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ZOOTAXA
ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition)
ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition)
Accepted by R. Anderson: 9 Feb. 2021; published: 25 Feb. 2021 69
Zootaxa 4938 (1): 069–084
https://www.mapress.com/j/zt/
Copyright © 2021 Magnolia Press Article
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4938.1.3
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5F8F8E25-2418-4D07-B4C3-671AFED4A50F
A new genus and species of anophthalmous Otiorhynchini from Greece, with a
new synonymy and new combinations (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Entiminae)
CESARE BELLO’1, ENZO COLONNELLI2, LEONARDO FORBICIONI3, GIUSEPPE OSELLA1,4 &
ENRICO RUZZIER1,5*
1World Biodiversity Association Onlus c/o Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Lungadige Porta Vittoria, 9, 37129 Verona, Italy.
�
cesarebello@ortoveneto.it; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8091-8043
2Via delle Giunchiglie n. 56, 00172 Roma, Italy.
�
ecolonnelli@yahoo.it; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2404-6591
3World Biodiversity Association Onlus c/o NAT LAB Forte Inglese, 57037 Portoferraio, Livorno, Italy.
�
arcipelago.toscano@biodiversityassociation.org; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9888-6756
4Via XXIV Maggio, 20, 37126 Verona, Italy.
�
research@biodiversityassociation.org; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4816-7857
5Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and the Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, viale
dell’Università 16, Legnaro, 35020 Padova, Italy.
�
enrico.ruzzier@unipd.it; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1020-1247
*Corresponding author
Abstract
A new genus of Entiminae, an endogean weevil of the tribe Otiorhynchini, Giavarhynchus Bellò, Osella & Ruzzier,
gen. n., and its type species Giavarhynchus amicorum Bellò, Osella & Ruzzier, sp. n. are described. The new taxon
is readily distinguished from all other members of the tribe due to the unique combination of lack of eyes, elongate
rostrum with a ventral transverse furrow and excised lateral margins located at apical third, punctation of pronotum of
two distinct sizes arranged in a distinctive pattern, interval 7 of elytra protruding from base of pronotum and crenulate
basally, metafemora bearing a spine-like tooth much larger than that of pro- and mesofemora, female tibiae granulate on
inner margin, bisinuous mesotibiae. The following synonymy is proposed: Nematocerus Reiche, 1849 (= Cyrtozemia
Pascoe, 1872, syn. n.; = Holcorhinosoma Voss, 1939, syn. n.). New combinations are: Nematocerus cognatus (Marshall,
1916), comb. n.; Nematocerus dispar (Pascoe, 1872), comb. n.; Nematocerus pilipes (Morimoto, 2015), comb. n., all
from Cyrtozemia; Nematocerus subtuberculatus (Voss, 1939), comb. n. from Holcorhinosoma. New tribal placement
is: Pseudocratopus Hustache, 1921 from Otiorhynchini to Peritelini. New subgeneric placement is that of Otiorhynchus
deceptorius Białooki, Germann & Pelletier, 2017 and of Otiorhynchus incisirostris Białooki, Germann & Pelletier, 2017
from Otiorhynchus (Lixorrhynchus) Reitter, 1914 to Otiorhynchus (Aranihus) Reitter, 1912.
Key words: Entiminae, Otiorhynchini, taxonomy, new genus, new species, new synonymy, new combinations, Greece
Introduction
Despite the common belief that Europe is among the most thoroughly studied areas of the world, it remains an im-
portant reservoir of unknown species (Fontaine et al. 2012; Oberprieler et al. 2007), particularly underexplored and
species-rich countries such as Greece with more than 1600 recorded weevil species (Germann et al. 2021) so far.
Since 1991, Pier Mauro Giachino and Dante Vailati have been investigating subterranean Coleoptera inhabiting the
superficial subterranean habitat (Giachino & Vailati 2010) of this country, resulting in the description of new species
and the discovery of several still undescribed taxa (Giachino &Vailati 2010). The aim of this paper is to describe
an edaphic weevil collected during those surveys, which presents a new and unique combination of morphological
characters.
BELLO’ ET AL.
70 · Zootaxa 4938 (1) © 2021 Magnolia Press
Material and methods
Collecting methods. Both specimens dealt with in this paper were collected using endogean pitfall traps, following
the methodology described and illustrated by Giachino & Vailati (2010).
The material used in this study was examined with an Olympus SZH10 microscope. Female terminalia were
dissected and cleared from musculature in household bleach. The last two abdominal sternites, plus sternite VIII,
spermatheca and gonocoxites of females were dissected and mounted in DMHF (dimethyl hydantoin formaldehyde
resin). Studio photographs were taken by Francesco Sacco with a Nikon D90 digital camera provided with an ob-
jective AF Micro-Nikkor 60 mm and processed using Helicon Focus 5.3 and Photoshop CS4 Extended software.
Pier Mauro Giachino and Dante Vailati took habitat pictures. All measurements are in dorsal view along an ideal
identical plane.
Descriptive format. The morphological terminology used in the paper follows Osella & Bellò (2010); Lyal
(2013); Oberprieler et al. (2014) and Bellò et al. (2019). Label data is quoted verbatim, different labels are sepa-
rated by a slash, remarks and comments are given in square brackets. The sex is noted, and the depository of the
specimens is given. Label acronyms are as follows: [g, p] = [green, printed], [r, p] = [red, printed], [w, p] = [white,
printed], [y, p] = [yellow, printed].
Acronyms of the type depositories are: CBPC= Cesare Bellò private collection, Castelfranco Veneto, Treviso,
Italy; GOPC = Giuseppe Osella private collection, Verona, Italy, which will be deposited in the Museo Civico di
Storia Naturale, Verona, Italy.
Acronyms for measurements and ratios are the same as in Bellò et al. (2019: 11, Figure 1A), in alphabetical
order: BL = Length of pronotum + elytra; EL = Maximum length of elytra; EL/EW = Maximum length of elytra
/ maximum width of elytra; EW = Maximum width of elytra; FL = Length of funicle; FW/MW =Width of frons /
maximum width of mesorostrum; PL = Maximum length of pronotum; PL/PW= Maximum length of pronotum /
maximum width of pronotum; PW = Maximum width of pronotum; RL = Maximum length of rostrum; RL/RW =
Length of rostrum / width of rostrum; RW = Maximum width of rostrum; SL = Length of scape; SL/FL = Length of
scape / length of funicle; TL = Total body length (from the apex of the rostrum to the apex of the elytra).
The results of this paper (in part) arise from the program “Research Missions in the Mediterranean Basin” spon-
sored by the World Biodiversity Association Onlus. This is contribution XLV.
Taxonomy
All characters of the new taxon described here place it in the subfamily Entiminae Schoenherr, 1823. Because of the
present rather chaotic status of taxonomy in Entiminae, and the lack of comprehensive phylogenetic analyses, it is
necessary to rely on their morphology for tribal placement. Despite several partial improvements (Alonso-Zarazaga
& Lyal 1999; Champion 1911; Desbrochers 1873, 1898; Emden 1936; Heller 1925; Hoffmann 1965; Horne 1876;
Kuschel 1954, 1956; LeConte 1874; Marseul 1863; Marshall 1916, 1942, 1956; Meregalli et al. 2021; Morimoto &
Kojima 2001; Morrone 1998; Pierce 1913; Reitter 1913; Sharp 1891, 1919), the general scheme of most of the tribes
is still more or less the one proposed by Lacordaire (1863). According to the above cited articles and keys, the new
genus Giavarhynchus clearly belongs to Otiorhynchini Schoenherr, 1826, where it is very close to the paraphyletic
genus Otiorhynchus Germar, 1822. The tribe Otiorhynchini itself appears today to be paraphyletic, since, besides
the extant Palaearctic genera, all of which are from close to its flightless type genus Otiorhynchus, Alonso-Zarazaga
& Lyal (1999), Alonso-Zarazaga et al. (2017) and Colonnelli (2014) included African, Nearctic, Oriental and New
Zealand genera (Agronus Horn, 1976, Calyptops Schoenherr, 1840, Catergus Schoenherr, 1842, Epitimetes Pascoe,
1877, Homodus Broun, 1881, Hygrocus Broun, 1881, Lepydnus Champion, 1914, Parvorhynchus Colonnelli, 2014,
Phaeocharis Broun, 1916, Pseudocratopus Hustache, 1921, Sciobius Schoenherr, 1823, Sciopithes Horn, 1876)
whose only common characters are the scrobes completely visible from above and the free claws. Judging from
their descriptions and from the material at hand, all these taxa are distantly related to each other, and are very dif-
ferent from the new genus described here. To find the right place for them within the rather confused taxonomy of
Entiminae is well beyond the scope of this paper. It is nonetheless worth pointing out that the genus Cyrtozemia
Pascoe, 1872 was wrongly placed by Alonso-Zarazaga et al. (2017) among Otiorhynchini, since its type species C.
dispar Pascoe, 1872 has connate claws (Pascoe 1872; Marshall 1916) which place this genus among the Peritelini
A NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF ANOPHTHALMOUS OTIORHYNCHINI Zootaxa 4938 (1) © 2021 Magnolia Press · 71
Lacordaire, 1863 (new placement) in its present more than broad sense. In addition, Cyrtozemia, according to its
description and the accompanying figures (Pascoe 1872; Marshall, 1916) cannot be considered different from the
African and southern Palaearctic genus Nematocerus Reiche, 1849. Consequently, it is necessary to establish the
following synonymy: Nematocerus Reiche, 1849 (= Cyrtozemia Pascoe, 1872, syn. n.; = Holcorhinosoma Voss,
1939, syn. n.). This implies the following new combinations: Nematocerus cognatus (Marshall, 1916), comb. n.;
Nematocerus dispar (Pascoe, 1872), comb. n.; Nematocerus pilipes (Morimoto, 2015), comb. n., all from Cyr-
tozemia; Nematocerus subtuberculatus (Voss, 1939), comb. n. from Holcorhinosoma. Furthermore, the genus Pseu-
docratopus, of which Hustache (1921) said nothing about the state of tarsal claws, appears from the figures of both
its species (Hustache 1921) so similar to other African Peritelini as to be moved among them (new placement)
awaiting the possibility of physically studying the types. The following are also noteworthy: the synonymy of Mei-
ranella Reitter, 1913 with Otiorhynchus (Namertanus) Reitter, 1912 (Davidian & Savitsky 2006), the synonymy
of Rhynchotious Magnano, 1998 with Otiorhynchus (Aranihus) Reitter, 1912 (Germann 2013), the synonymy of
Omoiotus Sharp, 1896 with Asphalmus Sharp, 1896 and its transfer to Omiini Shuckard, 1840 (Borovec 2010), the
synonymy of Kocheriana Hoffmann, 1953, mislabelled as Moroccan, with the Madagascan Neseremnus Marshall,
1921 in Tanyrhynchini Schoenherr, 1826 (Alonso-Zarazaga 2008), and the movement of Solariola Flach, 1908 to
Peritelini (Baviera 2015).
Results
Giavarhynchus Bellò, Osella & Ruzzier gen. n.
(Figs 1a-1n)
Type species. Giavarhynchus amicorum Bellò, Osella & Ruzzier sp. n.
Diagnosis. Blind, large-sized (7.3-8.0 mm) Otiorhynchini easily distinguishable from all other genera by the follow-
ing combination of characters: elongate rostrum with a ventral transverse furrow and excised lateral margins located
at apical third (Figs 1d-1e), punctation of pronotum of two distinct sizes arranged in a distinctive pattern (figs. 1a,
1b, 2a, 2c, 2f), interval 7 of elytra crenulate in basal eighth (figs 1a, 1g, 2a); by metafemora bearing a spine-like
tooth placed at apex of distal third and much larger than that of pro- and mesofemora (Fig. 1a, 2a); tibiae of female
granulate on inner margin, granules particularly strong on the bisinuous mesotibiae (figs 1a, 1c, 1f); and tarsi thin
and elongate, segment 3 only slightly wider than the preceding two (figs 1a, 1c).
Description. Body elongate (TL: 7.30–8.00 mm; BL: 5.60–6.60 mm), colour brownish-black, dull or weakly
glossy, antennae and legs paler.
Head globular and smooth. Rostrum elongate (RL: 1.30–1.60 mm, RW: 0.50–0.60 mm, RL/RW: 2.60–2.67),
regularly curved from base to apex. Scrobes deep, completely visible in dorsal view. Pterygia evident. Rostrum ven-
trally in apical third with deep transverse furrow. Apex of rostrum with sparse raised short setae. Upper surface of
mesorostrum with setae on both sides, carinae sub-parallel to the lateral margin. Epistome absent. Genae elongate,
scarcely punctured. Mandibles in horizontal plane, with scar indicating point of attachment of deciduous cusps; man-
dibular scars present. Eyes absent. Forehead (FW / MW: ratio 1.50–1.60) in lateral view slightly convex, intraocular
pit not visible. Submentum without pappolepida.
Antennae long and thin (SL: 1.30–1.40 mm, FL: 2.00–2.10 mm, SL/FL: 0.65–0.67). Scape about 4-5 times
as long as wide, straight, with widened and curved apex. Funicle with 7 antennomeres, all with fine setae. Rela-
tive length of antennomeres 1-7 of funicle, in millimetres: 0.32–0.34, 0.30–0.32, 0.18–0.20, 0.18–0.20, 0.12–0.15,
0.16–0.18, 0.16–0.18; length of antennal club: 0.58–0.60. Club fusiform, as long as the last four funicular anten-
nomeres, almost 3 times as wide as the funicle, basal antennomere of club elongate and glabrous, the remaining two
with golden pubescence and some thin, long setae.
Pronotum longer than wide (PL: 1.80–1.90 mm, PW: 1.70–1.80 mm, PL/PW: 1.05–1.06) with strongly rounded
margins, widest at middle, anterior and posterior margins straight, the anterior one much narrower than the posterior
margin. Disc with irregularly placed large and fine punctures bearing long erect setae; punctures more distant from
each other than on sides; interspaces between punctures often shiny and microreticulate.
Elytra dorsally almost glabrous, slightly shining, in dorsal view oval-elongate, in lateral view slightly vaulted
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(EL: 4.40–4.80 mm, EW: 2.60–2.80 mm, EL/EW: 1.70–1.72). Elytra slightly convex, widest at middle of moderate-
ly rounded sides, not fused but suture ill defined. Humeri protruding, angular and toothed (Fig. 1g). Wings absent.
Each elytron with nine complete striae; seventh stria raised and prominent particularly at humeri. Interstriae convex,
with 10 to 20 punctures and with sparse thin setae. Elytral declivity from 60 to 75 degrees.
Legs long, slender, with long setae, and more or less large tooth on each femur. All femora clubbed at middle,
tooth of metafemur very large and with four to five small tooth-like tubercles. All tibiae mucronate, with fringe of
thick golden setae on inner apical angle, protibia with distinct inner apical grooming brush, tarsomere 1 elongate,
conical, 2 short and transverse, 3 deeply bilobed; all tarsomeres with thin golden setae. Onychium curved, thin and
elongate. All coxae globular, procoxae almost connate, mesocoxae separated by a space almost equal to the diameter
of a mesocoxa, metacoxae separated by a space about three times their diameter.
Abdomen shiny, slightly rugose, finely punctured; each puncture bearing a short seta.
Male terminalia. Unknown.
Female terminalia. Female genitalia as in figs: (1i) spermatheca; (1l) VIII sternite; (1m) III- VII sternites; (1n)
gonocoxites. Gonocoxite small, rather slender, weakly sclerotized, evenly tapered apicad, stylus elongate, with tuft
of 4–6 setae at apex. Sternite VIII with long, straight and slender apodeme terminating just at base of plate, creating
a short basal margin. Plate of sternite VIII trapezoid and with longitudinally developed arms, apical margin well-
defined, armed with fringe of setae. Spermatheca sclerotized, small, slender, cornu slender, corpus small, ramus
slightly longer than wide, nodulus smaller, hump-shaped.
Etymology. The new genus is named after our friends and colleagues Pier Mauro Giachino and Dante Vailati
(World Biodiversity Association, Verona, Italy), collectors of the type material. The name is a combination of their
surnames initial Gia[chino]Va[ilati] and [Otio]rhynchus, a supposedly closely related weevil genus, resulting thus
in Giavarhynchus. Gender masculine.
Remarks. The lack of or extreme reduction of eyes is not such an uncommon feature among the soil-dwell-
ing Entiminae. Morrone & Hlaváč (2017) listed all world taxa of such entimines presently known, which occur in
seven tribes: Celeuthetini Lacordaire, 1863 (genera Genavius Osella, 1983 from New Caledonia and Guineobius
Osella, 1983 from New Guinea), Laparocerini Lacordaire, 1863 (some species of Laparocerus Schoenherr, 1834
from the Canary Islands and Madeira), Pachyrhynchini Schoenherr, 1826 (genus Schauenbergia Osella, 1977 from
Réunion), Peritelini Lacordaire, 1863 (genera Hobarypeithes Hustache, 1939 and some species of Dysommatus
Marshall, 1933, both from Africa, plus Solariola Flach, 1908, and Troglorhythmus Alziar & Lemaire, 2008 both
from Europe); Sciaphilini Sharp, 1891 (genus Abarypeithes Hustache, 1939 from Africa), Typhlorhinini Kuschel,
1954 (genera Cambefortinus Richard, 1986, Cephalorostris Richard, 1979, Hopactorrhynchus Richard, 1953 and
Scrobops Richard, 1979 from Madagascar and West Africa), and Otiorhynchini (five taxa from the Palaearctic).
Among these last, although one or another of the features of Giavarhynchus, including lack of eyes, can be found
in some Mediterranean otiorhynchines, the presence of all of the characters detailed in the diagnosis is unique to
the genus described here. Firstly, the unusual deep rostral constriction is shared with both the Moroccan species
Otiorhynchus deceptorius Białooki, Germann & Pelletier, 2017 and Otiorhynchus incisirostris Białooki, Germann
& Pelletier, 2017 which were incidentally wrongly placed (Białooki et al. 2015) in the subgenus Lixorrhynchus
Reitter, 1914 rather than in Aranihus Reitter, 1912 to which they evidently belong because (new subgeneric place-
ment). Secondly, the ventral rostral furrow is also present in the Cretan genus Mirorhynchus Magnano, 2003. All the
above cited taxa clearly have a shorter rostrum, well developed eyes and edentate (or almost so) femora and cannot
be confused with Giavarhynchus. In particular, whereas both Otiorhynchus (Aranihus) deceptorius and Otiorhyn-
chus (Aranihus) incisirostris appear also to be very different from Giavarhynchus amicorum on the basis of their
very weakly granulate tibiae, lacking humeral tubercles, and granulate pronotum, Mirorhynchus bellus Magnano,
2003 from Crete (not from Cyprus as wrongly reported in the title of its description (Magnano 2003)), has a similar
or even stronger tibial denticulation compared to that of G. amicorum, but on the inner margin of the protibiae in-
stead of on the meso- and metatibiae. It is however immediately distinguishable by the squamiform-like punctation
of pronotum, lack of humeral tubercles and oval shape (Germann et al. 2021). The loss of eyes is a morphological
convergence of Giavarhynchus with Baldorhynchus Di Marco & Osella, 2002, Ioniorhynchus Magrini, Meoli &
Abbazzi, 2005, and with some Otiorhynchus of the subgenera Aranihus Reitter 1912, Cavernodes Białooki 2015,
Italorrhynchus Magrini, 2019, Lixorrhynchus Reitter, 1914 and Troglorhynchus F. Schmidt, 1854.
A NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF ANOPHTHALMOUS OTIORHYNCHINI Zootaxa 4938 (1) © 2021 Magnolia Press · 73
FIGURES 1a–1c. Giavarhynchus gen. n., habitus: 1a—dorsal view of the female holotype; 1b—ventral view of the female
paratype; 1c—lateral view of the holotype. Scale bar: 1 mm. TL of the holotype: 8.00 mm; TL of the paratype: 7.30 mm. Pho-
tograph courtesy of Francesco Sacco.
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FIGURES 1d–1n. Giavarhynchus gen. n., details: 1d—rostrum: dorsal and lateral view; 1e—hollowed rostrum: ventral and
lateral view; 1f—metafemora with large spur; 1g—prominent humeri; 1g—elytra without scales; 1i—spermatheca; 1l—sternite
VIII; 1m—sternites III-VII; 1n—gonocoxites. Photograph courtesy of Francesco Sacco.
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Giavarhynchus is one of the nine genera or subgenera of micro-or anophthalmic subterranean weevils occur-
ring in Greece (Morrone & Hlaváč 2017). Two of these are apparently endemic to this country, namely Hauseriola
Osella, 1980 and Giavarhynchus, whereas the remaining six are not, namely Absoloniella Formánek, 1913, Amau-
rorhinus Fairmaire, 1860, Ioniorhynchus Magrini, Meoli & Abbazzi, 2005, Otiorhynchus Germar, 1822, Styphlo-
deres Wollaston, 1873 and Ubychia Rost, 1893. Giavarhynchus is surely one of the most peculiar entimine genera
due to its unique morphology, also being somewhat similar, although distantly related, to Solariola Flach, 1908 and
Troglorhythmus Alziar & Lemaire, 2008, genera which include much smaller species and which are both presently
placed in Peritelini (Bellò et al. 2019).
The presence of a marked cuticular sculpture, tuberculate elytral humeri and strongly punctured elytral striae
suggest a perhaps recent adaptation of Giavarhynchus to life in the superficial subterranean habitat. As in most en-
dogean Otiorhynchini both elytra and elytral humeri are smooth.
Giavarhynchus amicorum Bellò, Osella & Ruzzier sp. n.
(Figures 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f)
Type series. Holotype. Female with labels: [genitalia in DHMF] [transparent card] / ♀ [w, p] / Grecia, nom.[os]
Thesprotía, O.[ros] Paramithlăs [Paramythyás], Agia Mavra, 620m, N 39°30’06.8” E 20°30’06.3”, 23.VI.2014-
20.IX.2015, Giachino &Vailati leg. [w, p] / Collezione Cesare Bellò, Castelfranco Veneto [g, p] / Giavarhynchus
amicorum Holotype det. Bellò & Osella, 2020 [r, p] / esemplare fotografato by Francesco Sacco [y, p] (GOPC).
Paratype. Female with labels: [genitalia in DHMF] [transparent card] / ♀ [w, p] / Grecia, nom. [ros] Thesprotía,
O. [ros] Paramithlăs [Paramythyás], Agia Mavra, 620m, N 39°30’06.8” E 20°30’06.3”, 23.VI.2014-20.IX.2015,
Giachino & Vailati leg. [w, p] / Collezione Cesare Bellò, Castelfranco Veneto [g, p] / Giavarhynchus amicorum
Paratype det. Bellò & Osella, 2020 [r, p] / esemplare fotografato by Francesco Sacco [y, p] (CBPC).
Holotype. Body elongate, size: 8.00 mm (TL), 6.60 mm (BL). Integument blackish-brownish, dull or weakly
glossy, with antennae and tarsi lighter, only with sparse setae on head and slightly longer setae on pronotum and
elytra.
Rostrum elongate (RL: 1.60 mm, RW: 0.60 mm, RL/RW: 2.67). Forehead (FW / MW: ratio 1.60) slightly convex
in lateral view.
Antennae quite elongate (SL: 1.40 mm, FL: 2.10 mm, SL/FL: 0.67). Funicle 7-segmented, all segments with
very thin and elongate setae, their relative lengths are: 0,34 mm, 0.32 mm, 0.20 mm, 0.20 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.18 mm,
0.18 mm, the club is 0.60 mm.
Pronotum longer than wide (PL: 1.90 mm, PW: 1.80 mm, PL/PW: 1.06).
Elytra elongate-oval (EL: 4.80 mm, EW: 2.80 mm, EL/EW: 1.72). Elytral declivity inclined at about 60 degrees
down the dorsal plane of elytra.
Paratype. The paratype is similar to the holotype but differs in size (TL: 7.30 mm, BL: 5.60 mm, RL: 1.30 mm,
RW: 0.50 mm, RL/RW: 2.60; SL: 1.30 mm, FL: 2.00 mm, SL/FL: 0.65; PL: 1.80 mm, PW: 1.70 mm, PL/PW: 1.05,
EL: 4.40 mm, EW: 2.60 mm, EL/EW: 1.70).
Etymology. Amicorum is the genitive plural of the Latin word “amicus” (= friend). The authors are pleased to
name this species for their friendship with Pier Mauro Giachino and Dante Vailati, collectors of the type series (Fig.
3b).
Reproduction. Since only two females are known it is impossible to say whether the species is bisexual or
parthenogenetic like several other Palaearctic otiorhynchines.
Collecting conditions. Both specimens of G. amicorum were collected using endogean pitfall traps placed in
a calcareous environment covered by degraded Mediterranean shrub on the SSW slope of Mount Paramythyás, at
620 meters of elevation. The traps were set on 23rd June 2014 and recovered on 20th September 2015. It is plausible
that the new species has a biology similar to those of other endogean weevils, which have rhizophagous adults and
larvae developing inside roots, not necessarily in the deepest part of the soil.
Distribution. Giavarhynchus amicorum is known only for the type locality (Figs 3a, 4b).
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FIGURE 2a. Giavarhynchus amicorum sp. n. female holotype, habitus in dorsal view. Scale bar: 1 mm. Photograph courtesy
of Francesco Sacco.
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FIGURES 2b–2e. Giavarhynchus amicorum sp. n. female holotype: 2b—habitus in lateral view; 2c—rostrum in lateral view;
2d—base of the elytra; 2e—elytral declivity. Scale bar: 1 mm. Photograph courtesy of Francesco Sacco.
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FIGURE 2f. Giavarhynchus amicorum sp. n. female holotype: 2g—details of rostrum, pronotum, funicle and club. Photograph
courtesy of Francesco Sacco.
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FIGURES 3a–3b. 3a—Type locality of Giavarhynchus amicorum sp. n. Photograph courtesy of Dante Vailati; 3b—Dante
Vailati (to the right) and Piermauro Giachino (to the left) in the field in Greece.
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FIGURES 4a–4b. Distribution of Giavarhynchus gen. n.—4a—Distribution in Europe; 4b—Detail of distribution in Greece.
A NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF ANOPHTHALMOUS OTIORHYNCHINI Zootaxa 4938 (1) © 2021 Magnolia Press · 81
FIGURES 5a–5d. Comparison of Giavarhynchus amicorum sp. n. with Mirorhynchus bellus Magnano (2003) from Crete.
5a—female holotype of Giavarhynchus amicorum sp. n., habitus; 5b—Mirorhynchus bellus Magnano (2003) from Crete, habi-
tus; 5c—rostrum in lateral view of Giavarhynchus amicorum sp n.; 5d—the same of Mirorhynchus bellus Magnano (2003) from
Crete. Photographs 5a and 5c courtesy of Francesco Sacco; Photographs 5b and 5d from Germann et al. (2021).
BELLO’ ET AL.
82 · Zootaxa 4938 (1) © 2021 Magnolia Press
Acknowledgments
We thank Pier Mauro Giachino and Dante Vailati (World Biodiversity Association, Verona, Italy) for their coopera-
tion, providing information, and their generous donation of the material on which this paper is based. In addition,
we thank Cosimo Baviera (University of Animal Biology and Marine Ecology, Messina, Italy), Roman Borovec
(University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic), Luciano Diotti (Cinisello Balsamo, Milan, Italy), Luca
Fancello (Cagliari, Italy), Christoph Germann (Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel, Switzerland), Peter Hlaváč (Na-
tional Museum of Natural History, Prague, Czech Republic), Paolo Magrini (Florence, Italy), Michele Tedeschi
(Milan, Italy), Igor Souza-Gonçalves (Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil), Jared Bernard (University
of Hawai’i-Manoa, Honolulu, USA) and Max Barclay ( The Natural History Museum, London, UK) for providing
helpful support during the preparation of the manuscript. Furthermore, we thank Margherita Atorino and Pietro
Berton (Preganziol, Italy) for helping us to produce tables of photographs, and Francesco Sacco (Rome, Italy) for
photographing the types. Finally, we are grateful to three anonymous referees, and to the editor Robert Anderson
(Canadian Museum of Nature, Canada) for helpful comments on and criticism of this manuscript, and for stylistic
improvements.
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