Mecinus setulosus Pic, 1896

Caldara, Roberto & Fogato, Valter, 2013, Systematics of the weevil genus <i> Mecinus </ i> Germar, 1821 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). I. Taxonomic treatment of the species, Zootaxa 3654 (1), pp. 1-105 : 72-73

42. Mecinus setulosus Pic

Fig. 89

Mecinus setulosus Pic, 1896: 96 . Reitter, 1907: 10.

Type locality. Tiout oasis (southern Algeria).

Type series. This species was described from specimens collected by Pic in the Sahara. We examined one of them ( Pic's collection, MNHN) labelled “Tiout / 69 / Mis. Ent. IV n°7(96) p. 96 / Mecinus setulosus m. type Pic xx [sic] / type / M. setulosus Pic / Reitter vid.” (male, lectotype here designated).

Redescription. Male. Length 2.1 mm. Body: long, cylindrical, slender. Rostrum: black, moderately long (Rl/ Pl 0.92); in lateral view weakly curved, weakly narrowed in apical half ( Fig. 89 ); in dorsal view with sides weakly convergent from base to apex, with hardly visible scrobes, distinctly striate-punctured in basal two thirds then smooth and shining, in basal half with scales somewhat dense, white, moderately long (l/w 3–5), subelliptical, recumbent. Head: frons slightly wider than rostrum at base, without fovea; eyes nearly flat. Antennae: dark brown, inserted just in front of middle of rostrum; scape long, 6.0x longer than wide; funicle segment 1 3.0x longer than wide, slightly stouter and 1.5x longer than segment 2, which is 1.3x longer than wide, segments 3–5 gradually more transverse; club long, oval, with segment 1 about as pubescent as others. Pronotum: black, densely and slightly irregularly punctured, intervals between punctures narrow, rugose, moderately shining, moderately visible between scales somewhat dense, white, subelliptical to lanceolate, recumbent; moderately transverse (Pw/Pl 1.43), with weakly rounded sides, widest at middle, with weakly prominent apical constriction, moderately convex. Elytra: black; long (El/Ew 1.75), weakly concave at base, slightly wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.08), with parallel sides, moderately convex on disc; interstriae clearly visible between, recumbent to subrecumbent, sparse, white, moderately long (0.50–0.75x as long as width of interstria; l/w 3–5), subelliptical to lanceolate scales, arranged in a somewhat regular row; striae clearly visible, as wide as half of interstria, with a row of white scales, shorter and narrower than those of interstriae. Legs: moderately slender, with recumbent to subrecumbent, somewhat dense, whitish, seta-like scales, which are distinctly shorter than width of tibia; femora black, profemora with big sharp tooth, mesofemora with small tooth, metafemora unarmed; tibiae blackish, moderately slender; protibiae with apical part of ventral surface weakly directed outward; unci black, moderately stout, all equal in length and size; tarsi reddish brown, tarsomere 1 twice as long as wide, tarsomere 2 1.5x longer than wide, tarsomere 3 bilobed, distinctly wider than tarsomere 2, onychium slightly shorter than tarsomeres 1–3 taken together; claws blackish brown, equal in length, fused in basal half. Venter: metasternum moderately visible between somewhat dense, white, moderately long, subelliptical scales; mesothoracic epimera and meso- and metathoracic episterna with moderately dense, white, moderately long, subelliptical scales; abdomen with dense and somewhat regular punctures, which are clearly visible between moderately dense, whitish, moderately long to long, subelliptical to seta-like scales; ventrites length ratio 1–2/3–4 2.00. Penis: as in M. janthinus ( Fig. 140 ).

Female. Unknown.

Variability. We examined only the lectotype of this species.

Remarks and comparative notes. Based only on study of the lectotype, since we did not find other specimens of this taxon, M. setulosus appears to be mainly related to M. barbarus , with which it shares the shape of the penis. It differs distinctly from this species in the pattern of the dorsal vestiture which is composed of distinctly wider scales (on pronotum and elytral interstriae only 3–4x vs. 8–10x longer than wide) and the shorter elytra.

Biological notes. No data are available.

Distribution. Southern Algeria.

Non-type specimens examined. None.

Figures

FIGURES 88–97. Rostrum in lateral view of (88) Mecinus kaemmereri, female; (89) M. setulosus, male; (90) M. janthinus, male; (91) idem, female; (92) M. barbarus, male; (93) idem, female; (94) M. dorsalis, male; (95) idem, female; (96) M. tavaresi, male; (97) idem, female. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 133–143. Penis in dorsal and lateral view of (133) Mecinus vulpes; (134) M. pipistrellus; (135) M. collaris; (136) M. lixoides; (137) M. sicardi; (138) M. janthiniformis; (139) M. barbarus; (140) M. janthinus; (141) M. heydenii; (143) M. tavaresi; (142) M. aubei. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.