Derelomus antonioui Alziar, 2007

Derelomus antonioui Alziar, 2007

Fig. 22 View Fig

Derelomus antonioui Alziar, 2007: 109 .

Derelomus antonioui – Haran et al. 2022a (phylogenetic relationship).

Diagnosis

This species shows a typical elytral pattern, generally forming two dark spots on the suture, one at the base and a second beyond the middle of thelength. In the D. ephippiger group, it can be distinguished by its very long rostrum, about 7× as long as wide in dorsal view in the male (only 5× in D. peglerae sp. nov.) and its stridulatory plate with bisinuate lines of the granules ( Fig. 22E View Fig ). The specimens lacking dark spots on the elytra resemble D. piriformis , but in the latter species, the rostrum of the male is much shorter (4.5–5 × as long as wide) and the male’s protibiae bear an internal comb of elongate setae (absent in D. antonioui ). GenBank accession number for the corresponding DNA barcode: OK188822 View Materials .

Material examined

Holotype

REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS • ♂; “Chypre [Republic of Cyprus], Polémi ( Paphos) [ 34°53′10″ N 32°30′34″ E]; 31-III-2007; sur une inflorescence mâle de [on male inflorescence of] Phoenix canariensis ; G. Alziar et J.-M. Lemaire leg.”; MNHN.

GoogleMaps

Paratypes

REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Polémi, Paphos; 34°53′10″ N, 32°30′34″ E; 31 Mar. 2007; G. Alziar and J.-M. Lemaire coll.; on Phoenix canariensis H.Wildpret. ; MNHN. See full list of paratypes and depositories in Alziar (2007).

GoogleMaps

Other material

REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS • 7 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Polémi , Paphos; 34°53′10″ N, 32°30′34″ E; 31 Mar. 2007; G. Alziar and J.-M. Lemaire coll.; on male inflorescence of Phoenix canariensis ; JHAR03279 ; CBGP GoogleMaps • 10 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; Alambra; 34°59′21″ N, 33°24′04″ E; 12 May 1997; Y. Antoniou coll.; feeding in palm flowers; NHMUK. GoogleMaps

NORTHERN CYPRUS • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Gazimağusa, Yeni Iskele , Long Beach ; 35°15′00″ N, 33°54′10″ E; 29 Apr. 2015; H. Mendel coll.; among palm flowers; JHAR03280 , MBNH(E)2015-112 ; NHMUK. GoogleMaps

SAUDI ARABIA • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Taief [ Taif ]; 21°16′23″ N, 40°27′32″ E; 25 Jan. 1958; Fathy Shalaby coll.; on pollen grain of palm tree; NHMUK GoogleMaps • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Taief [ Taif ]; 21°16′23″ N, 40°27′32″ E; Feb. 1958; Fathy Shalaby coll.; on pollen grain of palm tree; NHMUK. GoogleMaps

Redescription ( ♂)

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 3.0–4.0 mm.

COLOR. Body integument uniformly pale brown to brown, generally with post-ocular dark strip and two dark spots on elytral suture, one at base and one beyond middle of length of interstriae 1–4; rostrum generally darker apicad; elytra and pronotum with minute recumbent whitish setae, glabrous in appearance.

HEAD. Rostrum distinctly longer than pronotum in lateral view (1.2 ×), slightly and regularly downcurved; in dorsal view about 7 × as long as wide, integument densely punctate, forming 5 longitudinal carinae; antennae inserted near apical ¼ of length; head capsule densely punctate in dorsal view, forehead flat or slightly concave; eyes convex, exceeding lateral curve of head capsule in dorsal view; antennal funicle with first segment 2.5× as long as wide, equal in length to segments 2–3 together, 2–7 isodiametric.

PRONOTUM. Wider than long (W: L ratio: 1.37–1.5), widest near base, almost as wide there as elytra at humeral angles, side slightly rounded, converging apicad, forming notch or blunt tooth near middle of length; apical constriction deep or superficial; integument with punctures rounded, space between punctures smooth, shiny, micropunctate, wider than diameter of punctures in middle, narrower laterally.

METATHORAX. Metanepisterna with recumbent white setae, non-contiguous.

ELYTRA. Longer than wide (W: L ratio: 0.73); sides slightly convex, widest near middle of length; humeri raised; apex rounded, notched at level of suture; striae with punctures about ¼ as wide as width of interstriae; interstriae flat or slightly convex, 5 raised into carina; scutellar shield rounded, pale brown or dark brown, coated with small recumbent scales.

ABDOMEN. Underside uniformly pale brown, with minute recumbent whitish setae, not contiguous. Stridulatory plate with lines of 12 granules ¾ × as long as median line from base, bisinuate. Central sclerotized area narrow, distinctly longer than wide, rounded at base ( Fig. 22E View Fig ).

LEGS. Profemora moderately thickened near middle of length; protibiae with external margin straight, internal bisinuate, setae on apical half of internal margin recumbent, at most as long as claws; claws simple.

TERMINALIA. Body of penis elongate (W:L ratio: 0.18), 3.5× as long as apodemes; sides subparallel in dorsal view, narrowing in apical ⅓, apex acuminate; in lateral view curvature stronger in basal ⅓ of length, width narrowing regularly from apical ⅓, apex bisinuate ( Fig. 22D View Fig ).

Sexual dimorphism

Females can be distinguished from males by the rostrum, which is slightly narrower in dorsal view, with the integument shinier and more downcurved in lateral view ( Fig. 22C View Fig ). The antennae are inserted at the apical 2/5 of the rostrum (¼ in males; see Alziar 2007).

Life history

Adults were collected in high numbers on male inflorescences of Phoenix canariensis ( Arecaceae ), a species native to Canary Island introduced to Cyprus, but there is no direct evidence that this weevil uses this palm as host for larval development. Other specimens were found on Phoenix dactylifera L., also without details on larval development. Alziar (2007) suggested that P. dactylifera could be the ancestral host of D. antonioui that subsequently shifted on P. canariensis once introduced to Cyprus. The record of this species in Saudi Arabia, where P. dactylifera is widespread, agrees with this hypothesis. Note that a palm endemic to the eastern Mediterranean region ( Greece and Turkey), Phoenix theophrasti Greuter , also occurs near Cyprus with no record of associated Derelomus species yet. Adults of D. antonioui were recorded from January to May.

Distribution

Island of Cyprus and Saudi Arabia.

Remarks

The color pattern, shape of the elytra and the pronotum, and the apex of the body of the penis are quite variable in this species ( Alziar 2007).