Limobius Schoenherr, 1843

Skuhrovec, Jiri & Alonso-Zarazaga, Miguel A., 2017, Revision of the genus Limobius, with the description of a new species (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Hyperini), ZooKeys 709, pp. 71-85 : 73

Genus Limobius Schoenherr, 1843 Figs 1, 2-5, 6-10, 11-12, 13-14

Limobius Schoenherr, 1843: 460 (original description)

Limobius : Capiomont (1868): 244 (monography); Petri (1901): 192 (monography); Winkler (1932): 1582 (catalogue); Csiki (1934): 54 (catalogue); Hoffmann (1954): 616 (fauna); Smreczyński (1968): 92 (fauna); Angelov (1978): 203 (fauna); Kippenberg (1983): 153 (fauna); Alonso-Zarazaga and Lyal (1999): 188 (catalogue); Morris (2002): 63 (fauna); Skuhrovec (2009): 3 (key); Skuhrovec (2013b): 435 (catalogue); Oberprieler et al. (2014a): 464 (handbook/catalogue).

Type species.

Curculio dissimilis Herbst, 1795: 290 (= Curculio borealis Paykull, 1792: 57).

Diagnosis.

Body 2.5-4.6 mm; entire body densely covered with appressed scales of different shapes, from scales divided into two lobes to base up to entire scales. Eyes elliptical to oval. Rostrum long to very long, narrow; in dorsal view distinctly longer than its base width (ratio more than 3.00); enlarged anteriorly, tapered to basal third part and afterward almost parallel-sided; in side view slightly curved; as long as pronotum (ratio = 0.95-1.10). Antenna with 6 or 7 desmomeres. Pronotum distinctly wider than long, widest at middle. Elytra with very distinct prominent humeri. Apex of penis enlarged, sometimes partially to the tip, and always without projecting setae. Apodeme of sternite VIII in females relatively long, with distinct long lateral arms; plate wide, not very well sclerotized, upper part not connected and bearing apically many distinct setae.

Biology.

These weevils occur in warm and dry habitats (calcareous hillsides, vineland, steppe, sandy habitats, meadows, clearings), and in mesophilic or moderately damp habitats of floodplains and hillsides (natural meadows) ( Skuhrovec 2009). Limobius species develop on plants of two genera: Geranium and Erodium (all Geraniaceae ) ( Koch 1992; Skuhrovec 2009). The larvae do not develop on leaves as it is typical for Hyperini Marseul, 1863, but in the inner parts of the floral stalk. The main reason in this different strategy of Hyperini larvae is probably the size of the larva and is probably shared by other small species of Hyperini as it is known for Hypera nigrirostris (Fabricius, 1775).

Distribution.

The genus Limobius is mostly distributed in the western part of Europe and North Africa. Two taxa are known only from southern France. The only widespread taxon is L. borealis borealis, distributed in the whole western Palaearctic region, from Portugal to North Africa and eastwards to Iran ( Skuhrovec 2013b).