Cionus dependens Faust, 1886

Košťál, Michael & Caldara, Roberto, 2019, Revision of Palaearctic species of the genus Cionus Clairville (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Cionini), Zootaxa 4631 (1), pp. 1-144 : 40-41

20. Cionus dependens Faust, 1886

Figs 20 a–f.

Cionus dependens Faust, 1886: 153 . Reitter, 1904: 49 (syn. n.). Wingelmüller, 1914: 233; 1937: 216. Caldara, 2013: 123 (stat. n.). Alonso-Zarazaga et al., 2017: 185.

Cionus schultzei nuristanus Voss, 1937: 189 . Caldara, 2013: 124. syn. n.

Type locality. Sind valley ( Pakistan) .

Type series. In the collections of MTD, there are three females of Cionus species bearing the following labels: “ ♂ Sind vallis / Kashgar ...[illegible] / Coll. J. Faust Ankauf 1900 / TYPE [red label] / Staatl Museum für Tierkunde Dresden”, “ Sind valley / Kashgar ...[illegible]” following labels as in the first female, and “ Sind vallis / ...[illegible] hortulanus” further labels beginning from “Kashgar ...” as in the first female. As data from the original description perfectly match with the label data of all three above specimens, we remounted the first female, dissected it for genitalia in order to confirm the sex, and designated it as the lectotype of C. dependens by adding the label “ LECTOTYPUS Cionus dependens Faust Michael Košťál des. 2014”. The other two females were labeled as para- lectotypes accordingly.

Synonyms. Voss described C. schultzei nuristanus based on four specimens collected in Patscheigil in Hindu Kush Mts., Afghanistan, province Nuristan. In coll. SMDEI, there are a couple of immature Cionus specimens, each glued on its own card sited on one pin, and on another card below with a glued empty cocoon. They are labeled “ Nuristan (Afghan.) 1935 Expedit. Dr.Scheibe / Parigil n. Patscheigil 12.7.35 / Syntypus [printed red label] / coll. DEI Müncheberg”. The female bears a folded additional label “ Cionus schultzei Reitt. f. n. nuristanus Det. E. Voss. [Voss´ handwriting]”. As there is no indication of the holotype in the original description, we designated the female as the lectotype of Cionus schultzei nuristanus Voss by adding the printed red label “ LECTOTYPUS Cionus schultzei nuristanus Voss . M.Košťál et R.Caldara des.2017”. The male was labeled as paralectotype accordingly. The lectotype is conspecific with the lectotype of C. dependens Faust.

Redescription. Male. Body large, stout, suboval to subparallel. Head: rostrum moderately slender, long (l/ w 5.0, Rl/Pl 1.37), black; in lateral and dorsal view as in C. schultzei . Head between eyes narrow, of about 0.5 of rostrum width at base. Eyes large, flat to moderately rounded, not protruding from head outline. Antennae with reddish scape, dark brown funicle and black club, otherwise as in C. schultzei . Pronotum: black, moderately wider than long (Pl/Pw 0.75), punctation as in C. schultzei , unevenly densely covered with recumbent, thin, elongate (l/w 5–9), yellowish scales, with bare to sparsely scaled areas in middle of basal part and on sides; widest at base, slightly convergent to subparallel in basal half, then conically narrowed to anterior margin, with shallow constriction before anterior edge, in lateral view as in C. schultzei . Prosternum: anterior margin with deep, sharply incised emargination bounded by tiny, slightly protruding shiny tubercles, otherwise similar to C. schultzei . Scutellum: clearly triangular, with relatively sharp apex, punctures confluent, otherwise as in C. hortulanus . Elytra: black to dark brown, in basal 2/3 indistinctly rounded to subparallel, moderately elongate (El/Ew 1.28), widest at about 0.4 of their length, at base somewhat wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.63), humeri markedly, almost upright prominent, with only very shallow posthumeral impression; almost flat on disc; interstria 1 at about 0.3 of medial length distinctly broadened, in preapical area moderately broadened, interstria 2 at same lengths narrowed and constricted laterally encompassing medium-sized, round dorsal and subrotund preapical black tomentous maculae without differently colored scale border, interstriae except perimacular areas of similar width, slightly vaulted; odd interstriae with unevenly alternating striking black and less noticeable whitish scale patches; striae shallow, formed by uneven single rows of variously deep, densely arranged punctures; entire surface covered with small, elongate (l/w 4–7) to hair-like (apex), distally pointed subrecumbent to suberect yellowish scales nearly completely concealing integument. Venter: as in C. hortulanus except for narrower deep median longitudinal impression on ventrites 1 and 2, and apically emarginate ventrite 5 being at midline only slightly longer than ventrite 4. Legs: tibiae and tarsi black to blackish-brown, as in C. hortulanus except for subrecumbent to suberect scales on femora, and especially on tibiae. Penis: Figs 20 d–f, its body similar to that in C. hortulanus including clearly concave sides.

Female. Rostrum considerably longer (Rl/Pl 1.58), apical part finely semidensely to sparsely punctured appearing shiny, antennal insertion at about rostrum mid-length. Ventrites 1 and 2 without impression, convex. Claws equally long.

Variability. Length ♂♂ 4.39–5.25 mm, ♀♀ 4.91–5.79 mm. This species is variable in its body size, especially in males, but does not show any remarkable variability except for the color of pronotum, elytra and legs, and small variances in the elytral pattern and bare areas on pronotum.

Diagnosis. Cionus dependens is recognizable by nearly concealed elytral integument with subrecumbent to erect basal scales, large size, unusually long, tapered, and always black to dark brown rostrum, longer pronotum with markedly angulate outline, deep impression on ventrites 1 and 2 in males, black to dark brown legs, and penis shape.

Comparative notes. Cionus dependens is most closely related to C. schultzei from which it differs by darker integument, subrecumbent to suberect basal elytral scales, bare areas on pronotum having an angulate outline, and in males by emarginate ventrite 5 and narrower impression on ventrites 1 and 2.

Biological notes. Biology unknown. Montane species. Imagoes were collected in July and August in elevations of 2,300 –4,300 m a. s. l.

Distribution. Western China, Pakistan, Afghanistan (Nurestan, Wardak), north-western India (Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand), western Nepal.

Non-type specimens examined. We examined 153 specimens coming from following localities: AFGHANI- STAN: Waygal River, Behsud Aydan. PAKISTAN: Mastuj, Ghabral, Nathiagali, Tathabaya, Shandur Pass. INDIA: Almora, Gulmark, Rambara, Manali, Kumaon, Mussoorie. NEPAL: Jumla, Muktinath, Pina, Chutta, Simi.

Figures

FIGURES 19–20. FIGURE 19. Cionus schultzei. 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 20. Cionus dependens. 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.