taxonID	type	description	language	source
DD3F87C1FFA6FF9A0BD4EF21FB63F9A6.taxon	discussion	Remarks. This is one of the commonest and most widespread species in the genus Rhinusa. In the southern part of its area of distribution it can be confused with two other very similar species, R. verbasci and R. moroderi. It can be separated from these only by the shape of the female rostrum, most easily in lateral view. Unfortunately the males of these three species differ only by average length of rostrum and aedeagus (see key to the species). It is well known that adults of R. tetra vary greatly in size (from 2.0 mm to 4.5 mm) even in specimens collected on the same plant. Since this species is oligophagous, with larvae feeding in seeds of different species of Verbascum, it is possible that the size of the specimens is influenced by the different size of the seeds in various species of Verbascum as already speculated by Peyerimhoff (1911). The same is probably true for the different lengths of the rostra of the female in various populations as is known to occur in several species of herbivorous “ long-nosed weevils ”. Biological notes. Larva and adult were quoted as collected on various species of Verbascum. However, some of these observations possibly refer to other species closely related to R. tetra. We could verify the following plant associations: V. blattaria L., V. boerhavii L., V. creticum (L.) Cav., V. lychnitis L., V. n i g r u m L., V. phlomoides L., V. phoeniceum L., V. pulverulentum Vill., V. speciosum Schrader, V. thapsiforme Schrader, V. thapsus L. Sometimes adult R. tetra were collected also on Scrophularia (S. auriculata L., S. canina L.). Distribution. Europe, Siberia, North Africa, Middle East, central Asia, northern India (R. Caldara, pers. data). Introduced in North America (O'Brien & Wibmer 1982), where it was proposed as a potential candidate for the biological control of invasive Common Mullein, Verbascum thapsus L. (see Anonymous 2011).	en	Caldara, Roberto, Casalini, Roberto, Baviera, Cosimo (2012): Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on the Rhinusa tetra (Fabricius) species complex (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Zootaxa 3329: 31-40, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.281230
DD3F87C1FFA6FF990BD4EBE5FF17FEC3.taxon	discussion	Remarks. This species differs from R. tetra by the shape and usually the length of the rostrum, especially in the female (see key to the species; measurements taken from 30 male and 30 female specimens for each species from the whole area of their distribution), although it is well known that the rostra are somewhat variable in length (Figs. 12 - 13). It is noteworthy that the two taxa are sympatric in the entire area of distribution but were never collected on the same plant. This circumstance supports our current decision to consider R. tetra and R. verbasci as different species. Biological notes. The lectotype of this species was collected on Verbascum formosum Schrank., a species distributed in southern Russia and Anatolia. In Sicily R. verbasci was collected on V. blattaria, V. thapsus and V. m a c - rurum sometimes together with R. comosa but never together with R. tetra (C. Baviera, pers. obs.) Distribution. Southern Spain, Italy (Sicily), Greece, Caucasian States, Turkey, Morocco (R. Caldara, pers. data).	en	Caldara, Roberto, Casalini, Roberto, Baviera, Cosimo (2012): Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on the Rhinusa tetra (Fabricius) species complex (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Zootaxa 3329: 31-40, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.281230
DD3F87C1FFA5FF990BD4EE8CFB18FA96.taxon	discussion	Remarks. R. comosa is clearly distinct from the previous three taxa by the shape of the rostrum (Figs. 3 - 4 and 8 - 9) and the aedeagus (Fig. 15). In dorsal view, the male rostrum is parallel-sided up to the apex and the sculpture, although equally distinctly striate-punctate, lacks a wide and deep longitudinal median sulcus (Fig. 3 vs. Fig. 1). The penis is parallel-sided to the apex and more elongate and narrow than in the other three taxa (Fig. 15 vs. Fig. 14). Biological notes. In Italy this species was collected on V. pulverulentum L. in Liguria (northern Italy) and Latium (central Italy), whereas in Sicily it was collected on V. thapsus and V. m a c r u r u m, sometimes together with R. tetra or R. verbasci. We have no exact biological data for the specimens collected in the Balkans and Turkey, where about 230 species of Verbascum occur, a noteworthy 200 of them being endemic (Huber-Morath 1978). Distribution. Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Uzbekhistan.	en	Caldara, Roberto, Casalini, Roberto, Baviera, Cosimo (2012): Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on the Rhinusa tetra (Fabricius) species complex (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Zootaxa 3329: 31-40, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.281230
DD3F87C1FFA5FF990BD4ECDFFADEFC88.taxon	discussion	Remarks. This southern Palaearctic species is closely related to R. tetra, with which it is sympatric in the entire area of its distribution. It differs from this species only, but constantly, by the shape of the female rostrum which in lateral view is cylindrical and not tapered from antennal insertion to apex (Fig. 10 vs. Fig. 7). Moreover it is noteworthy that the body length (rostrum excluded) in all specimens of R. moroderi is less than 3 mm whereas in R. tetra and R. verbasci specimens longer than 3 mm are common. Biological notes. In Sicily, Spain and Cyprus this species was collected on Verbascum sinuatum L. (R. Caldara, pers. data). In eastern Sicily, where a detailed survey was conducted on all species of Verbascum, adult weevils were found only on V. sinuatum (C. Baviera, pers. obs.). Distribution. Portugal, southern Spain, southern Italy and main isles (Sardinia, Sicily), Malta, Albania, continental Greece and isles (Kefalonia, Zakynthos), Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria.	en	Caldara, Roberto, Casalini, Roberto, Baviera, Cosimo (2012): Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on the Rhinusa tetra (Fabricius) species complex (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Zootaxa 3329: 31-40, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.281230
