Brachysomus (Hippomias) tannourinensis, Szénási & Németh, 2019

Szénási, Valentin & Németh, Tamás, 2019, Description of a new species of the subgenus Hippomias Yunakov, 2006 in the genus Brachysomus Schoenherr, 1823 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae) from Lebanon, Zootaxa 4658 (2), pp. 389-395 : 390-393

Brachysomus (Hippomias) tannourinensis sp. nov.

Type material. Holotype, male. “ LEBANON, Northern gov., Tannourine env., 2 km N Harissa, Tannourine Cedars Nat. Reserve, sifted from leaf litter, 34°12’34”N, 35°55’45”E, 1750 m, 6.V.2017, leg. A. Kotán, P. Nemes & T. Né- meth (No. 40)” (1 ex HNHM) . Paratypes: 39 males, 29 females, same data as holotype (32 males and 21 females, in HNHM; 3 males and 4 females, in PCMK; 4 males and 4 females, in PCVS) .

Diagnosis. Brachysomus (Hippomias) tannourinensis sp. nov. ( Figs 1–14 , 17–19 ) is similar in external morphology to species of the B. (Hippomias) ponticus Apfelbeck, 1899 group. The new species is characterised by its lateral elytral vestiture with partly oval and partly V-shaped scales, and by its elongate rostrum, which is 1.70–1.75 times as long as wide.

Comparison with other species. Brachysomus tannourinensis sp. nov. can be easily separated from other Brachysomus species of the region by its lateral elytral vestiture with two types of scales ( Fig. 8 ). The new species resembles B. (Hippomias) commutatus Košťál, 1992 described from Turkey in its body size, body vestiture and shape of male genitalia, but it differs from this species in its longer and narrower rostrum, narrower anterior part of the elytra and the almost flat eyes. The rostrum of B. tannourinensis sp. nov. is 1.70–1.75 times as long as wide ( Fig. 5 ), while that of B. commutatus is 1.20 times as long as wide. Our new species has elytra that are 1.30–1.35 times longer than wide ( Fig. 1 ), while B. commutatus has elytra that are only 1.20 times longer than wide. The body of the penis of B. commutatus is widened and pointed at the apex, with the apex sometimes truncate ( Fig. 15 ). Brachysomus tannourinensis sp. nov. has the sides of the body of the penis almost parallel-sided or slightly narrowed, the apex less pointed ( Fig. 9 ). Brachysomus tannourinensis sp. nov. differs from B. (Hippomias) kubanensis (Reitter, 1888) , which occurs in Georgia and South European Territory of Russia, by its almost flat eyes and elytral scales. The elytra of B. kubanensis are sparsely covered with elongated and narrowed scales, while B. tannourinensis has elytra densely covered with partly V-shaped, rectangular scales ( Fig. 8 ).

Description. Holotype, male ( Figs 1–2 , 5–12 ). Body length 2.04 mm, width 1.16 mm, height 0.90 mm. Body integument brown, legs and antennae reddish-brown, dorsal surface densely covered with scales, ventral parts with sparse pubescence.

Head. 0.8 times longer than pronotum; rostrum weakly conically narrowed to mid-length, widened apically, clearly longer than wide (RL/RWA 1.55 mm) ( Figs 5–6 ); covered with elongate-oval, apically excised scales, and with sparse V-shaped scales on ventral sides of rostrum and around eyes; apical part of rostrum under antennal scrobes not bulging; epifrons subparallel-sided, slightly concave, almost flat, without median sulcus; frons shallowly depressed, covered with scales; epistome surrounded by thin U-shaped carina. Eyes small, almost flat (FW/ELD 2.16 mm). Head capsule moderately convex, finely punctate; frontal fovea elongate, hardly visible, partly covered with scales ( Figs 5–6 ). Scape slightly curved, gradually widened from base to apex, sparsely covered with thin and pale hairs and curved, semierect setae-like scales ( Fig. 1 ); funicle with seven segments, these covered with thin and pale hairs, segment I longest, 2 times as long as wide, II 1.5 times longer than wide, III–VI as long as wide, VII disc-shaped; club ovate, three-segmented, covered with short, partly recumbent pubescence.

Pronotum. 0.8 times as long as wide, widest at middle ( Fig. 1 ). Punctation fine, punctures small, intervals between punctures narrow, rather rugose. Disc covered with bright, tetragonal scales with concave apex. Scales at pronotal sides V-shaped. Setae short, thin, semierect, directed anteriorly.

Elytra ( Figs 1–2 ). Oblong-oval (EL/EW 1.3), widest at middle. Flattened in lateral view, steeply declined to apex. Base of elytra as wide as base of pronotum. Scales short, tetragonal, less concave at apex than those on pronotum, slightly sericeous. Striae well developed, punctures deep, without pubescence. Striae I–X partly with both V-shaped and tetragonal scales ( Fig. 8 ). Interstriae slightly convex, 0.3–0.5 times as wide as striae, with long, semierect and redundant setae. Setae sparse on disc, widened at posterior third, apically rounded, shorter than interspace between them. Setae denser at posterior end of elytra. Scutellum not visible.

Legs. Femora moderately clavate, unarmed. Tibiae moderately stout, straight. Protibiae not widened at apex. Apex of metatibia with moderately large mucro. Tarsomeres. I triangular, II transverse; III with wide lobes, shorter than I and II combined; V 2 times longer than III. Outer side of legs covered with coarser setae, inner sides with thin vestiture.

Lateral part of body, epimerum, episternum and metaventrite densely covered with pale scales. Underside of metaventrite and ventrites I–V covered with only sparse hairs, without scales ( Fig. 7 ).

Abdomen ( Fig. 7 ). Ventrites I–V finely punctate; V convex, with shallow transverse impression at truncate apex.

Male genitalia ( Figs 9–12 ). Pygidium truncate, moderately concave at middle, without impression. Spiculum gastrale tulip-shaped, thick, straight ( Fig. 9 ). Penis elongate ( Figs 10–11 ), its body short, slightly narrowed to apex, the apex triangular, 0.3 times longer than apodemes; apex and lateral edges strongly sclerotised. Internal sac without inner sclerite. Tegmen ( Fig. 12 ) oval, without parameres, manubrium slightly curved, half as long as apodeme of body of penis.

Female. Similar to male, body wider, eyes flat ( Figs 3–4 ). Rostrum shorter, wider, tarsomere III smaller and narrower than in male. Ventrite V with more rounded apex.

Female genitalia. Spiculum ventrale elongate, apodeme thin, margo apicalis oval, scarcely sclerotised, with sensilla at apex ( Fig. 13 ). Spermatheca with C-shaped cornu, corpus slightly wider than cornu, ramus well developed, nodulus missing ( Fig. 14 ). Ovipositor with weakly sclerotized gonocoxites, with sensilla at apex, without styli.

Variability. Specimens differ in body vestiture. In some specimens the V-shaped scales at the sides of the pronotum are less distinct or missing. Males: BL: 2.02–2.34 (average 2.26), BW: 1.04–1.18 (average 1.13), BH: 0.88–0.92 (average 0.90). Females: BL: 2.32–2.52 (average 2.41), BW: 1.24–1.36 (average 1.29), BH: 0.94–1.02 (average 0.98).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Lebanese town of Tannourine where the new species was found.

Ecology. Specimens of the new species were collected by sifting in the mixed forest of Tannourine Cedars Nature Reserve in north Lebanon. The sifter was filled with dead fallen leaves, collected under Acer hermoneum and Cedrus lebani trees on a steep and rocky hillside.

Taxonomic notes. During the identification of Brachysomus from Lebanon we realised that the figure in Yunakov (2006) of the aedeagus of B. commutatus ( Fig. 15 ) is erroneous. Here we add an image of the penis of a B. commutatus specimen from HNHM ( Fig. 16 ), with the following label data: Asia Minor, Goek-Dagh, F. Bodemeyer; kubanensis det. Formánek; kubanensis Rtt. Coll. Reitter ; Brachysomus commutatus sp. n. det. Koštál, 1988; Brachysomus commutatus Košt. Yunakov det. 2008.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Habitus photos of Brachysomus tannourinensis sp. nov. 1, holotype, male, dorsal view; 2, holotype, male, lateral view; 3, paratype, female, dorsal view; 4, paratype, female, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 5–8. Details of Brachysomus tannourinensis sp. nov., holotype, male. 5, head, dorsal view; 6, head, lateral view; 7, abdomen; 8, lateral scales of elytra. Scale bars = 0.1 mm (Figs 5–6), 0.2 mm (Fig. 7), Fig. 8 = not to scale.

FIGURES 9–16. Genitalia of Brachysomus tannourinensis sp. nov. 9, holotype, male, spiculum gastrale; 10, holotype, male, penis, ventral view; 11, holotype, male, penis, lateral view; 12, holotype, male, tegmen; 13, paratype, female, spiculum ventrale; 14, paratype, female, spermatheca. Brachysomus commutatus Košťál, 1992, aedeagus. 15, figure from Yunakov 2006. 16, speci- men from Goek Dagh, Turkey. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 17–19. 17–18, Habitat of Brachysomus tannourinensis sp. nov. at Tannourine Cedars Nature Reserve, north Leba- non; 19, B. tannourinensis sp. nov. male and female, live individuals.