Mesites

Nazarenko, V. Yu. & Gontarenko, A. V., 2017, New Records Of Mesites (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) In Ukraine, Vestnik Zoologii 51 (1), pp. 75-78 : 76

Key to species of Mesites occurring in Ukraine

1. Rostrum with parallel or gradually convergent (divergent) sides in both sexes. Body nearly cylindrical. ................................................................................................................. [other Cossoninae species]

— Rostrum at least in female abruptly widened and (or) narrowed. Body distinctly flattened....................2

2. Rostrum sharply widened in apical portion. ........................................................................ Genus Cossonus

— Rostrum in males parallelsided with slightly dilated antennal insertion submedian, in females widened in short distance near the base, then sharply narrowed. Genus Mesites . .................................................... 3

3. Body nearly unicolor, dark ( fig. 1 , a–b). Pronotal disc with distinct microreticulation between punctures ( fig. 1 , e). Elytral interspaces measured in basal ½ near suture ca. 1.2–1.9 times narrower then striae ( fig. 1 , h). Interstrial punctures weakly enlargered on declivity, distance between punctures usually larger than puncture diameter ( fig. 1 , g). Median lobe of aedeagus slightly widened from the base to its middle, apical portion almost parallelsided, apical edge gently rounded ( fig. 1 , m). Female sternite VIII with arms wide divergent from apodeme and inner subparallel ( fig. 1 , k). ............................... M. cunipes

— Body nearly bicolor, dark with pale brown, yellowish or reddish elytra ( fig. 1 , c–d). Pronotal disc smooth with indistinct microreticulation between punctures ( fig. 1 , f). Elytral interspaces measured in basal ½ near suture ca. 1–1.9 times wider then striae ( fig. 1 , i). Interstrial punctures markedly enlargered on declivity, more dense, in part contiguous ( fig. 1 , j). Median lobe of aedeagus almost parallelsided with apex rounded semicircular ( fig. 1 , n). Female sternite VIII with arms narrowly divergent from apodeme and inner distinctly arcuate ( fig. 1 , l). .................................................................................... M. pallidipennis

Figures

Fig. 1. Morphological details of adult Mesites: a — M. cunipes, Ơ; b — M. cunipes, ♀; c — M. pallidipennis, Ơ; d — M. pallidipennis, ♀; e — pronotal disc microreticulation of M. cunipes; f — the same of M. pallidipennis; g — left elytron apex of M. cunipes; h — medial part of elytral disk of M. cunipes; i — the same of M. pallidipennis; j — left elytron apex of M. pallidipennis; k — female sternite VIII of M. cunipes; l — the same of M. pallidipennis; m — aedeagus median lobe of M. cunipes; n — the same of M. pallidipennis.