Tychius medicaginis C. N. F. Brisout de Barneville 1863
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 medicaginis

description: 16. Tychius medicaginis C. N. F. Brisout de Barneville, 1863
(Figures 43–46, 167–170, 267–268, 319, 376, 409, 441, 467)
Tychius medicaginis C. N. F. Brisout de Barneville, 1863: 767. Caldara, 1990: 176.
Material examined. CHINA: Xinjiang: Baihaba County, 2-VII-2014, leg Chunyan Jiang (4); Jimunai County (85°53’N; 47°25’E, 1089 m), 3-VII-2014, leg Chunyan Jiang (1); Aletai Beitundaqiao, 28-VI-2014, leg Chunyan Jiang (1); Baihabacaochang (1153m), 22-VII-2009, leg Xinlei Huang (11); Changji, 4-VI-1955, leg Kailing Xia, Yonglin Chen (2); Manasi Shihezi (460-510m), 7-VI-1957, leg Chunpei Hong (1); Qinghe (1260m), 6-VII- 1960, leg Shuyong Wang (1); Qinghe Bulukecun, 8-VII-2009, leg Xinlei Huang (3); Qinghe Takeshiken Buergen (46°10’N; 90°48’E, 1111m), 28-VII-2013, leg Chunyan Jiang (1); Qinghe Talatecun, 29-VI-2014, leg Chunyan Jiang (4); Yining, 4-VI-1991 (1).
Redescription. Length 2.10–2.60 mm (Fig. 43–46). Integument blackish brown except for reddish antennae and legs; on dorsum densely covered with narrow, moderately elongate, rectangular to subelliptical, yellowish to grayish scales, sometimes paler on interstria 1 and sides of elytra. Rostrum (Fig. 167–170) in lateral view nearly of same width in apical half, distinctly sexually dimorphic (Rl/Rw 4.06–4.88 in male, 4.88–5.00 in female; Rl/Pl 0.87–0.98 in male, 0.94–1.04 in female). Antennal funicle 7-segmented. Eyes convex, distinctly prominent. Pronotum transverse (Pw/Pl 1.19–1.27), with slightly curved sides, widest in front of middle, somewhat convex. Elytra suboval (Ew/Pw 1.18–1.32; El/Ew 1.30–1.46), with moderately rounded sides, widest in basal half, somewhat convex. Femora (Fig. 267–268) without tooth. Profemora and protibiae (Fig. 319) without sexual characters. Claws with robust medial teeth, as long as 2/3 of claw. Male genitalia: body of penis (Fig. 376) with nearly parallel sides in basal half then gradually and distinctly narrowed to apex, with subacute tip (Fig. 409), as long as apodeme. Female genitalia: spermatheca (Fig. 441) with short ramus and short collum, indistinct nodulus, long cornu distinctly narrowed in apical part; spiculum ventrale (Fig. 467) with joined arms in basal 2/3, then very slightly spaced to apex.
Remarks and comparative notes. As above reported, this species is very similar to T. aureolus, from which it differs by the profemur of male without fringe of white scales and the rostrum of female in lateral view nearly of same width from base to apex.
Biology. This species feeds on Medicago such as M. sativa L. and M. falcata L., both considered introduced in China, and is often collected together with T. aureolus (Clark & Burke 1977; Caldara 1990).
Distribution. Widely distributed in Europe and Asia. Reported also from Tunisia. It was already known from Northwest China (XIN).
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 21, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4856.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4411319