Limnobaris t-album (Linnaeus, 1758)

Prena, Jens, Korotyaev, Boris, Wang, Zhiliang, Ren, Li, Liu, Ning & Zhang, Runzhi, 2014, A taxonomic revision of Limnobaris Bedel in the strict sense (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Baridinae), with particular emphasis on the species found in China, ZooKeys 416, pp. 41-66 : 53-54

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Curculionidae

Limnobaris t-album (Linnaeus, 1758)

Curculio t-album Linnaeus, 1758: 379. Type male, Westerbothnia [= Västerbotten], Sweden (LSUK).

Curculio nigrinus Herbst, 1795: 60. Lectotype designated by Dieckmann (1991: 307), female, collecting data unknown (MNKB). Synonymized with Limnobaris t-album by Gemminger and Harold (1871) and Prena (2008), and with Limnobaris t-album atriplicis sensu Dieckmann by Dieckmann (1991).

Curculio hypoleucus Marsham, 1802: 274. Type probably auctioned in 1820 (R. Thompson in Dieckmann 1991); synonymized by Gyllenhal (1813) but identity unknown; synonymy with Limnobaris dolorosa by Dieckmann (1991: 310, not 307) unintended but possibly correct.

Baridius crocopelmus Gyllenhal in Schönherr 1836: 720. Holotype, sex not determined, Elisabethgrad [=Kirovograd], Ukraine (NHRS). Synonymized with Limnobaris t-album by Gemminger and Harold (1871) but reinstated or overlooked by subsequent authors. Reestablished synonymy.

Baridius pusio Boheman in Schönherr 1844: 173. Holotype female, Sicily, Italy (NHRS). Synonymized with Limnobaris t-album by Gemminger and Harold (1871) but reinstated or overlooked by subsequent authors; synonymized with Limnobaris t-album atriplicis sensu Dieckmann by Dieckmann (1991) and with Limnobaris t-album by Prena (2008).

Baris t-album sculpturata Faust, 1885: 201. Lectotype designated by Dieckmann (1991: 309), male, Ysyk-Köl, Kyrgyz Republic (SNSD). Erroneously synonymized with Limnobaris dolorosa by Dieckmann (1991). syn. n.

Limnobaris bedeli Reitter, 1888: 274. Holotype female, Lenkoran, Azerbaijan (SNSD). syn. n.

Limnobaris scutellaris Reitter, 1888: 273. Type not located [not in HNHM], Utsch-Dere, Krasnodarsky Kraj, Russia. syn. n.

Baridius (Limnobaris) martulus J. Sahlberg, 1892: 223. Lectotype designated by Dieckmann (1991: 309), sex not determined, Jakobstad, Finland (MZH). Synonymized with Limnobaris t-album by Champion (1905).

Limnobaris sahlbergi Reitter, 1901: 82. Syntypes at least 4, Ysyk-Köl, Tschüi River, Kyrgyz Republic (BMNH, HNHM, SDEI). syn. n.

Limnobaris reitteri Munster, 1928: 281. Replacement name for Limnobaris pusio sensu Reitter (1895), not Boheman (1844). Synonymized with Limnobaris t-album atriplicis sensu Dieckmann by Dieckmann (1991) and with Limnobaris t-album by Prena (2008).

Limnobaris t-album atriplicis sensu Dieckmann (1991): misinterpretation of Curculio atriplicis Fabricius, 1777 (= Curculio laticollis Marsham, 1802; nomen protectum) introduced into the literature by invalid lectotype designation (see Prena 2008).

Diagnosis.

Diagnostic characters for the distinction of Limnobaris t-album and two other species with dense lateroventral vestiture are given under Limnobaris dolorosa .

Notes.

The squamiform setae on the first two ventrites and the metasternum vary in size and density between local populations. Specimens with nearly imbricate setae have been recognized by some authors either as a subspecies or species. Dieckmann (1991) considered them as a subspecies because he recongized (1) a continuous northern distribution of the nominal form of Limnobaris t-album and (2) a relatively narrow transitional zone to the deviating southern form. Prena (2008) rejected the subspecies because the applied name was based on an invalid lectotype designation and the transitional zone corresponds closely with the winter isotherm indicating a possible environmental effect on the scale pattern. The issue needs to be readdressed with appropriate methods in a larger context, i.e. under inclusion of the Central Asian population named Limnobaris sahlbergi and Limnobaris sculpturata . Until this is accomplished, we suggest to include all nominal taxa with a t-album-type of aedeagus under Limnobaris t-album . The type repository of Limnobaris scutellaris Reitter, described from Utsch-Dere in South Russia, remains unknown. The herein proposed synonymy with Limnobaris t-album is based on Reitter’s comparison with that species.

Distribution.

Limnobaris t-album is widespread in the Palaearctic Region and apparently extends further north than the other common species, Limnobaris dolorosa . In fact, Limnobaris t-album is the only baridine weevil worldwide that reaches either of the polar circles. The most eastern records are from Mongolia (ca. 95°E), Xinjiang Province, China (ca. 90°E) and the adjacent Russian territory ( Legalov 2010).

Biology.

Because of taxonomic confusion with Limnobaris dolorosa , published life history data are unreliable and need verification. The adult occurs on Carex acutiformis Ehrh. between middle May and early July in Northern Germany (J. Prena, unpubl. data). Carex atherodes Spreng., Carex pseudocyperus L., Carex rostrata and Scirpus sylvaticus grew occasionally nearby but received no attention by the weevil. Reports from Carex rostrata , Carex vesicaria L. and the tall sedges Cladium mariscus and Schoenoplectus lacustris (i.e., Heyden in Brisout 1870, Heyden 1877, Sahlberg 1892, Kleine 1910, Hoffmann 1955, Cawthra 1957, Scherf 1964) may apply to Limnobaris dolorosa . Associations with plants other than sedges are accidental.

Material examined.

CHINA. Xinjiang: 青河县达巴特新村 [Dabate, Qinghe], 7.vii.2009 (IZCAS 1); Turpan (HNHM 1). KAZAKHSTAN. Aulie-Ata [=Taraz] (HNHM 3); Wernyi [=Almaty] (HNHM 1, SFFM 6). KYRGYZSTAN. Bishkek (HNHM 2); Ketmen’tebe (HNHM 1); Tschu [ Tschüi] River, Issyk-kul [ Ysyk-Köl] (SDEI 1); Yssik-kul [ Ysyk-Köl] (SNSD 3). MONGOLIA. Sargyn-Gobi, S Som. Sarga, Aimak Gobi Altai, 970 m, 18.-20.vi.1964 (MNKB 1). RUSSIA. Novosibirskaya Oblast: Kuibyshev Distr., Zonovo, 29.v.1961 (IZCAS 1). UZBEKISTAN. Jizzakh Prov.: Djizak [Jizzakh] (SNSD 1).