Rhamphus bavierai Diotti, Caldara and Toševski, 2021

Diotti, Luciano, Caldara, Roberto & Toševski, Ivo, 2021, Description of two new species of Rhamphus related to R. oxyacanthae (Curculionidae, Curculioninae, Rhamphini) from Italy based on a morphological study supported by molecular data, Zootaxa 4995 (1), pp. 111-128 : 115-117

Rhamphus bavierai Diotti, Caldara and Toševski n. sp.

Figs. 8, 10 , 14, 17, 19

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2354D999-E6DC-4D3B-A4A3-3F4422C2DC2A

Type locality. Piano Zucchi ( Palermo province , Sicily) .

Type specimens. Holotype, male “I - SICILIA (Palermo) MONTI MADONIE Piano ZUCCHI 1100 m 27 - V – 2010, su Crataegus L. DIOTTI ” ( MSNM) . Paratypes: same data as holotype (4 exx. LDCC); “ Sicily, Piano Battaglia , 1600 m., 15.07.2016, lgt. Baviera C.” (5 exx. ITCZ, sequenced); “ Sicily, Palermo: Madonie, P. Zucchi, 1100 m a.s.l., 16.06.2020, on Pyrus sp. lgt. Baviera ” (6 exx. ITCZ, sequenced); “ Sicilia VI - 61 Madonie P.no d Zucchi” (2 exx. GOCV); “I - SICILIA (Palermo) MONTI MADONIE dintorni ISNELLO 30 - V - 2007 L. DIOTTI” (1 ex. LDCC); “ Sicilia VI - 61 Madonie P. Carbonara ” (4 exx. GOCV); “ Sicilia VI - 61 Valle Madonie” (1 ex. GOCV); “I - SICILIA (Palermo) MONTI SICANI BOSCO di FICUZZA 26 - V - 2010 L. DIOTTI” (40 exx. LDCC, RCCM) ;

“ SICILIA (PA) 26 - V - 2010 B.d. Ficuzza Lg monzini s.” (11 exx. SMCM); “ Sicilia Ficuzza O. Leonhard” (2, DEIM); “ Sicilia Ficuzza O. Leonhard/Ramphus [sic] Kiesenwetteri Tourn” (1, DEIM); “Palermo Monreale IV - 34” (1 ex. GOCV) “ SICILIA (TP) 24 - V - 2010 Visicari dint. lg. monzini s.” (1 ex. SMCM); “ Sicilia (TP) Visicari M. Sparagio 24/V/2010 Leg. Tedeschi ” (1 ex. MTCM); “ SICILIA: Messina Nebrodi Caronia 1300 m, 29 - VI - 2016 Leg . Baviera C.” (4 exx. CBCM); “ Sicily, Messina: Nebrodi Caronia, 1400 m, on Crataegus sp. 20.06.2020 lgt . Baviera ” (14 exx. ITCZ, sequenced); “ Sicily, Messina: Nebrodi, Capizzi, 1450 m, Portella Obolo, on Crataegus laciniata , 20.06.2020, lgt . Baviera ” (3 exx. ITCZ, sequenced); “ SICILIA Messina: Monti Nebrodi, Portella Maulazzo, 1400 m, 23.VI.2001 , Baviera C.” (2, CBCM); “ Monti Nebrodi (ME) P. di Femmina Morta 31 - V - 2007 L. DIOTTI” (1 ex. LDCC); “ Sicilia VII - 59 Nebrodi Femminamorta col. Osella” (1 ex. GOCV); “ SICILIA Messina : Monti Peloritani, Monte Scuderi, 1100 m, 22.V.2004 , Baviera C.” (3 exx. CBCM); “ Sicily, Catania: Etna 1200 m., Linguaglossa, on Crataegus sp. , 27.06.2020 lgt . Baviera ” (7 exx. ITCZ, sequenced); “ Sicilia Nicolosi Geo. C. Krüger coll. O. Leonhard” (6 exx., DEIM); “ Sicilia Nicolosi Geo. C. Krüger coll. O. Leonhard/ Ramph. [sic] Kiesenwetteri Tourn / Rhamphus kiesenwetteri (5 exx., DEIM); “ Sicilia Nicolosi , Geo. C. Krüger coll. O. Leonhard / Rhamphus kiesenwetteri ” (6 exx., DEIM); “ Sicilia Nicolosi/ Rhamphus kiesenwetteri ” (4, DEIM) ; “ SICILIA - BUCHERI (SR) MONTE LAURO 6 - V - 2019 L. DIOTTI” (6 exx. LDCC); “ Sicilia (SR) M. Iblei M.te Lauro 6 - V - 2019 Leg. Tedeschi ” (2 exx. MTCM); “ Sicilia (SR) Valle del Cassibile 7/5/2019 leg. Tedeschi ” (1 ex. MTCM); “ SICILIA - RAGUSA Lago di S. ROSALIA 8 - V - 2019 L. DIOTTI” (24 exx. LDCC, RCCM); “ Sicilia (RG) Lago di Santa Rosalia 8/5/2019 Leg. Tedeschi ” (17 exx. MTCM) .

Molecular study. 33 paratypes sequenced, 18 haplotypes identified, DNA voucher numbers 4403-4407 and 5960-5989 in ITCZ, GenBank accession numbers MW879286 - MW879303 , details are presented in supplementary table S1.

Diagnostic description. Length 1.4-1.9 mm. Integument shining black except for funicular segments of antennae yellow (scape and club darker than funicular segments). Rostrum long (Rl/Rw 3.5-3.7), in lateral view slightly curved and thin, in dorsal view with widest point at apex; upper surface smooth at middle, with 2-3 confused rows of punctures only at sides; with two small tubercles at antennal insertion (arrow in fig. 8). Antennae with bilobate clavate scape, 2.4-2.6x longer that wide and 1.2-1.3x longer than first funicular segment, which is as robust as scape, 2.0-2.2x longer than wide and distinctly more robust than others, asymmetrical and irregularly clavate in its basal half, 1.3-1.4x longer than second segment which is 1.9-2.1x longer than wide, third and fourth segment 1.9-2.0x longer than wide, fifth-seventh segments transverse. Vertex of head distinctly convex (fig. 10). Eyes distinctly convex and prominent. Pronotum moderately conical, transverse (Pw/Pl 1.60-1.70), widest between basal and middle third, with slightly curvilinear sides, with robust and dense punctures, intervals between punctures a little narrower than punctures and with moderately shining surface and distinct microsculpture. Elytra suboval, distinctly longer than wide (El/Ew 1.30-1.40), with pronounced humeri, at base wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.18-1.20), widest at apical third, weakly convex; striae with distinct punctures being separated each other by narrow intervals placed on a plain slightly lower than that of interstriae, the latter a little wider than striae and nearly flat. Metafemora distinctly globose (l/ w 2.5). Pro- and mesotibiae with robust uncus (l/w 3). First tarsomere 3.0-3.3x longer than wide, second tarsomere 1.6-1.8x longer than wide, onychium 3.8-4.0x longer than wide. Body of penis with rectilinear sides, slightly narrowing from base to apex, slightly emarginate at its base.

Variability. As emphasized in the description, both pronotum and elytra vary moderately in their length and width and a little in the curvature of the sides.

Etymology. This species was named in honor of our friend and colleague Cosimo Baviera, who is currently one of the foremost experts in the knowledge of the Sicilian entomofauna.

Comparative notes (see Table 2). This taxon is very closely related to R. oxyacanthae and R. hampsicora . It differs from both species by the longer first tarsomere of the metatarsi (fig. 17) and the body of the penis (fig. 19). Moreover, it differs from R. oxyacanthae by the vertex of the head being more convex (fig. 10), the tubercles of the rostrum at base of the antennae being less distinct and poorly separated from each other (fig. 8), the metafemora more globose (fig. 17). On the contrary it shares all these characters with R. hampsicora from which, apart from the length of the tarsi, it can be separated by the shape of the pronotum which is less conical and less transverse, widest more forward (between middle and basal third) and with less curvilinear sides, and the body of the penis with rectilinear sides.

Host plants. This species was collected on Crataegus sp. at the type locality and on Crataegus monogyna at Bosco di Ficuzza by L. Diotti, on Crataegus laciniata Ucria , a Sicilian endemic, by C. Baviera in the Nebrodi moun- tains. In the type locality, C. Baviera collected R. bavierai on Pyrus sp. located very near plants of Crataegus sp.

Distribution. Sicily.

Figures

FIGURES 7-13. Head in dorsal view. Tubercles (shadow) at antennal base in (7) Rhamphus oxyacanthae; (8) R. bavierai. Vertex of head (shadow) of (9) Rhamphus oxyacanthae (flat); (10) R. bavierai (moderately convex). Uncus of mesotibia of (11) Rhamphus oxyacanthae; (12) R. monzinii; (13) R. pulicarius.

FIGURES 14-21. Antenna of (14) Rhamphus bavierai (scape included); (15) R. monzinii; arrows indicate the first segment of the funicle. Metafemur and metatarsus of (16) Rhamphus oxyacanthae; (17) R. bavierai; arrows indicate the first tarsomere. Penis of (18) Rhamphus oxyacanthae; (19) R. bavierai; (20) R. hampsicora; (21) R. monzinii.