morphology of the female postabdomen is also very similar: sternite VIII with large small, transverse lamella; ramus and collum of spermatheca situated very close to one another. Wittmerella differs from both Sciaphilomorphus species by the vestigial condi-condition of the lateral edges of the rostrum posteriad of the antennal articulation ( Fig. 35 ), by the elongate body shape, and by the pterothorax being less modified along the winglessness syndrome. We consider this insufficient to justify the separation of two genera, Wittmerella and Sciaphilomorphus .

On this basis we consider Sciaphilomorphus congeneric with Wittmerella , and the following new combinations are proposed here: Wittmerella aurosa (Boheman, 1845) , comb. n., W. sulcirostris (Chevrolat, 1860) , comb. n.

Type material:

W. viridisetosa : Iran: Holotype, female ( NMB) (L: 4.8 mm; W: 1.75 mm) ‘Polour-Abali 17.5. / 2100 /2600m’, ‘Iran 1970 / Wittmer, v. Bothmer’, ‘ Wittmerella viridisetosa m. Holotypus’; Paratype, female ( NMB) (L: 4.2 mm, W: 1.7 mm): labeled as holotype .

Other material examined:

W. viridisetosa : Turkey: 3 females ( MTMB 2 , ZIN 1 ): ‘ Turkey, Prov. Siirt, Kusgunkiran Ģeçidi , 1.vi.1989, leg. A. Podlussány’ ; 1 female ( ZIN): ‘ Turkey, TR 06-34, Muş, Hwy 959, Otluk Dağları , 41.7 km ENE of Muş, 38˚52'13.0" 41˚56'33.8" 1740 13.vi. 2006, A. Konstantinov leg. ’.

Figures

Figs 48-57: Sciaphilomorphus, Stasiodis and Wittmerella, male genitalia, male tergite VIII, and ovipositor. Sciaphilomorphus sulcirostris (Chevr.): 48: aedeagus, dorsal and lateral views, 49: ligulae, 50: tegmen, 51: male sternite IX (spiculum gastrale), 52: tergite VIII, dorsal and lateral views. Stasiodis parvulus (F.): 53: aedeagus, dorsal and lateral views, 54: tegmen, 55: tergite VIII, dorsal view. Wittmerella viridisetosa Pes.: 56: apical part of ovipositor, dorsal and lateral views. Stasiodis parvulus (F.): 57: apical part of ovipositor, dorsal and lateral views. Abbreviations: agp – aggonoporium armature, lg – ligula.

Figs 34-47: Wittmerella, Sciaphilomorphus and Sauromates; head details and female genitalia. Wittmerella viridisetosa Pes.: 34: antenna, 35: head, 36: apex of rostrum; Sciaphilomorphus aurosus (Boh.): 37: antenna, 38: head, 39: apex of rostrum; Sauromates arnoldii Kor.: 40: head, 41: apex of rostrum. Sciaphilomorphus sulcirostris (Chevr.) 42: sternite VIII, 43: spermateca. Wittmerella viridisetosa Pes.: 44: sternite VIII, 45: spermateca. Stasiodis parvulus (F.): 46: sternite VIII, 47: spermateca. Abbreviations: co – collum, cp – corpus, cr – cornus, ra – ramus, frep – frontoepistome.

Figs 5-13: Wittmerella and Chilonorrhinus. Wittmerella viridisetosa Pesarini, 1973, holotype male. 5: dorsal view; 6: lateral view; 7: head and pronotum, dorsal view; 8: original labels. Chilonorrhinus sitonoides Reitter, 1915, holotype female. 9: dorsal view; 10: lateral view; 11: head and pronotum, dorsal view; 12: antenna; 13: original labels.