Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on the Rhinusa tetra (Fabricius) species complex (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
Author
Caldara, Roberto
Author
Casalini, Roberto
Author
Baviera, Cosimo
text
Zootaxa
2012
3329
31
40
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.281230
3aa9c3e9-4495-480b-8095-3eff3fee36a6
1175-5326
281230
Gymnetron comosum
Rosenschoeld, 1838
Rosenschoeld (1838)
described this species from specimens of Chevrolat's collection from Smyrne (
Turkey
). The description is based on a brief comparison with
Gymnetron eoum
(presently
Rhinusa eoa
). The few differences were: vestiture lighter in colour and denser, rostrum more finely punctate and bearing sparse scales, femora with more pronounced tooth. However, Rosenschoeld reasoned whether his new species might actually be the male of
R. eoa
, evidently described from females only (see above). Brisout de Barneville (1862) noted that Rosenschoeld's taxon, of which he knew only the male, differs from
R. tetra
by the shape of the rostrum, which is less tapered in lateral view and more flattened and not sulcate in dorsal view. Subsequently, Brisout de Barneville (1865) reported to have examined also a female
G. c o m o s u m
, from Kefalonia in
Greece
, which had a similar rostrum as female
R. asellus
(Gravenhorst, 1807)
. Desbrochers des
Loges (1893)
ignored Brisout de Barneville (1865) and treated
R. comosa
as a variety of
R. tetra
with a large body and denser vestiture.
Reitter (1907)
placed
R. comosa
as a synonym under
R. amicta
, which he considered a good species with a different vestiture and rostrum than
R. tetra
. However,
Hoffmann (1958)
agreed with Desbrochers des
Loges (1893)
and considered
R. amicta
and
R. comosa
as varieties of
R. tetra
.
We examined two
syntypes
of
Gymnetron comosum
at NHRS with the following label data: “Smyrne / Coll. Chevr.” (female,
lectotype
here designated) and “Smyrne / 665 /
Gymnetron comosus Sch.
[sic] /
Gymnetron comosus Chevr.
,
Anatolia
/ Coll. Chevr. /
Typus
” (male,
paralectotype
). Due to the shapes of the rostrum and the aedeagus, this species is clearly different from
R. tetra
as correctly observed by Brisout de Barneville (1865).