Rhinusa moroderi ( Reitter, 1906 )

Caldara, Roberto, Casalini, Roberto & Baviera, Cosimo, 2012, Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on the Rhinusa tetra (Fabricius) species complex (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Zootaxa 3329, pp. 31-40 : 37

Rhinusa moroderi ( Reitter, 1906)

Gymnetron otini Hustache, 1946 (syn. n.)

Remarks. This southern Palaearctic species is closely related to R. tetra , with which it is sympatric in the entire area of its distribution. It differs from this species only, but constantly, by the shape of the female rostrum which in lateral view is cylindrical and not tapered from antennal insertion to apex ( Fig. 10 vs. Fig. 7 ). Moreover it is noteworthy that the body length (rostrum excluded) in all specimens of R. moroderi is less than 3 mm whereas in R. tetra and R. verbasci specimens longer than 3 mm are common.

Biological notes. In Sicily, Spain and Cyprus this species was collected on Verbascum sinuatum L. (R. Caldara, pers. data). In eastern Sicily, where a detailed survey was conducted on all species of Verbascum , adult weevils were found only on V. sinuatum (C. Baviera, pers. obs.).

Distribution. Portugal, southern Spain, southern Italy and main isles (Sardinia, Sicily), Malta, Albania, continental Greece and isles (Kefalonia, Zakynthos), Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 15. Rostrum in dorsal and lateral view of 1, Rhinusa tetra male, Rocca di Cave, Italy; 2, R. tetra female, Rocca di Cave, Italy; 3, R. comosa male, Pisoniano, Italy; 4, R. comosa female, Sandanski, Bulgaria; 5, R. moroderi female, Salamis, Cyprus; 6, R tetra male; 7, R tetra female; 8, R. comosa male; 9, R. comosa female; 10, R. moroderi female; 11 and 12, R. verbasci female, Golluk-Nallihan, Turkey; 13, R. verbasci female, Tessaglia, Greece. Aedeagus in dorsal view of 14, R. tetra; 15, R. comosa.