Cionus nigritarsis Reitter, 1904

Košťál, Michael & Caldara, Roberto, 2019, Revision of Palaearctic species of the genus Cionus Clairville (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Cionini), Zootaxa 4631 (1), pp. 1-144 : 66

37. Cionus nigritarsis Reitter, 1904

Figs 37 a–f.

Cionus thapsus var. nigritarsis Reitter, 1904: 51 . Wingelmüller, 1914: 209 ( C. nigritarsis ) (stat. prom.); 1921: 108; 1937: 190. Hustache, 1932: 344. A. Hoffmann, 1958: 1225. Smreczyński, 1976: 60. Caldara, 2013: 124. Alonso-Zarazaga et al., 2017: 186.

Type locality. Tarnow ( Poland) .

Type series. In coll. Reitter ( NHMW), there are three specimens fully corresponding to the original description in morphology and labeling. We designated a male glued on a triangular card, previously dissected for genitalia, and labeled “ ♂ / Ganglb. 02. Tarnow. W. / nigritarsis [Reitter´s handwriting]” as the lectotype by adding the printed red label “ LECTOTYPUS Cionus thapsus v. nigritarsis Reitter Michael Košťál des. 2013”. The lectotype is 3.70 mm long, completely preserved. The remaining two specimens were labeled as paralectotypes accordingly: male (same labels as the lectotype), female “ Ganglb. 02. Tarnow. W. / ♀ / nigritarsis / C. nigritarsis m. n. sp.”. Both paralecto- types are conspecific with the lectotype .

Synonyms. None.

Redescription. Male. Body medium stout, subrotund. Head: rostrum black, otherwise as in C. thapsus . Head and eyes as in C. thapsus . Antennae brown, with blackish club, inserted beyond 0.6 of rostrum length; funicle of more than 0.7 scape length; club elongate, almost three times as long as wide, otherwise as in C. thapsus . Pronotum: black, otherwise as in C. thapsus . Prosternum: emargination on anterior margin slightly shallower, otherwise as in C. thapsus . Scutellum: similar to that of C. thapsus . Elytra: integument black, pattern darker, yellowish scale patches more striking, otherwise as in C. thapsus . Venter: as in C. thapsus except more sparsely distributed thinner elongate scales and less distinct clusters of scales. Legs: black to dark brown, otherwise as in C. thapsus . Penis: Figs 37 d–f, its body medium long, with sinuate sides, moderately sharply tipped at apex.

Female. As in C. thapsus .

Variability. Length ♂♂ 3.43–4.25 mm, ♀♀ 3.65–4.40 mm. This species is distinctly less variable than C. thapsus . Some specimens may have slightly lighter integument of various parts of the body.

Diagnosis. Cionus nigritarsis is recognizable by concealed majority of elytral integument, antennal insertion in both sexes closer to mid-length of rostrum, short onychia in males, shallow and small impression restricted to ventrite 1 in males, concave outline of apical part of rostrum in females, blackish pronotum, elytra and legs, and by penis shape.

Comparative notes. This species is most closely related to C. thapsus , from which it differs by shorter antennal funicle and longer club, blackish color of integument, and especially by penis shape.

Biological notes. This is a submontane species occurring in the south in mountains, in the north in cold plain places. Smreczyński (1976) reported Verbascum nigrum and less frequently also V. lychnitis and V. thapsus as host plants.

Distribution. This species is widespread in most European countries including all of Scandinavia and Great Britain. We did not see specimens from Ukraine and Russia, although the presence of this species in the western part of both countries is probable. Legalov (2010) reported this species from western Siberia, a datum which requires confirmation.

Non-type specimens examined. We examined more than 550 specimens from all above reported countries and regions.

Figures

FIGURES 37–38. FIGURE 37. Cionus nigritarsis. 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 38. Cionus khorasanicus 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.