Mecinus seriatus (Jacquet)

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 : 24-25

9. Mecinus seriatus (Jacquet)

Figs 8 , 52

Gymnetron seriatum Jacquet, 1888: 97 . Hustache, 1931: 420. Tempère, 1975: 651. Péricart, 1989: 279, 282.

Mecinus seriatus (Jacquet) . Caldara, 2001: 183. Caldara & Alonso Zarazaga, 2010: 402.

Gymnetron variabile var. seriatum (Jacquet) . Hoffmann, 1958: 1291.

Type locality. Vaugneray (Rhône-Alpes, France).

Type series. In Tempére's collection (MNHN) we examined a female syntype, already reported by Tempére (1975), labelled “Vaugneray / Vaugneray prés de Lyon / [golden round card] / seriatum Jacquet / co-type” (lectotype here designated).

Redescription. Male. Length 1.3 mm. Body: moderately short, oval, stout ( Fig. 8 ). Rostrum: black with reddish apex, moderately short (Rl/Pl 0.75); in lateral view subcylindrical, about same in width from base to apex, weakly curved (as in M. haemorrhoidalis , fig. 50); in dorsal view with subparallel sides, with hardly visible scrobes, sparsely striate-punctured in basal half then smooth and shining, in basal half with recumbent to subrecumbent, sparse, whitish, moderately long (l/w 3–6), seta-like scales. Head: frons as wide as rostrum at base, without fovea; eyes flat. Antennae: reddish with brown club, inserted just before middle of rostrum; scape very short, 2.5x longer than wide; funicle distinctly longer than scape, segment 1 2.5x longer than wide, stouter and 1.3x longer than segment 2, which is twice as long as wide, segment 3 1.5x longer than wide, segment 4 slightly longer than wide, segment 5 about as long as wide; club moderately long, oval, segment 1 almost glabrous. Pronotum: black, with dense, variable in size, slightly irregular punctures, intervals between punctures weakly rugose, shining and wider than punctures, clearly visible between recumbent to subrecumbent, sparse, whitish, moderately long (l/ w 4–6), seta-like scales, all directed backward to near base; moderately transverse (Pw/Pl 1.37), with moderately rounded sides, with moderately prominent apical constriction, widest at basal third, moderately convex. Elytra: black except interstriae 2–3 and 6–7, which are reddish brown; moderately short (El/Ew 1.28), suboval, at base weakly concave, slightly wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.14), with weakly rounded sides, widest in basal half, moderately convex on disc; interstriae clearly visible between subrecumbent to suberect, sparse, whitish, moderately long (slightly shorter than width of interstria; l/w 6–8), seta-like scales, which are arranged in a single regular row; striae moderately visible, one third narrower than width of interstria, with a row of scales thinner and slightly shorter than those covering interstriae. Legs: stout, with recumbent to suberect, sparse, whitish, seta-like scales, which are slightly shorter than width of tibia; femora reddish, unarmed; tibiae reddish, moderately stout, protibiae with apical part of ventral surface weakly directed outward; unci blackish, thin, all equal in length; tarsi reddish brown, tarsomere 1 1.5x longer than wide, tarsomere 2 about as long as wide, tarsomere 3 bilobed and distinctly wider than tarsomere 2, onychium slightly shorter than tarsomeres 1–3 taken together; claws blackish, equal in length, fused in basal half. Venter: metasternum black, shining, sparsely punctured, clearly visible between subrecumbent, sparse, whitish, long, hair-like scales; mesothoracic epimera and meso- and metathoracic episterna with sparse, whitish, mainly narrow seta-like scales and some wider scales; abdomen black, with ventrite 5 brown, shining, with sparse, irregular (in size and disposition) punctures, which are clearly visible between recumbent to subrecumbent, sparse, whitish, hair-like scales; ventrites length ratio 1–2/3–4 1.82. Penis: as in M. haemorrhoidalis ( Fig. 115 ).

Female. As in male except rostrum distinctly longer (Rl/Pl 0.93) and more curved, antennae inserted at basal quarter of rostrum with slightly shorter scape (l/w 2) ( Fig. 52 ). Sternite 8: as in M. caucasicus ( Fig. 145 ). Spermatheca: as in M. haemorrhoidalis ( Fig. 159 ).

Variability. Length 1.2–1.5 mm. Sometimes rostrum in apical half and antennae are completely reddish. The elytral integument vary from almost completely black to almost completely reddish brown. The pronotum and especially the elytra vary distinctly in width and in the curvature of their sides. This variation also occurs within specimens of the same population. The unique specimen from Spain, which we examined, did not show differences from the French typical specimens. On the contrary the specimens from Bulgaria and Turkey seem to differ from them by the usually denser and regular punctures of the pronotum, and the usually subrecumbent scales covering the elytral interstriae.

Remarks and comparative notes. This species is reported here for the first time from Bulgaria and Turkey, data which considerably increase the known area of distribution of this species, which was previously known from a few localities in southern France and a single locality in northern Spain ( Caldara & Alonso-Zarazaga 2010). Due to the subtle differences and the apparent distributional gap between the western populations and the Bulgarian and Turkish specimens, the latter might represent a different taxon.

This species is closely related to M. haemorrhoidalis , from which it differs by the scales of the elytral interstriae being slightly shorter, more uniform in length, subrecumbent to suberect, and arranged more regularly, the antennae being inserted more basally to the rostrum in the female and consequently with a shorter scape.

Biological notes. This species was collected by Jacquet, Tempère and Péricart on Plantago recurvata L. (= P. carinata Schr. ) and by Tempère also on P. serpentina Villars ( Tempère 1975; Péricart 1989). One of the specimens which we examined was collected at Les Sablettes (Var) on P. arenaria Waldst. & Kit (Roubeau det.).

Distribution. Central Spain, southern France, Bulgaria, north-western Turkey.

Non-type specimens examined. SPAIN: Castilla y León, Avila , 18.VI.1987, Podlussány leg. (2, APCB) . FRANCE: Languedoc-Roussillon, Lozère, Col de Jalcreste, 14.VI.1973, Tempère leg. (10. MNHN) ; LanguedocRoussillon, Hérault , Fauzan , Gorge de la Cesse, 24.IV.1997, Colonnelli leg. (1, ECCR) ; Languedoc-Roussillon, Hérault, Riols , 6.VI.1965, on Plantago recurvata, Péricart leg. (15, MNHN) ; Languedoc-Roussillon, Pyrénées Orientales, La Baside, 6.VI.1970, Poot leg. (1, CPCM) ; Languedoc-Roussillon, Pyrénées Orientales, Osséja , 1200 m, 27.VI.1962, on Plantago recurvata, Tempère leg. (6, MNHN; 2, CPCM) ; Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Var, Embiers , leg. Veyret (4, MNHN) ; Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Ile des Ambiers (1, MNHN) ; Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Var , Le Sainte-Baume, 21.VII.1964, Tempère leg. (8, MNHN) ; Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Var , Le Brusc, de Boissy leg. (2, MNHN) ; Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Var, Le Brusc, 31.V.1935, on Plantago, Veyret leg. (1, MSNM) ; Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Var, Les Sablettes , 12.III.1947, on Plantago arenaria, Roubeau leg. (1, MNHN) ; Rhône-Alpes, Ardeche, Saint Fortunal , 5.VII.1923, Planet leg. (2, MNHN) . BULGARIA: Vilengrad , 10.VII.1961, Angelov leg. (3, MMCT; 2, GOCA) . TURKEY: Kastamonu N, Seydiler , 15.VII.1996, Bayer & Winkelmann legg. (4, CBCB; 5, HWCB) ; Kirklareli, Kuzulu Köyü , 24.VI.1996, Podlussány leg. (4, APCB) .

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 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.