Brachysomus (Hippomias) ponticus Apfelbeck, 1898

Yunakov, Nikolai, 2022, A review of the genus Brachysomus Schoenherr (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae), Zootaxa 5193 (1), pp. 1-165 : 52-53

Brachysomus (Hippomias) ponticus Apfelbeck, 1898

Figs. 60 , 65, 66, 69 , 206 , 239B

Brachysomus ponticus Apfelbeck, 1898: 296 . Type locality: Bulgaria, Eminók.

Brachysomus ponticus Apfelbeck, 1899: 800 [objective synonym]; Košťál, 1992: 46; Białooki, 2007: 164.

Brachysomus kubanensis: Formánek 1905: 177 [misidentification];

Brachysomus kubanensis: Dalla Torre et al. 1937: 174 [misidentification];

Brachysomus anatolicus Smreczyński, 1977: 394 . Type locality: Turkey, Kýrklareli; Košťál 1992: 38.

Redescription. Measurements: Body length 2.05–2.40 mm, width 1.25–1.40 mm. Colouration: Integument dark-brown to black, legs and antennae brown. Vestiture: Body densely covered with round grayish-brown scales. Pronotum covered with dentate scales, elytra covered with not dentate scales, non-overlapping. Elytral setae uniform in length, forming 1–2 rows; pronotal setae weakly erect, as long as 2/3 width of interstriae. External surface of femora and tibiae densely covered with round scales, internal surface covered with thin pale hairs. Abdomen covered with hairs and piliform scales.

Head: Rostrum conically narrowing from base to middle, as long as wide, or weakly longer than width (L/W = 1.00–1.08). Pterygia distinctly projecting from outline of rostrum. Epifrons weakly longitudinally convex, not separated from vertex by transverse depression. Vertex flat, its integument rugose under dense vestiture. Eyes in male distinctly larger than in female (VW/ELD in male = 1.83–2.18; in female 2.27–2.72), situated noticeably lower than level of vertex, moderately convex. Antennae: Scape distinctly curved, evenly widened distally; funicular antennomeres: 1st and 2nd elongate; 1st larger than 2nd; 3rd–7th transverse. Club egg-shaped.

Thorax: Pronotum weakly transverse [PL/PW = 0.77–0.83 (0.80); in female from Sliven—0.69)], weakly constricted at apex, evenly convex at sides, finely, densely, and shallowly punctate; disc weakly convex. Elytra: highly variable in shape: oval or oblong-oval, weakly and evenly convex at sides and disc, sometimes parallel-sided in males. Striae narrow, punctures weakly separated, 2x narrower than interstriae; interstriae almost flat or weakly convex. Mesonotum and base of elytra vertical Legs: short, tibiae externally straight, not widened at apical angle, internally sinuate. Hind tibiae in male weakly mucronate. Second tarsomere weakly transverse, 3rd tarsomere with large lobes, 5th in male by 0.71–1.00 (in female by 1.00–1.20.) extending beyond apical lobes of 3rd by length of the lobes.

Abdomen: First ventrite with posterior margin weakly sinuate. 5th ventrite without depression near apex; apical margin in male straight, in female rounded. Male genitalia: Aedeagus heavily sclerotized, median lobe acute, 2x shorter than apodemes. Spermatheca: ramus approximately 2x shorter than collum.

Diagnosis. This species is closely related to B. commutatus , differing by longer erect setae on the intestriae; elytral setae uniform in length; flat epifrons, without median longitudinal sulcus; and apex of median lobe more elongate. In B. commutatus , the length of setae in the basal half of the elytra are less than in the apical half, vestiture is denser; rostrum of some specimens with a median longitudinal sulcus; apex of median lobe evenly rounded.

Distribution. Bulgaria, Greece, European part of Turkey ( Smreczyński 1977; Košťál 1992; Białooki 2007).

Bionomics. This species inhabits xerothermic montane and submontane forests.

Type material. Lectotype ♂ (NMW), ‘Apfelb. Eminók Bulgaria’, ‘ponticus typus!’ ‘ Brachysomus ponticus Apfb. M. Košťál , design.’ [red, handwritten].

Additional material examined. BULGARIA: 1♂, ‘Bulgaria, 1928, Küleftse [= Kyulevcha, Varna], Biró’ (ZMUH); 1♂, 3♀, Zwezdez [= Zvezdets, = Zvezdeo, Burgas], Strandja, 7.vi.1971, P. Angelov leg. (ZMUH); 1♀, Vlas, p. Emona, 13.vii.1986 R. Borovec leg. (BRc); 4♂, 3♀, ‘Bulg. or., Eminska Planina, Vlas, 13.v.1987, Behne & Heinig leg.’ (ZIN, Mc); 1♀, ‘Emine D[agh] [= Eminska Planina Mountain Range]’, ‘Bulgaria, Apfelbeck’, ‘ponticus ex Apfelbeck’ (MSNM); 1♀, Zeitinburun, Bulg. orient., Dr. Purkinĕ leg. (NMPC); 2♂, 1♀, ‘Slivno [Sliven], Rebel, [18]96’ (NMPC, MSNM). GREECE (first record): 1♂, ‘Greece, prov. Trakia, 10 km E of Haradha, Mt. Sapka, 900 m, 10.iv.2007, N41°07.997′ E25°55.401′, L. Nádai, K. Székely & A. Podlussány leg.’ (HNHM). TURKEY: 4♀, ‘Turchia, Samsun Prov., Bafra, 19.v.1967, Besuchet leg.’ (OGc).

Figures

FIGURE 206. Brachysomus ponticus: A: aedeagus; B: tegmen; C: spermatheca; D: body; E: scales of elytra.

FIGURE 239. Occurrence map of Brachysomus: A: Brachysomus s. str.; B: subgenus Hippomias.

FIGURES 57–62. Brachysomus, dorsal habitus: 57: B. albanicus. 58: B. commutatus. 59: B. mikati. 60: B. ponticus. 61: B. simulans. 62: B. rhinomioides.

FIGURES 63–70. Brachysomus, details: 63: B. hirtus, 64: B. fasciatus. 65, 66: B. ponticus. 67, 68: B. commutatus. 69: B. ponticus. 70: B. commutatus.