Mecinus ictericus (Gyllenhal)

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 : 13-14

3. Mecinus ictericus (Gyllenhal)

Figs 2 , 45 , 106 , 110

Gymnetron ictericum Gyllenhal, 1838: 750 . H. Brisout de Barneville, 1862: 630. Desbrochers des Loges, 1893: 43. Reitter, 1907: 20; 1916: 227. Hustache, 1931: 409, 419. Hoffmann, 1958: 1278, 1288. Smreczyṅski, 1976: 31. Lohse & Tischler, 1983: 266.

Mecinus ictericus (Gyllenhal) . Caldara, 2001: 183.

Gymnetron moricei Pic, 1902: 26 . Reitter, 1907. 20.

Gymnetron ictericum var. albohirtum Desbrochers des Loges, 1893: 43 . Rey, 1894: 74. Reitter, 1907: 20. Hoffmann, 1958: 1288.

Type locality. Berlin ( Germany) .

Type series. This species was described from specimens from Berlin ( Germany) and Banat (presently a territory partly in eastern Serbia and partly in western Romania) without more precise indication. We examined two male syntypes (NHRS) labelled “Cionus, e Berol. Schüp. / Paratypus ” (lectotype here designated) and “Typus / Gymn; ictericus Schh. var. major, Berolin. Schüpp. ” (paralectotype).

Synonyms. The taxon albohirtus is described as a variety of M. ictericus from specimens from southern France (Saint-Raphaël) differing from the typical form in the pattern of the dorsal vestiture. According to the original description this taxon may be considered at a subspecific rank (ICZN 1999 Art. 45.6.1). We examined three male syntypes (MNHN) which are pinned on different cards on the same pin and are labelled “St. Raph. / Ex Musaeo Marquet, 1900” (we designated the specimen glued on the upper card as lectotype). This taxon is usually considered as a synonym of M. ictericus and we agree with this opinion.

Gymnetron moricei was described from specimens from Greece (Eleusis and Olympia). We examined two of them (MNHN): one male labelled “Olympia / Moricei Pic / Reitter vid.” (lectotype here designated) and one female labelled “Olympia / 78 / type / G. Moricei Pic ” (paralectotype); these specimens bear also two handwritten broad cards with numerous Pic's considerations on this taxon. It was cosidered by Reitter as a variety of M. ictericus characterized by less dense dorsal vestiture. Actually this difference is visible in many specimens from southern Europe , However in a large series of specimens collected in Lombardia (northern Italy) we could ascertain a distinct range of variability in the density of the dorsal vestiture. Therefore , for the moment we decided to follow Reitter's opinion.

Redescription. Male. Length 1.6 mm. Body: short, oval, stout ( Fig. 2 ). Rostrum: reddish brown, moderately long (Rl/Pl 0.96), subcylindrical; in lateral view moderately curved, slightly narrowing in apical half (as in M. pascuorum , fig. 43); in dorsal view with subparallel sides, with hardly visible scrobes, distinctly striate-punctured to near apex then smooth and shining, in basal half with recumbent to erect, somewhat dense, greyish, long (l/w 7– 10), seta-like scales. Head: frons as wide as rostrum at base, with shallow fovea; eyes flat. Antennae: reddish with dark brown club, inserted at middle of rostrum; scape long, 5.0x longer than wide; funicle slightly 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 3 and 4 about as long as wide, segment 5 weakly transverse; club short, oval, segment 1 almost glabrous. Pronotum: brown, with dense and regular punctures, intervals between punctures narrow, smooth and shining, hardly visible between recumbent to erect, dense, yellowish grey, long to very long (l/w 7–12), setalike scales; distinctly transverse (Pw/Pl 1.52), with weakly rounded sides, with weakly prominent apical constriction, widest at basal third, moderately convex. Elytra: reddish; short (El/Ew 1.16), suboval, slightly wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.23), at base weakly concave, with weakly rounded sides, widest at middle, somewhat convex on disc; interstriae hardly visible between dense, yellowish grey, long (1.2–1.5x longer that width of interstria; l/w 9–15), seta-like scales, which are mostly recumbent and arranged irregularly, and in least part erect, curved forward and arranged in a somewhat regular single median row; striae not visible, one third narrower than interstriae, with a row of scales similar to shorter ones covering interstriae. Legs: moderately stout, with recumbent to subrecumbent, somewhat dense, yellowish grey, long, seta-like scales, which are slightly shorter than width of tibia; femora reddish, subclavate, profemora with small tooth ( Fig. 106 ), meso- and metafemora subdented; tibiae reddish, moderately long, protibiae with apical part of ventral surface weakly directed outward; unci blackish, moderately stout; tarsi reddish, tarsomere 1 1.5x longer than wide, tarsomere 2 about as long as wide, tarsomere 3 bilobed and distinctly wider than tarsomere 2, onychium almost as long as tarsomeres 1–3 taken together, claws blackish, equal in length, fused in basal half. Venter: metasternum blackish, moderately visibile between recumbent to subrecumbent, dense, yellowish grey, seta-like scales; mesothoracic epimera and meso- and metathoracic episterna: with very dense, yellowish grey, seta-like and wide, fringed scales; abdomen reddish brown, with dense and regular punctures, which are clearly visible between subrecumbent, sparse, whitish, long, seta-like scales; ventrites length ratio: 1–2/3–4 2.00. Penis: fig. 110.

Female. As in male except rostrum distinctly longer (Rl/Pl 1.11) and curved ( Fig. 45 ), thinner, smoother and shining, antennae inserted between basal third and median third of rostrum, femora subdented. Sternite 8 and spermatheca: as in M. pascuorum ( Figs 144 and 157 ).

Variability. Length mm 1.2–1.7. Sometimes head, rostrum, pronotum and elytral interstria 1 are blackish. The dorsal vestiture varies from very dense with completely hidden integument to distinctly sparser leaving integument partly visible.

Remarks and comparative notes. This species is very similar to M. pascuorum , M. crassifemur and M. latiusculus , but is distinguishable from them by the dorsal vestiture, especially of the pronotum, composed partly of long seta-like scales which are erect and curved forward and usually denser, and the smaller tooth of the profemora in the male. It differs from M. latiusculus also by the more curved rostrum in the female.

Biological notes. Larvae grow and pupate in fruits of Plantago indica L. (= P. arenaria W. & K.) ( Hoffmann 1958) and of P. sempervirens Crantz (= P. cynops L.) (L. Diotti pers. comm.).

Distribution. Central and southern Europe, Caucasian States, Turkey, Iran.

Non-type specimens examined. SPAIN: Castilla y León, León, 10 km N Cistierna, Picos de Europa Mts. , 12.V.2003, Kresl leg. (1, RBCS) . FRANCE: Languedoc-Roussillon, Gard , Vers-Pont-du-Gard , 5.VI.1926, Thérond leg. (1, MNHN) ; Languedoc-Roussillon, Hérault, St. Guilhem , 16.VI.1959 (1, MNHN) ; Provence-AlpesCôte d'Azur, Alpes Maritimes , Beuil (2, MNHN) ; Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Bouches-du Rhône, Sylvéréal , 14.IV.1952, on Plantago cynops, Thérond leg. (12, LMCP) ; Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Var , Frejus (2, MNHN) ; Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Var , St. Aygulf , 25.IV.1969, Péricart leg. (1, MNHN) ; Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Var , St. Raphael (1, MNHN) ; Rhône-Alpes, Drôme , Nyons , (4, MNHN) . ITALY: Lombardia, Milano, Abbiategrasso , 7.VI.2004, Diotti leg. (1, LDCC) ; Lombardia, Pavia, Ponte della Becca, 28.VI.2011, on Plantago sempervirens, Diotti leg. (40, LDCC) ; Toscana, Lucca, Viareggio , 17.VII.1936, Liebmann leg. (9, DEIM) ; Toscana, Isola d'Elba , Holdhaus leg. (2, NHMW) , Puglia, Brindisi, Francavilla Fontana , 5.II.1995, Montemurro leg. (1, FACF) ; Puglia, Taranto , 13.XII.1998, Montemurro leg. (1, FACF) ; Puglia, Taranto, Manduria , 16.XI.1969 (1, PCCP) ; Puglia, Taranto, Torre Bianca , 8.II.1970. De Marzo leg. (2, CPCM) ; Puglia, Cagnano , 26.IV.2008, Krátký leg. (1, JKCH) ; Calabria, Sila, Cropalali , 28.IV.2008, Krátký leg. (4, JKCH) ; Calabria, Cosenza, Roseto Capo Spulico , 6.XII.1998, Montemurro leg. (2, FACF) ; Calabria, Sila, Lago Ampollino , 1300 m, 6.VII.1971, Angelini leg. (2, MMCT) . ITALY (Sicily): Messina, Taormina , 30.IV.1933, Liebmann leg. (1, DEIM) . POLAND: Breslau (1, ZMUC) . UKRAINE: Ascania-Nova (1, ZISP) ; Lugansk (1, ZISP) ; Poltova (1, ZISP) . RUSSIA: Dagestan (1, ZISP) ; Rostov (1, ZISP) ; Sarepta (1, MNHN) . GERMANY: Brandenburg, Alte Oder , Letzner leg. (5, DEIM) . SLOVAKIA: Podunajská nížina, Chotín , 18.VI.1980, Košťál leg. (1, MKCB) . HUNGARY: Hungaria , Staudinger leg. (2, MSNM) ; Aquincum [= Budapest] (1, ZMHB) ; Budapest, Rákospalota (1, ZMHB) ; Pest, Örlény , 11.VII.2001, Székely Kámán leg. (1, APCB) ; Pest megye, Szada , 28.IV.2007, Szénási & Podlussány legg. (1, APCB) ; Kiskunság, Orkény pr. Dabas , 24.V.2002, Košťál leg. (4, MKCB) . SERBIA: Karlowitz , Letzner leg. (15, DEIM) . ALBANIA: Durres, VII.1957, Vesely leg. (3, MMCT) . MACEDONIA: Ohrid, 7.VIII.1967, Horvatovich leg. (1, MMCT) . GREECE: Attica, Reitter leg. (1, MMCT) . BULGARIA: Melnik , 22.VI.1993, Borovec leg. (4, RBCS) ; Melnik , 24.VIII.1975, Jindra leg. (1, JSCP) ; Nesebar , 28.VI.1966, Hoffer leg. (2, JSCP) ; Strandja, Boljarovo , 20.VI.1978, Angelov leg. (2, GOCA; 2, MMCT) ; Pirin, Strumyani , 29.VI.1981, Košťál leg. (2, MKCB) . ROMANIA: Constanta, Istria env., C. Histria, 4.V.2009, Krátký leg. (5, JKCH) . TURKEY: Çanakkale, Besika Bay (2, BMNH) ; Smyrne (1, MNHN) . IRAN: Gilan, Tutkabon-Rudbar , 3.VI.1995, Linnavuori leg. (8, MZHF) .

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Habitus of (1) Mecinus pascuorum; (2) M. ictericus; (3) M. latiusculus; (4) M. caucasicus; (5) M. ludyi; (6) M. variabilis; (7) M. haemorrhoidalis; (8) M. seriatus; (9) M. sanctus. Not to the same scale.

FIGURES 43–57. Rostrum in lateral view of (43) Mecinus pascuorum, male; (44) idem, female; (45) M. ictericus, female; (46) M. caucasicus, male; (47) idem, female; (48) Mecinus variabilis, male; (49) idem, female; (50) M. haemorrhoidalis, male; (51) idem, female; (52) M. seriatus, female; (53) M. longulus, female; (54) M. tychioides, male; (55) M. labilis, male; (56) idem, female; (57) M. plantaginis, male. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 98–107. Male right protibia in anterior view of (98) Mecinus pascuorum; (99) M. tanaiticus; (100) M. comosus; (101) M. simus; (102) M. pirazzolii; (103) M. vulpes; (104) M. pipistrellus. Male right profemur of (105) M. pascuorum; (106) M. ictericus. Right antenna of (107) M. paratychioides.

FIGURES 108–120. Penis in dorsal and lateral view of (108) Mecinus pascuorum; (109) M. crassifemur; (110) M. ictericus; (111) M. latiusculus; (112) M. caucasicus; (113) M. variabilis; (114) M. tychioides; (115) M. haemorrhoidalis; (116) M. longulus; (117) M. labilis; (118) M. plantaginis; (119) M. alboscutellatus alboscutellatus; (120) M. paratychioides. 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.