Squamapion solariorum (Wagner, 1908) Giusto, 2021

Giusto, Carlo, 2021, Squamapion gardinii n. sp. from the Mediterranean Region and notes on some species belonging to the genus Squamapion Bokor, 1923 (Coleoptera, Apionidae), Zootaxa 4941 (2), pp. 217-238 : 230-232

Squamapion solariorum (Wagner, 1908) n. stat.

( Figs 46–48 )

Apion consors ; Wagner 1908a: 311 [in part, Algeria: Aïn Touta]

Apion consors solariorum Wagner, 1908b: 105 ; Schatzmayr 1922: 43

Apion [(Catapion)] consors var. Solariorum ; Wagner 1910: 20; Wagner 1912: 52

Apion (Squamapion) consors Solariorum ; Winkler & Wagner 1930: 1391

Apion consors var. solariorum ; Kocher 1953: 112

Apion (Thymapion) consors var. solarianum ; Hoffmann 1958: 1590, 1591, 1831 [incorrect spelling]

Apion consors (?) solariorum ; Kocher 1961: 20

Squamapion consors solariorum ; Alonso-Zarazaga 2011: 161; Alonso-Zarazaga et al. 2017: 80

Type locality. Aïn Touta (Aïn Touta District, Batna Province, Algeria) .

Diagnosis. A Squamapion species belonging to the “ vicinum group” as defined by Wanat (1997). Among the Mediterranean Squamapion species, it differs in having the following combination of characters: long and slender rostrum with obtusely rounded mesorostrum; parallelsided elytra with well developed humeral calli; vestiture, on elytral intervals, arranged in a single regular row. No close affinity seems to exist with Squamapion consors (Desbrochers des Loges, 1875) ; female of the latter species mainly differs in having thicker and less curved rostrum (Lr: 0.63–0.68 mm [0.65 mm]; Lpr: 0.53–0.56 mm [0.54 mm]; Lmtr: 0.12–0.14 mm [0.13 mm]; Wra: 0.11–0.12 mm [0.12 mm]; Wmsr: 0.15–0.18 mm [0.16 mm]; Lr/Wmsr: 3.78–4.20 [4.01]; Lr/Wra: 5.42–5.73 [5.60]); elytral profile, in dorsal view, distinctly rounded; body vestiture composed of yellow-gold, lanceolate scales; vestiture, on elytral intervals, arranged in 2–3 irregular rows. For its relationships with S. kandarense , see the remarks below.

Type material examined. Holotype (♀): ALGERIA — Batna: Aïn Touta District : “Ain-Touta / Algeria / Coll. Vauloger ” // “ Wagner det / consors Dbrs. ♀ ” // “n. sbsp. / Wagner det. ♀ / Solariorum m.” ( MSNM).

Redescription (♀). Lb: 1.71 mm. Body integument black; femora black; tibiae and tarsi nearly black; antennae brown. Vestiture composed of cream-white lanceolate scales; on elytral intervals, scales are arranged in a single regular row, partially overlapping, as long as interval width; at base of intervals 2–4, few scales are arranged in short multiple confused rows; at base of interval 3 few scales, with truncate apex, are arranged in a loosely condensed patch; interstrial scales similar to those on intervals, barely separated from each other ( Fig. 46 ).

Rostrum rather long, thin; in dorsal view obtusely rounded at antennal insertion, just narrowed from meso- rostrum to half of prorostrum, then cylindrical up to apex; in lateral view distinctly and regularly curved, equally high on whole length ( Figs 47–48 ); rostrum weakly shagreened, shining in the apical quarter; shallowly punctate; in basal half sparsely clothed with lanceolate scales with truncate apex; in apical half with sparser piliform scales up to apex. Head transverse; eyes rather small, regularly convex; frons flat, strongly punctate and microsculptured with almost indistinct median fovea. Antennae inserted at basal 0.16 of rostrum, slender with white and weakly erect setae.

Prothorax ( Fig. 46 ) transverse, campanulate, moderately rounded at sides, widest at base and with prominent posterior angles; disc weakly convex, densely punctate; punctures round, 16–23 µm in diameter, separated by less than one third of their diameter; interspaces microreticulate; prescutellar fovea as broad as disc punctures, not longer than three punctures. Scutellum subrounded, weakly depressed on disc and with two rudimentary keels, glabrous, microsculptured. Elytra ( Fig. 46 ), in dorsal view, subrectangular, with slightly curved sides; intervals about 1.5 times as wide as striae, flat, rugosely microsculptured and with one row of shallow punctures; striae sharply mar- gined with septa between punctures distinctly deepened. Tibiae rather slender, feebly widened from base to apex; protibiae feebly outcurved, meso- and metatibiae straight; protarsi with 1 st segment 2 times as long as wide; 2 nd 1.00 times as long as wide, 0.65 times as long as 1 st; 3 rd 0.71 times as long as wide, 0.92 times as long as 2 nd, with narrow lobes; onychium robust, 1.23 times as long as 2 nd.

Genitalia not examined.

Distribution. Algeria, Morocco.

Host plant. Unknown.

Remarks. This taxon was described based on a single female as a subspecies of Apion consors and to which, as far as I know, to date only a further specimen from Asni ( Morocco, Al Haouz province, Marrakech-Safi region) has been doubtfully attributed ( Kocher 1953, 1961). The diagnostic characters and the main differences with the typical S. consors , highlighted above, allow full species status to be proposed for Squamapion solariorum (Wagner, 1908) n. stat.

The single examined specimen of S. kandarense fits perfectly with the rough description provided by Hustache (1946) and with the short redescription given by Hoffmann (1957). It differs from the holotype of S. solariorum almost exclusively in having a feebly rounded elytral profile and imperceptibly less slender rostrum (to compare measurements and ratios, see Table 1). In light of this and on the basis of the scanty distributional data, a possible synonymy between the two species cannot be excluded; only the examination of additional material of both sexes can help address this question.

Figures

FIGURES 46–48. Habitus and head in dorsal and lateral view of Squamapion solariorum, ♀ holotype, from Algeria:Aïn Touta. Scale bar: 1 mm.