Mesites pallidipennis Boheman, 1838

Friedman, Ariel-Leib-Leonid, 2023, A review of the saproxylic weevil subfamily Cossoninae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Israel, Israel Journal of Entomology (Oxford, England) 52 (6), pp. 75-96 : 82

Mesites pallidipennis Boheman, 1838

(Figs 24, 25, 28, 29, 36)

Material examined: Israel: Northern Coastal Plain : Qiryat Hayyim, 22.iv.2001, A. Orlov, "under sea rubbish" (2 exx.); 3 km N of ‘Atlit, sea coast, 17.v.2002, A. Orlov, "under sea rubbish" (2 exx.) .

Distribution: Circum-Mediterranean: Europe: Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Ukraine, Russia; North Africa: Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt; Asia: Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon, Azerbaijan ( Folwaczny 1973; HlavÁČ & Maughan 2013; Nazarenko & Gontarenko 2017; Alonso-Zarazaga et al. 2023). Recorded from Israel by Halperin and Fremuth (2003) from the Upper Galilee and Yizre’el Valley, which probably refers to misidentified specimens of M. cunipes .

Biology: This species develops in sea-water-soaked wood: driftwood, wooden parts of constructions, etc., but also in old trunks of Pinus and Populus ( Folwaczny 1973; Nazarenko & Gontarenko 2017). In Israel it has recorded from Populus spp. , Salix spp. ( Halperin & Fremuth 2003) but these are most probably misidentifications of M. cunipes .