Brachysomus (Brachysomus) deceptorius Białooki & Krátký, 2015

Yunakov, Nikolai, 2022, A review of the genus Brachysomus Schoenherr (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae), Zootaxa 5193 (1), pp. 1-165 : 36

Brachysomus (Brachysomus) deceptorius Białooki & Krátký, 2015

Figs. 164, 168, 170, 171 , 192 A-G, 239A

Brachysomus deceptorius Białooki & Krátký in Białooki, 2015: 42. Type locality: North Macedonia, Mt. Popova Šapka

Redescription. Measurements: Body length 1.97–2.73 mm, width 1.12–1.45 mm. Vestiture: head and body sparsely clothed with light piliform scales. Elytral interstriae with suberect piliform setae, their length somewhat less than interstrial width. Antennae, legs, and ventrites with fine pubescence. Scape and antennal funicle, tarsi, and inner margins of tibiae, clothed with fine hairs. Colouration: Body, antennae, and legs light brown.

Head: Rostrum 0.86–0.91x as long as wide, epifrons parallel-sided, lateral margins in line with lateral margins of temples. Antennal sockets distinctly visible in dorsal view. Pterygia projecting from outline of rostrum. Dorsal margin of antennal scrobe narrowly visible in proximal half, gradually disappearing distally; ventral margin of srobe distinct. Epistome weakly convex, without carina. Epifrons weakly narrowed to midlength, parallel-sided from midlength to apex, flat, not carinate, with shallow or deep median longitudinal sulcus, without transverse depression. Vertex flat, coarsely punctate, 2x wider than epifrons at level of antennal insertion. Eyes oval (VW/ELD = 1.83-2.5), weakly convex, highest at middle. Antennae: Scape almost straight, strongly widened along distal 1/3; funicular antennomeres: 1st (L/W=1.33) and 2nd (L/W=1.5) elongate, 1st 1.3x as long as 2nd, 3rd–7th transverse; club egg-shaped.

Thorax: Pronotum transverse [PL/PW = 0.74–0.81], widest at middle, gently and evenly convex at disc and at sides, not constricted. Disc coarsely punctate (spaces between punctures somewhat narrower than diameter of a puncture), without lateral depressions. Elytra: in male globose (EL/EW = 1.11), in female broad-oval (EL/EW = 1.77–1.26). Elytral interstriae weakly convex, shiny, in male 1.5x, in female 3x wider than striae. Punctures broadly separated; spaces between punctures very weakly concave, somewhat narrower than diameter of puncture. Legs: Fore tibiae straight, with apical external angle not protruding. Hind tibiae in male with small mucro. Second tarsomere transverse (L/W = 0.5). Fifth fore tarsomere extending beyond apical lobes of 3rd by 0.6 length of the lobes.

Abdomen: Posterior margin of 1st ventrite weakly sinuate. Male 5th ventrite flat, truncate, with scattered pale hairs. Female 5th ventrite flat, with apical margin widely rounded. Male genitalia: Aedeagus slightly and evenly sclerotized. Median lobe as long as apodemes, evenly narrowed apically, apex acute. Parameres as long as width of tegmenal ring, posterior margin of basal piece straight. Spermatheca: collum of spermatheca not protruding.

Diagnosis. Brachysomus deceptorius is distinguished from all species of the subgenus Brachysomus s. str. by the very fine pubescence of the body and shape of the head. It is very similar to B. longipterus in the form of the head, the structure of the antennal scrobes, and the type of body vestiture, but differs by the broadly-oval shape of elytra, shorter rostrum, fore tibiae straight and weakly mucronate, aedeagus shorter and slightly sclerotized. From B. simplex it differs in coarse punctures of pronotum, absence of proximal and distal constrictions on pronotum; 1st funicular antennomere 2x longer than 2nd (in B. simplex 1st funicular antennomere 1.40x as long as 2nd), pterigia projecting from outline of rostrum and collum of spermatheca not protruding.

Distribution. North Macedonia.

Bionomics. This species inhabits the subalpine zone around 1800–2000 m a.s.l.

Material examined. NORTH MACEDONIA: 1♂, Šar Planina Mountain Range, Popova Šapka [Mt., 1814 m; N42°00′58.96″; E20°53′07.98″] (BRc); 2♀, ‘Šar Planina Mountain Range, Popova Šapka, N40°.00, E20.50, 16.vii.1997 J. Prouza leg.’ (FJc).

Figures

FIGURE 192. Brachysomus deceptorius: A: aedeagus, dorsal and lateral view; B: tegmen; C: spermatheca; D: tergite VIII; E: head; F: pronotum; G: antenna. Brachysomus simplex: H: head; I: antenna; J: pronotum; K: spermatheca.

FIGURES 164–172. Brachysomus, details: 164: B. deceptorius, male. 165: simplex, female. 166: B. longipterus, male. 167: idem, female. 168: B. deceptorius, male head dorsal view. 169: simplex female. 170: B. deceptorius, male head lateral view. 171: B. longipterus, male head dorsal view.