Thamiocolus calcaratus (A. Schultze, 1901)

Korotyaev, Boris A. & Friedman, Ariel-Leib-Leonid, 2020, A review of the weevil genus Thamiocolus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Conoderinae: Ceutorhynchitae: Ceutorhynchini) from Israel, with notes on some adaptive features of Ceutorhynchini and a new synonymy, Israel Journal of Entomology (Oxford, England) 50 (2), pp. 103-131 : 116-118

It remains unclear if the Israeli material belongs to Th. calcaratus and the latter has then a disjunctive distribution being replaced by Th. anthracinus in eastern Anatolia, or the Israeli material represents a distinct species, apparently Th. pici . The holotype of Th. pici was collected by M. Pic not in Turkey, but very likely in Israel or, maybe, in Lebanon where he collected Th. volkovitshi (Korotyaev 1997) .

Material examined: Israel: Hermon : Har Hermon : 1♀ 2200 m, 25.vi.1997, V.Chikatunov (SMNHTAU); 1♀ 2000 m, 22.v.1973, D. Furth (SMNHTAU); 1♀ 7.vi.1993, V.Chikatunov (SMNHTAU); 2♂ 1700 m, 17.v.2009, A. Freidberg (SMNHTAU); 1♂ 1600 m, 20.vi.1993, V. Chikatunov (SMNHTAU); Har Hermon , Bol'an Valley, 2000 m, 18.vi.2020, L. Friedman, on Phlomis brevilabris , 3♀ (SMNHTAU), 1♂ 2♀ ( ZIN). Samarian Desert: 1♀ Umm Zuqa Nature Reserve, Rt. 5788, 200 m, 18.iii.2008, L. Friedman (SMNHTAU).

Distribution: Israel: at high altitudes on Har Hermon . One specimen was collected by the second author in the Samarian Desert (see below).

Biology: A series of six specimens was collected by the second author on Phlomis brevilabris Boiss. , a presumed host plant, in mid-June on Har Hermon , at the altitude of 2000 m asl. Phlomis brevilabris is distributed in Israel exclusively at high altitudes, in the tragacanth batha of Har Hermon ( Figs 43–45) ( Shmida 2005; Danin & Fragman-Sapir 2020). Therefore, it was most amazing to find one specimen of the weevil also in Umm Zuqa Nature Reserve, on the eastern slopes of the Samarian Desert at 200 m asl. ( Figs 46, 47).Although the differences in the altitude and climate between the localities are striking, the type of the vegetation is somewhat similar (low Mediterranean scrubland mixed with Irano-Turanian and Saharo-Sindian floristic elements). Phlomis brachyodon (Boiss.) Zohary ( Figs 34, 48)—distributed along the transitional belt between the Mediterranean area and the desert, in Jordan Valley, Samarian Desert, Judean Foothills, Judean Hills, and Northern Negev ( Shmida 2005; Danin & Fragman-Sapir 2020)—is a possible host plant in this area. The specimens collected in June 2020 at 2000 m asl were taken from plants before blooming, while the same plant was in full bloom at 1600–1700 m, but no weevils were found. This corresponds to the observations on Th. volkovitshi (see below).