The Apionidae (Coleoptera) of the Canary Islands, with particular reference to the contribution of T. Vernon Wollaston
Author
Morris, Michael G.
Author
Sw, London
Author
Dt, Dorset
text
Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae
2011
2011-06-30
51
1
157
182
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.5327310
0374-1036
5327310
Perapion fallax
(
Wollaston, 1864
)
(
Fig. 1
)
WOLLASTON (1864)
described this species under the name
fallax
. The replacement name supplied by
WARNER (1958)
(
neofallax
) is unjustified. Wollaston commented on the species’ similarity to the common European
P. violaceum
(Kirby, 1808)
, and
BRITO & OROMÍ (1986)
tabulated the differences between the two species. Like
P. violaceum
,
P. fallax
feeds as a larva in the stems of
Rumex
(
Rumex
)
spp. (‘docks’).
BRITO & OROMÍ (1986)
recorded it from
R. lunaria
(Tree Sorrel)
, but I have found it on that very common Canarian plant only in Gran Canaria (in
January 2004
at two sites) and in Lanzarote (in
January 2005
, also at two sites); it is possible that
R. lunaria
is only palatable as a host of the adults when its foliage is fresh and tender.
Perapion neofallax
occurred in some numbers on
R. conglomeratus
in Tenerife (
March 2001
) and La Palma (
February 1998
) and in both islands it also occurred on
Emex spinosa
. Larvae were found in stems of the latter plant in the Orotava Valley in
March 1993
.
Perapion fallax
has been recorded from all the islands;
MACHADO & OROMÍ (2000)
omitted it from La Gomera, but
BRITO & OROMÍ (1986)
included the record of a single example taken there by Lindberg. It is not restricted to the
Canary Islands
but has been found in North Africa and southern
Spain
(M. A. Alonso-Zarazaga, pers. comm.).
Wollaston’s BMNH collection contains
4 male
and
4 female
specimens, from La Palma, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. The example labelled ‘Type’ is a male and colourcoded for Lanzarote.
5 males
and
4 females
are in the OUMNH collection, from El Hierro, La Palma, Tenerife, Lanzarote and possibly Gran Canaria.