Immatures of Palaearctic species of the weevil genus Sibinia (Coleoptera, Curculionidae): new descriptions and new bionomic data with suggestions on their potential value in a phylogenetic reconstruction of the genus

Palaearctic species of the genus Cionus Clairville, 1798 are revised and 61 species are recognized as valid. Sixteen species are described as new to science: Cionus armeniacus sp. n., C. boroveci sp. n., C. colonnellii sp. n., C. dodeki sp. n., C. harani sp. n., C. himalayensis sp. n., C. khorasanicus sp. n., C. laibalei sp. n., C. maurus sp. n., C. negevicola sp. n., C. neglectus sp. n., C. osmanlis sp. n., C. rossicus sp. n., C. rufescens sp. n., C. winkelmanni sp. n. and C. yunnanensis sp. n. Cionus auriculus Reitter, 1904 stat. n. is resurrected from the synonymy of C. hortulanus (Geoffroy, 1785), C. atlanticus Peyerimhoff, 1926 stat. prom. is raised to specific rank from C. longicollis atlanticus, C. montanus Wingelmüller, 1914 stat. prom. is raised to specific rank from C. longicollis montanus, C. affinis Brahm, 1790 syn. n. is synonymized with C. scrophulariae (Linnaeus, 1758), C. franzi A. Hoffmann, 1960 syn. n. with C. hortulanus (Geoffroy, 1785), C. inexspectatus Tempère, 1961 syn. n. with C. leonhardi Wingelmüller, 1914, C. pulverosus densenotatus Reitter, 1914 syn. n. with C. pulverosus Guérin-Méneville, 1833, C. schoenherri laportei A. Hoffmann, 1953 syn. n. with C. schoenherri C. N. F. Brisout de Barneville, 1863, C. schultzei nuristanus Voss, 1937 syn. n. with C. dependens Faust, 1886, C. scrophulariae albosuturatus Roubal, 1936 syn. n. with C. scrophulariae (Linnaeus, 1758), C. subsquamosus Reitter, 1914 syn. n. with C. hortulanus (Geoffroy, 1785), C. thapsus semialbellus Reitter, 1904 syn. n. with C. gebleri Gyllenhal, 1838, C. thapsus tissoni Reitter, 1904 syn. n. with C. thapsus (Fabricius, 1792). Neotypes of Cionus griseopubens Wingelmüller, 1914, Cionus ungulatus Germar, 1821, Cionus villae Comolli, 1837, Curculio affinis Brahm, 1790, Curculio alauda Herbst, 1784, Curculio bipustulatus Marsham, 1802 and Curculio tuberculosus Scopoli, 1763 are designated. Curculio thapsus Fabricius, 1792 (currently Cionus) is formally proposed as nom. protectum and Curculio assimilis Harrer, 1784 as nom. oblitum. Redescriptions, comparative morphology, distributions, biological notes and key to all Palaearctic species are given.

Oriental species of the genus Cionus are herein revised for the first time. Eight species are recognized as distinct based on morphological characters of adults. One species is described as new: C. ottomerkli sp. nov., from India, whereas the name vossi (nom. nov.) is proposed for Cionus flavoguttatus Voss, 1957 (not Stierlin, 1893). The following new synonymy is established: Cionus indicus Desbrochers des Loges, 1890 (=Cionus albosparsus Faust, 1898 syn. nov.). Lectotypes of Cionus albosparsus Faust, 1898; Cionus flavoguttatus Voss, 1957; Cionus indicus Desbrochers des Loges, 1890; Cionus obesus Pascoe, 1883; and Cionus tonkinensis Wingelmüller, 1915, are designated.

The Afrotropical species of the genus Cionus Clairville, 1798 are revised and 52 species are recognized as valid. Thirty-one species are described as new to the science: twenty-five from the continental subregions (C. concavifrons sp. n., C. coniungens sp. n., C. cretaceus sp. n., C. diaboli sp. n., C. fimbriatus sp. n., C. frater sp. n., C. friedmani sp. n., C. geometricus sp. n., C. hirtellus sp. n., C. intermedius sp. n., C. latruncularius sp. n., C. limosus sp. n., C. longinasus sp. n., C. mimeticus sp. n., C. natalensis sp. n., C. nhlosanicus sp. n., C. oberprieleri sp. n., C. oculatus sp. n., C. schuelei sp. n., C. stalsi sp. n., C. tanzanicus sp. n., C. tenuepilosus sp. n., C. terrosus sp. n., C. transvaalicus sp. n., C. zimbabwicus sp. n.) and six from Madagascar (C. callosus sp. n., C. convexiusculus sp. n., C. guttula sp. n., C. planus sp. n., C. variolosus sp. n., C. verrucosus sp. n.). The following new synonymies are proposed: Cionus chilianthi Marshall, 1941 syn. n. of C. angulicollis Rosenschoeld, 1838, C. virgatus Rosenschoeld, 1838 syn. n. and C. decorus Boheman, 1845 syn. n. of C. nubilosus Rosenschoeld, 1838, C. leucostictus griseus Fairmaire 1903 syn. n. of C. leucostictus Fairmaire, 1897. Lectotypes of Cionus albidus Rosenschoeld, 1838, C. alluaudi Hustache, 1920, C. angulicollis Rosenschoeld, 1838, C. catenatus Fairmaire, 1897, C. compactus Fairmaire, 1903, C. coriaceus Fairmaire, 1903, C. decorus Boheman, 1845, C. ebeninus Hustache, 1956, C. histrio Rosenschoeld, 1838, C. ingratus Fåhraeus, 1871, C. leucostictus Fairmaire, 1897, C. leucostictus griseus Fairmaire, 1903, C. notatus Rosenschoeld, 1838, C. nubilosus Rosenschoeld, 1838, C. perlatus Faust, 1885, C. pustulatus Fåhraeus, 1871, C. tristis Boheman, 1838, C. usambicus Faust, 1889, C. vicarius Hustache, 1939 and C. virgatus Rosenschoeld, 1838 are designated. The “variety” maculithorax Voss, 1960 of Cionus pardus Marshall, 1941 is considered an unavailable name. Description or redescription, comparative morphology, distribution, biological notes and key to all Afrotropical species are given. Photos of habitus in dorsal, of aedeagus in ventral and lateral, and of the apex of penis in dorsal view are reported for each species.

Two actions preserve taxal nomenclatural stability within Curculionidae in accordance with the Code. Following the provisions of ICZN Article 23.9.1 Curculio pellitus (Boheman, 1843) (formerly Balaninus) becomes a nomen protectum and Curculio gulosus Fabricius, 1792 a nomen oblitum; Curculio villosus Fabricius, 1781 becomes a nomen protectum and Curculio cerasorum Fabricius, 1775 a nomen oblitum. Having met the conditions of ICZN Article 74 and Article 75, the lectotypes of Curculio gulosus Fabricius, 1792 and Curculio cerasorum Fabricius, 1775, and the neotype of Curculio villosus Fabricius, 1781 are designated. The following new synonymy is proposed: Curculio pellitus (Boheman, 1843) = Curculio gulosus Fabricius 1792 n. syn. and the synonymy Curculio villosus Fabricius, 1781 = Curculio cerasorum Fabricius, 1775 is confirmed

The larva and the pupa of the Palaearctic weevil species Tychius subsulcatus Tournier, 1847 are described and illustrated for the first time. The characters of larva and pupa of T. subsulcatus completely fit the described differential diagnosis of the subtribe Tychiina, genus Tychius, and also Tychius intrusus group. Astragalus onobrychis Linnaeus is confirmed as its host plant. The biology of T. subsulcatus in south Slovakia (Cerová vrchovina Mts.) is described.