Mecinus sanctus (Desbrochers des Loges)

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 : 25-26

10. Mecinus sanctus (Desbrochers des Loges)

Fig. 9

Gymnetron sanctum Desbrochers des Loges, 1893: 40 . Reitter, 1907: 21.

Mecinus sanctus (Desbrochers des Loges) . Caldara, 2001: 183.

Gymnetron laterufum Pic, 1900: 79 (syn. n.).

Type locality. Jericho (Palaestina).

Type series. This species was described from a single female, which we examined in Desbrochers des Loges' collection (MNHN), labelled “Jericho / sanctus [sic] / type “.

Synonyms. Gymnetron laterufum was described from specimens (probably all females) collected at Gafsa ( Tunisia) and compared to M. sanctus . Reitter (1907) placed this species in synonymy with M. longulus , although it is unclear which species he named with this latter name, since he included M. longulus in the Gymnetron beccabungae (Linnaeus, 1761) group. In Pic's collection ( MNHN) we examined one female syntype labelled “ Gafsa / 19 / type / G. n. sp. xx [sic] / laterufum“ (lectotype here designated), which does not show differences from the holotype of M. sanctus .

Redescription. Male. Length 1.5 mm. Body: moderately short, oval, moderately stout ( Fig. 9 ). Rostrum: blackish brown in basal half and reddish brown in apical half, moderately long (Rl/Pl 0.92); in lateral view weakly curved, same in width from base to apex (as in M. tychioides , fig. 54); in dorsal view with subparallel sides, with hardly visible scrobes, moderately striate-punctured in basal two thirds, in basal half with recumbent to suberect, moderately dense, white, moderately long (l/w 5–7), seta-like scales. Head: frons as wide as rostrum at base, with small fovea; eyes nearly flat. Antennae: reddish with brown club, inserted at middle of rostrum; scape moderately short, 3.5x longer than wide; funicle slightly longer than scape, segment 1 2.5x longer than wide, stouter and 1.5x longer than segment 2, which is 1.3x longer than wide, segments 3 and 4 about as long as wide, segment 5 moderately transverse; club moderately long, oval, segment 1 almost glabrous. Pronotum: reddish, irregularly and densely punctured, with punctures variable in width, intervals between punctures narrower than bigger punctures, smooth, very shining, clearly visible between recumbent (for the most part) to suberect, sparse, whitish, long (l/w 7–9), seta-like scales; moderately transverse (Pw/Pl 1.32), with moderately rounded sides, with moderately prominent apical constriction, widest in basal third, moderately convex. Elytra: reddish except part of interstriae 2–4 (usually between median third and apical third), which is dark bown; moderately short (El/Ew 1.32), suboval, at base moderately concave, moderately wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.26), with weakly rounded sides, widest at middle, moderately convex on disc; interstriae clearly visible between recumbent to suberect, sparse, whitish, long (as long as or slightly longer than width of interstria; l/w 7–9), seta-like scales, which are arranged in a single row; striae clearly visible, one third narrower than interstriae, with a row of scales similar to those covering interstriae but slightly thinner. Legs: moderately slender, with recumbent to suberect, sparse, whitish, seta-like scales, which are distinctly shorter than width of tibia; femora reddish, with very small tooth; tibiae reddish, moderately slender, protibiae with apical part of ventral surface weakly directed outward; unci blackish, stout, equal in length and size; tarsi reddish, tarsomere 1 1.5x longer than wide, tarsomere 2 about as long as wide, tarsomere 3 bilobed and slightly wider than tarsomere 2, onychium slightly shorter than tarsomeres 1–3 taken together; claws reddish brown, equal in length, fused in basal half. Venter: metasternum blackish brown, clearly visible between recumbent to subrecumbent, sparse, whitish, seta-like scales; mesothoracic epimera and meso- and metathoracic episterna with recumbent to suberect, moderately dense, whitish, long, seta-like scales and wide, fringed scales; abdomen with ventrites 1 and 2 blackish brown then reddish, with moderately dense and somewhat regular punctures, which are clearly visible between recumbent to suberect, sparse, whitish, long, seta-like scales; ventrites length ratio: 1–2/3–4 1.80. Penis: as in M. tychioides ( Fig. 114 ).

Female. As in male except rostrum distinctly longer (Rl/Pl 1.15) (as in M. reichei , fig. 64), antennae inserted just before middle. Sternite 8 and spermatheca: as in M. pascuorum ( Figs 144 and 157 ). Variability. Length 1.4– 1.7 mm. The colour of the integument varies from reddish to reddish brown. The elytra vary from completely reddish (as in the holotype) to the opposite extreme where the dark brown part reaches the basal and median part of interstriae 2–4 too.

Remarks and comparative notes. This species is closely related to M. tychioides and usually characterized by the reddish integument with a darker patch on elytral interstria 2–4 and by being distinctly shining, especially on the pronotum. The pronotal sculpture is very irregular and composed of some widely-spaced big punctures and numerous small punctures placed between the bigger ones. The pattern of the dorsal integument and the rostrum in lateral view being regularly curved and convex in the basal third, allow for the separation of M. sanctus from M. longulus .

Biological notes. No data are available.

Distribution. Tunisia, Libya, Cyprus, Israel, Palaestina.

Non-type specimens examined. TUNISIA: Tunisia , Reitter leg. (1, HNHM) ; Gafsa (2, MNHN) . LIBYA: Bengasi, Gariunes , V.1919, Zanon leg. (5, MSNG; 5, MSNM) . CYPRUS: Athalassa , 4.–6.VI.1939, Håkan Lindberg leg. (1, MZHF) . ISRAEL: Jaffa (1, MNHN) .

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Habitus of (1) Mecinus pascuorum; (2) M. ictericus; (3) M. latiusculus; (4) M. caucasicus; (5) M. ludyi; (6) M. variabilis; (7) M. haemorrhoidalis; (8) M. seriatus; (9) M. sanctus. Not to the same scale.

FIGURES 108–120. Penis in dorsal and lateral view of (108) Mecinus pascuorum; (109) M. crassifemur; (110) M. ictericus; (111) M. latiusculus; (112) M. caucasicus; (113) M. variabilis; (114) M. tychioides; (115) M. haemorrhoidalis; (116) M. longulus; (117) M. labilis; (118) M. plantaginis; (119) M. alboscutellatus alboscutellatus; (120) M. paratychioides. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 144–156. Sternite 8 of (144) Mecinus pascuorum; (145) M. caucasicus; (146) M. marina; (147) M. reichei; (148) M. humeralis; (149) M. circulatus; (150) M. pyraster; (151) M. simus; (152) M. collaris; (153) M. janthinus; (154) M. lixoides; (155) M. sicardi; (156) M. heydenii. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 157–171. Spermatheca of (157) Mecinus pascuorum; (158) M. caucasicus; (159) M. haemorrhoidalis; (160) M. labilis; (161) M. marina; (162) M. elongatus; (163) M. reichei; (164) M. circulatus; (165) M. pyraster; (166) M. simus; (167) M. comosus; (168) M. lixoides; (169) M. janthinus; (170) M. heydenii; (171) M. collaris. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.