Pseudomeira nebrodensis Pierotti, 2009

Bellò, Cesare & Baviera, Cosimo, 2011, On the Sicilian species of Pseudomeira Stierlin (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae), Zootaxa 3100, pp. 35-68 : 38

Pseudomeira nebrodensis Pierotti, 2009

( Figs. 4 , 30 , 79 , 93 )

Pseudomeira nebrodensis Pierotti, 2009: 481 (pars).

Type locality: Sicily, Messina, Monti Nebrodi - San Fratello.

Diagnosis: Small (3.4–3.6 mm), elongate-subcylindrical. Epistoma feebly excavate, clypeus almost flat and longitudinally impressed in middle. Elytra clothed with brown scales and rather thick almost recumbent setae.

Description: For a description see Pierotti (2009).

Distribution: Known only from the type locality.

Material: A total of 55 females were examined. Genitalia of 4 were studied, and molecular data of 3 were obtained.

Localities: Messina, Monti Nebrodi, San Fratello ( BAV, BEL, PIE, STU).

Ecology: Adults occur in spring, collected together with P. n a t a l i i n. sp. by sifting leaf litter under Olea europaea L. var. sylvestris Brok. Adults may occur also in autumn, although we have not collected them at that time of year.

Reproduction: Parthenogenetic.

Notes: Field research and preliminary molecular studies revealed that in the locality mentioned above near Messina, two species occur: one P. nebrodensis , is parthenogenetic and belongs to the exigua group, whereas the second, P. natalii n. sp., is amphigonic and belongs to the vitalei group. Obviously, the aedeagus figured by Pierotti (2009) of the supposed male of P. nebrodensis , instead is that of P. natalii n. sp., while the diagnosis and the description of the female holotype clearly are those of P. nebrodensis ( Figs. 4 , 19, 20 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 9. Habitus of Pseudomeira ssp. (scale bar: 1 mm).

FIGURES 27 – 35. Lateral view of Pseudomeira ssp. (scale bar: 1 mm).

FIGURES 77 – 90. Spiculum ventrale of Pseudomeira ssp.

FIGURES 91 – 104. Spermatheca of Pseudomeira ssp.

FIGURES 19 – 26. Habitus of Pseudomeira ssp. (scale bar: 1 mm).