Mecinus lixoides (Escalera)

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 : 73-74

43. Mecinus lixoides (Escalera)

Figs 38 , 136 , 154 , 168

Mecinopsis lixoides Escalera, 1914: 468 .

Mecinus lixoides (Escalera) . Alonso-Zarazaga & Lyal, 1999: 80.

Type locality. Glaui ( Morocco).

Type series. This species was described from specimens from Morocco (Ait-Agia, Tarudant, Glaui). We examined three of them ( MCNM) labelled: “Glaui / Mecinopsis lixoides Esc. , tipo” (male, lectotype here designated), “Tarudant, 4.1912” (female, paralectotype) and “Ait Agia, 3.1912” (female, paralectotype).

Redescription. Male. Length 4.3 mm. Body: long, cylindrical, slender ( Fig. 38 ). Rostrum: black with reddish apex, long (Rl/Pl 0.98), subcylindrical; in lateral view moderately curved, about of same width from base to apex (as in M. barbarus , fig. 93); in dorsal view with subparallel sides weakly enlarged near antennal insertion, distinctly striate-punctured in basal two thirds then smooth and shining, in basal half with recumbent, somewhat dense, whitish, moderately long to long (l/w 3–6), seta-like scales. Head: frons as wide as rostrum at base, without fovea; eyes moderately convex. Antennae: brown, inserted just in front of middle of rostrum; scape long, 7.0x longer than wide; funicle about as long as scape, segment 1 3.0x longer than wide, about as stout as and 2–0x longer than segment 2, which is 1.7x longer than wide, segment 3 about as long as wide, segments 4 and 5 transverse; club long, oval, segment 1 about as pubescent as others. Pronotum: black, with dense and regular punctures, intervals between punctures weakly convex and shining, hardly visible between recumbent, dense, whitish, long (l/w 4–7), seta-like scales; moderately transverse (Pw/Pl 1.27), with weakly rounded sides, with weakly prominent apical constriction, widest at basal third, weakly convex. Elytra: black; very long (El/Ew 1.78), at base weakly concave, with parallel sides, moderately wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.32), somewhat convex on disc; interstriae hardly visible between almost recumbent, dense, white, long (about 0.5x as long as width of interstria; l/w 4–7), seta-like scales, arranged in 2–3 irregular rows; striae ill distinguishable from interstriae, with a row of scales similar to 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, subclavate, profemora with stout tooth, meso- and metafemora with very small tooth; tibiae blackish brown, somewhat long; protibiae with apical part of ventral surface weakly directed outward; unci blackish, moderately stout, all equal in size and length; tarsi reddish brown, long, tarsomere 1 2.7x longer than wide, tarsomere 2 1.5x longer than wide, segment 3 distinctly bilobed and much wider than tarsomere 2, onychium thin and shorter than tarsomeres 1–3 taken together; claws dark brown, equal in length, fused in basal half. Venter: metasternum blackish brown, hardly visible between recumbent, somewhat dense (especially at sides), whitish, long, seta-like scales; mesothoracic epimera and meso- and metathoracic episterna with dense, whitish, long, subelliptical scales; abdomen black, with dense and somewhat regular small punctures, which are hardly visible between recumbent to subrecumbent, dense, white, long, seta-like scales; ventrites length ratio 1–2/3–4 1.83. Penis: fig. 136.

Female. As in male except rostrum distinctly longer (Rl/Pl 1.30) (as in M. kaemmereri , fig. 89), only moderately punctured with broader intervals between punctures, antennae inserted at middle of rostrum, femora unarmed, uncus of metatibiae very small. Sternite 8: fig. 154. Spermatheca: fig. 168.

Variability. Length 3.6–4.9 mm. The colour of antennae, femora, tibiae and abdomen varies from reddish brown to blackish. Sometimes the elytra are weakly enlarged in apical third.

Remarks and comparative notes. This is one of the largest species in the genus, like M. kaemmereri and M. janthiniformis . It is easily distinguishable from other species of Mecinus with long elytra by the elytral vestiture being denser and more compact, so that the striae are not visible. Mecinus lixoides seems more closely related to M. barbarus , from which it can be separated also by the pronotum being widest in the basal third (and not at middle) and the rostrum and antennae of the female being longer.

Biological notes. No data are available.

Distribution. Morocco.

Non-type specimens examined. MOROCCO: Marrakesh , IV.1907, Escalera leg. (3, MNHN) ; Marrakesh (1, MNHN; 1, AZCM); Tarudant, IV.1912, Olivella leg. (1, MNCM) .

Figures

FIGURES 37–42. Habitus of (37) Mecinus barbarus; (38) M. lixoides; (39) M. heydenii; (40). M. dorsalis; (41) M. tavaresi; (42) M. aubei. Not to the same scale.

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.

FIGURES 144–156. Sternite 8 of (144) Mecinus pascuorum; (145) M. caucasicus; (146) M. marina; (147) M. reichei; (148) M. humeralis; (149) M. circulatus; (150) M. pyraster; (151) M. simus; (152) M. collaris; (153) M. janthinus; (154) M. lixoides; (155) M. sicardi; (156) M. heydenii. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 157–171. Spermatheca of (157) Mecinus pascuorum; (158) M. caucasicus; (159) M. haemorrhoidalis; (160) M. labilis; (161) M. marina; (162) M. elongatus; (163) M. reichei; (164) M. circulatus; (165) M. pyraster; (166) M. simus; (167) M. comosus; (168) M. lixoides; (169) M. janthinus; (170) M. heydenii; (171) M. collaris. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.