Mecinus barbarus Gyllenhal, 1838

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 : 70-71

41. Mecinus barbarus Gyllenhal

Figs 37 , 92–93 , 139

Mecinus barbarus Gyllenhal, 1838: 778 . Reitter, 1907: 14. Caldara, 2008: 131.

Mecinus longiusculus Boheman, 1845: 188 . Tournier, 1874: 40. Bedel, 1885: 148; 1887: 312; 1923: 72. Desbrochers des Loges, 1893: 58. Rey, 1894: 74. Reitter, 1907: 9. Peyerimhoff, 1911: 309. Hustache, 1931: 403, 405. Hoffmann, 1958: 1267, 1270. Caldara, 2008: 131.

Mecinus teretiusculus Boheman, 1845: 189 . Caldara, 2008: 131.

Mecinus filiformis Aubé, 1850: 344 . Caldara, 2008: 131.

Mecinus longiusculus var. subcylindricus Pic, 1896: 115 (syn. n.).

Type locality. Alger ( Algeria) .

Type series. The lectotype of this species (Schoenherr's collection, NHRS) was recently designated by Caldara (2008).

Synonyms. Mecinus longiusculus , M. teretiusculus and M. filiformis were recently placed in synonymy with M. barbarus by Caldara (2008), who designated the lectotype of M. longiusculus based on a specimen from Corsica in Schoenherr's collection at NHRS. Recently we also examined a male syntype of M. teretiusculus (Schoenherr's collection, NHRS) labelled “Lusit. / Rosenshcöld / 33 / Paratypus ” (lectotype here designated) and of M. longiusculus var. subcylindricus labelled “Yakouren / Mecinus n. sp. xx [sic] / 19 / type / Type / subcylindricus var. Pic” (lectotype here designated). This variety also is to be placed among the synonyms of M. barbarus .

Redescription. Male. Length 2.8 mm. Body: long, cylindrical, slender ( Fig. 37 ). Rostrum: black, long (Rl/Pl 0.97), subcylindrical; in lateral view moderately curved, about of same width from base to apex ( Fig. 92 ); in dorsal view with subparallel sides, with moderately visible scrobes, distinctly striate-punctured to near apex, in basal half with recumbent to suberect moderately dense, whitish, moderately long (l/w 3–7) scales. Head: frons as wide as rostrum at base, without fovea; eyes moderately convex. Antennae: black, inserted just beyond half of rostrum; scape long, 5.0x longer than wide; funicle about as long as scape, segment 1 3x longer than wide, about as stout as and 2x longer than segment 2, which is 1.5x longer than wide, segments 3–5 gradually more transverse; club long, oval, with segment 1 about as pubescent as others. Pronotum: black, with dense and regular punctures, intervals between punctures smooth and shining, moderately visible between recumbent, somewhat dense, whitish, long (l/w 4–8), seta-like scales; moderately transverse (Pw/Pl 1.23), with moderately rounded sides, with apical constriction weakly prominent, widest at middle, weakly convex. Elytra: black; very long (El/Ew 2.00), at base weakly concave, with parallel sides, moderately wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.24), somewhat convex on disc; interstriae moderately visible between recumbent, somewhat dense, whitish, long (0.5–0.75x as long as width of interstria; l/ w 5–10), seta-like scales, arranged in several irregular rows; striae somewhat visible, as wide as half of interstria, with a row of scales similar to shorter ones covering interstriae. Legs: moderately slender, with recumbent to subrecumbent, somewhat dense, whitish, distinctly shorter than width of tibia, seta-like scales; femora black, subclavate, profemora with stout tooth, meso- and metafemora with very small tooth; tibiae blackish, somewhat long; protibiae with apical part of ventral surface weakly directed outward; unci blackish, stout, all of same shape and length; tarsi dark brown, long, tarsomere 1 2.7x longer than wide, tarsomere 2 1.5x longer than wide, segment 3 distinctly bilobed and distinctly wider than tarsomere 2, onychium thin and shorter than tarsomeres 1–3 taken together; claws blackish, equal in length, fused in basal half. Venter: metasternum black, moderately visible between recumbent, somewhat dense, whitish, long, seta-like scales; mesothoracic epimera and meso- and metathoracic episterna with dense, whitish, narrow, not seta-like scales; abdomen black, with dense and somewhat regular punctures, which are moderately visible between recumbent to subrecumbent, somewhat dense, white, long, seta-like scales, ventrites length ratio: 1–2/3–4 1.98. Penis: fig. 139.

Female. As in male except rostrum longer (Rl/Pl 1.08) ( Fig. 93 ), only moderately punctured with wider intervals between punctures, antennae inserted at middle of rostrum, femora with small tooth, uncus of metatibiae smaller than others. Sternite 8 and spermatheca: as in M. janthinus ( Figs 153 and 169 ).

Variability. Length 2.0– 3.4 mm. The colour of the antennae and tarsi varies from dark brown to blackish. The sides of the pronotum vary from being weakly to distinctly rounded. Sometimes the elytra are weakly enlarged in their apical third and vary somewhat in length (El/Ew 1.90–2,20).

Remarks and comparative notes. This species is distinguishable from M. lixoides and M. sicardi , which are the two other species with black integument in the group, respectively by the smaller size together with the less dense dorsal vestiture and by the longer elytra and the shape of the rostrum.

Biological notes. Larvae develop inside the stem of some Plantaginaceae belonging to the genera Linaria ( L. heterophylla Desf. , L. multicaulis (L.) Mill., L. purpurea (L.) Mill., L. reflexa Desf. , L. striata L., L. supina Desf. ), Anarrhinum ( A. bellidifolium Desf. , A. pedatum Desf. ), Antirrhinum ( A. barrelieri Boreau , A. majus L., A. orontium L.,), where they cause only poorly visible small bulges ( Hoffmann 1958; C. Baviera pers. comm.).

Distribution. Western and southern Europe, northern Africa, Syria, Israel.

Non-type specimens examined. PORTUGAL: Algarve, Loulé N-E, Querenca , 12–13.V.1994, Bayer & Winkelmann leg. (1, HWCB) ; Algarve, Monte Gordo Coast , 11.V.1994, Bayer & Winkelmann leg. (1, HWCB) ; Leiria, Caldas da Rainha, Faz do Arelho , 13.IV.1995, Stüben leg. (1, PSCM) ; Leiria, Peniche, Seixal, Praia da Areia Branca , 15.IV.1995, Stüben leg. (1, PSCM) ; Portalegre, Barragem de Montargil , 5.IV.1995, Stüben leg. (2, PSCM) ; Portalegre, Montargil, Terra Preta , on Linaria sp. in copula, 8.IV.1995, Stüben leg. (16, PSCM) . SPAIN: Andalucía, Cádiz, Camila, Chiclana , 10.V.2009, Coello leg. (1, USCA) ; Cataluña, Gerona, Rosas , 12.V.1988, on Anarrhinum bellidifolium, Sprick leg. (2, PSCH) ; Cataluña, Tarragona, Vinaroz , 9.V.1988, on Antirrhinum barrelieri, Sprick leg. (1, PSCH) . Spain (Canary Islands): La Palma, Olmedo, Molinicos (1, MCNM) . FRANCE: Île de France , Paris (1, BMNH) ; Languedoc-Roussillon, Pyrénées-Orientales, Arles-sur-Tech , 14.VI.1962, Jerrard leg. (1, BMNH) ; Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Hautes-Alpes , Saint-Etienne-en-Dévoluy, 1500 m, on Linaria repens, Alziar leg. (1, GACN) . ITALY: Liguria, Genova, Arenzano , Bartoli leg. (1, GACN) ; Lazio, Leoni leg. (5, MSNM) ; Lazio, Roma, Cineto Romano , 18.VI.1988, on small purple Antirrhinum, Russell leg. (2, RBCS) ; Abruzzo, L'Aquila, Cerchio , Leoni leg. (1, MSNM) ; Campania, Salerno, Vallo della Lucania, San Biase, Solari leg. (2, MSNM) . ITALY (Sicily): Messina , Vitale leg. (2, MSNM) ; Messina, Monti Peloritani, Forte S. Jachiddu , on Linaria purpurea , 28.IV.2010, Baviera leg. (1, CBCM) ; Messina, Bronte , 960 m, 20.V.2012, on Linaria multicaulis , Baviera leg. (1, CBCM) ; Messina, Castiglione di Sicilia, 4.V.2012, on Linaria multicaulis , Baviera leg. (2, CBCM) ; Messina, Etna Est, Formazzo di Milo , 900 m, 23.VI. 2011, on Linaria purpurea , Baviera leg. (3, CBCM) ; Messina, Etna Nord, Piano Provenzana , 2030 m, on Linaria purpurea , 26.VI. 2011, Baviera leg. (3, CBCM) ; Messina, Etna Sud, Adrano , 1270 m, on Linaria purpurea , 12.VI.2011, Baviera leg. (1, CBCM) ; Palermo , V.1942 (1, MSNM) . GREECE: Thessaly, Ossa Mt., Spilia , 3.V.1992, Talamelli leg. (3, FTCM) . SYRIA: Irneh , 23.V.2004, Weill leg. (1, PWCP) ; Arman , 24.X.2003, Weill leg. (4, PWCP) . ISRAEL: Carmel, Nahal Oren , 11.III.2008, Tedeschi leg. (1, MTCM) . ALGERIA: La Calle , Martin leg. (2, MNHN) ; Téniet-el-Haad , Martin leg. (2, MNHN) .

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.