Rhinusa melas ( Boheman, 1838 )

Caldara, Roberto & Toševski, Ivo, 2019, Rhinusa Stephens: a taxonomic revision of the species belonging to the R. linariae R. herbarum, R. melas, and R. mauritii groups (Coleoptera Curculionidae), Zootaxa 4679 (2), pp. 318-340 : 329-333

Rhinusa melas ( Boheman, 1838)

Figs 7 , 16, 17 , 30 , 35, 42

Gymnetron melas Boheman, 1838: 746 . H. Brisout de Barneville 1863: 650. Desbrochers des Loges 1893: 31. Reitter 1907: 39; 1916: 230. Hustache 1932: 414, 427. Hoffmann 1958: 1283, 1305. Smreczyński 1976: 40. Lohse & Tischler 1983: 271.

Mecinus melas (Boheman) . Bedel 1885: 146; 1887: 307. Sainte-Claire Deville 1924: 69.

Rhinusa melas (Boheman) . Caldara 2001: 185. Caldara et al. 2010: 52. Alonso-Zarazaga et al. 2017: 204.

Gymnetron heydeni Desbrochers des Loges, 1869 : [1]. Reitter 1907: 38, 42. Caldara 2013: 142.

Gymnetron heydeni var. nasutum Reitter, 1907: 38 (infrasubspecific name).

Gymnetron melas Boheman var. rufipenne Tempère, 1975: 656 (infrasubspecific name).

Type locality. Paris ( France) .

Type series. This species was described from specimens from Paris of the collection Aubé. We examined one male (coll. Schönherr, NHRS) labelled “Paris, Aubé / Typus” and designated it as the lectotype of Gymnetron melas Boheman by adding the label “ LECTOTYPUS Gymnetron melas Boheman Caldara des. 2006 [printed red label]”.

Synonyms. Gymnetron heydeni was described by Desbrochers des Loges from specimens collected at Alhambra ( Spain), of which we examined one male and one female (coll. Hoffmann, MNHN) labelled respectively “Alhambra, Espagne, ex Desbrochers des Loges / Heydeni m. / Gymnetron Heydeni Dbr. ” and “Alhambra, Espagne, ex Desbrochers des Loges / Gymnetron Heydeni Dbr. ”. We here designate the male as the lectotype of Gymnetron heydeni Desbrochers des Loges. We added the label “ LECTOTYPUS Gymnetron heydeni Desbr. Caldara des. 2006 [printed red label]” to this specimen and labelled the female as paralectotype. Moreover, we added a label to both specimens with written “ Rhinusa melas (Boh.) Caldara det. 2006”. On the basis of the morphological characters we confirm that this taxon is an aberration of R. melas with reddish elytra as already reported, however without a detailed explanation, by Caldara (2013). This aberration was found together with the typical form, as shown by the following two synonymies according to Reitter (1907) and Tèmpere (1975).

The variety nasutum of G. heydeni was described by Reitter (1907) from specimens with black elytra collected in Andalusia, together with typical specimens with reddish elytra. We examined one of these specimens (HNHM). Since the infrasubspecific rank of this entity is unambiguous according to the Art. 45.6.1 of the Code ( ICZN, 1999), the name is not available ( ICZN, 1999 Art. 45.5).

The variety rufipennis was described by Tempère (1975) based on specimens of R. melas collected in the Pyrénées-Orientales and characterized by the almost entirely reddish elytral integument. This taxon is clearly described as infrasubspecific entity ( ICZN, 1999 Art. 45.6.3) and therefore also this name is not available ( ICZN, 1999 Art. 45.5).

Redescription. Male. Body: oval, stout ( Fig. 7 ). Rostrum: black, short (Rl/Pl 0.76), stout; in lateral view moderately curved, about of same width from base to apex ( Fig. 16 ); in dorsal view with weakly divergent sides from base to antennal insertion, further subparallel-sided but wider from antennal insertion to apex, with well visible scrobes, striate-punctate to apex, with broader median sulcus, in basal half with rather dense subrecumbent to suberect long to very long (l/w 7–11) light brown scales. Head: between eyes slightly wider than rostrum at base, with narrow fovea: Eyes moderately convex. Antennae reddish brown with brown club, inserted just beyond middle of rostrum; scape 4.0× longer than wide, funicle slightly longer than scape, with segment 1 1.7× longer than wide, distinctly stouter and 1.3× longer than segment 2, which is 1.5× longer than wide, segment 3 about as long as wide, segments 4 and 5 weakly transverse; club elongate, oval, with segment 1 pubescent similarly to others. Pronotum: black, with dense and regular punctures, intervals between punctures rather visible between moderately dense subrecumbent to suberect long to distinctly long (l/w 7–12) setiform greyish and light brown scales; distinctly transverse (Pw/Pl 1.50), with rounded sides, moderately constricted at apex, widest just before middle, moderately convex. Elytra: black; short (El/Ew 1.19), subrectangular; at base moderately concave, 1.41× as wide as pronotum, weakly convex on disc; interstriae rather visible between moderately dense mainly subrecumbent to suberect setiform greyish scales, 0.75–1.25× as long as width of interstria (l/w 7–12) and arranged in 2–3 irregular rows, denser on interstria 1; striae well visible, half as wide as interstriae, with a row of whitish scales slightly narrower than those on interstriae. Legs: slender, with sparse recumbent to suberect greyish scales shorter than width of tibia; femora black, subclavate, with very small sharp tooth; tibiae blackish, moderately long, with outer margin curved inward apically; unci black, stout, all similar in size; tarsi dark brown, with tarsomere 1 twice longer than wide, tarsomere 2 1.5× longer than wide, tarsomere 3 bilobed and distinctly wider than tarsomere 2, onychium slightly shorter than tarsomeres 1–3 taken together; claws dark brown, equal in length. Venter: metasternum black, with moderately dense recumbent to suberect long setiform whitish scales. Mesepimera, mes- and metepisterna with somewhat dense long setiform whitish scales. Abdomen black, with dense and regular punctures, rather visible between moderately dense recumbent to suberect setiform greyish scales; length ventrites 1+2/3+4 1.95. Penis: body of penis moderately long (l/ w 3.6), slightly narrowing from base to middle further nearly parallel-sided, with acute narrowly rounded apex, with ventrobasal margin with basal plate extending between apodemes, endophallus with sinuous long flagellum, apodemes shorter than body and in lateral view on same ideal plane joining base and apex of median lobe ( Fig. 30 ).

Female. Rostrum slightly longer (Rl/Pl 0.79) and more curved especially along upper margin at antennal insertion, slightly narrowed from this point ( Fig. 17 ), smoother and shining at apical two thirds, uncus of metatibiae very small. Spiculum ventrale: arms distinctly spaced each other, apodeme distinctly shorter than arms ( Fig. 36 ). Spermatheca: ramus and collum well-developed, ramus shorter than collum ( Fig. 42 ).

Variability. Length 1.6–2.3 mm. The colour of the elytral integument varies from black to completely reddish. Sometimes the elytral sides are weakly convergent from base to apex and weakly rounded.Antennae and tarsi sometimes are brown. The colour of the dorsal vestiture varies from greyish to light brown.

Remarks and comparative notes. This species clearly differs from R. korotyaevi by the blackish antennae and legs instead of reddish, the scales of the dorsal vestiture greyish without sericeous reflexion, and the tarsomere 3 distinctly bilobed and distinctly broader than tarsomere 2. Finally, the two species have a different distribution since R. melas is known only from Europe and not from the Middle East. The apparent presence only in southern Spain and in the Pyrenees of a form with reddish elytral integument together with specimens with black elytra is unusual, although not unique in the genus Rhinusa . In fact, the same happens in R. bipustulata (Rossi, 1792) and R. tetra (Fabricius, 1792) , living on Scrophularia and Verbascum (Scrophulariaceae) and unrelated to R. melas . It will be surely very interesting to confirm this distributional pattern by a molecular study.

Biological notes. Larvae develope in the seed capsules of Chaenorhinum minus (L.) Lange (= Linaria minor (L.) Desf.), where they pupate. The adults were also collected on Linaria vulgaris Mill. , L. repens (L.) Mill. (= L. stricta Lam. & DC.) and L. spartea (L.) Desf., but most probably as occasional visitors.

Distribution. Southern. Western and Central Europe.

Non-type material examined. Spain: Andalucia (1, MNHN) ; Andalucia, leg. Heyden (1, HMNH) ; Andalucia, Cordoba, Fte. del Espino, Luque , 25.V.1987, leg. Baena (2, MNCN) ; Andalucia, Sierra de Tejeda, Competa , 5.IV.2001, leg Bayer (2, CBCB) ; Andalucia, Granada (1, MSNG) ; Valencia, Villalonga , leg. Moróder (2, MNHN) ; Aragon, Huesca , 20 km W of Jaca, 25.VII.1972, leg. Lohse (2, DEIM) ; Estremadura, Guadalupe , 3–24.V.1948, leg. Fagel (5, MNHN) ; Castilla La Mancha, 2.5 km NW of Riópar Viejo, Albacete , 1125 m, 31.V.2011, leg. J. Skuhrovec & Š. Skuhrovcová (1, JSCP) ; Castilla La Mancha, 1.5 km S of Nerpio, Albacete , 1213 m, 1.VI.2011, leg. J. Skuhrovec & Š. Skuhrovcová (1, JSCP) ; Castilla y León, Soria Cidones, Emb. de la Cuerda del Pozo ( Carretera cortada), 3.VI.2012, on Linaria spartea , leg. I. Ugarte & F. Saigueira (4, IUCA) . France: Hérault, St. Guilhem , 16.VI.1959 (2, MNHN) ; Seine-et-Marne, Sabliere d'Amiet , 16.V.1958, on Chaenorhinum minus , leg. Péricart (15, MNHN) ; Seine-et-Marne, Montereau , 1.VI.1969, on Chaenorhinum minus , leg. Péricart (5, MNHN) ; Aube, Sud Forét d’Othe, Vosnon , 5.VII.1981, leg. Péricart (1, MNHN) ; Yonne, Pont sur Yonne , La Montagne, 4.VIII.1979, leg. Péricart (2, MNHN) ; Meuse, Ménil La Horgue , 10.VI.1983, leg. Matacq & Péricart (1, MNHN) ; Vosges, Paonl’Etape , 19.V.1934, leg. Ruter (1, MNHN) ; Var, Nans-les-Pins , 6.V.1988, on Chaenorhinum minus , leg. Péricart (3, MNHN) ; Pyrénées-Orientales, Osseja , 1200 m, 26.VI.1977, on Chaenorhinum minus , leg. Tempère (2, MNHN) ; Seine-et-Marne, Lagny , leg. Hustache (1, MNHN) ; Isére, Col de l’Arc , 7.VIII.1921 (2, MNHN) ; Jura, Dole , leg. Hustache (4, MNHN) . Poland: Szaniec , 6.VIII.1971, leg. Brendell (1, BMNH) . Germany: Sachsen-Anhalt, Amesdorf, Kreis, Stassfurt , 30.VII.1986, on Chaenorhinum minus (2, DEIM) ; Thüringen, Freyburg Unstr , 23.VIII.1961, on Chaenorhinum minus , leg. Dieckmann (4, DEIM) ; Leutratal bei Jena am Bach , 26.VIII.1959, leg. Dieckmann (1, DEIM) . Switzerland: Vaud, 27.VII.1961, leg. Scherler (1, DEIM) . Hungary: Balatonfüred , 3.VI.1971, leg. Strejcek (1, NMPC) ; Balaton, Tihany , 1.VI.1971, leg. Strejcek (1, NMPC) . Austria: Wien, leg. Winkler (1, MSNV) ; Krems an der Donau , leg. Bachinger (2, ZMHB) . Italy: Valle d'Aosta, Torgnon , 1500 m, 10.VII.1988, leg. Caldara (1, RCCM) ; Lombardia, Milano, Desio , 1960, leg. Ratti (1, MSNM) ; Lombardia, Pavia, Santa Margherita Staffora , 17.VI.1990, leg. Pace (1, ECCR) ; Lombardia, Brescia, Orzinuovi, Oglio River , 15.V.1960, leg. Rossi (1, MSNM) ; Lombardia, Mantova, Soave, Rio Freddo , 26.V.1984 (1, PCCP) ; Lombardia, Mantova, Ostiglia , XI.1962, leg. Magnano (1, BMNH) ; Veneto, Venezia, Malcontenta , 15.III.1947, leg. Longo (1, MSNM) ; Veneto, Vicenza, San Germano dei Berici , 6.V.1973, leg. Osella (1, GOCV) ; Veneto, Vicenza, Alonte , 20.IV.1975, leg. Osella (1, RCCM) ; Veneto, Treviso , 13.V.1958, leg. Pierotti (1, GOCV) ; Veneto, Treviso, Fontane , VI.1936, leg. Burlini (1, GOCV) ; Veneto, Venezia, San Donà di Piave , 13.XII.1951, leg. Cadamuro (1, GOCV) ; Veneto, Vicenza, Nove , 25.XI.1979, leg. Bellò (1, GOCV) ; Trentino-Alto Adige, Trento, Monte. Baldo, Avio , 20.IV.1950 (1, GOCV) ; Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trieste, Duino , 30.V.1937, leg. Burlini (1, GOCV) ; Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Monfalcone , 8.X.1942, leg. Springer (2, MSNM) ; Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Monfalcone, Bestriana , 20.XI.1949, leg. Springer (2, RCCM) ; Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Udine, Latisana , 2.XII.1942, leg. Sprnger (1, MSNM) ; Liguria, Genova , VI.1929, leg. Mancini (1, MSNM) ; Liguria, Genova, Casella , 20.VI.1926, leg. Boldetti (1, PCCP) ; Liguria, Imperia, Ventimiglia , 29.VI.2005. leg. Diotti (1, LDCC) ; Toscana, Firenze, Greve , 30.I.1966 (1, GOCV) ; Toscana, Isola del Giglio , V.1970, leg. Liberti (1, LDCC) ; Umbria, Perugia, Pietralunga , 29.VI.2002, leg. Colonnelli (1, ECCR) ; Abruzzo, Lago di Scanno , 22.VI.1974, leg. Osella (1, GOCV) . Croatia: Fiume, Borgomarina , 8.V.1945 (1, PCCP) . Serbia: Mokra Gora , 30.VII.2010, ex larva, ex seed capsules of Chaenorhinum minus , leg. Toševski (30, ITCZ) . Montenegro: Kolašin , 17.VIII. 2011, 887 m, ex larva, ex seed capsules of Chaenorhinum minus (12, ITCZ) .

Figures

FIGURES 1‒9. Habitus of (1) Rhinusa linariae, male; (2) R. brisouti, male; (3) R. kumatschevi, male; (4) R. herbarum, male; (5) R. vulpeculus, holotype male; (6) R. mateui, female; (7) R. melas, male; (8) R. korotyaevi, paratype male; (9) R. mauritii, male. Not to the same scale

FIGURES 10‒22. Rostrum of (10) Rhinusa linariae, male; (11) R. linariae, female; (12) R. herbarum, male; (13) R. herbarum, female; (14) R. mateui, male; (15) R. mateui, female; (16) R. melas, male; (17) R. melas, female; (18) R. korotyaevi, male; (19) R. korotyaevi, female; (20) R. mauritii, male; (21) R. mauritii, female; (22) R. antirrhini, male.

FIGURES 23‒32. Profemur and protibia of (23) Rhinusa bipustulata, male; (24) R. linariae, male; (25) R. tetra, male; (26) R. tetra, female. Penis in dorsal view of (27) R. linariae; (28) R. herbarum; (29) R. mateui; (30) R. melas; (31) R. korotyaevi; (32) R. mauritii.

FIGURES 33‒44. Spiculum ventrale of (33) Rhinusa linariae; (34) R. herbarum; (35) R. mateui; (36) R. melas; (37) R. korotyaevi; (38) R. mauritii. Spermatheca of (39) R. linariae; (40) R. herbarum; (41) R. mateui; (42) R. melas; (43) R. korotyaevi; (44) R. mauritii.