Immature stages of Palearctic Mecinus species (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Curculioninae): morphological characters diagnostic at genus and species levels

By

Gosik, Rafał
Skuhrovec, Jiří
Caldara, Roberto
Toševski, Ivo

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2020

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

939

Pages

87--165

Subjects

Biology , Mature larva , Mecinini , Mecinus , Morphology , Pupa , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.939.50612

 

Abstract

The immature stages of tenMecinusspecies are described for the first time and those of two other species are redescribed, adding important chaetotaxy characters that were missing from previous descriptions. These species belong to six of the nine assemblages ofMecinusspecies previously established according to a phylogenetic analysis. All these groupings are confirmed on the basis of several characters of mature larvae and pupae. Moreover, all the species show several characters that are useful for distinguishing them from each other, including cryptic species that previously had few differential characters. Some characters that may be useful for separatingMecinusfrom other genera in the tribe are suggested. To confirm the taxonomic identification of some larvae, the mtCOII gene was obtained and compared with sequences from identified adult specimens. The most important characters for separating the immature stages of the genera and species groups inMecinusare the number of palpomeres of the labial palpi (1 or 2), the number of air tubes of the thoracic and abdominal spiracles (unicameral or bicameral), and the number of epipharyngeal setae. The species studied herein were compared with those known from other genera in the tribe Mecinini. Two keys, one to the described larvae and the other to the pupae, are provided. Detailed biological data, several of which are new, on some species are reported.