Abstract
The relationship between the genera Cleopomiarus and Miarus of Mecinini (Curculionidae, Curculioninae) was tested on the basis of morphological characters from the immature stages. The mature larvae of five Cleopomiarus species (C.distinctus (Boheman, 1845), C.graminis (Gyllenhal, 1813), C.longirostris (Gyllenhal, 1838), C.medius (Desbrochers des Loges, 1893), and C.meridionalis (H. Brisout de Barneville, 1863)), three Miarus species (M.abnormis Solari, 1947, M.ajugae (Herbst, 1795), and M.campanulae (Linnaeus, 1767)), and the pupae of four Cleopomiarus species (C.distinctus, C.graminis, C.longirostris, and C.medius) and two Miarus species (M.abnormis and M.ajugae) are described in detail for the first time. To confirm the taxonomic identification of some larvae, DNA COI barcode was obtained and compared with those of adults. The immature stages of the species herein studied were compared with those known from other genera in tribe Mecinini. It is suggested that Miarus and Cleopomiarus may be monophyletic based on several shared distinctive characters. Larvae of Miarus have a characteristic maxillary mala with six finger-like dms of two sizes (one or two dms very long and the rest of medium length), this feature being apparently unique among weevils. Other genus-specific character states are observed in the pupae, such as the length of setae on the head, rostrum and pronotum, including the number of rs on the rostrum, ds on pronotum, and finally the shape of the urogomphi. A key to the described larvae and pupae were respectively presented. New biological and distributional data on some species are reported.
Highlights
The Mecinini is a tribe of the subfamily Curculioninae (Curculionidae) and comprises six genera: Cleopomiarus Pierce, 1919, Gymnetron Schoenherr, 1825, Mecinus Germar, 1821, Miarus Schoenherr, 1826, Rhinumiarus Caldara, 2001 and Rhinusa Stephens, 1829 (Caldara 2001; Caldara et al 2014; Alonso-Zarazaga et al 2017)
In the last twenty years, these genera were subjected to a careful taxonomic revision and a phylogenetic analysis based on adult morphology (Caldara 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007; Caldara et al 2010, 2013; Caldara and Fogato 2013)
The Palaearctic species of Miarus and Cleopomiarus are associated with the genera of Campanulaceae in the subfamily Campanuloideae (Campanula, Jasione, Phyteuma), whereas the Cleopomiarus species in South Africa and in the southern part of North America live on the genera of the subfamilies Campanuloideae (Roella, Wahlenbergia) and Lobelioideae (Lobelia) (Caldara 2005, 2007; Caldara and Legalov 2016; Prena and O’Brien 2017)
Summary
The Mecinini is a tribe of the subfamily Curculioninae (Curculionidae) and comprises six genera: Cleopomiarus Pierce, 1919, Gymnetron Schoenherr, 1825, Mecinus Germar, 1821, Miarus Schoenherr, 1826, Rhinumiarus Caldara, 2001 and Rhinusa Stephens, 1829 (Caldara 2001; Caldara et al 2014; Alonso-Zarazaga et al 2017). The Palaearctic species of Gymnetron live on Veronica (Caldara 2008), currently included in Plantaginaceae (Olmstead et al 2001; Albach et al 2005), while those in the Afrotropical region, where Plantaginaceae are poorly represented, appear to live on various genera of Scrophulariaceae distributed mainly in the southern hemisphere (Caldara 2003; Caldara et al 2010). It is noteworthy that the systematics of Campanuloideae, especially of Campanula s.l. and close genera is still highly unstable (see APG 2016) This plant family is less phylogenetically close to Morphological characters of immature stages of Palaearctic species
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