Mecinus peterharrisi Tosevski & Caldara, 2013
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publication ID |
https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.939.50612 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B2397011-4888-4712-880E-1069C943AD33 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/06998318-BC5D-5AE9-A4E1-FF13AE179A15 |
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treatment provided by |
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scientific name |
Mecinus peterharrisi Tosevski & Caldara, 2013 |
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Mecinus peterharrisi Tosevski & Caldara, 2013
Material examined.
25 L3 larvae and 20 pupae, Mecedonia, Prilep, 25.07.2017, (41°17.354'N, 21°29.983'E, 618 m.) ex Linaria dalmatica macedonica , lgt. I. Toševski. Accession numbers of sequenced specimen MN992004.
Description of mature larva
(Figures 34A-D View Figure 34 , 35A-F View Figure 35 ). Measurements (in mm). Body length: 2.00-3.75. Body width (metathorax and abdominal segments I-II): 0.65-1.00. Head width: 0.35-0.43.
Body (Figure 34A-D View Figure 34 ) yellowish, very slender. Chaetotaxy weakly developed, setae extremely short, difficult to observe. Prothorax (Figure 34B View Figure 34 ) with nine short prns; two short ps and one short eus. Meso- and metathorax (Figure 34B View Figure 34 ) with one short prs, two short pds, one short as, three minute ss, one short eps, one short ps and one short eus. Pedal area with four short pda. Abdominal segments I-VIII (Figure 34C, D View Figure 34 ) with one short prs, three short pds arranged along the posterior margin, two minute ss, two short eps, one short ps, one short lsts and two short eus. Abdominal segment IX (Figure 34D View Figure 34 ) with two ds located close to the posterior margin, one short ps and two short sts. Each of anal lobe with two minute setae.
Head capsule (Figures 34A View Figure 34 , 35A-C View Figure 35 ) pale yellow, distinctly narrowed bilaterally. Frontal suture well visible. Des1-3,5 very long, equal in length; des4 three times shorter than other des. Fs1 as long as des1, fs2 and fs3 very short, fs4-5 long. Les1 shorter than les2; two ves and four pes very short (Figure 35A View Figure 35 ). Two stemmata of different size. Antennae (Figure 35B View Figure 35 ) with sensorium (Se) conical, thrice as long as wide, located medially, and three sensilla of different types: one sa and four sb. Clypeus (Figure 35C View Figure 35 ) trapezium-shaped, anterior margin slightly concave; cls2 medium; clss clearly visible. Labrum (Figure 35C View Figure 35 ) with sinuate anterior margin; lrs1 very long, lrs2 shorter than lrs1, lrs3 three times shorter than lrs1. Epipharynx (Figure 35D View Figure 35 ) with three relatively long, finger-shaped als of almost equal length; two rod-like ams, equal in length; two rod-like mes of medium length; surface smooth; labral rods short, rounded. Mandibles (Figure 35E View Figure 35 ) conical, wide, with a small protuberance in the middle of the cutting edge; both mds capilliform, relatively long, equal in length, placed mediolaterally. Maxilla (Figure 35F View Figure 35 ) with one stps and two pfs of equal length; mbs very short; mala with six finger-like dms different in length (dms1,2 medium, dms3-6 long to very long), five vms different in length. Maxillary palpi: basal palpomere wider than distal, both of almost equal length. Prelabium (Figure 35F View Figure 35 ) close to oval-shaped with one very long prms; ligula with two ligs of equal length; premental sclerite clearly visible, U-shaped. Postlabium (Figure 35F View Figure 35 ) with short pms1, long pms2, and short pms3.
Description of pupa
(Figure 36A-C View Figure 36 ). Measurements (in mm). Head width: 0.36-0.43. Body width: 0.83-1.50. Body length: 2.46-3.66.
Body elongated, slender, white. Rostrum slender, about five times as long as wide, reaching up to mesocoxae. Antennae slender and moderately elongated. Pronotum 1.1 times as wide as long. Urogomphi (ur) very short, conical, with sclerotised apex, reaching outline of the body, directed downward (Figure 36A, B View Figure 36 ).
Chaetotaxy sparse, setae very short, equal in length. Head with one os. Rostrum with one rs placed medially. Setae on head and rostrum straight, as long as those on prothorax (Figure 36A View Figure 36 ). Pronotum with one ds, one sls and three pls. Dorsal parts of meso- and metathorax with three setae placed medially. Abdominal segments I-VIII with one seta laterally, two very short setae ventrally and three setae dorsally, placed along posterior margin. Abdominal segment IX with two micro-setae ventrally. (Figure 36B View Figure 36 ).
Biological notes.
This species is known only from the southwest region of North Macedonia and northwestern part of Greece following the distribution of Linaria dalmatica macedonica (Griseb.) D.A. Sutton, as well as from sparse populations of L. dalmatica dalmatica (L.) Mill. present at the Montenegrin Sea coast in the vicinity of Kotor Bay ( Toševski et al. 2014). Adults appear in the field at the beginning of March and aggregate on young growing shoots, causing significant damage to the shoot points and apical leaves. Like M. laeviceps , the larvae develop within short larval tunnels, and the newly emerged adults remain and feed in the pupal chamber until mid-August. Adults overwinter in the soil close to the host plant.
Remarks and comparative notes.
This species, found only in the Balkans (Macedonia, Greece, Montenegro) as above reported, is very similar to M. laeviceps , from which it differs by the body being more robust and usually longer, the integument of the pronotum more distinctly bluish, and the penis with longer tip. Moreover, the vestiture is usually formed by slightly broader scales and is therefore generally more distinct. As reported in the remarks on M. heydenii and in the keys, the study of the immatures has revealed other interesting differences between these three species that are very useful for their separation.
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