Tychius meliloti Stephens 1831
Creators: name: Jiang, Chunyan
name: Caldara, Roberto
name: Zhang, Runzhi
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Curculionidae
Tychius
Tychius meliloti

description: 19. Tychius meliloti Stephens, 1831
(Figures 55–58, 179–182, 273–274, 322–323, 379, 412–413, 444, 470)
Tychius meliloti Stephens, 1831: 55. Caldara, 1983: 88; 1990: 179.
Tychius sorex Gyllenhal, 1835: 411. Franz, 1949: 267. Caldara, 1990: 179.
Material examined. CHINA: Beijing: Dahongmen, 25-VIII-1958 (3); Huilongguan, Sophora sp., 14-V-1962, leg Shuyong Wang (1). Xinjiang: Aletai City (47°28’N; 87°21’E, 482m), 30-VI-2014, leg Yingchao Ji (2); Fukang Observatary, (44°17’N; 87°56’E, 474m), 23-V-2007, leg Ye Liu (3); Habahe County (48°3’N; 86°25’E, 532m), 30-VI-2014, leg Yingchao Ji (1); Jimunai County (47°25’N; 85°53’E, 1089m), 3-VII-2014, leg Chunyan Jiang (9); Aletai Daaokeng (47°25’N; 87°31’E, 493m), 30-VI-2014, leg Chunyan Jiang (1); Qinghe Talaticun (46°28’N; 90°27’E, 1285m), 26-VI-2014, leg Chunyan Jiang (1); Qinghe Akexilike, 26-VI-2014, leg Chunyan Jiang (1); Qinghe Takeshiken Buergen (46°10’N; 90°48’E, 1111m), 28-VII-2013, leg Chunyan Jiang (3); same data, 26- VI-2014, leg Chunyan Jiang (3); Qinghe Talaticun (46°28’N; 90°27’E, 1285m), 26-VI-2014, leg Chunyan Jiang (14); Qitaishanqiu Huangmo2#, 2-VII-1996 (6); Tuoli, 2-VII-1955, leg Shijun Ma, Kailing Xia, Yonglin Chen (1); Ziniquan, 12-VI-1957, leg Weiyi Yang (1). Gansu: Jiuquan, Chengjiao Nongchang, Medicago sp., 23-VII-1962, leg Hongxing Li (1); same data, 25-VII-1962, leg Hongxing Li (6); same data, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, 24-VII-1962, leg Hongxing Li (1); Jiuquan, Medicago sp., 23-VII-1962, leg Hongxing Li (22); Weiwu Beiguan Medicago sp., 7-VII-1962, leg Hongxing Li (3); Weiwu Huangyanghe (1700m), 2-VII-1962, leg Hongxing Li (1). Heilongjiang: Haerbin, 31-V-1943 (1). Shaanxi: Zhouzhi Louguantai, 24-V-2007, leg Lijie Zhang (1). Inner Mongolia: Yakeshi, Nanshan, (49°16’N; 120°43’E, 657m), 8-VII-2018, leg Yizhe Li (1). Shandong: Dongying, Huanghekou (37°40’N; 118°55’E, 0m), 16-V-2019, leg Chunyan Jiang (2).
Redescription. Length 1.80–2.40 mm (Fig. 55–58). Integument blackish brown except for reddish apical 2/3 of elytra, tibiae and tarsi; on dorsum covered with elongate seta-like, grayish yellow scales and wide paler scales at base of pronotum, scutellum and elytral interstria 1. Rostrum (Fig. 179–182) strongly tapered in distal half especially in female (Rl/Rw 3.93–4.07 in male, 4.29–4.36 in female; Rl/Pl 0.72–0.81 in male, 0.80–0.92 in female). Antennal funicle 7-segmented. Eyes completely flat. Pronotum slightly wider than long (Pw/Pl 1.08–1.19), with subparallel sides in basal half. Elytra (El/Ew 1.40–1.55; Ew/Pw 1.25–1.40) subparallel-sided in basal half. Femora (Fig. 273–274) unarmed. In male profemora with short fringe of white scales and protibiae (Fig. 322–323) toothed at middle of inner margin. Claws with robust medial teeth, as long as 2/3 of claw. Male genitalia: body of penis (Fig. 379) elongate, slightly narrow at middle on dorsal view, moderately narrowed until near apex (Fig. 412–413) nearly being widely truncate, as long as apodeme. Female genitalia: spermatheca (Fig. 444) with long stout ramus, slightly enlarged at apex, distinct arcuate thin collum, indistinct nodulus, robust cornu abruptly constricted near apex; spiculum ventrale (Fig. 470) with parallel-sided moderately wide arms, slightly spaced but joined near apex.
Remarks and comparative notes. Due to the completely flat eyes, this species may be mainly confused with T. breviusculus, from which it is distinguishable by the rostrum being distinctly and abruptly tapered in the apical half especially in the female and the presence of a sharp tooth at the middle of the inner margin of the protibiae in the male.
Biology. This species feeds on Melilotus (M. officinalis G. G., M. altissima Thuil., M. alba Lam.) often together with T. breviusculus (Caldara, 1990). The immature stages were recently described by Skuhrovec et al. (2014).
Distribution. This is a common Palearctic species known from all of Europe, Asia and North Africa. It was already reported from Northwest China (XIN), it is here newly reported from GAN, North China (BEI HEI) and Northeast China (NMO SHN). It is introduced in central Africa and North America.
description: Published as part of Jiang, Chunyan, Caldara, Roberto & Zhang, Runzhi, 2020, The genus Tychius Germar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae) in China, with description of three new species, pp. 1-62 in Zootaxa 4856 (1) on page 24, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4856.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4411319