Cionus caucasicus Reitter, 1888

Košťál, Michael & Caldara, Roberto, 2019, Revision of Palaearctic species of the genus Cionus Clairville (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Cionini), Zootaxa 4631 (1), pp. 1-144 : 19-21

5. Cionus caucasicus Reitter, 1888

Figs 5 a–f.

Cionus caucasicus Reitter, 1888: 270 . Reitter, 1904: 57. Wingelmüller, 1914: 181; 1921: 104; 1937: 160. Białooki, 2006: 56. Caldara, 2013: 123. Alonso-Zarazaga et al., 2017: 185.

Type locality. Abastumani ( Georgia) .

Type series. We studied the lectotype designated by Białooki (2006) deposited in coll. Reitter ( HNHM). It is a female, 3.50 mm long, with missing right antenna from flagellum, and left posterior onychium, labeled “n.sp. Abastuman. / Abastum leg. Korb. / Holotypus 1888 Cionus caucasicus Reitter / C.caucasicus m. 1888 [Reitter´s handwriting] / Coll. Reitter / Cionus caucasicus Reitter, 1888 LECTOTYPE / design. P.Białooki2005”. Hereby we correct minor, mainly formal inaccuracies in label citations by Białooki (2006) like spacing, “Abastumen” instead of “Abastuman”, lower case vs. capital.

Synonyms. None.

Redescription. Male. Body suboval. Head: rostrum moderately stout, medium long (l/ w 5.0, Rl/Pl 1.43), black-brown in its entire length; in lateral view moderately unevenly curved, with slight swelling in middle third, apical part moderately tapered to apex; in dorsal view slightly narrower at base, then of same width to apex, from base to antennal insertion in cross-section not constricted, apical part moderately flattened dorsoventrally; basal part and proximal apical part very densely to confluent, markedly longitudinally punctured to ribbed, in most apical part glabrous, with several small punctures; at base with backwardly oriented, recumbent to subrecumbent elongate reddish, whitish and blackish intermixed scales being more sparse towards antennal insertion, apically with suberect, forwardly oriented hair-like scales. Head between eyes narrow, about 0.3 rostrum width at base. Eyes large, slightly rounded to flat, not protruding from head outline. Antennae reddish-brown, with darkened club, inserted at 0.7 of rostrum length; funicle of 0.8 scape length, segment 1 slightly wider than segment 2, of 0.9 its length, segment 1 approximately, segment 2 more than twice as long as wide, segments 2–5 subglobose; club spindle-shaped, twice as long as wide, of approximately 0.8 funicle length, completely covered with recumbent, densely arranged brownish tiny hairs and sparsely distributed, erect, light brown sensilla. Pronotum: black, markedly wider than long (Pl/Pw 0.64), very densely evenly punctured, punctures round, of equal size; covered with unevenly distributed, recumbent whitish, reddish and black intermixed elongate (l/w 3–4) scales, more densely arranged in one medial and two lateral longitudinal, very indistinct striae being mostly apparent as white patches only on pronotum anterior margin; widest at base, with unevenly rounded convergent sides and shallow constriction before anterior margin, in lateral view in basal half flat on disc, then slowly falling to anterior margin. Prosternum: anterior margin with very shallow emargination, bounded by two tiny protuberances, not reaching coxae. Scutellum: triangular, relatively sharp at apex, covered with recumbent, backwardly oriented, whitish, reddish and black scales. Elytra: dark brown, in basal half very slightly rounded to subparallel, in apical half broadly evenly rounded, moderately elongate (El/Ew 1.36), widest at 1/3 of their length, at base strikingly wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.92), humeri bluntly rectangular, considerably prominent, with posthumeral impression; moderately convex on disc; interstria 1 beyond 1/4 of medial length moderately, before apex indistinctly broadened, interstria 2 beyond 1/4 of medial length moderately narrowed and slightly constricted laterally encompassing larger dorsal elongate, and small preapical subquadrate black tomentous maculae, dorsal macula at posterior margin with large, preapical macula at anterior margin with small elongate patches formed by densely arranged overlapping whitish-yellow scales, interstriae except perimacular areas of same width, slightly convex; odd interstriae with unevenly distributed, alternating elongate black and yellowish-white subquadrate patches of scales giving them more convex appearance; striae shallow, formed by indistinct, unevenly densely arranged rows of punctures; entire surface covered with recumbent whitish, yellowish and black elongate (l/w 4–6), sparsely arranged scales leaving integument partially visible. Venter: sparsely covered with whitish, short elongate scales, and broader yellowish scales at margins of ventrites 3 and 5 clustered into small light patches; mesosternal process short, emarginate at apex; metasternum slightly concave, with transversally elongate, densely arranged punctures and thin ribs; ventrite 1 with impression, ventrite 2 flat, densely transversally punctured and covered with backwardly oriented, long light hairs; ventrite 1 1.5 × as long as ventrite 2, ventrites 1–2 combined 3.4 × as long as ventrites 3–4 combined, ventrites 3–4 combined of 0.9 length of ventrite 5. Legs: femora blackish-brown, tibiae and tarsi brown; profemora with indistinct teeth emphasized by erect scales, meso- and metafemora with small blunt teeth bearing comb of whitish scales; femora and tibiae relatively densely covered with recumbent to subrecumbent, whitish, reddish and black elongate scales, clustered into indistinct transverse bands, tarsi with subrecumbent whitish hair-like scales, onychia with sparse recumbent whitish thin hairs; onychia of anterior legs of normal length, of 0.7 length of tarsomeres 1–3 combined; lateral protarsal claws sharp and thin, distinctly divided from medial ones, at most by 1/4 shorter than medial ones, medial claws of meso- and metatarsi as lateral claws of protarsi. Penis: Figs 5 d–f, apex of its body moderately tapered.

Female. Rostrum markedly longer (Rl/Pl 2.0) and thinner, its apical part visibly narrowed in mid-length, antennal insertion shortly beyond mid-length of rostrum. Ventrites 1 and 2 without impression. Onychia of anterior legs as in males, claws equally long.

Variability. Length ♂♂ 2.71–3.35 mm, ♀♀ 3.08–3.40 mm. Cionus caucasicus shows a moderate variability in its vestiture: the shape of the dorsal macula may be more or less elongate, white patches between dorsal and preapical macula may sometimes be confluent. The color of legs varies from dark brown to light reddish, in some specimens the apical ends of the onychia may be darkened.

Diagnosis. This species is characterised by partially visible elytral integument, small body size, not elongate male onychia, long, marked, sometimes confluent light patches at posterior margin of dorsal, and anterior margin of preapical maculae, and penis shape.

Comparative notes. Cionus caucasicus differs from the most closely related, newly described C. ponticus by thinner rostrum in both sexes and more sharply tapered apex of the body of penis.

Biological notes. According to Wingelmüller (1937), C. caucasicus lives on Scrophularia scopolii Hoppe. This plant has been confirmed as a host by the first author in Turkey (Abant Lake) and in Georgia (Tana valley near Gori). We have records from elevations from 800 to 2,000 m a. s. l.

Distribution. Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Russian Federation (Caucasus).

Non-type specimens examined. We examined more than 220 specimens from all the above mentioned countries and regions. ARMENIA: Gegharkunik env. ( WM), Gulagarak env. ( KO) , Khorsov ( ME) , Norakert env. ( WM) , Shoger , 2000 m ( BO) ; GEORGIA: Abastuman ( KO) , Abchasia, Avadchara ( ME) , Kopschara ( HNHM) , Tana River ( KO) , Ritsa Lake ( HNHM) , Svanetia, Nakra ( KY) ; RUSSIA: Aibga Mts. ( BI) , Dombai-Tal ( ZMHB) , Kislovodsk ( BMNH) , Kluchor Pass , 2000 m ( BN) ; TURKEY: Abant Lake ( BI, KO) , Ankara ( BA) , Bolu ( BO, KY) , Ilgaz ( MZHF) , Inegol Dagi ( WM) , Kastamonu ( WM) , Kizicahaman ( BMNH) , Sivas ( BMNH) , Trabzon ( ME) .

Figures

FIGURES 5–6. FIGURE 5. Cionus caucasicus. a: body in dorsal view (male), b: body in lateral view (male), c: rostrum in lateral view (female), d: penis in ventral view, e: penis in lateral view, f: apex of penis in dorsal view. Not to scale. FIGURE 6. Cionus ponticus. a: body in dorsal view (male), b: body in lateral view (male), c: rostrum in lateral view (female), d: penis in ventral view, e: penis in lateral view, f: apex of penis in dorsal view. Not to scale.