Two newly recorded species of tribe Cleonini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from Egypt

Abstract

Background

In the present study, two newly recorded species: Maximus absolutus (Faust, 1904) and Cyphocleonus cenchrus as reported (Pallas 1781), are added to the Egyptian fauna of tribe Cleonini (Family Curculionidae, Subfamily Lixinae). Keys to the Egyptian species of the two genera are given, and the genitalia of the two species Maximus absolutus and M. vagus are illustrated and photographed for the first time. In addition, the type information, synonymy and distribution are also given.

Results

Two genera of tribe Cleonini, Cyphocleonus Motschulsky and Maximus Alonso-Zarazaga & Lyal, were studied depending on the specimens deposited in the main Egyptian Reference Collections and those mentioned in the literature. This investigation marks the first record of the two species Maximus absolutus (Faust) and Cyphocleonus cenchrus (Pallas) in Egypt, accompanied by detailed diagnoses for these newly recorded species. Female terminalia and genitalia of two species of the genus Maximus, M. absolutus and M. vagus, were dissected and photographed to facilitate the diagnosis of the females of these species.

Conclusions

Two species Cyphocleonus cenchrus (Pallas) and Maximus absolutus (Faust) are recorded for the first time from Egyptian fauna. Also, the female genitalia of Maximus absolutus (Faust) and M. vagus Bedel are dissected and photographed for the first time.

Background

The family Curculionidae (order Coleoptera, superfamily Curculionoidea) is one of the largest families of weevils which comprise excess of 80% of all weevil species with about 4,600 genera and 51,000 described species (Anderson, 2002; Oberprieler et al., 2014). It has not yet been adequately studied (Legalov et al., 2010). In the world, Curculionidae (snout beetles or true weevils) is divided into 14 subfamilies, including Lixinae, which contains two tribes Cleonini and Lixini (Oberprieler et al., 2014). These two tribes are represented in Egyptian fauna, and the two genera represented in this study are belonging to Cleonini.

Tribe Cleonini contains approximately 477 species belonging to 27 subgenera within 58 genera in the Palaearctic region (Alonso-Zarazaga et al., 2017; Meregalli & Fremuth, 2013). This tribe being the most diverse, weevils of Cleonini can have both positive and negative economic impacts. Palearctic Cleonini are aggressive pests of Beta vulgaris. On the other hand, they are effective as biological control agents against invasive Palearctic plants (Ter-Minassian, 1988).

The two genera, Cyphocleonus Motschulsky, 1860, and Maximus Alonso-Zarazaga & Lyal, 2009, are distributed in Afrotropical, Nearctic and Palaerctic regions (Alonso-Zarazaga et al., 2017; Meregalli, 2017). Genus Cyphocleonus is characterized by the following characters: the rostrum with wide middle carina forked on both ends and the pronotum covered with moderately large granules and middle carina. On the other hand, Maximus is distinguished by having sharp middle carina on rostrum, metathorax is shorter than or as long as diameter of middle coxa and the abdominal sternites 3–5 without dark transverse band (Faust, 1904; Motschulsky, 1860).

These genera are plant parasites where larvae of Cyphocleonus stated as parasites on Asteraceae and Carduoideae (Ter-Minassian, 1988). Also, they develop in soil on and inside the roots of Chenopodiaceae and Compositae (Dieckmann, 1980; Gültekin, 2008), while Maximus is associated with Amaranthaceae and Chenopodioideae (Meregalli, 2014).

Earlier, Alfieri (1976) identified 38 species of Cleonini under genus Cleonus Schönherr from Egypt. Recently, Abdel-Halim et al. (2015) listed 37 species within 19 genera belonging to tribe Cleonini including two species of genus Maximus [M. mimosae (Olivier, 1807) and M. vagus (Bedel, 1909)] and only one species of Cyphocleonus [C. testatus (Gyllenhall in Schöenherr, 1834)] from the Egyptian fauna.

In this study, two newly recorded species: Maximus absolutus (Faust, 1904) and Cyphocleonus cenchrus (Pallas, 1781), are added to the Egyptian fauna of Cleonini.

Methods

The specimens for the present study are housed in the following collections: Ain Shams University Collection, Faculty of Science, Entomology Department (ASUC), Cairo University Collection, Faculty of Science, Entomology Department (CUC), and Ministry of Agriculture, Plant Protection Institute, Department of Taxonomy (MAC). Specimens were examined under a LABOMED, CZM4 dissecting, binocular microscope and photographed using Sony Dsc-W610 camera. Measurements were made using an ocular micrometer. The genitalia were removed with their abdominal segments and placed in a saturated solution of KOH for 3–5 hours according to the level of pigmentation. Then these parts were removed and transferred to a petri dish with drops of glycerin and alcohol for examination under a stereomicroscope. General morphology follows Legalov et al. (2010) and Skuhrovec et al. (2014). Terminology of the genitalia follows Erby and Candan (2010); Gültekin (2013) and Arzanov and Grebennikov (2017).

Results

Genus Cyphocleonus Motschulsky, 1860

Cyphocleonus Motschulsky, 1860: Bull. Acad. Sc. St. Petersb. II: 539

Neocyphocleonus Arzanov, 2005: Caucasin Entomological Bulletin 1: 148

Cyphocleonus Motschulsky, 1860: Alonso-Zarazag et al., 2017: Cooperative Catalogue of Palaearctc Coleoptera Curculionidea, Monografías electrónicas SEA 8 Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa S.E.A., p: 436.

Type species: Curculio cenchrus Pallas, 1781: Icon. Ins. Ross: 29.

Key to Egyptian species of genus Cyphocleonus Motschulsky, 1860

• 1. Body blackish color, covered with very dense light yellowish brown pubescence (Fig. 1A); pronotum at middle covered with medium granules, middle carinae small and short; lower margin of pronotum arched and 1.58x as wide as upper margin (Fig. 1C)… cenchrus Pallas

• 2. Body blackish color, covered with little sparse yellow pubescence (Fig. 1B); pronotum at middle covered with large granules, middle carinae larger and longer than in C. cenchrus; lower margin of pronotum straight and 1.6x as wide as upper margin (Fig. 1D)…testatus Gyllenhall

Fig. 1

A–B Habitus, dorsal view. A Cyphocleonus cenchrus Pallas; B C. tesstatus (Gyllenhal). C–D Pronotal disk. C C. cenchrus; D C. tesstatus

Cyphocleonus cenchrus (Pallas, 1781) (new record)

Curculio cenchrus Pallas, 1781: Icones Insectorum praesrtim Rossiae Sibiriaeque peculiarium quae collegit et descriptionibus illustravit. Part I. Erlangae, 342 pp.

Cyphocleonus cenchrus (Pallas): Meregalli & Fremuth, 2013: Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera, 8 (II): 443.

Cyphocleonus cenchrus (Pallas): Alonso-Zarazaga, et al., 2017: Cooperative Catalogue of Palaearctc Coleoptera Curculionidea, Monografías electrónicas SEA 8 Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa S.E.A., p: 436.

Type locality: Desert of Kyrgyzstan.

Diagnosis

Body length excluding rostrum: 14.5 mm, width 4.2 mm

Rostrum: length 2.4 mm, width 1.4 mm.

Pronotum: length 3.5 mm, width 3.5 mm.

Elytra: length 10.2 mm, width 2.1 mm.

Body oblong with dense light yellowish brown pubescence; rostrum twice the length of head with three elevated carinae and two grooves; pronotum narrow at apex and bisinuated at base, covered with medium granules, middle elevated carina not reach apex or base, above and below the carinae found grooves which densely covered with pubescence; elytra three times longer than the thorax, rounded at apex covered with large granules and obsolete striae.

Specimens examined

Abu Mina, 8. IV. 1954 (1)…(ASUC)

Burg El Arab, 16.III.1953 (2)…(CUC)

Libyan Desert Mariut, 19. III. 1925 (2)…(MAC)

Distribution: Afghanistan, Armenia, Central and South European Territory, Egypt, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Xinjiang (China).

Genus Maximus Alonso-Zarazaga & Lyal, 2009

Maximus Alonso-Zarazaga & Lyal, 2009: Zootaxa 2258:241.

Stephanophorus Chevrolat, 1872: Revue et Magasin de Zoologie Pure et Appliquée (2) 23: 17.

Type species: Cleonus verrucosus Gebler, 1826: Ledeb.Reise Altai II, 3:166.

Key to Egyptian species of genus Maximus Alonso-Zarazaga & Lyal, 2009

• 1. Body black without pubescence (Fig. 2A); pronotum with densely coarse punctures; elytra with strong and deeply dotted striae which slightly arched at base (Fig. 2D)...…absolutus (Faust)

  • Body black covered with white or yellow pubescence (Fig. 2B & C); lateral sides of pronotum covered with fine pubescence hardly found at base and across the middle; pronotum not as above; elytra with striae finer dotted than in M. absolutus (Fig. 2E & F)…2

• 2. Body length 20-24 mm; pronotum with middle carinae in apical half and groove in the basal half, pronotum with fine punctures (Fig. 2E & G)…mimosae Olivier

  • Body length 13–15 mm; pronotum without apical cainae but, with oblong middle dimple at base, pronotum with moderate punctures (Fig. 2F & H)…vagus Bedel

  Fig. 2

  

  A–C: Habitus, dorsal view. A Maximus absolutus (Faust), B M. mimosa Olivier, C M. vagus Bedel. D–F Pronotal disk of the same species, respectively. B & E after Meregalli (2017). G & H Pronotal punctuation in M. vagus and M. mimosae, respectively

Note: Maximus mimosae (Olivier, 1807) is not represented in Egyptian reference collections. However, this species is recorded in Egyptian fauna depending on the works of Alfieri (1976), Legalov et al. (2010) and Meregalli and Fremuth (2013), while the figures are after Meregalli (2017). Previously, Maximus vagus Bedel was studied in detail in Abd El-Halim, 2015, without genitalia, so we dissected the female genitalia in this research.

Maximus absolutus (Faust, 1904) (new record)

Bothynoderes absolutus Faust, 1904: Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift: 211.

Maximus absolutus (Faust): Meregalli & Fremuth, 2013: Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera, 8 (II): 446.

Maximus absolutus (Faust): Alonso-Zarazaga, et al. (2017): Cooperative Catalogue of Palaearctc Coleoptera Curculionidea, Monografías electrónicas SEA 8 Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa S.E.A., p: 429.

Type locality: Khorasan

Diagnosis

Body length excluding rostrum: 10–14 mm.

Rostrum: length 1.5–2.8 mm and width 1–1.3 mm.

Pronotum: length 2.6–3.8 mm and width 2.9–4 mm.

Elytra: length 6.7–9.7 mm and width 2–2.9 mm

Body black; rostrum with sharp middle carinae and two lateral carinae; head black, coarse punctuated, with shallow frontal fovea at the end of middle carinae of rostrum; pronotum trapezoidal, coarse densely punctuated with oblong middle dimple above the scutellum; elytra with distinct shoulders, deeply dotted and somewhat arched striae at base.

Female terminalia and genitalia (Fig. 3)

Sternite VIII (Spiculum ventral) (Fig. 3A) subtrapezoidal, without apodeme, internal window membranous, lamellar arms angularly V-shaped diverging meted in elongated broad base, blade arms shorter than lamellar, blades bearing a bunch of sparse hair. Gonocoxite (Fig. 3B) moderately sclerotized, angulated distally; styli subcylindrical with a series of semi-erect hairs on the truncate apex. Tergite VIII with subrounded posterior margin (Fig. 3C). Spermatheca (Fig. 3D) almost C-shaped, with long blunt curved cornu, subqudrate very short ramus and thickened nodulus.

Specimens examined

Burge El Arab 20.III.1956 (2)…(ASUC)

Port Said III.1938 (2)…(MAC)

Distribution: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Iran, Syria.

Female terminalia and genitalia of M. vagus Bedel (Fig. 3)

Sternite VIII (Fig. 3E) subtrapezoidal, with very short apodeme, internal window membranous, lamellar arms V-shaped diverging, blade arms slightly as long as lamellar, blades bearing a bunch of sparse hair. Gonocoxite (Fig. 3F) moderately sclerotized, tapering distally; styli subcylindrical, with a series of semi-erect hairs on the truncate apex. Tergite VIII with subrounded posterior margin with concave apical margin (Fig. 3G). Spermatheca (Fig. 3H) almost C-shaped, with long blunt curved cornu, subqudrate very short ramus and thickened nodulus.

Fig. 3

A–D Female genitalia and terminalia of Maximus absolutus (Faust). E–H Female genitalia and terminalia of M. vagus Bedel. A, E Sternite VIII; B, F Gonocoxite; C, G 8th tergite; D, H Spermatheca. Abbreviations. Bl. Blade, La. Lamella, Ap. Apodeme, Sty. Stylus, Cn. Cornu, Co. Collum, Ra. Ramus

Discussion

Cleonini is a tribe of weevils constituting 96 valid genus group and about 545 valid species worldwide (Alonso-Zarazaga & Lyal, 1999; Arzanov & Grebennikov, 2017; Meregalli & Fremuth, 2013; Meregalli, 2014).

The Egyptian fauna of Cleonini were early reported in the monograph by Alfieri (1976) who mentioned only the genus Cleonus that containing 20 subgenera and 38 species. These subgenera were all elevated to genera rank excluding genus Ambylosomus Faust which transferred to subfamily Cossoninae (Meregalli & Fremuth, 2013; Gültekin & Fremuth, 2013; Alonso-Zarazag et al., 2017).

Genus Cyphocleonus was mentioned by Alfieri (1976) among the 20 subgenera of genus Cleonus Schenherr 1834 and included only one species C. morbillosus Fabricius, 1792 which is currently a synonym to C. testatus. Recently, Abd El-Halim (2015) recorded only C. testatus under genus Cyphocleonus in Egypt. During studying the specimens deposited in the studied collections, five specimens were found and identified under C. testatus and by examining the specimens they were appear to fellow C. cenchrus (Pallas, 1781). The two species are easily separated by the color of the body as well as the pubescence and granules on pronotum and elytra.

Genus Maximus was proposed by Alonso-Zarazaga and Lyal (2009) as a replacement name for Stephanophorus Chevrolat, 1872 which named after Prof. Dr. Massimo (Maximus in Latin). In Abdel-Halim et al. (2015) the genus was represented in Egypt by two species. In the current study, another species was recorded from Egypt for the first time depending on four specimens deposited in ASUC and MAC. The species is easily recognized from other species by the following characters: its body bare of pubescence, strongly dotted striae on elytra and sculpture of pronotum.

The female genitalia and terminalia of Maximus absolutus (Faust) and M. vagus Bedel are dissected and photographed for the first time in this study.

Conclusion

This study recorded two species: Cyphocleonus cenchrus (Pallas) and Maximus absolutus (Faust) for the first time from Egyptian fauna. The morphological investigation of the female genitalia and terminalia of the two studied Maximus species revealed that it has a very weighty value for species identification. Keys to the Egyptian species of these genera are constructed.