34. Mecinus vulpes (Lucas)

Figs 32, 85, 103, 133

Gymnetron vulpes Lucas, 1849: 459.

Mecinus vulpes (Lucas). Caldara et al., 2008: 63.

Gymnetron marmota Fairmaire, 1883: 114. Reitter, 1907: 17. Caldara et al., 2008: 63.

Gymnetron hircinum Desbrochers des Loges, 1893: 95. Reitter, 1907: 17 (syn. n.).

Type locality. Milah (Algeria).

Type series. This species was described from a single specimen collected at Milah (Constantine province, Algeria), which Caldara et al. (2008) examined at the MNHN.

Synonyms. Gymnetron marmota was described from specimens collected in Algeria (Lalla-Maghnia) and was placed under synonymy with M. vulpes by Caldara et al. (2008).

Gymnetron hircinum was described from specimens collected by Vauloger at Bou-Kanefils (Algeria). In Desbrochers des Loges' collection (MNHN) we examined one female labelled “Bou-Kanefils” which corresponds well with the original description of hircinum (lectotype here designated). Reitter (1907) considered this taxon as synonymous with M. marmota, and we agree with his opinion. Therefore M. hircinum is now to be placed amongst the synonyms of M. vulpes.

Redescription. Male. Length 2.5 mm. Body: moderately long, oval, stout (Fig. 32). Rostrum: black with reddish apex, very short (Rl/Pl 0.50), subconical; in lateral view straight, distinctly tapered from base to apex; in dorsal view with sides distinctly tapered from base to apex, scrobes not visible, distinctly striate-punctured in basal two thirds, with wide sulcus along midline, to near apex with subrecumbent to erect, dense, whitish and brown, very long (l/w 20–30), seta-like scales. Head: frons weakly narrower than rostrum at base, without fovea; eyes weakly convex, with posterior margin abruptly raised. Antennae: reddish, inserted at middle of rostrum; scape short. 3.0x longer than wide; funicle slightly longer than scape, segment 1 1.5x longer than wide, distinctly stouter and 1.5x longer than segment 2, which is 1.3x longer than wide, segments 3–5 transverse; club short, oval, segment 1 almost glabrous. Pronotum: blackish brown, with dense and irregular punctures, intervals between punctures narrower than punctures, moderately shining and smooth, moderately visible between subrecumbent to erect, somewhat dense, white (more numerous at sides) and brown, very long (l/w 20–40), seta-like scales; moderately transverse (Pw/Pl 1.23), with very weakly prominent apical constriction, with moderately rounded sides, widest at basal third, weakly convex. Elytra: reddish except interstriae 1, 4 and 5, which are blackish brown; moderately long (El/Ew 1.23), at base somewhat concave, distinctly wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.43), with sides moderately rounded from base, widest in basal third, moderately convex on disc; interstriae hardly visible between dense. white (more numerous on humeri and sides) and brown, very long (l/w 20–40), seta-like scales, which are recumbent (1.0–2.0x as long as width interstria) to erect (2.0–4.0x as long as width of interstria), some of which recurved forward; striae hardly visible, one third narrower than interstriae, with a row of scales as long as shorter ones of interstriae, but slightly thinner. Legs: stout, with suberect to erect, moderately dense, whitish, seta-like scales, which are partly slightly longer than width of tibia; femora blackish and dark brown, unarmed; tibiae reddish, short, apex of outer surface of protibiae abruptly directed outward, with stout and reddish brown denticles as well as that of meso- and metatibiae, anterior margin of protibiae with apical part slightly narrowed and apex at right angle; unci blackish, stout, all equal in lenght, those of protibiae directed backward; tarsi reddish, tarsomere 1 1.3x longer than wide, tarsomere 2 about as long as wide, tarsomere 3 bilobed, moderately wider than tarsomere 2, onychium as long as tarsomeres 1–3 taken together; claws brown, equal in length, fused in basal half. Venter: metasternum blackish, hardly visible between recumbent to subrecumbent, dense, whitish, long, seta-like scales; mesothoracic epimera and meso- and metathoracic episterna with sparse, whitish, seta-like scales and some wide, fringed scales; abdomen with ventrites 1 and 2 blackish brown and others reddish, with big and sparse punctures, which are hardly visible between recumbent to suberect, dense, whitish and light brown, long, seta-like scales; ventrites length ratio 1–2/3–4 2,05. Penis: fig. 133.

Female. As in male except rostrum weakly longer (Rl/Pl 0.56) (Fig. 85), protibiae with stout premucro (Fig. 103). Sternite 8 and spermatheca: as in M. simus (Figs 151 and 166).

Variability. Length 2.5–2.9 mm. Sometimes the longitudinal median sulcus of the rostrum and the fovea of the frons are lacking. The blackish part of the elytra may be reduced or lacking (specimens with completely reddish elytra).

Remarks and comparative notes. This taxon is clearly distinguishable from the species of the same group with oval elytra by the bigger size. It shares the tarsal shape with M. pipistrellus, from which it is easily distinguishable by stouter unci, protibiae in female with premucro contiguous to uncus, teeth of outer apical margin of tibiae yellowish, apex of protibiae in female only as wide as one quarter of length of tibia, posterior margin of the eyes abruptly perpendicularly raised, pronotum and elytra flattened.

Biological notes. No data are available.

Distribution. Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia.

Non-type specimens examined. MOROCCO: Yebel Bogobat, Bocoya, 12.V.1952 (1, MNHN); Melilla (2, MNHN). ALGERIA: Blida, IV.1912 (1, MNHN); Constantine, Puel leg. (1, MNHN); Lalla Marnia, Lepitre leg. (2, MNHN); Nemours, Martin leg. (2, MNHN); Oran, VI.1912, Borgevin leg. (1, MNHN); Tlemcen, Martin leg. (4, MNHN). TUNISIA: El Jem, 12.V.1996, Bellò leg. (1, GOCA); Ile de Jerba, 12.I.1996, Bellò leg. (1, GOCA); Le Kef, Normand leg. (1, MNHN); Zaghouan Mts., Sozutif, 9.X.1991. Osella leg. (8, GOCA); Zoghouan Mts., Mount Daker, 8.X.1991, Osella leg. (2, GOCA); Souk-el-Arba, Normand leg. (2, MSNM; 5, MNHN); Sousse or., Friguia, 30 km SSW of Hammamet, 13.V.2006, Kresl leg. (15, PKCJ).