Cionus zonovi Korotyaev 1984

53. Cionus zonovi Korotyaev, 1984

Figs 53 a–f.

Cionus zonovi Korotyaev, 1984: 347. Caldara, 2013: 124. Alonso-Zarazaga et al., 2017: 186.

Type locality. Sagly (Tuva Republic, Russian Federation).

Type series. The species was described based on a large series of 54 specimens, five including the holotype from Tuva, 49 from Ulaanbaatar district and Bayankhongor province (Mongolia). We had an opportunity to study two female paratypes from coll. ZIN labeled “ Mongolia, Bayan-Khong. a. 19 KM Yu Shine-Dzinsta 21.VII.81 Korotyaev [handwritten in Russian] / Paratypus / Cionus zonovi Korotyaev, 1984 / Zool. Inst. St. Petersburg / coll. Mus. Petersburg”. The locality and morphology of both paratypes fully correspond to the original description.

Synonyms. None.

Redescription. Male. Body moderately stout, subparallel. Head: rostrum medium stout, medium long (l/ w 4.1, Rl/Pl 1.16), reddish brown; in lateral view slightly curved, on upper outline at antennal insertion somewhat unevenly curved, in basal part of same width from base to antennal insertion, in apical part, especially on upper outline tapered to apex; in dorsal view slightly broadened from base to antennal insertion, from antennal insertion slightly narrowed to apex, in basal part almost round in cross-section, in apical part dorsoventrally flattened; very densely longitudinally punctured except apex being punctured more sparsely, with bare shiny median area very close to apex; basal part with up- and backwardly oriented, subrecumbent and recumbent brownish scales, in apical part with suberect, whitish, longer seta-like scales. Head between eyes moderately narrow, of 0.6 rostrum width at base. Eyes large, round, not protruding from head outline. Antennae reddish-brown, inserted at 2/3 of rostrum length, funicle of 0.7 scape length, segment 1 wider than segment 2, segment 1 1.5 ×, segment 2 almost twice as long as wide, segments 3–5 as long as wide to transverse; club spindle-shaped, twice as long as wide, completely covered with recumbent grayish and reddish hairs, and sparse erect, relatively short, light sensilla. Pronotum: reddish-brown, with brown irregular areas on disc, strikingly wider than long (Pl/Pw 0.54), very densely punctured, punctures subrotund, of approximately equal size, spaces between punctures smaller than puncture diameter; densely covered with subrecumbent, mostly forwardly oriented, moderately elongate (l/w 3–5), intermixed yellowish and reddish scales; widest at base, parallel to more than half of its length, then abruptly narrowed to anterior margin, with distinct, relatively deep constriction, in lateral view in basal 0.6 of its length flat, than moderately falling to anterior margin. Prosternum: anterior margin with shallowly incised, semicircular emargination without distinct bound, separated from coxae by very narrow prosternal area. Scutellum: triangular, covered with same type of scales as on elytra, densely to confluently punctured. Elytra: reddish brown, in basal 2/3 parallel, in apical third broadly evenly rounded, elongate (El/Ew 1.40), widest at about half of their length, at base moderately wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.54), humeri subquadrate, prominent, with posthumeral impression; flat on disc; interstria 1 at about 0.4 of medial length moderately, in preapical area very slightly broadened, interstria 2 dorsally slightly narrowed and constricted laterally encompassing longitudinally elongate dorsal and rudimentary preapical black tomentous maculae without differently colored scale border; interstriae except perimacular areas of approximately equal width; odd interstriae with only indistinct alternating clusters of whitish and brown scales; striae shallow, formed by single rows of slightly unevenly arranged, round punctures; entire surface densely covered with recumbent to subrecumbent, relatively shortly elongate (l/w 3–5), whitish and reddish intermixed scales fully concealing integument. Venter: almost evenly covered with recumbent, elongate, whitish and yellowish scales without apparent clusters; mesosternal process flat, medium broad, blunt at posterior margin, scaled, densely punctured; metasternum moderately concave, transversally ribbed to punctured, ventrite 1 with medium deep impression, ventrite 2 in anterior part with very shallow impression, both punctured; ventrite 1 1.7 × as long as ventrite 2, ventrites 1–2 combined 4.4 × as long as ventrites 3–4 combined, ventrites 3–4 combined of almost 0.9 length of ventrite 5, ventrite 5 transverse, slightly emarginate at apex. Legs: brown except reddish-brown tarsi, with darkened apices of onychia, profemora with only indistinct teeth emphasized by erect scales, meso- and metafemora with medium large subtriangular sharp teeth; femora and tibiae covered with recumbent to subrecumbent, shortly elongate, evenly, semidensely distributed whitish scales, tarsi on tarsomeres 1–3 with subrecumbent to suberect, onychia with recumbent whitish hair-like scales, tarsomere 3 wider than long; protarsal onychia moderately shorter than tarsomeres 1–3 combined; claws of equal length. Penis: Figs 53 d–f, its body medium long, with sinuate sides, broadly tapered at apex, with small incisure on tip.

Female. Rostrum longer (Rl/Pl 1.58), antennal insertion closer to rostrum mid-length, at 0.6 of rostrum length. Ventrites 1 and 2 without impression.

Variability. Length ♂♂ 3.70–3.83 mm, ♀♀ 3.74–4.04 mm. This species does not show a remarkable variability. In some specimens, the brown areas on pronotum can be reduced or missing.

Diagnosis. Cionus zonovi is recognizable by completely concealed elytral integument, markedly transverse pronotum, elongate subrectangular elytra, indistinct elytral pattern with elongate dorsal macula, short spindle-shaped antennal club, equally long claws in males, and penis shape.

Comparative notes. Cionus zonovi is a very distinct species apparently unrelated to any other known species of the genus.

Biological notes. All specimens from the original description were collected on Scrophularia incisa Weinmann.

Distribution. Siberia (Tuva), Mongolia.

Non-type specimens examined. We examined 9 specimens from Mongolia (Gurvan Sajchan 2,7.87 O. Majzlan lgt., 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀ MN, 1 ♀ KO; Gobi-Altai. 17.vi.1988, leg. U. Göllner, 2 ♂♂ ZMHB; Bayankhongor, 8.vii.2004, 1,500 m a. s. l., leg. Straka, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ SC).