Solariola melonii Bello' & Osella & Baviera 2019, sp.n.
Creators: name: Bello', Cesare
name: Osella, Giuseppe
name: Baviera, Cosimo
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Curculionidae
Solariola
Solariola melonii

description: Solariola melonii Bellò, Osella & Baviera sp.n.
(Figs 38, 38a, 38b, 38c, 38d, 38e, 38 ’, 38’a, 38’b, 38’c, 38’d, 38’e, 46i, 84, 84’, 127, 170, 213) http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 173E2E93-C151-42E6-B0B2-AFA3858AA620
Type locality. Calabria, Vibo Valentia, Le Serre Mountains, Pecoraro Mount, 1300m (Fig. 264).
Diagnosis. A small to medium size Solariola (TL: 2.7 0–3.00 mm; BL: 2.25–2.50 mm) belonging to the paganettii group with slender body shape. Within the species group, it is recognisable by the sub-parallel elytra with punctures small and shallow, pronotum with maximum width in the basal half. Rostrum short and robust (RL: 0.40–0.50 mm, RW: 0.30–0.35 mm, RL/RW: 1.34–1.42). Mesorostrum carinae slightly divergent to sides. Forehead convex (FW/MW: 2.00–2.00). Submentum and laterally mesorostrum with a few, short, whitish-yellowish pappolepida. Antennae short and robust (SL: 0.50–0.60 mm, FL: 0.70–0.78 mm, SL/FL: 0.71–0.79). Pronotum longer than wide (PL: 0.60–0.70 mm, PW: 0.55–0.65 mm, PL/PW: 1.05–1.09) without echinopappolepida at base. Elongate, sub-parallel elytra, dorsally vaulted (EL: 1.60–1.80 mm, EW: 0.80–0.90 mm, EL/EW: 2.00–2.01) with thin, elongate, raised setae.
Type series. Holotype male with following labels: ♂ [w, p] / Italy, Calabria, Reggio Calabria, Mongiana, Monte Pecoraro, 1300 m, vaglio faggeta [w, p] / 38°30’49.0’’N 16°20’51.9’’E, 2.V.2018 Bellò & Chemello, Baviera & Rando leg. [w, p] / collezione Cesare Bellò, Castelfranco Veneto [g, p] / Solariola melonii Holotype det. Bellò, Osella & Baviera, 2018 [r, p] / esemplare fotografato by Francesco Sacco [y, p] (CBE).
Paratypes. Seven specimens (3 males and 4 females) with following labels: Calabria, Vibo Valentia, Mongiana, M. Pecoraro (SITO A), Fagus & Heder a, 1400 m, 05. VI. 2012, leg. Baviera C. [osimo] [w, p] / N38°30.998’ E16°20.966’ [w, p] / VVPE 1.1 [p, hw], 1 female (CBA); Calabria, Vibo Valentia, Mongiana, M. Pecoraro (SITO B), Fagus & Heder a, 1400 m, 05. VI. 2012, leg. Baviera C. [osimo] [w, p] / N38°30.998’ E16°20.966’ [w, p] / VVPE 1.1 [p, hw], 1 female (CBA); Italy, Calabria, Reggio Calabria, Mongiana, Monte Pecoraro, 1300 m, vaglio faggeta [w,
p] / 38°30’49.0’’N 16°20’51.9’’E, 2.V.2018 Bellò & Chemello, Baviera & Rando leg. [w, p], 1 male and 1 female (CBA); Italy, Calabria, Reggio Calabria, Mongiana, Monte Pecoraro, 1300 m, vaglio faggeta [w, p] / 38°30’49.0’’N 16°20’51.9’’E, 2.V.2018 Bellò & Chemello, Baviera & Rando leg. [w, p], 2 males and 1 female (CBE).
All with label: Solariola melonii paratype det. Bellò, Osella & Baviera, 2018 [r, p].
Holotype description. Male. See Figs 38, 38a, 38b, 38c, 38d, 38e. Elongate body (T L: 2.90 mm, BL: 2.45 mm). Reddish-brownish cuticle.
Rostrum short and robust (RL: 0.45 mm, RW: 0.32 mm, RL/RW: 1.40), conical to sides with pterygium very expanded. Epistome absent. Mesorostrum carinae divergent to sides. Submentum with few, short and yellowish pappolepida, not visible around mesorostrum. Interocular pit not visible. Forehead convex (FW/MW: 2.00). Vestigial eyes, small, just convex, and just visible.
Antennae short and robust (SL: 0.60 mm, FL: 0.78 mm, SL/FL: 0.77); AS ratio: 6.6.4.3.3.2.3.12. Scape clubbed, more robust than funicle, curved at proximal third and progressively thickening towards apex. Funicle quite short and thin; all segments with elongate and thin setae. Club three-segmented, oval-shaped, in length twice the width, densely covered by thin setae.
Pronotum longer than wide (PL: 0.65 mm, PW: 0.62 mm, PL/PW: 1.05), wider in basal half and without echinopappolepida at base. Scutellum visible.
Elytra elongate, sub-parallel to sides, dorsally vaulted (EL: 1.75 mm, EW: 0.87 mm, EL/EW: 2.01), wider in basal third with convex suture. Humeri rounded. Striae with 12 punctures, catenulate, small, spaced, not deep. Interstriae convex with thin, not elongate, raised setae. Elytral declivity <60 degrees.
Legs short and robust with clubbed femora. Protibia with eight acute spines on inner edge and an evident mucro on inner apical angle. Protibia sinuous on inner edge and slightly curved in side view. Metatibia and mesotibia straight in side view. All tibia with noticeable apical comb. Tarsal segment 1 short, conical; segment 2 short and transverse; segment 3 very bilobed; all segments with thin golden setae. Onychium curved, robust and short with one short claw.
Male genitalia. See Figs: dorsal shape aedeagus Fig. 84; apex of penis Fig. 84 ’; IX sternite Fig. 127.
Female genitalia. See Figs: spermatheca Fig. 170; VIII sternite Fig. 213.
Sexual dimorphism. Males can usually be recognized by their smaller size, slender appearance, more rounded humeri, legs stronger with a more noticeable apical mucro, and ventrites 1 and 2 slightly hollowed.
Paratypes variability. Paratypes, sexual dimorphism excluded, are similar to the holotype but differs in size.
Distribution. See Figs. 223, 223a. Italian endemic. Known only from Pecoraro Mount in “Le Serre” Mountains at 1300–1400 meters of elevation.
Etymology. This species is named after Meloni (Carlo), our dearest friend and colleague, in appreciation and gratitude for his cooperation in our study on weevils. In memory: Carlo Meloni (1950–2009) Italian-Sardinian entomologist and naturalist.
Ecology and Phenology. Collected S. melonii by Winkler extractors from soil obtained sifting the leaf litter of a Fagus forest with Hedera, in springtime.
Main soil type. Dystric Cambisol (European Soil Data Centre; Panagos et al. 2012).
Reproduction. Amphigonic.
Associated species. Sympatric with Pseudomeira paganettii (A. & F. Solari, 1907).
description: Published as part of Bello', Cesare, Osella, Giuseppe & Baviera, Cosimo, 2019, A taxonomic monograph of the genus Solariola Flach, 1908 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae), pp. 1-261 in Zootaxa 4676 (1) on pages 203-210, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4676.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3468945