Lignyodes enucleator, PANZER

Friedman, Ariel-Leib-Leonid, 2016, Lignyodes enucleator Panzer (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Tychiini) Associated with Fraxinus syriaca Boiss. (Oleaceae) — The First Records from Israel and of Host Plant Use, The Coleopterists Bulletin 70 (4), pp. 821-824 : 822

LIGNYODES ENUCLEATOR PANZER ( COLEOPTERA : CURCULIONIDAE : CURCULIONINAE: TYCHIINI ) ASSOCIATED WITH FRAXINUS SYRIACA BOISS. ( OLEACEAE ) — THE FIRST RECORDS FROM ISRAEL AND OF HOST PLANT USE

ARIEL- LEIB- LEONID FRIEDMAN The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History and Israel National Center for Biodiversity Studies, Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv, 69978 ISRAEL [e-mail]

DOI.org/10.1649/0010-065X-70.4.822

The genus Lignyodes Dejean is Holarctic with 20 species in the Nearctic region, one species in Japan, and four species in the West Palearctic. One of them, Lignyodes bischoffi Blatchley , is an American species introduced in Europe together with Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh. Lignyodes enucleator Panzer is widely distributed in western Europe, Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey. Lignyodes suturatus Fairmaire is recorded from Hungary, Romania, Russia, and Turkey, and L. dieckmanni Clark and Lodos is endemic to Turkey. Although Turkey appears to be the center of diversity of the Palaearctic Lignyodes , hosting all four species known from the West Palearctic, no species of Lignyodes was recorded below 40°N. The Palaearctic Lignyodes are associated with Oleaceae , mainly Fraxinus L., although also recorded from Syringa L. and Ligustrum L.; L. enucleator and L. bischoffi have been reported from the seeds of Fraxinus ( Dieckmann 1970; Angelov 1971; Dieckmann 1974; Clark et al. 1977; Clark 1980; Clark and Lodos 1981; Wanat and Mocarski 2008; Arzanov 2013; Caldara 2013; Caldara et al. 2014).

Syrian ash, Fraxinus syriaca Boiss. (Oleaceae) ( Figs. 1-2 ), is a deciduous tree, 8–12 m high, occurring rarely in Israel, mainly in wet places, near streams and springs. It is quite common in the Hula Valley, less common around the Sea of Galilee and in Bet She`an Valley and occurs rarely on the Golan Heights, in Samaria, and in the northern and central parts of the Coastal Plain. One single tree is known in the Foothills of Judea (Nahal Nahshon, near Latrun) (Feinbrun-Dothan and Danin 1991; Danin 2016; Tal and Shmida 2016a, b).

One specimen of L. enucleator was collected by me on F. syriaca during 18 May 2009 in the Hermon Field School yard, 33°14′08″N 35°40′19″E (northern part of the Hula Valley). Repeated collecting at the same location during 11 May 2015 and 2 May 2016 revealed a population of L. enucleator on two F. syriaca trees approximately 5–7 m high. A total of 10 specimens of both sexes, some in copula, were collected. I checked more F. syriaca around the Field School, mainly young trees 1.5–2.0 m high, but found no additional weevils. During 2016, I visited and sampled a few additional localities with F. syriaca: Dan 33°14′27.9″N 35°39′19.3″E, ‘En Divsha 33°05′27″N 35°38′43″E (Hula Valley), ‘Enot Huga 32°31′03″N 35°32′20″E (Bet She`an Valley), and Nahal Nahshon 31°49′33″N 34°59′03″E (Judean Hills), but found no weevils. Lignyodes enucleator may occur at some of these localities, but the adult activity period may be very short in Israel. Collecting attempts earlier in the year (April or May) may yield adults.

This is the first record of the genus Lignyodes from Israel and from the southeastern Mediterranean region. It is also the first record of the association of L. enucleator with F. syriaca . It is likely that, as in Europe, L. enucleator is developing in the seeds of F. syriaca .

Lignyodes enucleator is 3.5–4.0 mm in length and characterized by the unique bicolor pattern on the elytra: dark brown on the apical 3/4, with the base and suture bright yellow ( Figs. 3-4 ). The species cannot be confused with other weevil species in the Israeli fauna. Surprisingly this considerably large and peculiarly colored weevil was not noticed previously. This can be explained either by the short adult activity of the weevils, the apparent very specific host plant association, or by assumption that this is an invasive species that arrived in Israel during later years with ornamental European Fraxinus .

Figures

Figs. 1–4. The Syrian ash, Fraxinus syriaca, at the Hermon Field School, Hula Valley, Israel: 1) General view;