Brassicogethes Audisio & Cline, 2009

Audisio, Paolo, Cline, Andrew Richard, Biase, Alessio De, Antonini, Gloria, Mancini, Emiliano, Trizzino, Marco, Costantini, Lorenzo, Strika, Sirio, Lamanna, Francesco & Cerretti, Pierfilippo, 2009, Preliminary re-examination of genus-level taxonomy of the pollen beetle subfamily Meligethinae (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 49 (2), pp. 341-504 : 460-464

33. Brassicogethes Audisio & Cline , gen. nov.

( Figs. 33 a–h )

Type species. Nitidula aenea Fabricius, 1775: 78 (by present designation) [= Brassicogethes aeneus ( Fabricius, 1775) comb. nov.].

Generic description and diagnosis. Inclusive species vary greatly in size (1.4–3.3 mm length), and share the following combination of characters.

Body color and pubescence: pubescence usually short and fine, recumbent and almost indistinct in a few species, golden to silvery-whitish, rarely (i.e. B. explanatus (Reitter, 1900) , from Middle Asia) with moderately long and more erect setae, never obscuring the variably colored (brown, blackish, metallic green or blue-violet) dorsal body surface ( Figs. 33a, b ); pronotal and elytral sides relatively widely flattened, typically same color as disc, rarely with pale reddish sides; lateral margin of pronotum and elytra with a series of faintly distinct, small and short setae, each seta 0.3–0.5× as long as those on elytral disc; posterior margin of pronotum with long, usually distally bifid or trifid microsetae, microsetae also uniformly distributed on middle region anterior to scutellum ( Fig. 33c ).

Dorsal habitus: body moderately convex, usually long and oval ( Figs. 33a, b ); dorsal punctures on discal portion of pronotum as large as or larger than eye facet, usually moderately to deeply impressed and densely distributed, rarely smaller than eye facet, separated by more than 1–2 diameters; anterior margin of clypeus always subtruncate, simple, i.e. without small distinct medial bulge, distinctly bordered ( Figs. 33 a, b, h ); circum-ocular furrows (occipital sulci) on dorsal side of head absent ( Fig. 33h ); eyes large and usually moderately projecting laterally ( Figs. 33a, b, h ); pronotum with markedly distinct posterior angles, slightly obtuse, never posteriorly directed ( Figs. 33a, b ); scutellum variably punctured at least in posterior half of exposed portion ( Fig. 33c ); elytra with simple punctation, never transversely strigose; elytral humeral angle distinct, obtuse, in a few species distinctly protruding laterally ( Figs. 33a, b ); elytral humeral striae usually indistinct; elytral pre-sutural striae visible at least posteriorly, variably shaped, originating at scutellar vertex or slightly posterior, terminating prior to elytral apex, delimiting on each elytron a more or less distinct, flat sutural area, widest at posterior third, nearly as wide as proximal width of 3 rd antennomere (much wider in B. humerosus ( Reitter, 1871)) , slightly raised in members of B. viridescens species-group; elytral apices truncately or obliquely rounded in both sexes ( Figs. 33a, b ); pygidium partially exposed, moderately convex, apically rounded in both sexes ( Figs. 33a, b ).

Ventral habitus: antennal furrows markedly delimited, moderately convergent posteriorly; mentum subpentagonal ( Fig. 33d ); prosternal antennal furrows on anterior margin of prosternum almost completely obliterated ( Fig. 33d ); prosternal process variably shaped, usually

4) Recently examined material from China: Guizhou Province in MHNB collections (JELÍNEK & AUDISIO unpublished data).

narrow, subapical dilated portion 1.7–2.0× as wide as maximum width of 1 st antennomere, apex usually angulately obtuse ( Fig. 33e ); lateral borders of prosternal process delimiting shallowly impressed but distinct furrows, distally terminating at predistal lateral expansions ( Fig. 33e ); posterior margin of mesoventrite simple, never medially incised ( Fig. 33e ); moderate sexual dimorphism in impressions on metaventrite and/or tubercles; first two visible abdominal ventrites simple in both sexes, without tufts of setae; caudal marginal lines of metacoxal cavities simple, parallel and contiguous to posterior margin of metacoxal cavities, with sloping shallowly arched impression of outer ‘axillary’ line ( Fig. 33g ); ‘axillary’ space on first abdominal ventrite moderately well developed, ‘axillary’ angle usually broadly obtuse ( Fig. 33g ); large and deeply impressed arched impressions on basal portion of last visible abdominal ventrite, only partially covered by distal portion of penultimate visible abdominal ventrite ( Fig. 33f ).

Appendages: male 1 st antennomere 0.8–1.0× as long as width of protibiae excluding distal teeth ( Figs. 33a, b, d ); 3 rd antennomere usually 2.8–3.0× as long as wide in both sexes, 1.4–1.5× longer and distinctly thinner than 2 nd antennomere ( Figs. 33a, b, d ); 4 th and 5 th antennomeres subequal in both sexes, short, scarcely longer than wide ( Figs. 33a, b, d ); antennal club compact, simple, comprising last 3 antennomeres in both sexes ( Fig. 33a, b, d ), usually as wide as width of protibiae or smaller, sexual dimorphism absent; labial palpi long and slender in both sexes ( Fig. 33d ), terminal segment 1.7–1.9× as long as wide; maxillary palpi long and slender in both sexes ( Fig. 33d ), terminal segment 2.4–2.8× as long as wide; mandible mid-sized, apex bifid, moderately acuminate, sexual dimorphism absent; tarsal claws simple, never toothed at base; tarsi of normal size and shape, 0.6–0.7× as long as corresponding tibiae ( Figs. 33a, b ); protibiae usually with a series of small, fine sharp teeth on outer margin ( Figs. 33a, b ); lateral margin of meso- and metatibiae bearing a single and regular row of long thin pegs ( Figs. 33a, b ), without U-shaped sinuosity at distal third; meso- and metatibiae of variable width, usually long and slender ( Figs. 33a, b ), rarely wider and shorter, never subtrapezoidal or axe-shaped; scarce sexual dimorphism in tibial shape (when present, limited to metatibiae: Fig. 33b ); tarsal plates of prolegs usually moderately wider in males; posterior margin of mesofemora simple or with single projection in both sexes (Figs. 125 n, o in AUDISIO 1993b); posterior margin of metafemora simple in both sexes, without tubercles or projections.

Male genitalia: variable, processes along inner side of parameres absent (Figs. 134–135 in AUDISIO 1993b), usually with more or less deep and wide V-shaped excision along distal margin, without deep median longitudinal desclerotization from proximal portion of tegmen extending to medial distal V-shaped excision; median lobe of aedeagus variable, without lateral emargination, rounded, distally subtruncate to acuminate, frequently with distal minute excision or emargination; main sclerites of internal sac (flagellum) small, arcuate, usually horse-shoe-shaped, moderately sclerotized, typically 3–4× shorter than aedeagus.

Female genitalia (ovipositor): variably shaped, usually large; styli short but distinct, simple and pigmented, inserted moderately close to apex of usually contiguous or narrowly diverging (i.e. the isolated southern European B. humerosus ( Reitter, 1871)) gonostyloid; each gonostyloid lightly sclerotized, markedly more pigmented distally in a few species, with a simple, never indentate outer portion of basicoxites (Fig. 154 in AUDISIO 1993b), and a single, narrow, faintly pigmented and sclerotized arcuate area along outer subdistal portion of gonostyloids. ‘Central point’ of ovipositor usually located more distad than middle, without proximad directed spicule.

Etymology. The generic name is derived from the host-plant family of all inclusive species, i.e. Brassicaceae , and from ‘- gethes ’, to emphasize both their association with this botanical family, and phylogenetic relationship with Meligethes . Gender masculine.

Biology. All species are strictly associated for larval development with flowers of Brassicaceae (here including the closely related Capparaceae , as recently discussed by JUDD et al. (1994, 2002)), especially the subfamilies Arabideae , Brassiceae , and Hesperideae ( AUDISIO 1993b; AUDISIO et al. 2005a,b).

Phylogenetic position. See above discussion about the closely related genus Meligethes . Brassicogethes gen. nov. and Meligethes are sister taxa, almost certainly linked by a common ancestor that initiated an ecological shift of larval host-plants from Rosaceae to Brassicaceae , or vice versa.

Taxonomy and geographic distribution. Brassicogethes gen. nov. includes 38 described Holarctic and Oriental species, extending from Europe and North Africa to Japan, China, and in the Nearctic (southward to southern California and NW Mexico, and eastward to the Appalachian Mts, as well as an introduced species in eastern Canada). Most known species ( KIREJTSHUK 1992b; AUDISIO 1993b; AUDISIO et al. 1999a,b, 2001 a,b, 2002, 2003b, 2005a,b, 2006; JELÍNEK 1997; DE BIASE et al. 2003; JELÍNEK & AUDISIO 2007) are distributed in Europe and northern Mediterranean areas. Inclusive species were formerly attributed to at least five Meligethes species-complexes (now considered species-groups), i.e. the ‘ aeneus ’, ‘ coracinus ’, ‘ viridescens ’, ‘ coeruleovirens / simplex ’, and ‘ squamosus ’ species-groups.A complete revision of this genus, including the descriptions of a few new species from the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Asia ( AUDISIO et al. 2005a,b), is currently underway (AUDISIO et al. in prep.).

Brassicogethes accentus ( Kirejtshuk, 1978) comb. nov. Tajikistan

Brassicogethes aeneus ( Fabricius, 1775) comb. nov. Holarctic Region

Brassicogethes affinis (Jelínek, 1982) comb. nov. S China

Brassicogethes anthracinus (C. N. F. Brisout Southern Europe, Near East de Barneville, 1863) comb. nov.

Brassicogethes arankae (Audisio & De Biase, 2005) Southern Europe comb. nov.

Brassicogethes armeniacus (Audisio, Jelínek N Turkey, Caucasus

& Stevanović, 1999) comb. nov.

Brassicogethes audisioi ( Jelínek, 1997) comb. nov. China: Tibet

Brassicogethes bithynicus (Audisio, 1988) comb. nov. NW Turkey

Brassicogethes boops (Easton, 1957) comb. nov. Middle Asia

Brassicogethes carpathicus (Audisio, Jelínek Romania

& Stevanović, 1999) comb. nov.

Brassicogethes cleominis (Easton, 1959) comb. nov. W North America

Brassicogethes coeruleovirens (Förster, 1849) comb. nov. Central Europe

Brassicogethes coracinus ( Sturm, 1845) comb. nov. Europe, Siberia, Near East, N Middle Asia Brassicogethes cristofaroi (Audisio & De Biase, 2005) Southern Turkey comb. nov.

Brassicogethes czwalinai ( Reitter, 1871) comb. nov. Central Europe

Brassicogethes epeirosi (Audisio, Mancini NW Greece

& De Biase, 2006) comb. nov.

Brassicogethes erysimicola ( Audisio & De Biase, 2001) Southern Europe, Near East comb. nov.

Brassicogethes explanatus (Reitter, 1900) comb. nov. Middle Asia, Syria

Brassicogethes fulvipes (C. N. F. Brisout de Barneville, W Europe, N Africa

1863) comb. nov.

Brassicogethes gracilis (C. N. F. Brisout de Barneville, SW Europe

1863) comb. nov.

Brassicogethes haroldi (Reitter, 1877) comb. nov. Japan, E Siberia

Brassicogethes humerosus ( Reitter, 1871) comb. nov. Central and SE Europe (mountain areas) Brassicogethes longulus (Schilsky, 1894) comb. nov. E Turkey, Armenia

Brassicogethes lunariae ( Audisio & De Biase, 1999) S Italy, Serbia, Montenegro, Greece comb. nov.

Brassicogethes matronalis ( Audisio & Spornraft, 1990) S Europe (introduced to N Europe), N Turkey, comb. nov. Caucasus

Brassicogethes mirae ( Audisio, Jelínek & Stevanović, 1999) Montenegro comb. nov.

Brassicogethes praetermissus (Easton, 1957) comb. nov. Japan, E Siberia, N Korea, NE China Brassicogethes primoriensis ( Kirejtshuk, 1987) comb. nov. Russian Far East: Primorie

Brassicogethes prometheus (Jelínek, 1982) comb. nov. Caucasus, N Turkey, N Iran

Brassicogethes reitteri (Schilsky, 1894) comb. nov. S Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, S Siberia, N Middle Asia

Brassicogethes salvan (Audisio, De Biase & Antonini, NW Italy: Maritime Alps

2003) comb. nov.

Brassicogethes simplex (Kraatz, 1858) comb. nov. Greece

Brassicogethes simplipes ( Easton, 1947) comb. nov. E North America

Brassicogethes spornrafti (Audisio, 1977) comb. nov. Italy and SE France: Maritime Alps; S Serbia Brassicogethes squamosus ( Jelínek & Marek, 1966) Bulgaria comb. nov.

Brassicogethes subaeneus ( Sturm, 1845) comb. nov. Europe, N Caucasus

Brassicogethes thalassophilus (Audisio & De Biase, 2005) SW Europe comb. nov.

Brassicogethes viridescens (Fabricius, 1787) comb. nov. Europe, Near East,W Siberia, NW China, introduced to N America

Figures

Fig. 33. Brassicogethes Audisio & Cline, gen. nov.: a – B. longulus (Schilsky, 1894); b – B. salvan (Audisio, De Biase & Antonini, 2003); c–h – B. aeneus (Fabricius, 1775). a, b – male habitus (a – length 2.8 mm; b – length 2.6 mm); c – scutellum and microsetae on middle of posterior margin of pronotum; d – ventral view of head and anterior portion of prosternum; e – prosternal process and mesoventrite; f – exposed portion of last visible abdominal ventrite; g – caudal marginal line of metacoxal cavity; h – dorsal view of head. Scale bars: Fig. c = 20 μm; Fig. d = 200 μm; Figs. e, f, g, h = 100 μm.