Mecinus tychioides (H. Brisout de Barneville)

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 : 28-29

12. Mecinus tychioides (H. Brisout de Barneville)

Figs 11 , 54 , 114

Gymnetron tychioides H. Brisout de Barneville, 1862: 632 . Reitter, 1907: 25.

Mecinus tychioides (H. Brisout de Barneville) . Caldara, 2001: 183.

Gymnetron aestivum Hoffmann, 1956: 47 (syn. n.).

Type locality. Andalusia ( Spain).

Type series. This species was described from one male and one female, placed in Kraatz's collection (DEIM), which we examined. Both of them are labelled “ Andalusien, Kraatz” and the male also “ tychioides Bris. * [sic], Andalus. Staud.” (this specimen here designated as lectotype).

Synonyms. Gymnetron aestivum was described from one male collected at Hervas (south-western Spain), which we examined (MNHN). Hoffmann (1956) reported that his new species belongs in Rhinusa , close to R. lanigera (H. Brisout de Barneville, 1862) , although he compared it also with M. tychioides . There are no relevant differences between the holotype of G. aestivum and the lectotype of M. tychioides .

Redescription. Male. Length 1.8 mm. Body: moderately long, oval, moderately stout ( Fig. 11 ). Rostrum: blackish brown in basal half and reddish brown in apical half, moderately long (Rl/Pl 0.85); in lateral view weakly curved and slightly angulate at antennal insertion, weakly narrowed from antennal insertion to apex ( Fig. 54 ); in dorsal view very weakly narrowed from base to apex, with hardly visible scrobes, moderately striate-punctured in basal two thirds, in basal half with recumbent to subrecumbent, moderately dense, white, moderately long to long (l/w 4–7), seta-like scales. Head: frons as wide as rostrum at base, without fovea; eyes flat. Antennae: reddish with brown club, inserted at middle of rostrum; scape moderately long, 4.5x longer than wide; funicle slightly longer than scape, segment 1 2.5x longer than wide, moderately stouter and 1.5x longer than segment 2, which is 1.3x longer than wide, segments 3 and 4 about as long as wide, segment 5 moderately transverse; club moderately long, oval, segment 1 almost glabrous. Pronotum: reddish brown, densely and irregularly punctured, with punctures variable in width, intervals between punctures narrower than punctures, moderately rugose, moderately shining, somewhat visible between recumbent (for the most part) to suberect, moderately dense, light brown and white, long (l/w 8–10), seta-like scales, with white ones more numerous at sides; moderately transverse (Pw/Pl 1.37), with moderately rounded sides, with weakly prominent apical constriction, widest in basal third, moderately convex. Elytra: reddish; moderately short (El/Ew 1.31), moderately wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.27), at base moderately concave, with subparallel sides in basal half, weakly convex on disc; interstriae moderately visible between recumbent to suberect, somewhat dense, white and greyish brown, long (about as long as width of interstria; l/w 8–10), seta-like scales, which are arranged in 1–2 irregular rows; striae hardly visible, as wide as half of interstria, with a row of scales similar in length but slightly thinner than those of interstriae. Legs: moderately slender, with recumbent to suberect, sparse, whitish, seta-like scales, which are slightly shorter than width of tibia; femora reddish, with small tooth; tibiae reddish, moderately slender, protibiae with apical part of ventral surface weakly directed outward; unci blackish, stout, all equal in length; tarsi reddish, tarsomere 1 1.7x longer than wide, tarsomere 2 1.2x longer than wide, tarsomere 3 bilobed and slightly wider than tarsomere 2, onychium slightly shorter than tarsomeres 1–3 taken together; claws reddish brown, equal in length, fused in basal half. Venter: metasternum blackish brown, clearly visible between recumbent to subrecumbent, sparse, whitish, long, seta-like scales; mesothoracic epimera and meso- and metathoracic episterna with recumbent to suberect, moderately dense, whitish, long, seta-like scales; abdomen reddish, with moderately dense and regular punctures, which are clearly visible between recumbent to suberect, sparse, whitish, long, seta-like scales; ventrites length ratio 1–2/3–4 1.80. Penis: fig. 114.

Female. As in male except rostrum distinctly longer (Rl/Pl 1.08), moderately curved (as in M. pascuorum , fig. 43), antennae inserted between median third and basal third of rostrum, femora with very small tooth. Sternite 8 and spermatheca: as M. pascuorum ( Figs 144 and 157 ).

Variability. Length 1.6–2.0 mm. Sometimes the striae of white scales on pronotum and elytra are slightly distinct; the total number of scales covering the dorsum is also somewhat variable. The rostrum may be completely black. Also the curvature of the rostrum in lateral view and the sides of the pronotum are somewhat variable, especially in females.

Remarks and comparative notes. Together with M. sanctus and M. longulus , it forms a homogeneous group of species that are not always easily distinguishable from one another. Apart from the shape of the penis, M. tychioides usually differs from these species by the elytra being more flattened on disc and with completely reddish integument. It is also distinguishable from M. sanctus by the pronotum, with bigger punctures closer to each other and the less numerous small punctures, and from M. longulus by the dorsal margin of the rostrum in lateral view regularly curved from the base where it is not concave, the body of the penis with apex convex and not truncated.

Biological notes. P. Sprick (pers. comm.) collected this species on Plantago albicans L. at Guardamar ( Spain).

Distribution. Central and southern Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Iran.

Non-type specimens examined. SPAIN: Andalucía, Almeria, El Mochuelo, Nijar , 25.IV.1992, AlonsoZarazaga & Sanchez-Ruiz legg. (1, AZCM) ; Andalucía, Almeria, Uleila del Campo , 28.IV.2011, Krátký leg (1, JKCH) ; Andalucía, Malaga , 4.V.1990, Kejval leg. (1, JSCP) ; Andalucía, Ronda, 4.VI.1911 (1, NHMB) ; Andalucía, Vejer de la Fronsra, 10.V.1984, Podlussány leg. (1, APCB) ; Aragona, Bujaraloz, Laguna la Playa , 19.IV.2010, Krátký leg (1, JKCH) ; Castilla-La Mancha, Ciudad Real, Alcazar de S. Juan , V.1943, Koch leg. (1, NHMB) ; Castilla-La Mancha, Ciudad Real , Puerto Lapex, 1973 (2, BMNH) ; Castilla-La Mancha, Pozuelo (1, MNHN) ; Cataluña, Mnt. de St. Mame, 700 m, Figuerola e Meiá , 23.V.2001, Orosz leg. (1, APCB) ; Comunidad Valenciana, Alicante, Guardamar , 30.IV.1987, on Plantago albicans, Sprick leg. (1, DEIM; 3, PSCH) ; Comunidad Valenciana, Valencia, Segunto , Moroder leg. (1, MNHN) ; Comunidad Valenciana, Valencia (1, MNHN) ; Murcia, Ascoy , 23.IV.2011, Krátký leg. (1, JKCH) ; Navarra, Bardenas Reales, Valtierra , 15.V.2008, Ugarte & Salgueira legg. (2, USCA) . MOROCCO: Antiatlas, Bou Tzakan , XII.1988, Curletti leg. (1, OVCK) ; El Haraig , X.1950. Pardo Alcade leg. (2, MNHN) ; Granja del Mulaya (2, MNHN) ; Marrakech , 4.VI.1985, Magnani leg. (2, GOCA) ; Tarhazoute , 14.V.2009, Behne leg. (1, DEIM) . ALGERIA: Alger, Chellala , V.1895, de Vauloger leg. (3, MNHN) ; Oum el-Bouaghi, Aín Beīda (1, MNHN) . TUNISIA: Mahedia , 1895, de Vauloger leg. (1, MSNM) . ISRAEL: Dead Sea coast, En Gedi , Wadi Azagot , 22.IV.1994, Volkovitsh leg. (1, ZISP) . JORDAN: El Hasa , 30.IV.1964, Klapperich leg. (5, DEIM; 2, ARCK) . SYRIA: Palmira , 1.V.2004, Weill leg. (4, PWCP) . IRAN: Khuzestan, Kuhhā- ye Zāgros Mts., Sardasht pr. Dezful , 1000 m, 28.IV.2006, Košťál leg. (3, MKCB) .

Figures

FIGURES 10–18. Habitus of (10) Mecinus longulus; (11) M. tychioides; (12) M. labilis; (13) M. plantaginis; (14) M. alboscutellatus alboscutellatus; (15) M. paratychioides; (16) M. linnavuori; (17) M. desertorum; (18) M. marina. 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.