Pseudomeira prolixa (Kiesenwetter)

Pierotti, Helio, Bellò, Cesare & Alonso-Zarazaga, Miguel A., 2010, 2376, Zootaxa 2376, pp. 1-96 : 20-21

Pseudomeira prolixa (Kiesenwetter)

( Figs. 17a–b, 50b, 71)

Peritelus prolixus Kiesenwetter, 1852: 636 ; Navás, 1924: 54; Solari, 1955: 41; Gurrea Sanz & Pérez Barroeta, 1994: 134.

Peritelus (Peritelus) prolixus Kiesenwetter : Seidlitz, 1866: 290, 313, 315; Stierlin, 1883: 592, 596; Lona, 1937: 259; Compte Sart, 1982: 30.

Pseudomeira prolixa (Kiesenwetter) : Pierotti & Bellò, 1998: 105; Alonso-Zarazaga, 2002: 24.

Peritelus promissus Marseul, 1871a: 41 ; Marseul, 1872: 81 (objective synonymy).

Diagnosis. Species of medium to large size (5.0– 6.6 mm), distinguished by progressively prominent pterygia, flattened eyes, robust scape, only first 3 desmomeres having white setae, weakly transverse pronotum and suboval, elongate elytra.

Redescription. Body outline robust, rather elongate. Dorsal vestiture composed of silvery, golden, pinkish or, more rarely, emerald scales, with metallic shimmer, a little darker in two lateral stripes on pronotal dorsum, strongly imbricate on elytra, and flattened setae, widely spatuliform but not very long, on even interstriae often grouped to form two to four dark patches deprived of scales, setae sparse, paler and finer elsewhere. Rostrum subquadrate, sides subparallel, epistome deeply excised; pterygia well developed but progressively projecting from lateral margins of rostrum; metarostrum with a subtle median keel; prorostrum with a deep median longitudinal sulcus. Frons narrow, scarcely wider than metarostrum, with a weak median fovea. Eyes large, hardly ovoid, flattened. Antennae with scape robust even in basal third, rather flattened mainly near base, funicle equally robust, desmomere 1 scarcely wider than 2, this shorter or at most as long as 3+4, 3– 7 progressively wider, at least the apical desmomeres distinctly transverse, only basal three with pale setae, distinctly wider and denser; club more or less elongate, with first segment widely cup-shaped. Pronotum transverse, a little wider at base than at apex, faintly sinuate at sides, discal punctures not particularly dense. Elytra a little elongate, rounded at sides, weakly depressed at base, scarcely convex on dorsum, humeral calli obsolete (male) or widely rounded (female), elytral striae evident in spite of the vestiture, interstriae flat. Legs with tibiae robust, protibiae rounded on outer margin before apex, metatibiae with more (male) or less (female) developed series of teeth on the inner margin. Aedeagus in lateral view weakly curved, in dorsal view outline subpentagonal before apex, this shortly pointed ( Fig. 17a); endophallic structures as in Fig. 17b. Spermatheca as in Fig. 50b.

Distribution. Trans-Pyrenaean: southern France ( Hoffmann, 1950), Andorra, north-eastern and central Spain (type locality: Prats-de-Mollo valley, near La Preste, Pyrénées-Orientales, France). Spanish literature records: Barcelona: Plà d’Aiats ( Navás, 1924); Huesca: Panticosa ( Gurrea Sanz & Pérez Barroeta, 1994); Madrid: Casa de Campo ( Compte Sart, 1982). The first record is probably referable to P. adusticornis (see above).

Material examined ( Fig. 71): Spain: Barcelona-Lérida: Sierra del Cadí, agosto 06, leg. Arias ( MMA). Huesca: Panticosa , leg. Báguena ( MMA); Benasque, 26.VII.15 ( MMA); Casbas, 23.VII.07 ( MMA); Ponzano ( HOF); S. María de la Peña, VI .57, leg. Rives ( ROU); do., VI.61, leg. Español ( GON); s.ra de Guara, S. Cosme, m. 700, VI .67, leg. Osella ( OSE) ( PIE); do., 2.5.2001 , leg. Bellò (BEL); do., leg. Pierotti ( PIE); Aguas , 2.5.2001 , leg. Bellò (BEL); do., leg. Pierotti ( PIE); Atarés , 1.VIII.70 , leg. Cobos (MBA); Purroy , 2.5.2001 , leg. Bellò (BEL); do., leg. Pierotti ( PIE); Baells , 2.5.2001 , leg. Bellò (BEL); do., leg. Pierotti ( PIE); Jaca ( MMA); do., VIII.65 , leg. Auroux, (MBA); do., 1100 m., 2. VI .1988, leg. Warchalowski ( DEI); Jaca, S. Juan de la Peña, Pinar medio, 26.VII.77 , leg. Pedroch (MBA); Jaca, Peña Oroel, V .52, leg. Báguena ( MMA); Benabarre , m. 500, 2.VII.86 , leg. Osella ( OSE) ( PIE); do., 2.7.99, leg. Pierotti ( PIE); do., 2.5.2001 , leg. Bellò (BEL); do., leg. Pierotti ( PIE); s.ra de l’Aguila , m. 1200, V .67, leg. Osella ( OSE). Lérida: Alt Urgell , Llinars, m. 1350, 24. VI .1995, leg. Bellò (BEL) ( PIE); El Miracle, 24.VII.09 ( MMA); S. Llorenç de Morunys , VII.09 , leg. Codina ( BIN) ( DOD) ( MAN); do., 20.VII.17 (MBA); S. Llorenç de Morunys, Coll de Jou , m. 1480, 24. VI .1995, leg. Bellò (BEL) ( PIE); Ager , VI .56 leg. Freixa ( ROU); Anserall , La Seu, m. 400, VII.01 , leg. Germann ( SPR); Congost de Collegats, La Pobla [de Segur], VII.01, Germann ( SPR); Gorges Organyá , leg. Museu (MBA); Tuixén, ribera del r. Josa , 22.VII.20 , leg. Codina (MBA). Gerona: Llaés, V .60, leg. Freixa ( GON) ( HOF); Llaés , Guilleries, V .60., leg. Freixa (MBA); Setcasas , VIII.19 , leg. Codina (MBA); Montseny, Viladrau , VIII.26 , leg. Codina (MBA); S. Martì de Llèmena , 30. VI .54, leg. Ribes ( GON). Barcelona : Las Planas, 10. VI .56, leg. Ribes ( GON); Montseny , Pla de la Calma, 30. VI .61, leg. Ribes ( GON); Barcelona , VII.61 , leg. González ( HOF); Montserrat ( FOR); Besós ( MMA); Balenyá , 20. V .54, leg. Vilarrubia ( GON); Sardanyola , Mont Florit, 15. V .60, leg. Sole ( GON); Valldoreix , 17. V .51, leg. Ribes ( GON); do., 21.6.57, leg. Ribes ( GON); Berga , 15.VII.51 , leg. González ( GON) ( ROU); Berga, Castellar del Riu , 24. VI .1995, leg. Bellò (BEL) ( PIE); Vallvidriera , 10. V .09 ( MMA); do., 12. V.56, leg. Altimira ( ROU); do., VII.60, leg. González ( GON); Collsuspina , 6. VI .60, leg. González ( GON). Tarragona: Torredembarra , 2.6.98 , leg. Pierotti (BEL) ( PIE); Tortosa, M. Caro, 6. VI . 87, Vázquez ( VEC); Sierra de Caro da m. 700 a m. 1420 , leg. Pierotti (BEL) ( PIE); Tortosa, Ports , VII.34 , leg. Museu (MBA); Tortosa, Ports, Masía , leg. Museu (MBA); Tortosa, Ports, Carrelares, 2. VI .21, leg. Museu (MBA); La Senia , 18.5.2002 , leg. Bellò (BEL), leg. Pierotti ( PIE); Mascat, m. 1000, N 40° 46' 364'' E 00° 15' 525'' 5. VI .2005 leg. Bellò (BEL); do., leg. Pierotti ( PIE); Mascat bivio Cova Avellanes, m. 980, N 40° 47' 365'' E 00° 18' 307'', 5. VI .2005 leg. Bellò (BEL); do., leg. Pierotti ( PIE); do., bivio Ref. de Font Ferrera , m. 1090, N 40° 44' 441'' E 00° 12' 053'' 5. VI .2005 leg. Bellò (BEL); do., leg. Pierotti ( PIE). Castellón: Lucena [del Cid] ( MMA); Fredes , m. 1150, N 40° 42' 437'' E 00° 09' 891'' 5. VI .2005, leg. Bellò (BEL) leg. Pierotti ( PIE), Fredes Castillo m. 1090 N 40 41' 358'' E 00° 10' 054'' 5. VI .2005 leg. Bellò (BEL); do., leg. Pierotti ( PIE); Fredes, M. Refalgueri, m. 1180, N 40° 43' 740'' E 00° 11' 171'', 5. VI .2005, leg. Bellò (BEL); do., leg. Pierotti ( PIE). Teruel: P[uer].to Quarto [= Cuarto] Pelado, m. 1600, N 40° 32' 500'' W 00° 29' 356'' 3. VI .2005, leg. Bellò (BEL); do., leg. Pierotti ( PIE); S[ier].ra del Rayo , m. 1550, N 40° 28' 392'' W 00° 25' 731'' 4. VI .2005, leg. Bellò (BEL); do., leg. Pierotti ( PIE); Fortanete, m. 1400, N 40° 30' 991'' W 00° 29' 872'' 3. VI .2005, leg. Bellò (BEL); do., leg. Pierotti ( PIE); Fortanete , S[ier].ra de Gúdar, m. 1450, N 40° 31' 000'' W 00° 34' 627'' 3. VI .2005, leg. Bellò (BEL); do., leg. Pierotti ( PIE); P[uer].to Cantavieja , m. 1350, N 40° 29' 456'' W 00° 21' 704'' 3. VI .2005, leg. Bellò (BEL); do., leg. Pierotti ( PIE). Madrid: Casa de Campo, V .57, leg. Ribes ( GON); do., VII.61 ( HOF). Ávila: Sra. de Gredos , VIII.53 ( HOF) .

Biology. The species is often found on Buxus sempervirens L. ( Buxaceae ), as we could observe at the type and other Catalonian localities (here usually associated with Gymnomorphus mononychus ), in Castellón and in Teruel (here often associated with Euplister mimus ), and on Rosmarinus officinalis L. (in Purroy, Catalonia as well). However, it has also been recorded on Ulex nanus Sm. and U. parviflorus Pourr. ( Hoffmann, 1950) and on Genista scorpius L. ( Fabaceae ) ( Bourdonné & Bordy, 1993).

Notes. The Spanish specimens (in particular those from the central regions) differ somewhat from the topotypical ones and in general from those from French localities and will be the subject of further studies.