Rhopalapion longirostre (Olivier, 1807)

Alekseev, Vitalii I., Drotikova, Anna M., Rozhina, Viktoria I. & Bukejs, Andris, 2021, Addenda To The Knowledge Of Beetles (Insecta: Сoleoptera) Of Kaliningrad Region (Western Russia): New Faunistic Records, Acta Biologica Universitatis Daugavpiliensis 21 (1), pp. 13-31 : 26

*55. Rhopalapion longirostre (Olivier, 1807)

Local references: Not reported earlier.

Material: Kaliningrad, 24.06.2021, 54.71°N, 20.44°E, 3 exx, ( Fig. 18 ), abundant on stems and buds of Alcea rosea in small private garden, together with numerous Aspidapion validum (Germar, 1817) ; Medovoe environs, 54.53°N, 20.36°E, 26.06.2021, 2 exx, on stems and buds of Alcea rosea , roadside, together with Aspidapion aeneum (Fabricius, 1775) .

Comments: This is the first report of the species from Kaliningrad Region. It is adventive species, monophagous on Alcea rosea , recently introduced in Kaliningrad Region and actually known as established in western parts of region (human settlements) only.

In total, 26 beetles species, Hydrovatus cuspidatus , Platylomalus complanatus , Hydrochus ignicollis , Potamophilus acuminatus , Agrilus suvorovi , Hylis olexai , H. cariniceps , Caenoscelis fleischeri , Abdera affinis , Zilora obscura , Z. elongata , Melandrya barbata , Mordellaria aurofasciata , Boros schneideri , Oomorphus concolor , Pilemostoma fastuosum , Agapanthia intermedia , Otiorrhynchus armadillo , Anthonomus ulmi , A. pedicularius , Lixus myagri , L. filiformis , Acalles echinatus , Phloeophagus thomsoni , Rhyncolus sculpturatus , and Rhopalapion longirostre , are reported from Kaliningrad Region for the first time. Among regionally confirmed species, the most interesting actual findings are Calosoma auropunctatum , Denticollis rubens and Rhagium sycophanta . The newly reported locality of Hydrovatus cuspidatus is the northernmost known one in Russia; the new records of Potamophilus acuminatus , Melandrya barbata , Mordellaria aurofasciata , Oomorphus concolor , Otiorrhynchus armadillo and Rhopalapion longirostre from Kaliningrad Region are important for understanding of distribution of these species in Russia; such species as Lixus myagri and L. filiformis are mentioned for Eastern Baltic Region for the first time; Agapanthia intermedia is recorded at the northern periphery of its distribution range.

All new findings can be conditionally grouped into three categories in accordance to human activity: (1) favored by human activity beetles (invaders and inhabitants of landscapes strongly transformed by human), (2) depressed by humans (rare and endangered species of natural habitats with restricted distribution), and (3) neutral to human activities (but often with cryptic and short living adult stage). The basis for such grouping in respect to each species is sometimes ambiguous or controversial. New synanthropic beetles in Kaliningrad Region (first group) could be listed as following: Caenoscelis fleischeri , Otiorrhynchus armadillo , Lixus myagri , and Rhopalapion longirostre . Typical species of natural and weakly influenced habitats should be following: Potamophilus acuminatus , Hylis spp. , Abdera affinis , Zilora spp. , Melandrya barbata , Boros schneideri , Oomorphus concolor , Pilemostoma fastuosum , and Acalles echinatus . The following species might be not too sensitive to current human activity in Kaliningrad Region: Hydrovatus cuspidatus , Platylomalus complanatus , Hydrochus ignicollis , Agrilus suvorovi , Mordellaria aurofasciata , Agapanthia intermedia , Anthonomus ulmi , A. pedicularius , Lixus filiformis , Phloeophagus thomsoni , and Rhyncolus sculpturatus .

List of Central European primeval forest relict species of saproxylic beetles ( Eckelt et al. 2018) includes three reported in the paper species: Platylomalus complanatus , Mycetophagus ater , and Boros schneideri . Several beetles reported here are mentioned in the current IUCN European Red List of saproxylic beetles ( Cálix et al. 2018): Boros schneideri as “vulnerable” species, Mycetophagus ater as “data deficient” species, and nine species ( Eucnemis capucinus , Hylis spp. , Denticollis rubens , Mycetophagus multipunctatus , Palaeocallidium coriaceum , Rhagium sycophanta , Ropalopus macropus ) as “least concern”.

Figures

Figs11–18.The photographsofthelivingspecimensinnature(KaliningradRegion):11–Pilemostoma fastuosum; 12 – Palaeocallidium coriaceum; 13 – Rhagium sycophanta; 14 – Ropalopus macropus; 15 – Cleopus pulchellus; 16 – Lixus filiformis; 17 – Otiorrhynchus armadillo, female (left box – aedeagus from collected specimen of 2020 year); 18 – Rhopalapion longirostre.