Liophloeus tessulatus Muller 1776

Liophloeus tessulatus (Müller, 1776)

(Figs 3, 13, 29–31)

Material. 1 ♀, collected from a flowerpot with Aegopodium podagraria L. in the CURCI in Hannover, 0 3.11.2012.

Over 20 adult weevils were collected on 20.04. 2012 in Hannover, Steintormasch, garden colony, in the late evening from Hedera helix L. 16 of these weevils were released on 27.04. in a rearing cage in the climate chamber of the Julius-Kühn-Institute in Braunschweig (= JKI) with 6 flowerpots (3 with Aegopodium podagraria and 3 with Hedera helix L.). On 25.07. all Aegopodium plants were withered. 8 larvae were still alive. These were taken to the CURCI, set in 2 new Aegopodium pots and 1 developed into the pupal stage. From a Hedera pot, taken to Hannover, 1 adult weevil hatched on 0 6.01.2013. The dense root system of ivy made the larva and pupa control rather difficult.

General morphology. Body length: 9.10 mm (♀), width at the level of mesocoxae: 5.10 mm (♀), head width: 1.60 mm (♀). Body moderately slender, slightly curved, whitish or grayish. Cuticle smooth. Rostrum short, almost 0.7 as long as wide, surpassing procoxae in repose. Antennae rather elongate and slender. Pronotum almost 1.55 as wide as long. Ab. I–VI almost of equal length; ab. VII semicircular; next abdominal segments tapering towards the end of the body. Pseudocerci very short, conical. Five pairs of functional spiracles placed laterally on Ab. I–V.

Chaetotaxy. Setae short or very short, hair-like, without curved apical part, yellow or light brown except those on abdominal tergites, based on very small protuberances. Rostrum with 4 pairs of rs1-4 and 3 pairs of pas1-3; head capsule bearing: 1 pair of vs, 2 pairs of sos1-2 and 1 pair of os1. Setae rs1-4, vs, sos2, os1 and pas1-3 long, well visible; setae of mandibular thecae (mts1-2), epistomal setae (es1-2) and sos1 very short, poorly visible. Pronotum with a pair of sls and paired as1-2, ls1-2, ds1-2 and pls1-2. Sls1-2 visibly shorter than other pronotal setae. Meso- and metathorax each with 4 pairs of short setae (d1-4). Tergal parts of each Ab. I–IV with 5 pairs of d1-5, different in length, located posteriorly and 2 pairs of l1-2 located near the tergum-sternum border. Ab. V–VII each with 5 pairs of d1-5, different in length, located posteriorly; a pair of d0 setae placed antero-medially and 2 l1-2 located near the tergum-sternum border. Ab. VIII with 2 pairs of long d1-2 setae, located posteriorly, a pair of d0 placed antero-medially and 2 pairs of l1-2. Ab. IX without setae. Abdominal setae and their protuberances (especially odd ones: d1, d3, d5) increasing gradually from Ab. I to VIII. Each apex of femora with 2 hair-like setae (fes1-2), almost equal in length.