Phyllobius, Germar, 1824

Germann, Christoph, Wartmann, Stefan & Winkelmann, Herbert, 2025, Conspicuously hidden in the Catalogue-Phyllobius occultatus sp. nov. from Greece (Coleoptera, Curculionidae: Entiminae), Zootaxa 5601 (1), pp. 181-188 : 187

Supplement to the key by Pesarini (1981: 116) within Phyllobius s. str.:

43. Profemora strongly thickened, well twice as thick as meso- and metafemora ( Figs 1 ; 13 ). Tibiae reddish. Prothorax about as long as wide. Vestiture of prothorax consisting of loosely spread greenish scales, also present along middle. Elytra and prothorax with uniform scales, interrupted only by glabrous punctures standing in series on elytral intervals. Green scales on elytra mostly homogeneously covering surface. Scales bright green, raised hairs inbetween brown and little longer than width of elytral intervals ( Fig. 6 ). Elytral apex simple in both sexes ( Figs 1–2 ; 13–14 ).................................................................................................. Ph. brenskei 4.6–5.5 mm ( Greece: Peloponnese).

- Profemora extraordinarily thickened, three times as thick as meso- and metafemora ( Figs 3–4 ; 9–10 ). Tibiae reddish-brown and/or blackish. Prothorax transverse, laterally strongly rounded. Vestiture of prothorax with scales on each sides, not along middle. Scales on elytra patchy with gabs inbetween and/or stripe along suture without scales ( Figs 3–5 ; 9–10 )......... 43a

43a. Tooth of profemora in shape of an acute triangle ( Figs 3–4 ). Tibiae dark black. Vestiture of prothorax with scales along both sides, from fore to hind margin. Scales on prothorax and elytra (bluish-) greenish, scales on elytra fan-shaped ( Fig. 7 ), erect hairs inbetween light brown, about as long as width of an interval. Suture on elytra without scales ( Figs 3–4 ). Elytral apex in females conspicuously prolonged ( Fig. 12 )............ Ph. nigrofasciatus 5.0– 6.9 mm ( Turkey: Bozdag, Afyonkarahisar).

- Tooth of profemora in shape of an equilateral triangle ( Fig. 9 ). Tibiae dark or brownish/reddish. Vestiture of prothorax with scales denser towards hind margin. Scales on prothorax and elytra light green, often with golden shimmer, oval to drop-shaped. Elytra only sparsely set with scales, erect hairs inbetween blackish, pointed, longer than width of two interstriae ( Figs 9–10 ). Elytral apex in females only inconspicuously mucronate ( Fig. 11 )....... Ph. occultatus 4.5–5.5 mm ( Greece, Peloponnese).

Figures

FIGURE 1–8. Fig. 1. Lectotype male and Fig. 2. Paralectotype female of Phyllobius brenskei Schilsky, 1911, designated herein, with their labels (Photos: Ivo Jurisch). Fig. 3. Holotype male of Ph. nigrofasciatus Pesarini, 1975 (Photo: Michele Zilioli). Fig. 4. Male of Ph. nigrofasciatus from Afyonkarahisar. Fig. 5. Ditto female. Fig. 6. Detail of long hairs and scales of apical part of left elytron of Ph. brenskei. Fig. 7. Ditto Ph. nigrofasciatus. Fig. 8. Ditto Ph. occultatus sp. nov. (Photos: C. Germann).

FIGURE 9–16. Fig. 9. Holotype male of Phyllobius occultatus sp. nov. Fig. 10. Ditto, paratype female. Fig. 11. Elytral apex of the female of Ph. occultatus sp. nov. Fig. 12. Ditto of the female of Ph. nigrofasciatus. Figs 13–14. Male and female of Ph. brenskei, freshly collected specimens showing variability in colour of scales and body shape. Fig. 15. Apical sternites of male and 16. Female of Ph. occultatus sp. nov. (Photos: C. Germann).