Simmeiropsis lusitana, Pierotti, Helio, Germann, Christoph & Braunert, Carlo, 2013

Pierotti, Helio, Germann, Christoph & Braunert, Carlo, 2013, New or interesting Peritelini of the West-Mediterranean fauna. XXIV. Two new Simmeiropsis Pierotti & Bellò, 2013 from Portugal (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae), Zootaxa 3734 (2), pp. 273-280 : 278-279

Simmeiropsis lusitana sp. n.

( Figs 7–12 , 15, 16 )

Holotype. male, Portugal, N Loulè, Querença, fonte Benémola, N 37°12’12’’ W 8°00’15’’, 120 m, Bachtal, 15.4.2013, leg. Germann. Red label: Holotype Simmeiropsis lusitana sp. n. Pierotti, Germann & Braunert, 2013 (NMBE).

Paratypes. 3 males, 4 females ibidem, 15.4.2013, leg. Germann (GER 1 ex., PIE 2 ex., NMBE 2 ex., BRA 2 ex.); 1 female Portugal, Tavira, E Luz, N37°05’34“ / W7°40’58“, 8 m, 11.4.2013, leg. C. Germann (NMBE). All 8 paratypes with red labels: Paratype Simmeiropsis lusitana sp. n. Pierotti, Germann & Braunert, 2013.

Length: 5.1–7.1 mm (males: 5.1–6.5; females: 5.6–7.1). Habitus oval, oblong ( Figs 15, 16 ).

Vestiture consisting of silvery grey, golden, cupreous and brownish rounded scales on the top of the head, on the sides of the pronotum and on the sides and the declivity of the elytra, more or less oblong on the disc of the pronotum and the elytra, not or hardly overlapping except sometimes at declivity; as also with bristles, narrow on head and pronotum, short, robust, depressed, condensed on nude areolae on elytra.

Rostrum subtetragonal (males) or weakly transverse (sometimes in females), laterally converging towards apex; epistome largely concave; pterygia prominent; clypeus elevated, not or hardly impressed longitudinally; frons little convex, with a pit behind. Eyes subdorsal, little convex.

Antennae rather slender, antennal scape little thickened from base to apical fifth and funiculus with first two desmomeres elongate, second one a bit longer than first and subequal to the three following combined, 5–7 submoniliform; club elongate, first segment largely expanded.

Pronotum transverse, laterally rounded, wider at base than at front margin; punctation on disc very dense.

Elytra more (females) or less (males) elongate ( Figs 15, 16 ), widest at humeral calli, sides weakly rounded; interstriae flattened or very weakly convex; propygidium sublanceolate at apex in females.

Legs rather slender; protibiae straight at outer margin up to the apex, here distinctively dilated, at inner margin weakly bisinuate; metatibiae bowed, inner margin bisinuate and with a prominent series of denticules in males, each set with a spine; metatarsi robust and onychia elongate.

Penis in dorsal view lanceolate in apical part ( Fig. 7 ); in lateral view more or less bisinuate before apex ( Fig. 8 ), genital armature of internal sac as in Fig. 9 .

Spermatheca with well-developed cornu, ramus and nodulus ( Fig. 10 ); gonocoxites with styli ( Fig. 11 ); spiculum ventrale with very elongate manubrium ( Fig. 12 ).

Distribution. Algarve.

Derivation of species name. From the ancient Latin name of Portugal ( Lusitania).

Notes. Simmeiropsis lusitana shares with S. platysoma the robust habitus and the rounded apex of the elytra in lateral view. It differs by the erect (not adherent) bristles at the declivity and by the form of the penis and the genital armature of the internal sac.

Bionomy. The habitat of Simmeiropsis lusitana sp. n. consisted of higher Macchia, and bush vegetation on limestone along rivulets with Quercus ilex , Pistacia lentiscus , Rosmarinus officinalis, Dorycnium pentaphyllum and Rhamnus sp. Simmeiropsis lusitana sp. n. was collected with a beating tray mainly from Quercus ilex and Rhamnus sp. in more humid conditions than S. algharbensis sp. n.; at both localities near rivulets ( Fig. 18 ). Note that at the fonte Benémola locality both new species were collected together, although S. lusitana was more numerous.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Habitat of Simmeiropsis lusitana sp. n. at fonte Benémola, Algarve, Portugal.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Genitalia of Simmeiropsis lusitana sp. n. 7. apical part of penis in dorsal view; 8. penis in lateral view; 9. genital armature of the internal sac; 10. spermatheca; 11. gonocoxites; 12. spiculum ventrale.

FIGURES 15 – 16. Habitus of Simmeiropsis lusitana sp. n., 15. male; 16. female.