Meirella florentina (Stierlin)

Pierotti, Helio, Bellò, Cesare & Alonso-Zarazaga, Miguel A., 2010, 2376, Zootaxa 2376, pp. 1-96 : 31-32

Meirella florentina (Stierlin)

( Figs. 30a–c, 73)

Meira florentina Stierlin, 1884: 93 .

Peritelus (Meira) florentinus (Stierlin) : Lona, 1937: 266.

Meirella florentina (Stierlin) : Pierotti & Bellò, 1998: 107; Alonso-Zarazaga, 2002: 24.

Meira suturella Fairmaire : sensu Solari, 1955: 61 (non Fairmaire, 1859).

Diagnosis. Species of very small size (1.8–2.5 mm), characterised by desmomere 2 not or hardly longer than 3, elytra rather short, more or less rounded at sides, with dorsal setae erect at least on first fourth and aedeagus scutiform at apex.

Redescription (holotype). Body outline elongate. Dorsal vestiture composed of ochreous scales, with some paler irregular spots with fuzzy borders, scales weakly imbricate on elytra, without metallic shimmer, and of rather fine, elongate setae, not or hardly broadened at apex, erect on frons, appressed on pronotum, semierect and sparse on elytral interstriae. Rostrum transverse, epistomal keel absent; pterygia prominent; frontal sulcus very evident. Frons wide, more than two thirds wider than metarostrum, no evident median fovea. Eyes normal, elongate, projecting beyond genae, ommatidia convex. Antennae with robust scape even in first third and funicle fine and elongate, desmomere 1 a little longer than 2+3, 2 hardly longer than 3, 3–7 weakly transverse, first three with elongate setae; club elongate, first segment widely cup-shaped. Pronotum transverse, sides strongly rounded, anterior half on each side with a transverse impression, disc with deep, dense punctures. Elytra ovoid, sides rounded, weakly impressed at base, humeral calli more or less obsolete, convex on dorsum, striae with dense, large punctures, interstriae weakly convex. Tibiae short and robust, fore tibiae straight on outer margin, widely rounded before apex. Aedeagus in lateral view as in Fig. 30b, its apex in dorsal view as in Fig. 30a; endophallic structures as in Fig. 30c.

Variability. Dorsal vestiture often formed by uniformly ochreous scales and by setae slightly broadened before apex (male) or fine (female). Desmomeres 4–7 usually moniliform. Elytral sides almost straight (male) or more evidently rounded (female).

Distribution. North-western-Mediterranean: northern and central Tyrrhenian Italy (Lazio, Tuscany, Liguria), southern France (Alpes-Maritimes, Pyrénées-Orientales), North-Eastern Spain (Catalonia) (type locality: Tuscany). Newly recorded for the Spanish fauna.

Material examined (Fig. 73). Holotype, labelled: 1) Toscana; 2) M. florentina Baudi-Rttr. ; 3) coll. Stierlin; 4) Holotypus; 5) M. florentina Strl. ? M. suturella Fairm. det. Solari; 6) florentina Strl. ; 7) Meira florentina Stierl. , dett. Bellò & Pierotti ’90 ( DEI). Other specimens: Spain: Gerona: Vilobit d’Olot [= Vilobí d’Onyar], 3. V.91, leg. Bellò (BEL); do., leg. Pierotti ( PIE); Santuari [de la] Salud, VI.34, leg. Museu (MBA); S. Daniel, rio Oñar, 20. V.54, leg. González ( GON). Barcelona: Montseny, 15. V.92, leg. Bellò (BEL), do., leg. Pierotti ( PIE); Montseny, Matagalls, 22. V.61, leg. González ( GON); do., VII.67, leg. Ribes ( GON); do., VIII.67, leg. Español (MBA); sierra de Montseny, 1400 m., 19.III.94, leg. Wunderle ( STU); Sant Cugat del Vallés, 400 m, 41º25'54" N 02º07'34" E, leg. Germann ( SPR); Lloret de Mar, 4.IV.86, leg. Sprick ( SPR); Mura, III.34, leg. Museu (MBA); Vallvidriera, leg. Selga (MBA); Cervelló, Torre Vileta, 28.II.60, leg. Altimira (MBA); do., V.60, leg. Altimira (MBA); do., 7. V.60, leg. Altimira ( GON); S. Llorenç de Munt, 1. VI.62, leg. Lagar ( GON); Terrassa, XII.65, leg. J. Vives ( GON).

Biology. At the Spanish localities we collected this species under Quercus sp. ; it has also been found in other regions under Castanea sativa Miller , Trifolium agrarium L., Euphorbia dendroides L. and mosses.

Genus Borovecia Pierotti & Bellò

Borovecia Pierotti & Bellò, 2001: 177 .

Type species: Borovecia gadorensis Pierotti & Bellò, 2001 , by original designation.

For description see Pierotti & Bellò (2001). A monospecific genus, endemic to Spain ( Fig. 65).

Diagnosis. Genus of moderate size, body outline elongate with subparallel sides, vestiture formed of ochreous, rounded, very imbricate scales and of dense setae on head, aligned on elytral interstriae. Closely similar to Dolichomeira Solari, 1955 , which differs in base of rostrum hardly separated from frons and from fore margin of eyes, and to some species of Pseudomeira , which differ in frons clearly at lower level than vertex and body strongly elongate with sides subparallel, all extra-Iberian.