Solariola Flach, 1908

Bello’, Cesare, Osella, Giuseppe & Baviera, Cosimo, 2019, A taxonomic monograph of the genus Solariola Flach, 1908 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae), Zootaxa 4676 (1), pp. 1-261 : 8-16

Solariola Flach, 1908

( Figs 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H, 1I, 1L, 1M, 1N, 1O , 219)

Otiorhynchus (Troglorhynchus) Solari, 1904 (fauna): 169–171.

Troglorhynchus subg. Solariella Flach, 1905 (note): 318 not S. Wood, 1842; Ragusa, 1906 (note): 62; Normand, 1908 (fauna): 227.

Otiorhynchus subg. Solariella Weise, 1907 (note): 13.

Troglorhynchus subg. Solariola Flach, 1908 (note): 56; Hoffmann, 1950 (fauna): 151; 1958 (fauna): 629; Tempère & Pèricart, 1989 (note): 39.

Solariola Reitter, 1914 (tables): 111; A. & F. Solari, 1923 (revision): 51; Luigioni, 1929 (catalogue): 871; Winkler, 1932 (catalogue): 1432; Porta, 1932 (catalogue): 57–58; Lona, 1937 (catalogue): 233, 234; Sainte-Claire Deville, 1938 (catalogue): 390; So- lari, 1955 (note): 36–37; Osella, 1973 (fauna): 369–372; Osella, 1976 (fauna): 179, 194–195; Pesarini, 1977 (tables): 8; Osella, 1979 (fauna): 311–313; Abbazzi, Bartolozzi & Osella, 1989 (fauna): 321, 322; Osella, 1991 (note): 47; Abbazzi & Osella, 1992 (catalogue): 302; Abbazzi et al. 1995 (catalogue): 22; Osella & Di Marco 1996 (fauna): 345, 349–355; Alonso Zarazaga & Lyal, 1999 (catalogue): 170; Sparacio, 1999 (fauna): 135–136; Colonnelli, 2003 (checklist): 46; Osella et al. 2004 (fauna): 101, 108; Osella et al, 2005 (checklist): 231; Osella et al, 2005a (fauna): 219, 220; Abbazzi & Maggini, 2009 (catalogue): 58; Magnano & Alonso-Zarazaga, 2013 (catalogue): 80, 346–347; Baviera, 2015 (revision): 401–430; Baviera & Bellò, 2016 (fauna): 1–10; Pierotti, 2016 (note): 3; Morrone & Hlaváč, 2017 (checklist): 7, 49–50; Pierotti, 2017a (cata- logue): 344; Bellò, Osella & Baviera, 2017 (fauna): 14.

Type species. Solariola paganettii Flach (1905) . Gender feminine.

Diagnosis. A genus belonging to tribe Peritelini ( Curculionidae , Entiminae ) easily distinguishable by the single tarsal claw ( Figs 2 A– 2I). Species of small or medium size (TL: 2.1 5–4.00 mm; BL: 1.80–3.40 mm) with body shape more or less slender and elytra dorsally glabrous shining. Epistome absent. Rostrum elongate (RL: 0.35–0.70 mm, RW: 0.20–0.45 mm, RL/RW: 1.17–1.75), scarcely and regularly curved from base to apex. Scrobe lateral, deep, completely visible from above. Mesorostrum carinae generally with parallel sides, sometimes divergent. Forehead convex (FW/MW: 2.00–2.60), often with an elongate pit. Submentum usually with pappolepida. Eyes absent, although the ocular area is composed of a longitudinally raised oval stemma. Antennae more or less elongate and thin (SL: 0.40–0.75 mm, FL: 0.60–1.10 mm, SL/FL: 0.60–0.84). Pronotum as long as wide or more or less elongate (PL: 0.46–0.90 mm, PW: 0.44–0.85 mm, PL/PW: 0.95–1.20) with echinopappolepida at base ( S. doderoi group) or whitout echinopappolepida at base ( S. gestroi group and S. paganettii group). Elytra oblong, more or less elongate oval, convex to sides (EL: 1.30–2.40 mm, EW: 0.65–1.30 mm, EL/EW: 1.75–2.15). Elytra each with ten striae, while interstriae punctures are from 12 to 19. Legs with femora and tibiae normally edentate; protibiae with distinct inner apical grooming brush. Male genitalia see Figs: dorsal shape aedeagus 47–89; apex of penis 47’–89’; IX sternite 90–132. Female genitalia see Figs: spermatheca 133–175; VIII sternite 176–218.

Redescription. Body length from 2.15 to 4.00 mm, maximum width of elytra from 0.65 to 1.30 mm. Cuticle from reddish-brownish to blackish-brownish, rarely yellowish, often with antennae and legs light reddish, generally dull, seldom glossy.

Integument glabrous, with sparse setae on head, longer setae on prothorax and elytra. Usually, lanceolate pappolepida are present on underside of rostrum, around eyes, and apex of elytra, while in the S. doderoi species group echinopappolepida are present only at base of pronotum.

Head. Transverse, short, with punctures. Rostrum more or less elongate (RL: 0.35–0.70 mm, RW: 0.20–0.45 mm, RL/RW: 1.17–1.75) and usually regularly curved from base to apex. Scrobes lateral, more or less deep, completely visible dorsally with pterygia more or less evident. Under sides of rostrum and under the scrobes more or less densely covered with whitish-yellowish pappolepida, often more or less visible dorsally, around eyes. Eyes atrophied or vestigial, composed of only one longitudinally oval, more or less raised, stemma, dorsally separated by more than width of base of rostrum. Forehead (FW/MW: 2.00–2.60) slightly convex, with small, more or less, evident pit. Apex and base of rostrum with short and sparse setae more or less raised, pointing backward. Setae present on both sides and on upper surface of mesorostrum. Mesorostral carinae sub-parallel or less divergent to sides. Epistome absent. Genae elongate, very scarcely punctured. Mandibles in horizontal plane.

Antennae more or less elongate and thin, 11-segmented (SL: 0.40–0.75 mm, FL: 0.60–1.10 mm, SL/FL: 0.60– 0.84). Scape from 4 to 6 times longer than wide, slightly curved in the proximal third, regularly thickened from base to apex which is curved in the basal third. Funicle 7-segmented, all segments with more or less thin and elongate setae. Funicle segments including club, relative lengths to 50x as follows: 5–10 mm, 4–10 mm, 3–6 mm, 2–5 mm, 2–5 mm, 2–4 mm, 2–4 mm, 8–18 mm. Club oval or fusiform, more or less elongate, with basal flared segment, longest of last four/five funicle segments, almost twice wider than funicle, with golden pubescence and some thin, elongate setae.

Pronotum. More or less elongate (PL: 0.46–0.90 mm, PW: 0.44–0.85 mm, PL/PW: 0.95–1.20), strongly convex, widest around the middle, base and apex straight. Apex generally slightly shorter than base, with large irregular deep punctures bearing a long recumbent seta originating from a minute bulging point at each puncture. Punctures are more distant from each other on disc than on sides, interspaces between punctures often matte, microreticulate, centripetal discal setae strongly inclined. Base of pronotum with row of confluent punctures forming shallow, poorly defined antibasal sulcus bearing flat setae whose multifide apex is visible only at very high magnification.

Scutellum very small, sometimes not visible externally.

Elytra elongate subcylindrical or elongate oval in dorsal view, in lateral view more or less vaulted (EL: 1.30– 2.40 mm, EW: 0.65–1.30 mm, EL/EW: 1.75–2.15). Elytra fused with suture slightly evident; convex, rounded at sides; widest in basal third or at middle. Humeri present, short, rounded or straight. Wings absent. Each elytra with ten more or less complete striae. Striae with 12–19 punctures more or less evident, normally catenulate. Interstriae flat or slightly convex more or less wide than striae; with thin setae more or less widened at apex, elongate and inclined on elytral surface. Elytral declivity from 45 to 75 degrees.

Legs more or less thin and elongate, with rather long flattened setae, half-lifted on tarsomere. Femora edentate (dentate or subdentate only in S. paganettii and S. margaritae ), more or less clubbed in the middle and narrowed to apex. Tibiae setose, slightly curved or straight in side view, more in males than in females. Protibia with five-ten acute spines on inner edge; meso- and metatibiae with small to very small tooth-like tubercles on inner edge. All tibiae mucronate and with a fringe of thick golden setae on inner apical angle. Tarsal segment 1 short, conical; segment 2 short and transverse; segment 3 more or less deeply bilobed; all segments with thin golden setae. Onychium curved, robust and short with one more or less short claw. Coxae globular. Procoxae connate, mesocoxae separated by space about equal to their diameter, metacoxae separated by space about three times their diameter ( Figs 1A , 2 G– 2I).

Abdomen shining, slightly rugose, finely punctured, each point bearing a strongly flattened short seta. Ventrite 5 slightly longer than 3+4; sutures evident and strongly curved between ventrites 1 and 2, whereas they are straight between 2 and 3, 3 and 4, 4 and 5. In males ventrites 1 and 2 are more or less hollowed ( Figs 2 G– 2I).

Male terminalia. Penis long and slender; well sclerotised; temones subequal in length to body of penis and 1.5× as long as tegminal manubrium ( Figs 47–89 ). Apex, in dorsal view, with profile more or less heart-shaped with rounded sides ( Figs 47 ’–89’). Tegmen with slender complete ring; with one slender, long paramere. Internal sac not or very weakly sclerotized. Sternite IX with spiculum gastrale moderately long, anteriorly curved and tapered or only slightly enlarged posteriorly, and with separated, butterfly-shaped basal arms ( Figs 90, 132 ).

Female terminalia. Gonocoxite small, very slender; weakly sclerotised; evenly tapered apicad; with short sized stylus ( Fig 1K ). Stylus at apex with tuft of 2–4 setae, apical part of body of gonocoxite also with 4–8 fine and long, laterally prominent setae. Sternite VIII with long, very curved and slender apodeme, 5–6× as long as plate, terminating just at base of plate, creating short basal margin. Plate of sternite VIII sub-isosceles trapezoid shaped; with longitudinally developed arms; and with apical margin badly defined, armed with sparse fringe of setae ( Figs 176–218 ). Spermatheca weakly to very weakly sclerotized, small, slender; with very slender cornu and small corpus; the ramus and nodulus not often differing between species; ramus usually slightly longer than wide and nodulus smaller, hump-shaped ( Figs 133–175 ).

Sexual dimorphism ( Figs 2 A– 2I). Males differ from females in smaller size and more slender appearance, more robust body appendages, tibiae with more noticeable apical mucro, ventrites 1 and 2 slightly hollowed and ventrite 5 with the apical margin less obtuse.

Distribution (Figs 219–220). This genus is thus far endemic to Southern Italy and Sicily ( Solari, 1923; Tempère, 1977; Tempère & Pèricart, 1989; Osella, 1991; Osella et al., 2005; Baviera, 2015).

Ecology and Phenology. Species of Solariola Flach (1908) appear to be well characterized not only from a morphological point of view, but also from an ecological standpoint. This is seen in their phenology because they are mostly found in spring and (less) in winter and in their adaptation to characteristic edaphic conditions.

Of the features listed by Osella (1981) for different levels of adaptation to endogean life in Palaearctic Curculionidae one can select as reliable only eyes not totally absent but composed of one longitudinally oval stemma, reddish-brown integument, and small size as indicating a fairly low level of specialization to endogean soil life, all present in Solariola . This low level of specialization is also observed if we compare collection sites of Otiorhynchus subg. Lixorrhynchus ( Reitter, 1914) and Solariola species. Adult beetles of Lixorrhynchus are usually collected under leaf litter or large stones in woody areas and very often in caves, while in Solariola , even if often collected under large stones, only a single species was collected in a cave ( S. bucolorum sp. nov. in Etna Mount). No biological data other than collecting records are available for Solariola . All Solariola are probably rhizophagous insects as larvae and it is probable that they developed inside the roots of plants not deep in the soil. Adults based observation of the digestive system contents shows that they feed on dead plant materials. The known species live mainly in oak forest ( Quercus spp.) probably associated with roots of Mediterranean lianas (eg. Smilax spp., Hedera spp., Rubia spp., Rubus spp.). Immature stages are unknown except as eggs. Solariola are found mostly in sandy soil (Baviera, 2015) and, according to Osella (1979) and Baviera (2015), in wooded environments of low, limestone mountains and hills (from sea level to 1900 m) with considerable humidity, so that they can be considered “old forest dwellers” ( Brandmayr & Pizzolotto, 1990).

The known species live in Cambisol (Vertic-Chromic-Dystrict or Calcaro-Eutric) soils with weakly differentiated profiles common in Sicily and Southern Italy (Fig. 221a, 222a, 223a).

Main soil type for different groups.

Vertic-Chromic Cambisol (12 species), Calcaro-Eutric-Cambisol (3 species)................. S. doderoi group Vertic-Dystrict Cambisol (11 species), Calcaro-Eutric-Cambisol (3 species).................. S. gestroi group Vertic Cambisol (2 species), Dystrict Cambisol (12 species)............................. S. paganettii group

Figures

FIGURE 1A. Acronyms measurements of Solariola: TL (total lenght); BL (body length); SL (scape length); FL (funicle length); RL (rostrum length); RW (rostrum width); PL (Pronotum length); PW (pronotum width); EL (elytra length); EW (elytra width); AS (funicle segments and club length at 50x).

FIGURES 2A–2F. Solariola species group (scale bar: 1 mm): 2A—S. doderoi holotype ♂, habitus dorsal view; 2B—S. gestroi holotype ♂, habitus dorsal view; 2C—S. paganetti holotype ♂, habitus dorsal view; 2D—S. doderoi paratype ♀, habitus dorsal view; 2E—S. gestroi paratype ♀, habitus dorsal view; 2F—S. paganettii sintypus ♀, habitus dorsal view.

FIGURES 47–89. Dorsal view aedeagus: 47—S. doderoi A. & F. Solari, 1923, paratype; 48—S. ruffoi Osella & Di Marco, 1996, paratype; 49—S. angelae Baviera, 2015, paratype; 50—S. benellii sp.n., ♂ unknown; 51—S. bucolorum sp.n., paratype; 52—S. forbixi sp.n., paratype; 53—S. hyblensis sp. n, ♂ unknown; 54—S. ientilei sp.n., paratype; 55—S. mariaeclarae sp.n., paratype; 56—S. mariaesilvanae sp.n., paratype; 57—S. paulimagrinii sp.n., ♂ unknown; 58—S. petriolii sp.n., paratype; 59—S. sabellai sp.n., ♂ unknown; 60—S. saccoi sp.n., holotype; 61—S. selinusia sp.n., holotype; 62—S. gestroi (A. & F. Solari, 1923), paratype; 63—S. fraterna Baviera, 2015, paratype; 64—S. angelinii sp.n., paratype; 65—S. cajetanibelloi sp.n., paratype; 66—S. calida sp.n., paratype; 67—S. diottii sp.n., paratype; 68—S. fancelloi sp.n., paratype; 69—S. normanna sp.n., paratype; 70—S. obsoleta sp.n., paratype; 71—S. poggii sp.n., paratype; 72—S. sbordonii sp.n., ♂ unknown; 73—S. tedeschii sp.n., paratype; 74—S. venusta sp.n., paratype; 75—S. zoiai sp.n., paratype; 76—S. paganettii (Flach, 1905); 77—S. hirtula A. & F. Solari, 1923; 78—S. vitalei A. & F. Solari, 1923; 79—S. pesarinii Baviera, 2015, paratype; 80—S. comata sp.n., paratype; 81—S. graziaensis sp.n., paratype; 82—S. margaritae sp.n., paratype; 83—S. mariaetheresiae sp.n., paratype; 84—S. melonii sp.n., paratype; 85—S. nemoralis sp.n., paratype; 86—S. pacei sp.n., paratype; 87—S. pentaphyllica sp.n., paratype; 88—S. raphaelis sp.n., paratype; 89—S. rosae sp.n., paratype.

FIGURES 90–132. IX Sternite: 90—S. doderoi A. & F. Solari, 1923, paratype; 91—S. ruffoi Osella & Di Marco, 1996, paratype; 92—S. angelae Baviera, 2015, paratype; 93—S. benellii sp.n., ♂ unknown; 94—S. bucolorum sp.n., paratype; 95—S. forbixi sp.n., paratype; 96—S. hyblensis sp.n., ♂ unknown; 97—S. ientilei sp.n., paratype; 98—S. mariaeclarae sp.n.,# paratype; 99—S. mariaesilvanae sp.n., paratype; 100—S. paulimagrinii sp.n., ♂ unknown; 101—S. petriolii sp.n., paratype; 102—S. sabellai sp.n., ♂ unknown; 103—S. saccoi sp.n., ♂ holotype; 104—S. selinusia sp.n., ♂ holotype; 105—S. gestroi (A. & F. Solari, 1923), paratype; 106—S. fraterna Baviera, 2015, paratype; 107—S. angelinii sp.n., paratype; 108—S. cajetanibelloi sp.n. paratype; 109—S. calida sp.n., paratype; 110—S. diottii sp.n., paratype; 111—S. fancelloi sp.n., paratype; 112—S. normanna sp.n., paratype; 113—S. obsoleta sp.n., paratype; 114—S. poggii sp.n., ♂ unknown; 115—S. sbordonii sp.n., ♂ unknown; 116—S. tedeschii sp.n., paratype; 117—S. venusta sp.n., paratype; 118—S. zoiai sp.n., paratype; 119—S. paganettii (Flach, 1905); 120—S. hirtula A. & F. Solari, 1923; 121—S. vitalei A. & F. Solari, 1923, not present; 122—S. pesarinii Baviera, 2015, paratype; 123—S. comata sp.n., paratype; 124—S. graziaensis sp.n., paratype; 125—S. margaritae sp.n., paratype; 126—S. mariaetheresiae sp.n., paratype; 127—S. melonii sp.n., paratype; 128—S. nemoralis sp.n., paratype; 129—S. pacei sp.n., paratype; 130—S. pentaphyllica sp.n., paratype; 131—S. raphaelis sp.n., paratype; 132—S. rosae sp.n., paratype.

FIGURES 176–218. VIII Sternite: 176—S. doderoi A. & F. Solari, 1923, paratype; 177—S. ruffoi Osella & Di Marco, 1996, paratype; 178—S. angelae Baviera, 2015, paratype; 179—S. benellii sp.n., holotype; 180—S. bucolorum sp.n., paratype; 181— S. forbixi sp.n., paratype; 182—S. hyblensis sp.n., holotype; 183—S. ientilei sp.n., paratype; 184—S. mariaeclarae sp.n., paratype; 185—S. mariaesilvanae sp.n., paratype; 186—S. paulimagrinii sp.n., paratype; 187—S. petriolii sp.n., holotype; 188—S. sabellai sp.n., holotype; 189—S. saccoi sp.n., ♀ unknown; 190—S. selinusia sp.n. ♀ unknown; 191—S. gestroi (A. & F. Solari, 1923), sintypus; 192—S. fraterna Baviera, 2015, paratype; 193—S. angelinii sp.n., paratype; 194—S. cajetanibelloi sp.n., paratype; 195—S. calida sp.n., paratype; 196—S. diottii sp.n., paratype; 197—S. fancelloi sp.n., paratype; 198—S. normanna sp.n., paratype; 199—S. obsoleta sp.n., paratype; 200—S. poggii sp.n., holotype; 201—S. sbordonii sp.n., holotype; 202—S. tedeschii sp.n., paratype; 203—S. venusta sp.n., paratype; 204—S. zoiai sp.n., paratype; 205—S. paganettii (Flach, 1905); 206—S. hirtula A. & F. Solari, 1923, paratype; 207—S. vitalei A. & F. Solari, 1923; 208—S. pesarinii Baviera, 2015, paratype; 209—S. comata sp.n., paratype; 210—S. graziaensis sp.n., paratype; 211—S. margaritae sp.n., paratype; 212—S. mariaetheresiae sp.n., paratype; 213—S. melonii sp.n., paratype; 214—S. nemoralis sp.n., holotype; 215—S. pacei sp.n., paratype; 216—S. pentaphyllica sp.n., paratype; 217—S. raphaelis sp.n., paratype; 218—S. rosae sp.n., paratype.

FIGURES 133–175. Spermatheca: 133—S. doderoi A. & F. Solari, 1923, paratype; 134—S. ruffoi Osella & Di Marco, 1996, paratype; 135—S. angelae Baviera, 2015, paratype; 136—S. benellii sp.n., holotype; 137—S. bucolorum sp.n., paratype; 138— S. forbixi sp.n., paratype; 139—S. hyblensis sp.n., holotype; 140—S. ientilei sp.n., paratype; 141—S. mariaeclarae sp.n., paratype; 142—S. mariaesilvanae sp.n., paratype; 143—S. paulimagrinii sp.n., paratype; 144—S. petriolii sp.n., holotype, not found spermatheca; 145—S. sabellai sp.n., holotype; 146—S. saccoi sp.n., ♀ unknown; 147—S. selinusia sp.n. ♀ unknown; 148—S. gestroi (A. & F. Solari, 1923), sintypus; 149—S. fraterna Baviera, 2015, paratype; 150—S. angelinii sp.n., paratype; 151—S. cajetanibelloi sp.n., paratype; 152—S. calida sp.n., paratype; 153—S. diottii sp.n., paratype; 154—S. fancelloi sp.n., paratype; 155—S. normanna sp.n., paratype; 156—S. obsoleta sp.n., paratype; 157—S. poggii sp.n., holotype; 158—S. sbordonii sp.n., holotype; 159—S. tedeschii sp.n., paratype; 160—S. venusta sp.n., paratype; 161—S. zoiai sp.n., paratype; 162—S. paganettii (Flach, 1905); 163—S. hirtula A. & F. Solari, 1923, paratype; 164—S. vitalei A. & F. Solari, 1923; 165—S. pesarinii Baviera, 2015, paratype; 166—S. comata sp.n., paratype; 167—S. graziaensis sp.n., paratype; 168—S. margaritae sp.n., paratype; 169—S. mariaetheresiae sp.n., paratype; 170—S. melonii sp.n., paratype; 171—S. nemoralis sp.n., holotype; 172—S. pacei sp.n., paratype; 173—S. pentaphyllica sp.n., paratype; 174—S. raphaelis sp.n., paratype; 175—S. rosae sp.n., paratype.