Mecinus collaris Germar, 1821

Gosik, Rafal, Skuhrovec, Jiri, Caldara, Roberto & Tosevski, Ivo, 2020, Immature stages of Palearctic Mecinus species (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Curculioninae): morphological characters diagnostic at genus and species levels, ZooKeys 939, pp. 87-165 : 87

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.939.50612

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B2397011-4888-4712-880E-1069C943AD33

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/12F52FCB-DC6B-522B-8D5A-41CBCF080F6E

treatment provided by

ZooKeys by Pensoft

scientific name

Mecinus collaris Germar, 1821
status

 

Mecinus collaris Germar, 1821

Material examined.

26 L3 larvae and 21 pupae, Serbia, Zavojskojezero, Pirot, 15.07.2017, GPS 43°12.508'N, 22°35.590'E, 675 m., ex Plantago media , lgt. I. Toševski. Accession numbers of sequenced specimen MN992001.

Description of mature larva

(Figures 16A-D View Figure 16 , 17A-F View Figure 17 ). Measurements (in mm). Body length: 2.00-3.66. Body width (metathorax): 0.80-1.16. Head width: 0.56-0.66.

Body (Figure 16A-D View Figure 16 ) light yellow, slender, curved, slightly pressed dorso-ventrally. Premental sclerite, pedal lobes and spiracular area of meso- and metathorax dark pigmented. Chaetotaxy of thoracic segments relatively well developed, setae capilliform, variable in length, light yellow, on thoracic segments medium or relatively long, on abdominal segments I-IX short or medium. Prothorax (Figure 16B View Figure 16 ) with eleven prns (six long and one short placed on premental sclerite), next three close to spiracle; two medium ps and one short eus. Meso- and metathorax (Figure 16B View Figure 16 ) with one medium prs, three medium pds of equal length, one medium as, three medium ss, equal in length, one long eps, one long ps and one short eus. Pedal area with three pda, long or medium. Abdominal segments I-VIII (Figure 16C, D View Figure 16 ) with one short prs, four short pds arranged along the posterior margin, two minute ss, one short eps, one short ps, one short lsts and two short eus. Abdominal segment IX (Figure 16D View Figure 16 ) with three short ds, all located close to posterior margin, one short ps and two rather short sts. Anal lobes without setae.

Head capsule (Figures 16A View Figure 16 , 17A-C View Figure 17 ) dark brown, slightly narrowed bilaterally. Des1-3,5 long, des4 short; des4 located in the central part of epicranium. Fs1 long, fs3 very short, fs4,5 equal in length, almost as long as des1. Les1 and les2 slightly shorter than des1; two ves, and four pes very short (Figure 17A View Figure 17 ). Antennae (Figure 17B View Figure 17 ) with conical, elongated sensorium (Se), three times as long as wide, and two sensilla basiconica and two sensilla ampullacea. Clypeus (Figure 17C View Figure 17 ) trapezium-shaped, anterior margin almost straight; cls1-2 medium, equal in length; clss well visible. Labrum (Figure 17C View Figure 17 ) narrow, trapezium-shaped, anterior margin distinctly sinuate; lrs1 long, lrs2 and lrs3 medium. Epipharynx (Figure 17D View Figure 17 ) with three elongated, finger-like als of equal length; two medium, straight ams; two short finger-like mes; surface smooth; labral rods very short, close to kidney-shaped. Mandibles (Figure 17E View Figure 17 ) conical, rather wide; both mds capilliform, medium, equal in length, placed transversely. Maxilla (Figure 17F View Figure 17 ) with one stps and two pfs of equal length; mbs short; mala with six long rod-like dms of almost equal size, five vms various in length. Maxillary palpi: basal palpomere distinctly wider and slightly shorter than distal. Prelabium (Figure 17F View Figure 17 ) cup-like with one long prms; ligula with two minute ligs, premental sclerite well developed, with elongated median part. Labial palpi two-segmented; basal palpomere wider and shorter than distal. Postlabium (Figure 17F View Figure 17 ) with short pms1, long pms2, and short pms3.

Description of pupa

(Figure 18A-C View Figure 18 ). Measurements (in mm). Head width: 0.30-0.36. Body width: 0.76-1.20. Body length: 1.66-2.33.

Body moderately elongated, light yellowish. Rostrum moderately stout, about 2.1 times as long as wide, reaching up to mesocoxae. Antennae relatively short. Pronotum 1.6 times as wide as long. Mesonotum distinctly shorter than metanotum. Urogomphi (ur) short, conical, with sclerotised, sharp apex, slightly reaching outline of the body, directed downward (Figure 18A-C View Figure 18 ).

Chaetotaxy sparse, setae short, unequal length. Head with only one sos. Rostrum with one rs. Setae on head and rostrum straight, much shorter than those on prothorax (Figure 18A View Figure 18 ). Pronotum with two as, one sls, one ls, one ds and four pls. Dorsal parts of meso- and metathorax with two setae placed medially. Dorsal parts of abdominal segments I-IV without setae; segments V-VII with five setae (d1 placed anteromedially, d2-4 posteromedially, d5 posterolaterally, under spiracle); segment VIII with four setae dorsally. Abdominal segments I-VIII with four long setae ventrally, distributed in regular lines. Abdominal segment IX with two micro-setae ventrally, and next two on urogomphi.

Biological notes.

Larvae feed on various species of Plantago , but mainly on P. media L. and P. maritima L. Plantago lanceolata , P. coronopus L., and P. major L. are also known as host plants. The adults are active from mid-spring following the growth of the flowering stems of the host plant. The female oviposits inside the upper parts of the flowering stem that are covered with floral spikes, which induces clearly visible oblong galls. Very often, several larvae develop in a single flowering shoot. The larvae pupate inside the galls and the adults emerge during summer. Overwintering takes place in the soil litter near the host plant.

Remarks.

This species, which is widely distributed in the Palearctic region except in North Africa ( Alonso-Zarazaga et al. 2017), is unique in Mecinus , being characterised by long elytra and whitish to orange, wide scales covering the base of the pronotum, the epimera and the episterna. For the differences from the immatures of the other species, see the remarks for the group.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Coleoptera

Family

Curculionidae

Genus

Mecinus