Cionus rufescens, Košťál & Caldara, 2019

Košťál, Michael & Caldara, Roberto, 2019, Revision of Palaearctic species of the genus Cionus Clairville (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Cionini), Zootaxa 4631 (1), pp. 1-144 : 36-37

17. Cionus rufescens sp. n.

Figs 17 a–f.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6EE421C3-67DE-4E0F-A46F-7364D4939F5A

Type locality. Omalos (Crete, Greece) .

Type series. Holotype: completely preserved, 3.88 mm long male labeled “ CRETA occ. Lefka Ori Mts. M.Košťál leg. / Omalos 5 km S Gingilos Mt. 1300 m 13.vii.1992 / HOLOTYPUS Cionus rufescens sp. n. M.Košťál et R.Caldara des. 2017 [printed red label]” ( NMPC) . Paratypes (same designating label but instead “ HOLOTYPUS ” “ PARATYPUS ”): same labeling as holotype (3 ♂♂, 1 ♀ KO; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ CA) ; “GR. Crete. Chania Dist. Omalos area ca. 1700 m. 21–25/ v. 1990. Ole Mehl Legit. / Cionus hortulanus Geofr. det. Behne 1990” (1 ♂ BN) ; “ GR: Crete, Chania Dist. Omalos ca 1500 m 22. -25. 5. 1990 leg. O. Mehl / Cionus hortulanus s. schultzei Rtt. det. Behne 1991” (2 ♀♀ BN) ; “GR: Kreta: Lefka Ori E, Imbros-Schlucht , 600-700m, 35 o 14´48˝ N 24 o 10´07˝ E, 21.05.2008 (FO12) leg. Bahr, Bayer & Brunner ” (1 ♀ BA); “ Griechenland: Kreta W, Levka Ori, Imbros , Imbros Gorge ( Schlucht ), 600–700m, 35 o 14´48˝ N 24 o 10´07˝ E, 19.V.2004, leg. F. Bahr (FO4)” (1 ♂, 1 ♀ BA) ; “ CRETE, 3.6.1981 Lefka Ori Mts. Omalos, Bílý leg. / sp. aff. schultzei ” (1 ♂ ME) ; “ CRETA 27.5.– 1.6.80 Lefka Ora / Omalos / Bílý, Brodský leg.” (1 ♂ ME) ; “ CRETA 27.5.– 1.6.80 Lefka Ora/Omalos/ Brodský, Bílý leg.” (1 ♂ ME) ; “ CRETE, 5. [illegible] 1981 Lefka Ori Mts. Samari Gorge Nat. Park , Sv. Bílý leg.” (1 ♂ ME) ; “166_12.6 GREECE, Crete Island, Chania, W-Asfendos, unterh. Radar / Station , N35 o 15´05˝ N/24 o 11´17˝, 1100m, GS Moos, Polsterpflanzen, 9.4.2012, leg. C. Germann / Coll. Ch. Germann Thun, Switzerland ” (3 ♂♂ GE) .

Description. Male. Body medium stout to suboval. Head: rostrum slender, medium long (l/ w 5.4, Rl/Pl 1.19), brownish-black; in lateral view slightly evenly curved, of approximately same width from base to antennal insertion, then tapered to apex; in dorsal view slightly broadened to antennal insertion, then less distinctly tapered to apex, basal part strongly laterally constricted, in distal part moderately dorsoventrally flattened; basal part longitudinally ribbed to punctured, apical part densely longitudinally punctured; scales on rostrum similar to those in C. hortulanus . Head between eyes and eyes as in C. hortulanus . Antennae reddish-brown, without distinctly darkened club, otherwise as in C. hortulanus . Pronotum: dark brown, moderately wider than long (Pl/Pw 0.75), punctation as in C. hortulanus ; densely covered with elongate (l/w 4–6) scales similarly as in C. hortulanus ; widest at base, more or less evenly conically narrowed to anterior margin, without visible constriction, convex on disc, in lateral view flat until more than half of its length from base, then falling to anterior margin. Prosternum: as in C. hortulanus . Scutellum: as in C. hortulanus . Elytra: reddish-brown, in basal 2/3 subparallel to very slightly rounded, in apical third rounded, moderately elongate (El/Ew 1.24), widest beyond 1/3 of their length, at base somewhat wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.61), humeri subrotund, moderately prominent, with shallow posthumeral impression; slightly convex on disc; interstria 1 at about 1/3 of medial length moderately broadened, in preapical area slightly broadened, interstria 2 at same lengths moderately narrowed and slightly constricted laterally encompassing small dorsal round and preapical subrotund black tomentous maculae without border formed by differently colored scales; interstriae except perimacular areas of similar width, flat; odd interstriae without distinct patches of black scales and entirely without patches of yellow scales; striae as in C. hortulanus ; entire surface covered with almost evenly distributed, recumbent, and a few subrecumbent, elongate (l/w 3–7) whitish to yellowish scales almost completely concealing integument. Venter: as in C. hortulanus except flat to concave, exclusively punctured metasternum, and ventrites 1 and 2 without transverse ribs. Legs: brown to reddish brown; profemora with small teeth, meso- and metafemora with smaller teeth as in C. hortulanus , femora with elongate hairs and sparsely distributed elongate scales, protarsal onychia in males slightly longer than tarsomeres 1–3 combined, other characters as in C. hortulanus . Penis: Figs 17 d–f, its body very similar to that of C. hortulanus .

Female. Rostrum longer (Rl/Pl 1.44), apical part shiny, with very sparse tiny punctures, antennae inserted at mid-length. Ventrites 1 and 2 without impression, convex. Claws equally long.

Variability. Length ♂♂ 3.63–4.35 mm, ♀♀ 4.05–4.48 mm. The type series does not show remarkable variabil- ity. In some specimens the black patches on the elytral interstriae in their posterior part are indistinctly visible.

Diagnosis. This species is recognizable by nearly invisible elytral integument, mostly completely missing elytral pattern and yellowish-red appearance, distinctly narrowed apical part of rostrum in both sexes being shiny in females, more elongate and convex pronotum, reddish antennae and legs, small elytral maculae, smaller body size, deep impression on ventrites 1 and 2, longer protarsal onychia in males, and penis shape.

Comparative notes. Cionus rufescens is most closely related to C. hortulanus , from which it differs by missing or indistinct elytral pattern on odd interstriae, lighter brown colored antennae and legs, more elongate and convex pronotum, and lack of transverse ribs on metasternum and ventrites 1 and 2 in males.

Biological notes. Biology unknown.

Distribution. Endemic to Crete.

Etymology. The species was named after its yellowish-red appearance and reddish brown legs, antennae and elytra.

Non-type specimens examined. None.

Figures

FIGURES 17–18. FIGURE 17. Cionus rufescens sp. n. 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 18. Cionus harani sp. n. 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.