Mecinus plantaginis

15. Mecinus plantaginis (Eppelsheim)

Figs 13, 57, 118

Gymnetron plantaginis Eppelsheim, 1875 [31.I.1875]: 77. Desbrochers des Loges, 1893: 40. Rey, 1894: 74. Reitter, 1907: 32; 1916: 228. Hustache, 1931: 411. 424. Hoffmann, 1958: 1281, 1298. Smreczyṅski, 1976: 29. Lohse & Tischler, 1983: 265.

Mecinus plantaginis (Eppelsheim). Bedel, 1885: 148 (note). Caldara, 2001: 183.

Gymnetron inermicrum Desbrochers des Loges, 1875 [30.IV.1875]: 33; 1893: 40. Reitter, 1907: 32; 1916: 228.

Gymnetron zherichini Korotyaev, 1994: 889 (syn. n.).

Type locality. Grünstadt (Germany).

Type series. At MNHN we examined three syntypes of this taxon: one male labelled “Grünstadt / plantaginis Eppelsh. / Eppelsheim / Ex Musaeo Rosenhauer” (lectotype here designated) and two females pinned on the same pin and labelled “plantaginis mihi, Grünstadt / Eppelsheim / Ex Musaeo Desbrochers des Loges, 1914” (paralectotypes). Another syntype is in Solari's collection (MSNM): it bears the following card, handwritten by Solari: “Grunwald [lapsus calami], Coll. Eppelsheim, ex Staudinger” (paralectotype).

Synonyms. Gymnetron inermicrum was described from specimens from Sarepta three monthes after M. plantaginis (M. A. Alonso-Zarazaga and L. Behne pers. comm.). We confirm the synonymy with these two species, already proposed by Desbrochers des Loges (1893), after the study of a syntype labelled “inermicrus Db., type, Sarepta” (MNHN, lectotype here designated).

Gymnetron zherichini was described from specimens collected in eastern Siberia (type locality: Chita) and Mongolia, which we examined (ZISP). We have not found differences between this species and M. plantaginis.

Redescription. Male. Length 1.4 mm. Body: short, oval, moderately stout (Fig. 13). Rostrum: reddish brown, long (Rl/Pl 1.10), subcylindrical; in lateral view moderately curved, almost of same width from base to apex (Fig. 57); in dorsal view with subparallel sides, slightly enlarged at apex, with moderately visible scrobes, moderately striate-punctured in basal two thirds then smooth and shining, in basal half with recumbent, moderately dense, greyish, somewhat short (l/w 3–5), seta-like scales. Head: frons as wide as rostrum at base, with shallow fovea; eyes flat. Antennae: reddish with black club, inserted just before middle of rostrum; scape long, 5.5x longer than wide; funicle slightly longer than scape, segment 1 twice as long as wide, slightly stouter and 1.5x longer than segment 2, which is 1.5x longer than wide, segments 3 and 4 about as long as wide, segment 5 weakly transverse; club short, oval, segment 1 almost glabrous. Pronotum: black, with moderately dense punctures variable in width and irregularly arranged, intervals between punctures in part slightly wider than bigger punctures, slightly rugose, shining, clearly visible on disc between recumbent, sparse, greyish, moderately long (l/w 4–7), seta-like scales, but almost hidden at base and sides (basal half) by yellowish white, wide (l/w 1–2) scales; moderately transverse (Pw/ Pl 1.37), with weakly rounded sides, with slightly prominent apical constriction, widest between median third and basal third, moderately convex. Elytra: blackish brown except basal third, interstriae 1–3 and sides, which are blackish; moderately short (El/Ew 1.23), oval, at base weakly concave, moderately wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.27), with moderately rounded sides, widest at middle, distinctly convex on disc; interstriae clearly visible between recumbent to subrecumbent, sparse, greyish, long (0.7–1.0x as long as width of interstria; l/w 6–9), setalike scales, which are arranged in a single regular row; striae clearly visible, one third narrower than interstriae, with a row of scales similar to shorter ones covering interstriae. Legs: moderately slender, with recumbent to subrecumbent, sparse, whitish, seta-like scales, which are distinctly shorter than width of tibia; femora blackish, subclavate, all with small tooth; tibiae reddish, moderately long, protibiae with apical part of ventral surface weakly directed outward; unci blackish, moderately stout, all equal in length; tarsi reddish, tarsomere 1 1.5x longer than wide, tarsomere 2 1.2x longer than wide, tarsomere 3 bilobed and distinctly wider than tarsomere 2, onychium about as long as tarsomeres 1–3 taken together, claws blackish, equal in length, fused in basal half. Venter: metasternum blackish, somewhat visibile between recumbent, moderately dense, whitish, long, seta-like scales; mesothoracic epimera and meso- and metathoracic episterna with dense, whitish, wide, fringed scales; abdomen blackish, with sparse, shallow and irregular punctures, which are clearly visible between recumbent, sparse, whitish, seta-like scales; ventrites length ratio 1–2/3–4 1.90. Penis: fig. 118.

Female. As in male except rostrum moderately longer (Rl/Pl 1.05), more curved, thinner (as in M. pascuorum, fig. 44), more distinctly smooth and shining, antennae inserted between basal third and median third of rostrum. Sternite 8 and spermatheca: as in M. pascuorum (Figs 144 and 157).

Variability. Length 1.3–1.6 mm. The colour of the elytral integument varies from almost completely blackish to reddish. Sometimes the rostrum is also blackish.

Remarks and comparative notes. Due to the presence of wide scales at the sides and the base of the pronotum, this species may be confused only with M. marina and M. henrici, which are, however, easily distinguishable by the claws which are separated from the base. Based on the shape of the body and that of the rostrum, especially in females, M. plantaginis is similar to M. pascuorum and related species.

Biological notes. Larvae feed on fruits of Plantago media L. (Eppelsheim 1875). The quotation of M. plantaginis on P. recurvata L., by Hoffmann (1958), is wrong (Tempère 1975) and refers to M. seriatus.

Distribution. Southern France, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, northern and central Italy, southeastern Russia, Mongolia, China.

Non-type specimens examined. FRANCE: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Haute-Alpes, Montgenévre, Grenier leg. (2, MNHN). GERMANY: Thüringen, Hildbürghaüsen, 11.VI.1980, Dieckmann leg. (6 DEIM; 2, MNHN; 1, NHMB). POLAND: Chełmno, Płutowo, 10.VIII.1965, Szymczskowski leg. (1, MNHN). UKRAINE: Donskaya gryada, Kyslivka pr. Kupians'k, 10.VI.2005, Košťál leg. (1, MKCB); Donbas, Trokhizbenka, pr. Luhans'k, 10.V.2005, Košťál leg. (1, MKCB). CZECH REPUBLIC: Bohemia, VI.1949, Strejček leg. (1, LMCP); Bohemia, Bilina, V.1948 (1, MSNM); Bohemia, Bilina, Magnano leg. (1, LMCP); Bohemia, Praha, Fremuth leg. (2, MNHN); Bohemia, Č. Středohoří, 12.VI.1966, on Plantago media, Strejček leg. (2. DEIM; 1, MNHN); Bohemia, Zatec, 31.V.1985, on Plantago media, Dieckmann leg. (4, DEIM); Bohemia, Dubany, Lobochovice, 30.V.1985, on Plantago media, Dieckmann leg. (1, DEIM). ITALY: Liguria, Genova, Monte Penna, VIII.1894, Bensa & Solari legg. (2, MSNM); Emilia, Fiori leg. (4, ZMHB); Marche, Pesaro, Monte Catria, 1100 m, 30.VI.1992, Osella leg. (2, GOCA); Abruzzo, 1910, v. Bodemayer leg. (1, MNHN). RUSSIA: Ural Mountains, Tsheljabinsk, Miasskoye, 2.VII.1997, Putshkov leg. (4, MMCT; 2, OVCK); Southern Siberia, W Altai Mountains, Kolyvanskoe ozero, 23.VII.1993, Orosz leg. (2, APCB). CHINA: Inner Mongolia, Shilinskii, Silin river, 7.VII.1998 (1, ALCN).