Brachysomus (Hippomias) simulans Yunakov, 2006

Yunakov, Nikolai, 2022, A review of the genus Brachysomus Schoenherr (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae), Zootaxa 5193 (1), pp. 1-165 : 55

Brachysomus (Hippomias) simulans Yunakov, 2006

Figs. 61 , 126, 127 , 209 , 239B

Brachysomus simulans Yunakov, 2006: 305 . Type locality: Greece, Karies.

Redescription. Measurements: Body length 1.75–2.40 mm, width 0.95–1.35 mm, in holotype 1.75 and 0.95 mm. Colouration: Body, legs and antennae brown to dark-brown. Vestiture: Elytra dark-brown, maculate, very densely covered with brown, short, lanceolate scales and short, lobe-shaped, suberect setae, as long as 0.5 width of interstriae. Head and pronotum without visible suberect setae. Apical margin of 5th ventrite slightly sinuate with groups of long hairs.

Head: Rostrum weakly, conically narrowing from base to middle, as long as wide (RL/RW = 1.05–1.11). Pterygia clearly visible in dorsal view, noticeably projecting from outline of rostrum. Epifrons weakly convex longitudinally, separated from vertex by slight transverse depression, with noticeable median longitudinal sulcus. Eyes small, (VW/ELD = 2.00–2.25), moderately convex, situated slightly below of level of vertex. Vertex flat, with integument distinctly, finely, and longitudinally punctate. Antennae: Scape evenly curved and widened distally. Funicle noticeably widened distally; funicular antennomeres: 1st and 2nd elongate; 1st larger than 2nd; 3rd–7th transverse; club egg-shaped.

Thorax: Pronotum slightly transverse [PL/PW = 0.79–0.83 (0.81)], widest at middle, evenly convex at disc and sides, very weakly constricted anteriorly and posteriorly; finely, densely, and shallowly punctate. Elytra: oval (EL/EW = 1.25–1.28), widest at middle, weakly and evenly convex at sides and disc. Striae linear. Punctures deep, narrowly separated. Spaces between punctures somewhat narrower than diameter of puncture, situated deeper than interstrial level. Interstriae convex, 2x wider than striae. Legs: Femora moderately swollen in middle part. Protibiae straight, with slightly sinuate medial margin. Male metatibiae weakly mucronate. First tarsomere triangular, 2nd weakly transverse. Fifth fore tarsomere extending beyond apical lobes of 3rd by 0.60 length of the lobes.

Abdomen: Male 5th ventrite without depression. Male genitalia: aedeagus heavily sclerotized, rounded apically, 1.5x shorter than apodemes. Spermatheca: ramus long and constricted at base.

Diagnosis. Brachysomus simulans is very similar to species of the B. kubanensis species group in sharing a fuzzy maculate pattern on the elytra, but is closely related to B. commutatus and B. ponticus in the structure of the aedeagus. It differs from B. commutatus and B. ponticus by lanceolate scales, strongly convex epifrons, most noticeably the transverse depression in the basal part of the epifrons and structure of genitalia in both sexes.

Distribution. Greece (Peloponnesus).

Bionomics. This species inhabits moss-litter in mountain oak forests at elevations around. 1000 m asl.

Type material. GREECE: Holotype, ♂ (SDEI): ‘Greece, Peloponnes, Lakonia, 40 km SO Tripoli, Strasse zw. Agios Petros u. Karies, 1100 m, W-Hang, alte Eichen, Erica arborea, Moos, 37°18′49″ N, 22°30′37″ O, 22 III 1979, L. Zerche’. Paratypes, 1♂ (ZIN), 1♀ (SDEI): as holotype.

Figures

FIGURE 209. Brachysomus simulans: A: aedeagus; B: tegmen; C: spermatheca; D, E: head; F: antenna; G: scales of antennal scape; H: 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 124–130. Brachysomus, details: 124: B. albanicus, head dorsal view. 125: B. albanicus, head lateral view 126: B. simulans head dorsal view. 127: B. simulans, head lateral view. 128: B. rhinomioides, head dorsal view. 129: B. rhinomioides, head lateral view.