Mecinus henrici (Arzanov)

Caldara, Roberto & Fogato, Valter, 2013, Systematics of the weevil genus <i> Mecinus </ i> Germar, 1821 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). I. Taxonomic treatment of the species, Zootaxa 3654 (1), pp. 1-105 : 41-42

21. Mecinus henrici (Arzanov)

Figs 19 , 63 , 123

Gymnetron henrici Arzanov, 1991: 427 .

Mecinus henrici (Arzanov) . Caldara, 2001: 183.

Type locality. Bolshoj Caryn (Republic of Kalmykia, Russia). Type series. This species was described from a single specimen, which Arzanov quoted as female in his original description. We examined this specimen ( ZISP), which is lacking the protibiae, the left metatibia and part of the vestiture. On the contrary to Arzanov's opinion, the specimen is actually a male .

Redescription. Holotype. Male. Length 1.7 mm. Body: somewhat short, oval, stout ( Fig. 19 ). Rostrum: dark brown in basal half then reddish, moderately long (Rl/Pl 0.99); in lateral view distinctly and abruptly curved at antennal insertion then almost straight to apex, about same in width from base to apex ( Fig. 63 ); in dorsal view with sides weakly narrowed in basal half then weakly gradually enlarged to apex, with hardly visible scrobes, with dense and shallow punctures in basal two thirds, opaque in basal half, with recumbent, somewhat dense, whitish, moderately long (l/w 3–5), elliptical scales. Head: frons weakly narrower than rostrum at base, with distinct fovea; eyes flat. Antennae: reddish with dark brown club, inserted just before middle of rostrum; scape long, 5.0x longer than wide; funicle slightly longer than scape, segment 1 2.5x longer than wide, slightly stouter and 1.7x longer than segment 2, which is 1.5x longer than wide, segment 3 as long as wide, segments 4 and 5 weakly transverse; club long, oval, segment 1 almost glabrous. Pronotum: brown, with dense and somewhat regular punctures, intervals between punctures narrow, almost completely hidden by recumbent, dense scales, which are light brown, longer (l/ w 3–4), subelliptical on disc, and white, short (l/w 1–1.5) at base, anterior margin and sides; distinctly transverse (Pw/Pl 1.60), with moderately rounded sides, with weakly prominent apical constriction, widest at middle, weakly convex. Elytra: reddish; moderately short (El/Ew 1.24), suboval, moderately concave at base, moderately wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.31), with moderately rounded sides, widest at middle, moderately convex on disc; interstriae somewhat visible between moderately dense, brownish grey, moderately wide, moderately long to long (0.7–1.3x as long as width of interstria; l/w 4–8), subelliptical to lanceolate scales, which are arranged in two very irregular rows and in part recumbent and in part erect; striae hardly visible, as wide as half of interstriae, with a row of scales slightly thinner than those covering interstriae. Legs: moderately short, with recumbent to suberect, sparse, whitish, narrow but not seta-like scales, which are moderately shorter than width of tibia; femora reddish, subclavate, all with thin sharp tooth; tibiae reddish, moderately long, protibiae with apical part of ventral surface weakly directed outward; unci black, stout, all equal in length; tarsi reddish brown, tarsomere 1 1.2x longer than wide, tarsomere 2 as long as wide, segment 3 weakly bilobed and as wide as tarsomere 2, onychium as long as tarsomeres 1–3 taken together, claws equal in length, free from base. Venter: metasternum probably (vestiture lacking in part) with dense, whitish, for the most part wide and in part seta-like scales; mesothoracic epimera and meso- and metathoracic episterna with dense, whitish, wide scales; abdomen black, with sparse and irregular punctures, which are probably (vestiture lacking in part) hardly visible between somewhat dense, whitish, seta-like (midline) and wide (sides) scales; ventrites length ratio 1–2/3–4 1.78. Penis: fig. 123.

Female. Unknown.

Variability. We examined only the holotype.

Remarks and comparative notes. This species differs from the other species of the group, M. marina , by the short-oval body, tarsomere 3 not bilobed and as wide as tarsomere 2, the elytral vestiture characterized by part of scales of the elytral interstriae raised and arranged in a somewhat regular row, the pronotum distinctly transverse and only slightly narrower than elytra, the anterior margin of pronotum with scales as wide as those covering the sides, the rostrum in male distinctly curved in basal half and then straight to apex. The penis is very different in these two species. Due to the shape of the body and the rostrum and the pattern of the vestiture, M. henrici may be also compared with M. plantaginis , from which it differs by the claws that are free from the base and the anterior margin of the pronotum covered with wide scales.

Biological notes. No data are available.

Distribution. Russia (Republic of Kalmykia).

Non-type specimens examined. None.

Figures

FIGURES 19–27. Habitus of (19) Mecinus henrici; (20) M. elongatus; (21) M. alternans; (22) M. tanaiticus; (23) M. reichei; (24) M. humeralis; (25) M. circulatus; (26) M. suturalis; (27) M. pyraster. Not to the same scale.

FIGURES 58–68. Rostrum in lateral view of (58) Mecinus alboscutellatus alboscutellatus; (59) idem, female; (60) M. paratychioides, male; (61) M. linnavuori, male; (62) M. desertorum, male; (63) M. henrici, male; (64) M. reichei, female; (65) M. marina, male; (66) idem, female; (67) M. elongatus; (68) idem, female. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 121–132. Penis in dorsal and lateral view of (121) Mecinus desertorum; (122) M. marina; (123) M. henrici; (124) M. alternans; (125) M. reichei; (126) M. tanaiticus; (127) M. circulatus; (128) M. humeralis; (129) M. pyraster; (130) M. comosus; (131) M. simus; (132) M. pirazzolii. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.