Search

Saproxylic weevils and edaphic beetles of some relict forests of north-western Italy were analysed to determine the role of the age of the forests, their isolation and the degree of naturalness of the patches within each forest on the composition of litter-associated communities. Ten species of saproxylic weevils were found. The communities showed variation among the various forests, and were mainly dependent on the age of the forest and their connectivity; the degree of naturalness did not influence species richness or abundance, but apparently had an effect on some more specialized taxa that were only present in the patches with highest degree of naturalness. No saproxylic weevils were found in a relatively recently established forest, demonstrating their difficulty in colonizing newly formed habitats isolated from other forests. The edaphic beetles (usually predators belonging to Carabidae and Staphylinidae) proved to be more abundant, and were also present in the recently established forest and occurred in a quite large numbers in some deteriorated patches. Saproxylic weevils and edaphic predatory beetles thus provide different information on the environmental quality of the forests., Fragmenta entomologica, Vol. 54 No. 2 (2022)

The discovery of an isolated population of Dichotrachelus meregallii in the Eastern Alps, in South Tyrol, has stimulated a study, based on morphological and molecular analyses, to compare the new find with the typical population of the Western Alps. The results indicate that the two populations differ only by very few substitutions in the mitochondrial genomic sequences, that do not warrant taxonomic recognition. The new data suggest that the species was originally diffused all along the Alpine chain, and its present relict distribution was probably determined by the Pleistocene climatic events. The phylogenetic relationships of D. ulbrichi, originally referred to the D. meregallii group, were also analysed. Based on its mitochondrial genomic sequences, it belongs to the D. rudeni group.

NAMAQUANIA BOROVEC & MEREGALLI, GEN. NOV. Zoobank registration: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: FBD76D02-3A0B-4BD0-BF03-35A0E599D73F Type species: Namaquania andreai Borovec & Meregalli, here designated. Diagnostic description: Middle-sized Namaini 2.4–4.1 mm long; rostrum continuous with head, with U-shaped stria on epifrons; ventral border of rostrum in profile short, conspicuously shorter than rostral thickness; frons densely squamose; gena and subgena densely squamose; antennal sockets in dorsal view narrowly reniform, in profile not reaching eyes, enlarged posteriad, directed towards eyes; antennal scapes slender, at apex as wide as clubs; metaventral process 1.5 × wider than transverse diameter of metacoxa; tibiae long and slender; tarsi long and slender, onychium distinctly longer than segment 3; ventrites squamose; suture between ventrite 1 and 2 slightly sinuose; tegmen with weakly sclerotized short parameres; female sternite VIII with long and slender apodeme terminating at base of plate and forming short basal margins, its plate small, rhombus-shaped to oval. Etymology:The genus name refers to the Namaqualand, an arid region of South Africa (Northern Cape Province) and southern Namibia, originally inhabited by Nama and Khoisan tribes, from where the majority of the species were collected. The gender is feminine. Included taxa and distribution: In addition to the type species, seven additional taxa are included in Namaquania, based on the mt-Cox1 analysis and/or their morphology. They are distributed in South Africa: Northern Cape, northern part of Southern Cape and in southern Namibia (Fig. 13). NAMAQUANIA ANDREAI BOROVEC & MEREGALLI, SP.

Dichotrachelus orobicus, a new species from the Bergamasque Prealps, is described. It is closely related to D. grignensis from the Grigna Massif, from which it differs mainly in the COI and ITS2 sequences, and minute morphological characters. Remarks on the possible epoch of speciation between the two taxa, with an analysis of the biogeographic scenario that may have led to the disjunction, are discussed.

Aclees taiwanensis Kôno, 1933 Aclees taiwanensis Kôno, 1933: 182. This species was described based on two specimens from “Baibara, 1♂, 13/VII.1927, K. Kiruchi ” and “Kanshirei, 1♂, 14/IV.1907, Prof. S. Matsumura ”. The type specimens (EIHU) were recently examined and a lectotype was designated (Meregalli et al. 2020). Recent research led to the collection of several other specimens, most of which were found in the surroundings of Taipei, where the species seems to be relatively common. Distribution. Taiwan. Intercepted in France (Perrin 1997, as Aclees cribratus; Mouttet et al., 2020, as Aclees sp. cf. foveatus) and Italy (Ciampolini et al. 2005 as A. cribratus) and widely naturalized in Italy (Benelli et al. 2014, as Aclees sp. cf. foveatus). The specimens sequenced from Italy and France do not differ from those from Taiwan, thus we consider highly probable that the European specimens were introduced from Taiwan. Specimens of Aclees from China, Fujian were listed as A. taiwanensis in the Catalogue of Palaearctic Curculionoidea (Alonso-Zarazaga et al. 2017). However, considering the presence of the two similar species in Taiwan, the identification of the specimens from Fujian cannot be confirmed, and we prefer to limit the confirmed native distribution of A. taiwanensis to Taiwan., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, Boriani, Marco, Taddei, Andrea, Hsu, Chen-Fu, Tseng, Wei-Zhe & Mouttet, Raphaëlle, 2020, A new species of Aclees from Taiwan with notes on other species of the genus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), pp. 1-26 in Zootaxa 4868 (1) on page 12, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4868.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4428561, {"references":["Kono, H. (1933) Die Hylobiinen aus Formosa. Insecta Matsumurana, 7 (4), 182 - 189.","Meregalli, M., Boriani, M., Bollino, M. & Hsu, C. - F. (2020) Review of the species of Aclees described by Kono (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae). Zootaxa, 4768 (1), 146 - 150. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4768.1.10","Perrin, H. (1997) Recoltes accidentelles de Curculionidae tropicaux en France metropolitaine (Coleoptera). L'Entomologiste, 53 (4), 155 - 158","Mouttet, R., Haran, J., Boriani, M., Meregalli, M., Taddei, A., Panchaud, K., Vernier, F. & Streito, J. - C. (2020) Aclees sp. ravageur des Figuiers etabli en France metropolitaine (Coleoptera Curculionidae). L'Entomologiste, 76 (2), 65 - 68.","Ciampolini, M., Regalin, R. & Perrin, H. (2005) Aclees cribratus, nuovo per l'Italia, nocivo al fico allevato in vivaio. L'Informatore Agrario, 47, 69 - 71.","Benelli, G., Meregalli, M. & Canale, A. (2014) Field observations on the mating behavior of Aclees sp. cf. foveatus Voss (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), an exotic pest noxious to fig orchards. Journal of Insect Behavior, 27 (3), 419 - 427. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / s 10905 - 014 - 9437 - 5","Alonso-Zarazaga, M. A., Barrios, H., Borovec, R., Bouchard, P., Caldara, R., Colonnelli, E., Gultekin, L., Hlavac, P., Korotyaev, B., Lyal, C. H. C., Machado, A., Meregalli, M., Pierotti, H., Ren, L., Sanchez-Ruiz, M., Sforzi, A., Silfverberg, H., Skuhrovec, J., Tryzna, M., Velazquez de Castro, A. J. & Yunakov, N. N. (2017) Cooperative Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera Curculionoidea. Monografias electronicas S. E. A. 8. Sociedad Entomologica Aragonesa S. E. A., Zaragoza, 729 pp."]}

Aclees porosus Pascoe, 1871. Aclees porosus. Indonesia: Maluku, Seram Island, XII.2012, 1 ♀ local collector leg., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, Boriani, Marco, Taddei, Andrea, Hsu, Chen-Fu, Tseng, Wei-Zhe & Mouttet, Raphaëlle, 2020, A new species of Aclees from Taiwan with notes on other species of the genus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), pp. 1-26 in Zootaxa 4868 (1) on page 19, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4868.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4428561

Aclees visayus (Heller, 1929) Aclees visayus. Philippines: Mindanao, Surigao del Sur, Barobo, I.2019, 1 ♂, local collector leg.

Aclees visayus (Heller, 1929) comb. n. Fig. 9 Pagiophloeus visayus Heller, 1929: 12. Type locality: Philippine Islands, Samar. Heller (1929) described 7 species of Molytinae from the Philippine Islands as Pagiophloeus Faust, 1892 (a synonym of Pimelocerus Lacordaire, 1863), including P. visayus. One of the authors (M.M.) examined the type specimen of P. visayus, conserved at the MTD. Based on its morphology, it is transferred to the genus Aclees as Aclees visayus (Heller, 1929), comb. n. In the molecular analysis a specimen morphologically corresponding to the type of P. visayus was part of the Aclees clade, and it clustered as sister to the other species examined.

Key to the species of Aclees from Taiwan 1. Dorsum of rostrum finely punctate. Pronotum regularly punctate, weakly wrinkled only at basal and lateral areas, punctures smaller and smoother, regularly impressed on dorsal area before middle (Fig. 6F). China, Japan, Philippines, Taiwan................................................................................... Aclees hirayamai Kȏno, 1933 - Dorsum of rostrum strongly punctate. Pronotum wrinkled-punctate on entire surface, lacking small, regularly impressed punctures on dorsal area before middle (Figs 5 A–B, 6A–E)........................................................ 2 2. Lamella of penis short, ratio length/width 0.6, sides slightly sinuate, apex shortly rounded (Figs 4B, 4D); everted endophallus as in Figs 4H, 4J, 4L. Pronotum with sides linear, maximum width at base, punctures in dorsal basal part usually merged in short grooves, interspaces between grooves very irregular, convex (Fig. 5B); elytral striae 1 and 2 with about 20 punctures from base to apex, interspaces between punctures usually as long as punctures (Fig. 5D); scales on elytra long lanceolate, glossy yellow, irregularly spaced; median part of elytra, on intervals 4-6, often with a few scales grouped, not inserted in a regular row and with some minute extremely short hair like setae (Fig. 5H). Taiwan, introduced to Italy and France................................................................................................ Aclees taiwanensis Kȏno, 1933 - Lamella of penis slender, ratio length/width 0.7, triangular, slides straight, apex obtusely acute (Figs 4A, 4C); everted endophallus as in figs 3 and 4G, 4I, 4K. Pronotum with sides weakly curvilinear, maximum width slightly before base, punctures in basal part often individually impressed, seldom forming short oblique grooves, interspaces of punctures and grooves almost flat (Figs 5A, 6 A–D); elytral striae 1 and 2 with about 25 punctures, interspaces between punctures usually shorter than punctures (Fig. 5C); scales on elytra short, very sparsely aligned in a single row on intervals (Fig. 5G). Taiwan, China, Vietnam....................................................................... Aclees aenigmaticus Meregalli & Boriani, n. sp., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, Boriani, Marco, Taddei, Andrea, Hsu, Chen-Fu, Tseng, Wei-Zhe & Mouttet, Raphaëlle, 2020, A new species of Aclees from Taiwan with notes on other species of the genus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), pp. 1-26 in Zootaxa 4868 (1) on page 12, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4868.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4428561, {"references":["Kono, H. (1933) Die Hylobiinen aus Formosa. Insecta Matsumurana, 7 (4), 182 - 189."]}

Aclees foveatus Voss, 1932 Figs 6E, 7 Aclees foveatus Voss,1932: 295. Type locality: China, Yunnan, Soling-ho. This species was described based on 3 female specimens, collected in Yunnan, valley of the river Soling-ho (now Shaguo River, 26°0.923’N 101°52.998’E). The type series is conserved at NHMB. We selected one specimen as the lectotype. It bears the labels: China / Prov. Yunnan / Vallis flumin. / Soling-ho (pr) // Aclees / foveatus m. (hw) / Det. E. Voβ (pr) // Aclees foveatus / Voss, 1932 / LECTOTYPUS / Meregalli & Boriani des. (red). The other two specimens have the same locality labels, and are labeled as paralectotypes. A fourth female specimen conserved in NHMB, slightly different morphologically, has a handwritten label China / Prov. Yunnan / Soling-ho // Aclees / F. Zumpt det. 35? / davidi Frm. Due to incomplete knowledge of the Aclees from China, we prefer, for the time being, to use this name only for the type specimens. Distribution. China: central Yunnan., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, Boriani, Marco, Taddei, Andrea, Hsu, Chen-Fu, Tseng, Wei-Zhe & Mouttet, Raphaëlle, 2020, A new species of Aclees from Taiwan with notes on other species of the genus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), pp. 1-26 in Zootaxa 4868 (1) on page 12, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4868.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4428561, {"references":["Voss, E. (1932) Weitere Curculioniden aus Yunnan und Szetschwan der Sammlung Hauser. (Col. Curc.). (43. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Curculioniden). Wiener Entomologische Zeitung, 49, 285 - 302."]}

Aclees aenigmaticus Meregalli & Boriani, sp. n. Figs 2, 3, 4 (A, C, E, G, I, K), 5 (A, C, G, I), 6 (A-D) Zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 452B9AAF-B740-4900-A902-4A36ED266217 Material examined. Holotype ♂ (Fig. 2): TAIWAN: “FORMOSA (TCHAJ-WAN) [= Taiwan] / Hsinchu County / 20 km NW Neiwan / 28.05.2013 1563 m / N 24.69140 E 121.31076 / Jaroslav DALIHOD leg.” (NMNS) Paratypes: TAIWAN: “FORMOSA (TCHAJ-WAN) [= Taiwan] / Hsinch [= Hsinchu] County / NEIWAN 9.6– 14.6.2007 / Jaroslav DALIHOD leg. / Jana DALIHODOVÁ BAŠTOVA leg.” 1 ♂ (MER); “TAIWAN / Nantou County / Xinyi Township— 18. VI.2019 / Ping-Chun Jou leg.” (in chinese), 1♀ (TARI); same data, 22. V.2019, 1♀ (TARI); Hushan Hiking Trail, Xinyi Distr., Taipei City, Taiwan, 30.VII.2017, Wei-Zhe Tseng leg., 1♀ [sequenced: ex. 10] (TSE); Wuling Farm, Heping Distr. Taichung City, Taiwan, 13.VIII.2019, Sheng-Hung Lin leg., 1♀ [se- quenced: ex. 8] (TSE); Tamkang Farm, Tamsui Distr., New Taipei City, Taiwan, 5.XI.2017, Wei-Zhe Tseng leg., 1♀ [sequenced ex. 2] (NMNS); Lanyu Township, Taitung County, Taiwan, 1–3.VIII.2018, Sheng-Hung Lin leg., 1 ♂ (NMNS); New Taipei City, 5.X.2018, 1♂, Chen-Fu Hsu leg. [sequenced: ex. 1] (BOR); New Taipei City, 5.X.2018, 1♀, Chen-Fu Hsu leg. (BOR); Taipei City, 11.IX.2016, 1♀, Kuang-Ping Yu leg. [sequenced: ex. 3] (BOR); Taipei City, 29.IX.2016, 1♀, Chen-Fu Hsu leg. [sequenced: ex. 4] (BOR); Nantou County—IX.2016, 1♀, local collector leg. [sequenced: ex. 7] (BOR); New Taipei City, 21.VIII.2015, 1♂, Chen-Fu Hsu leg. [sequenced: ex. 9] (BOR). VIETNAM: Yên Bái, Mù Cang Ch ải [21°51’10”N 104°05’01”E], 1.700 m, VIII.2018, 1♂, local collector leg. [sequenced: ex. 5] (BOR). CHINA, Sichuan: CHINA, Sichuan prov., Mount Qingcheng, 725m, N 30°53.770’ E 103°34.690’, 11–16-V-2017, 1♂ Walter Grosser leg. [sequenced: ex. 6]; same data, 2♂ 1♀ (1♂ 1♀ MER, 1♂ PAL). Non-type specimens: China, Yunnan: W of Yunnan, N of Nujiang valley, Mt. Biluoxueshan [26°46’60” N 99° 0’ 0” E], 2100m, 2018.6–7, 1♂, Lina Xu leg. [sequenced: ex. 11] (MER); China, Guangxi: CHINA-Guangxi, Nanning, Jiangxi Zhen, Mount Dawangling, 16–29. V. [20]14, 22.670395°N 108.122186°E, Lifeng Wang leg., 3♂ 4♀ (MER). Measurements of the holotype. Body length without rostrum 16.8 mm. Rostrum, length from apex to interocular pit 5.1 mm; width, interantennal 1.12 mm, width at base 1.41 mm; interocular width 0.67 mm. Pronotum, length 5.20 mm, width 5.41 mm. Elytra, length 11.01 mm, width 5.46 mm. Description. Body oblong, almost black, moderately glossy, integument minutely reticulate. Rostrum slender, dorsal margins slightly and linearly convergent from base to antennal insertion; dorsum slightly convex, with dense round punctures, irregularly aligned in longitudinal rows, leaving a smooth irregular unpunctured median line, often two adjacent punctures merged in oblique deep pits, interspaces of punctures with sparse minute secondary punctation; dorso-lateral margins obtuse, with a few punctures sparsely and irregularly impressed; lateral sides above scrobes with a slightly curved longitudinal furrow, formed by deeply impressed punctures partly merged in groups; surface at antennal insertion with a narrow medial impressed line, triangularly opened forwards, apical part minutely and densely punctured; upper margin of scrobe obtusely convex, with shallowly impressed sparse punctures, upper part of upper margin curved upwards in front of eyes, joined basad to dorso-lateral margin, surface in front of eye densely punctured; vestiture composed of hair-like recumbent light yellowish setae, inserted on basal part of punctures and directed forwards, usually as long as a puncture; setae on sides inserted on basal part of punctures and directed upwards; rostrum in lateral view moderately curved, slightly more curved at antennal insertion; pregenae sparsely and finely punctured; underside in ♂ with dense recumbent yellowish setae, almost absent in ♀. Antennal scape slender, moderately thickened apicad; funicle antennomeres 1 subglobose or subconical, short, thick, as long as wide, 2 conical, 1.5x as long as wide, 3-6 transverse, progressively shorter and more transverse, 7 slightly larger and finely setose; club antennomere 1 as long as wide, sides very feebly and linearly broadened apicad, apparent antennomere 2 (2+3 fused) ogive-shaped, 2.5 as long as wide. Scrobe narrow, linearly directed towards lower part of eye. Head globose, finely punctured; vertex with deep interocular pit. Eyes slightly and regularly convex, elliptical, lower margins narrowed on underside of head, each with>500 very small ommatidia aligned in oblique rows of about 20 ommatidia each. Pronotum globose, slightly transverse, weakly convex, as long as wide or slightly transverse, sides curvilinear, feebly broadened from base to basal third, then very regularly rounded apicad, maximum width at basal quarter, sides more sharply constricted apicad, apex almost half as wide as base; base bisinuate, gently rounded towards scutellum; sculpture on dorsum composed of deep round punctures, in basal half most punctures individually impressed, irregularly aligned in oblique or slightly curvilinear or concentric rows, rows separated by irregular glossy lines, sometimes more raised and broadened, flattened, mainly on dorso-lateral part, external margin of puncture obtusely raised, particularly on sides, forming small conical humps laterally prominent in dorsal view, anterior part of pronotum on dorsum with punctures smaller, dense and irregularly impressed; vestiture composed of very short microscopic setae inserted on external or lower margin of punctures. Elytra oblong, at base almost 1.3x as wide as pronotum at base, humeri slightly prominent, sides almost subparallel, with a low enlargement just after humeri visible from above, then feebly narrowed up to apical third, regularly curved to apex; striae broader than intervals from base to beginning of declivity, progressively narrower towards apex, with round or subrectangular deeply impressed punctures, progressively shallower after midlength and apicad, quite evenly spaced, stria 1 and 2 with approximately 25 punctures from base to apex, and about 12-14 on dorsal part, interspaces between punctures narrower than punctures, smooth and flat, particularly on dorsal part of striae 1 and 2, striae 8 and 9 with punctures smaller, denser; intervals narrow, linear on dorsum, interval 3 generally weakly convex, lateral intervals narrower, convex; vestiture composed of sparse short and scarcely visible, narrow, white-yellowish scales, spaced, aligned in one row on intervals, more frequent on intervals 5 and 7, punctures with a minute seta inserted on base, shorter than puncture. Femur strongly thickened medially, with a sharp tooth bearing a few setae, integument smooth, with slender elliptical, acutely pointed yellowish scales adherent to integument, inserted in a minute pore; tibia relatively slender, inner margin slightly sinuate, with sparse scales similar to those on femur. Tarsomere 2 triangular, as long as wide, tarsomere 3 broadly lobed. Ventrites 1-4 smooth, matt, 1-2 with very minute sparse punctures, 3-4 with in addition round punctures in lateral part, ventrite 5 more densely punctured; all ventrites with sparse very slender yellowish scales inserted in the minute punctures. Penis in lateral view moderately curved, thick, in dorsal view sclerotized lateral margins subparallel, weakly broadened before ostium, lamella shortly triangular, obtusely pointed, slightly curved upward, endophallus with a complex structure when everted (see caption of Fig. 3 for the abbreviations): bl small, in dorsal view simple, ul large, cylindrical, elongate, in dorsal view with two narrow and short subapical lateral projections, in frontal view apex distinctly prominent, with some transverse lateral furrows, mb shorter than ul, densely covered with spicoles, not broadened below ul in frontal view, la slender, conical, weakly curved upwards, shorter than ul. Female sternum VIII linear, very slender, arms subparallel in basal part, slightly divergent at apex, lamina reduced to a very narrow rounded plate. Sexual dimorphism. The male ventrites 1 and 2 have the usual very shallow median impression, that, as is typical of the genus, is scarcely developed. The male has the rostrum slightly matt in the apical part, and its underside has a series of relatively dense setae from almost the apex to near the base; the female has the rostrum glossy to the apex and slightly more slender, with very few setae on the underside. Variation. The specimens examined show some variation, mainly regarding the shape of the pronotum and the density of its punctures. In some specimens the pronotum can be slightly less robust, with its sides scarcely curved, and the round punctures in the basal half can be denser, merged in short grooves rather than individually impressed. Some specimens from China (Sichuan, Guangxi and Yunnan) and Vietnam are not morphologically differentiated from those from Taiwan, neither in external morphology, nor in the shape of the endophallus. One specimen from Vietnam and one from Sichuan clustered together with those from Taiwan in the BI, and they have a p-distance in the mt-cox1 sequences around 0.01. One specimen from Yunnan has a p-distance of about 0.023 –0.029 from the other specimens, and it clustered as the sister to them. This appears to be a distinct metapopulation, and this specimen is excluded from the type series, such as those from Guangxi, whose sequences were not available. Differential remarks (Figs 4, 5). Aclees aenigmaticus is morphologically similar to the sympatric A. taiwanensis and some female specimens are not easy to distinguish. The males can be immediately differentiated (Fig. 4) by the shape of the lamella of the penis, short (ratio length/width 0.60), with slightly sinuate sides and shortly rounded apex in A. taiwanensis and slenderer (ratio l/ w 0.70), triangular, with straight sides and obtusely acute apex in A. aenigmaticus. The endophallus is completely different between the two species: in A. taiwanensis bl is large, in dorsal view bilobate, ul is blunt, in frontal view its apex is broadly three-lobate, mb are broadly enlarged below ul, and almost touching internally, la are longer than ul, recurved upwards at 180° at apex (see description for the shape of the endophallus in A. aenigmaticus). The female genitalia are almost indistinguishable between the two species. The external morphological characters (Fig. 5) are not always decisive, but in doubtful cases valid information is given by the elytral scales and setae. In A. aenigmaticus the scales on the elytra are narrowly elliptical, spaced and quite uniformly inserted in a single row on the intervals, whereas in A. taiwanensis they are very long and acutely lanceolate, glossy yellow, irregularly spaced, here and there denser, and, mainly on the intervals 4-7 in the median part of the elytra, often 3-4 scales are sparsely grouped; some minute extremely short hair like setae are also present, intermixed with the scales. In A. aenigmaticus the pronotum is usually more globose, slightly convex and often with slightly rounded sides and maximum width in basal quarter, whereas in A. taiwanensis it is never globose, and its sides are linear in the basal part, with the maximum width at the base; the pronotal punctures in A. taiwanensis are usually almost completely merged in short grooves, the interspaces among them are irregularly vermiculate, slightly convex, and often in the apical part there is a flattened area with small, sparse punctures, whereas in A. aenigmaticus the punctures are large, in some specimens almost all individually impressed in the central-basal part; when partially merged in short grooves, these are usually aligned to form short oblique or semicircular grooves, and near the apical margin they are usually large, irregularly impressed; in A. taiwanensis antennomere 1 of the funicle is a bit more elongate and subconical and antennomere 1 of the club has slightly curvilinear sides (sides linear in A. aenigmaticus); the elytral punctures are densely impressed in A. aenigmaticus, where they are usually more numerous, approximately 25 punctures are present in the striae 1 and 2 from base to apex, with about 12-14 punctures on the dorsal part, whereas in A. taiwanensis there are usually about 20 punctures, 8-10 on the dorsal part. As a consequence, the interspaces between two punctures are as long as a single puncture in A. taiwanensis and usually shorter than a single puncture in A. aenigmaticus. The third species present in Taiwan, A. hirayamai, cannot be confused. It belongs to the A. juvencus Faust, 1892 group and as such it has finely and densely punctured rostrum, distinctly transverse pronotum with quite regularly impressed smaller punctures and the male and female genitalia are completely different. Among the other described species of Aclees, a densely and deeply sculptured pronotum is present in A. cribratus Gyllenhal, 1835, A. pseudocribratus Osella 1989, A. foveatus Voss, 1932, and A. conicollis Desbrochers, 1891. The former species, described from Java, has the elytral punctures subquadrate, the intervals are narrow, slightly convex and the interspaces between the punctures are as high as the intervals, so that the elytra have a cribrate aspect. The other three species, described from Pakistan (A. pseudocribratus), China (A. foveatus) and Sikkim (A. conicollis) have the sides of the pronotum not rounded in the basal and median parts but parallel or subconical, and the punctures are usually not individually impressed. The rostrum in A. foveatus is shorter, with ratio length/width 3.15 (ratio length/width 3.5 in A. aenigmaticus) (female specimens). A further species of Aclees was described from China, A. davidis Fairmaire, 1878. However, according to the author, this species has small patches of scales on the elytra, including on the scutellum, and therefore it is doubtful that it belongs to the genus Aclees. Distribution. The species is known from Taiwan, China (Guangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan) and Vietnam. More specimens are required to have a better understanding of the distribution of the species and to fully understand the relationships among the populations, with particular regard to those from China. Origin of the name. The species is named aenigmaticus, enigmatic, because of the past uncertainties about its identification and the difficult differentiation from the morphologically similar species. Bionomy. No precise information is available. In general, there is no information on the ecology and mating behavior for the majority of Aclees species. However, in Japan, Taiwan and China, larvae of A. hirayamai feed on Ficus erecta Thunberg and F. elastica Roxb., creating serious damage in nurseries of these ornamental plants (Morimoto 1982). In Taiwan Aclees spp. are found on Ficus ampelas Burm. fil., F. recurva Blume (= F. microcarpa Bl.), F. pumila L. and Broussonetia papyrifera Vent. (Hsu, pers. comm.). One of the specimens of A. taiwanensis used in this study was found on Ficus beecheyana Hook. &Arn. (Tseng, pers. obs.). A species of Aclees was reported to damage fig cultivations in China, Sichuan (Jiaxiang County Xinhe Fig Planting Professional Cooperative 2018). Not all species of the genus are associated with Ficus. Aclees sp. (as A. porusus sensu auctorum, non Pascoe, 1871), was observed to attack terminal shoots of Breadfruit [Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Forsberg], causing considerable damage (Pemberton 1954). The record of an unidentified Aclees- species, pest of Cedrela odorata L., (Meliaceae) in Vietnam (Thu et al. 2010) must be referred to a species of Dysceroides, possibly D. longiclavis (Marshall, 1924), based on the photograph included in the paper., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, Boriani, Marco, Taddei, Andrea, Hsu, Chen-Fu, Tseng, Wei-Zhe & Mouttet, Raphaëlle, 2020, A new species of Aclees from Taiwan with notes on other species of the genus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), pp. 1-26 in Zootaxa 4868 (1) on pages 5-9, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4868.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4428561, {"references":["Osella, G. (1989) Curculionidi nuovi o poco conosciuti della catena himalaiana. Memorie della Societa Entomologica italiana, 67 (2), 319 - 366. [1988]","Voss, E. (1932) Weitere Curculioniden aus Yunnan und Szetschwan der Sammlung Hauser. (Col. Curc.). (43. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Curculioniden). Wiener Entomologische Zeitung, 49, 285 - 302.","Morimoto, K. (1982) The Family Curculionidae of Japan. I. Subfamily Hylobiinae. Esakia, 19, 51 - 121. https: // doi. org / 10.1143 / JPSJ. 51.1049","Jiaxiang County Xinhe Fig Planting Professional Cooperative (2018) Easily overlooked in the control of fig diseases and insect pests-weevil. Xinhe Wuhuaguo (in chinese). Available from: http: // www. wuhuaguomiao. com / news / 264. html (accessed 7 August 2020)","Pemberton, C. E. (1954) Invertebrate Consultants Committee for the Pacific. The Pacific Science Board. National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, Washington D. C., 56 pp.","Thu, P. Q., Dao, Q. & Dell, B. (2010) Threat to Cedar, Cedrela odorata, plantations in Vietnam by the weevil Aclees sp. Journal of Insect Science, 10 (192), 1 - 9. https: // doi. org / 10.1673 / 031.010.19201"]}

Aclees hirayamai Kôno, 1933 Aclees hirayamai Kôno, 1933: 183. This species was described from Taiwan and from small Iriomote Island, east of Taiwan, politically part of Japan. It belongs to a well differentiated group of species, characterized by shallower punctation on the rostrum and pronotum. It is morphologically very similar to Aclees juvencus, an apparently widespread species, and the precise relationships between the two taxa are uncertain. According to the molecular and morphological data, it appears to be the sister species to Aclees porosus Pascoe, 1871, whose type specimens were collected on the island of Seram. Freshly emerged specimens are covered by an exudate of undetermined composition, possibly a wax coating, that is lost in older specimens and in those preserved in collections (Fig. 8A). A similar coating, lacking the white zigzag pattern, is also present in fresh specimens of A. taiwanensis, (Fig. 8B) and probably also other species. Distribution. Morimoto (1982) reports this species from Taiwan, Japan and China. According to our data it is also present in the Philippines., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, Boriani, Marco, Taddei, Andrea, Hsu, Chen-Fu, Tseng, Wei-Zhe & Mouttet, Raphaëlle, 2020, A new species of Aclees from Taiwan with notes on other species of the genus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), pp. 1-26 in Zootaxa 4868 (1) on pages 14-16, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4868.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4428561, {"references":["Kono, H. (1933) Die Hylobiinen aus Formosa. Insecta Matsumurana, 7 (4), 182 - 189.","Morimoto, K. (1982) The Family Curculionidae of Japan. I. Subfamily Hylobiinae. Esakia, 19, 51 - 121. https: // doi. org / 10.1143 / JPSJ. 51.1049"]}

Microplinthus jaegeri Meregalli n. sp. http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: AC4CC546-6FFA-4089-91E4-BBB74629F86F Fig. 21 Material examined. Holotype ♂: “ Nepal Himalaya / Mt. Panchase / 20 km W Pokhara [28°13’N 83°48’E] // Waldobodengesiebe / 2300 m, 20.V.1997 / leg. O. Jäger ” (MTD) Diagnostic description. Length 3.60 mm. Body elongate, integument moderately glossy. Vestiture composed of very few short, broad, spatulate setae appressed to integument. Rostrum short, robust, dorsal side subparallel, width at apex only slightly narrower than at base, in lateral view strongly curved, thick, flattened beyond antennal insertion, junction with head concave, dorsal sculpture composed of dense round punctures, partly merged longitudinally, longitudinal lines irregular, distinctly curved outwards, sculpture extended to antennal insertion, apex completely smooth, glossy. Antennal scape short, sharply thickened apicad; funicle antennomers 1 globose, barely longer than wide, 2 shortly conical, 3 globose, 4–5 slightly transverse, 6 larger, 7 as large as 6, shorter, more transverse. Eye oval, slightly convex, with about 30 ommatidia. Pronotum subcylindrical, sides subparallel from base to apical third, moderately and regularly narrowed apicad; median line absent, all dorsum with round punctures irregularly impressed, deep, reciprocally isolate, interspaces in part reticulate, obtusely raised, as wide as punctures. Elytra elliptical, scarcely broader than pronotum, sides weakly curvilinear, intervals regularly obtusely convex from base to apex, with very few oblong low humps on declivity, visible only in profile, with a few setae on top; striae deep, as wide as intervals in basal part, progressively narrowed towards apex, with deeply impressed punctures, interspaces between punctures half as long as punctures. Femur robust, thickened medially, with sharp inner tooth; tibia slender, narrowed towards apex, inner side sublinear, apex completely oblique. Tarsomere 3 narrow, lobes scarcely developed, symmetrical; claws simple. Ventrites with sides weakly and linearly convergent, integument matt, 1 deeply and sparsely punctured, interspaces between punctures as wide as or wider than punctures, 2 more sparsely punctured, 3–4 smooth, 5 shortly semicircular, shallowly rugose. Penis almost flattened in lateral view, sides weakly broadened at midlength, slightly narrowed towards apex, lamella very short, slightly prominent. Differential remarks. This species is sympatric with M. schawalleri, which belongs to the Falsanchonus species group and thus has rostrum thickened and strongly curved; moreover, it has pronotum longer than wide and elytra with poorly delimited intervals. See description of M. godawaricus for differentiation from that morphologically similar species. Origin of the name. This species is named after the collector, my friend, Olaf Jäger (MTD). Distribution. Western Nepal, mountains on the east side of the Gandakhi river valley, south-east of Pokhara., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, 2020, Revision of the Nepalese genus Microplinthus Zherichin, 1987 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), with description of 25 new species, pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 4794 (1) on page 42, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4794.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3896225

Microplinthus phulchowkianus Meregalli n. sp. http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: B1766B8A-1105-4B1C-9B46-AAA05684FA97 Fig. 22 Material examined. Holotype ♂: “ Phulchoki b. Kath- / mandu [= Phulchowki, 27°34’N 85°24’E], Nepal, lg. Franz / [back] Pa 15” (NHMW). Paratype: “ Phulchoki b. Kath- / mandu, Nepal, lg. Franz / [back] Pa 17” 1♀ (NHMW) Diagnostic description. Length 3.90 mm. Body oblong, integument dark brownish-ferruginous, slightly glossy. Vestiture composed of relatively thick setae curved against integument, densely inserted on elytral declivity, particularly on suture and more spaced elsewhere. Rostrum stout, dorsal margins linear, barely narrowed in anterior part, width at antennal insertion 0.8x as width at base, in lateral view thickened at midlength, dorsum regularly curved; dorsal sculpture composed of dense round punctures, individually impressed, narrowed, aligned in rows of 2 series of punctures, interspaces between punctures very narrow, linear, longitudinal lines separating rows of punctures narrow, better delimited anteriad, all punctures interrupted at antennal insertion, apical plate smooth, glossy, unpunctured. Antennal scape short, strongly thickened apicad; funicle antennomeres 1 and 2 as long as wide, 1 cylindrical, 2 subconical, 3–6 globose, 7 transverse; club shortly oval. Eye oblong, with about 35 ommatidia. Pronotum as long as wide, robust, sides regularly curvilinear, slightly more narrowed apicad, maximum width at midlength; apical margin in lateral view almost straight, ocular lobes not developed; dorsum evenly and regularly punctured, lacking a median line, punctures round, interspaces amidst punctures smaller than punctures, flat, weakly convex on sides. Elytra oblong, intervals linear, slightly convex, with low spaced obtuse elongate humps, striae narrower than intervals, with small punctures regularly impressed. Femur robust, moderately thickened medially, with a distinct triangular inner tooth; tibia short, densely setose, setae rigid, inner side denticulate, apex long obliquely cut; tarsomere 3 transverse, compact, lobe not expanded anteriorly; claws simple. Ventrites moderately narrowed, 1 densely punctured, punctures deep, round, each bearing a seta as long as puncture, 2 sparsely punctured, 3–4 with a row of shallow small punctures near apex, 5 densely and uniformly punctured. Penis only moderately curved at base, then straight, flattened, in dorsal view broadened in basal half, subparallel towards lamella, lamella short, rounded. Female sternum VIII short, apodeme absent, arms not joined, thick, slightly curved outwards, branches slender, elongate, curved upwards, lamina transverse, lateral sclerification tapering upwards. Variation. The female paratype is 4.34 mm long. Excepting the usual secondary characters in the ventrites, it shows uniformity of external characters with the holotype. Differential remarks. Three species are sympatric on Phulchowki Mountain, M. newarorum, M. godawaricus and M. phulchowkianus. The former belongs to a different group of species and cannot be confused: among the several differential traits, the pronotum is shallowly and irregularly punctured, the penis has a broad, rounded lamina, the foretibia has a rounded apex, the claws are toothed. Microplinthus godawaricus is quite similar, and differs in its smaller size, the slender elytra, barely broader than pronotum, and the female sternum VIII with triangular lamina and very short branches. Origin of the name. This species name derives from the type locality Phulchowki Mountain, SE of Kathmandu. Distribution. Central Nepal, on the Phulchowki Mountain, SE of Kathmandu (Fig. 30)., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, 2020, Revision of the Nepalese genus Microplinthus Zherichin, 1987 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), with description of 25 new species, pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 4794 (1) on pages 42-45, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4794.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3896225

Microplinthus messneri Meregalli n. sp. http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 2EAFC4C3-A900-4201-A65A-AF458BAF28B9 Fig. 4 Material examined: Holotype ♂: “ NEPAL: 324 Panchthar / Distr., Dhorpar Kharka [approximately 27°05’N 87°55’E] / 13–16.IV.1988 2700 m / leg. W. Schawaller ” (SMNS). Paratypes: same data as the holotype, 1 ♂ (MER) 1 ♀ (SMNS). Diagnostic description. Length 3.52 mm. Body oval, slightly glossy, scarcely reticulate. Vestiture composed of sparse setae, relatively thick, on elytra slightly spatulate, obliquely inserted and slightly recumbent, thickened on tubercles. Rostrum relatively slender, weakly broadened apicad, dorsal sides subparallel from base to midlength, then weakly convergent apicad, in lateral view scarcely curved, dorsum in profile almost rectilinear, sculpture composed of deeply impressed punctures, reciprocally isolate, separated by transverse-oblique interspaces, dorso-lateral longitudinal lines irregularly developed, obtuse, median line not clearly differentiated. Head with large deep punctures. Antennal scape short, strongly thickened apicad, with a few narrow setae; funicle antennomere 1 short, subglobose, as long as wide, 2 conical, longer than wide, 3–6 globose, 7 slightly transverse; club oval. Eye with about 30 ommatidia. Pronotum as long as wide, sides regularly curvilinear, maximum width at midlength, median line sharply raised, almost continuous on the entire length; dorsum densely sculptured, punctures reciprocally isolate, interspaces very narrow, raised, often slightly higher on external part. Elytra convex, oblong, intervals with oblong moderately raised tubercles and umbilicate broad granules bearing a seta; striae scarcely deepened, irregular, with spaced round punctures shallowly impressed, interspaces often as long as the punctures. Femur scarcely thickened medially, with a low obtuse median relief, not sharply tooth-like. Tibia short, slender, moderately sinuate internally, apex narrowed, obliquely extended along lateral part of tibia. Tarsomere 3 scarcely widened, claws with strong inner teeth. Ventrites regularly narrowed from 2 to 5, 1 and 2 deeply punctured, 5 short. Penis strongly curved downwards, apex sharply acute. Female sternum VIII lacking an apodeme, arms shortly narrowed, branches slender, elongate, feebly curved upwards, lamina subquadrate, sclerotization broad. Variation. Body length in the three specimens varies between 3.56 and 3.68 mm. The morphologic characters are quite uniform among them. Differential remarks. The species that live in close proximity are M. maior, M. minor and M. ausobskyi. Microplinthus messneri differs from the first two species by the short, oval, convex elytra (elongate in M. minor and M. maior), the penis strongly curved and acutely pointed (scarcely curved and rounded at apex in M. minor) and the female sternum VIII lacking an apodeme, with arms not joined (arms joined and apodeme present in M. maior). Microplinthus ausobskyi has the rostrum in lateral view very thick and strongly curved (see figures in Meregalli 2003, 2004). Origin of the name. This species is named after the famous Italian mountaineer and explorer Reinhold Messner who was the first climber to ascend all fourteen peaks over 8000 meters high, among which is Kangchenjunga, 8586 m, the nearest high mountain to the habitat of this species. Distribution. Eastern Nepal, near the border with Darjeeling (Fig. 28)., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, 2020, Revision of the Nepalese genus Microplinthus Zherichin, 1987 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), with description of 25 new species, pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 4794 (1) on page 13, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4794.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3896225, {"references":["Meregalli, M. (2003) The genus Falsanchonus Zherichin, 1987, with description of six new species (Insecta: Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae). In: Hartmann, M. & Baumbach, H. (Eds.), Biodiversitat und Naturausstattung im Himalaya. Vol. I. Verein der Freunde und Forderer des Naturkundesmuseum NMEG e. V., Dortmund, pp. 323 - 335. [ISBN 3 - 00 - 011451 - 3]","Meregalli, M. (2004) The genus Microplinthus, with description of four new species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Molytinae). European Journal of Entomology, 101 (4), 609 - 627. https: // doi. org / 10.14411 / eje. 2004.084"]}

Microplinthus newarorum Meregalli, n. sp. http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 8D6BAC11-B4B2-47AE-A60F-9E5B8944D9D7 Fig. 2 Material examined: Holotype ♂: “ NEPAL Lalitpur / Distr. Phulcoki [= Phulchowki, 27°34’N 85°24’E] / 2600 m 14.X.83 Smetana & Löbl // H. & A. Howden / Collection” (CMNC). Diagnostic description. Length 4.26 mm; body elongate, integument matt, dark brown, distinctly reticulate. Vestiture composed of very sparse, small setae appressed to integument. Rostrum short, stout, moderately broadened apicad, dorsal margins subparallel at base and more strongly convergent apicad, in lateral view strongly curved, slightly thicker at midlength, junction with head distinctly sinuate; dorsum with irregular narrow longitudinal rows of deep irregular subquadrate punctures, separated by narrow transverse interspaces, delimited by very irregular narrow longitudinal lines; apex smooth from antennal insertion. Antennal scape abruptly thickened apicad, with some slender setae directed forwards; funicle antennomeres 1 and 2 conical, at least twice as long as wide, 1 thicker than 2, 3–6 subquadrate, 7 larger, transverse; club shortly oval. Eye oval-oblong, with about 40 ommatidia. Pronotum slightly longer than wide, sides irregularly curvilinear, more strongly convergent in apical quarter; dorsum lacking a median keel, all surface irregularly sculptured, punctures very small, bearing a short yellowish seta inserted at lateral or inferior margin, interspaces among punctures broader than punctures, irregularly raised. Elytra oblong, odd intervals with low elongated tubercles, almost contiguous on base of interval 3, even intervals almost flat, with irregular low humps; striae almost as wide as intervals, with round or elongated, well delimited punctures, interspaces between two punctures shorter than punctures. Femur slender, at midlength weakly thickened, with a small and sharp inner tooth; tibia short, with erect setae; apex curved, slightly prominent, with short oblique margin; tarsomere 3 with broad lobes, twice as wide and long as 2, outer lobe slightly smaller than inner; claws with small sharp inner teeth. Ventrites 2–5 scarcely restricted, 1 and 2 with small deep punctures, rather evenly impressed and spaced, interspaces often broader than punctures, 3–4 short, only slightly narrower than previous ones, with a row of punctures, 5 regularly punctured, subrectangular. Penis strongly sclerotized, sides broadened medially, narrowed before apical lamella, this very large, broadened and narrowed, so sides of penis in its entirety bisinuate, apex rounded; in lateral view strongly curved in basal part, slightly bent horizontally at apex. Differential remarks. Three species were found on Phulchowki mountain, this one, M. phulchowkianus and M. godawaricus. The two latter species have simple claws, M. phulchowkianus has the penis completely different, wherae M. godawaricus, only known from a female specimen, has very slender elytra and a pronotum with dense punctures, almost glossy integument and an irregular glossy median line. Microplinthus newarorum is the sister species of M. sherpa, a species that lives much further east and differs in its larger size (4.9–5.8 mm), oblong antennal club (oval in M. newarorum), pronotum with dense and deep sculpture, punctures often barely delimited, with narrow and convex interspaces, elytra broader, ratio length /width 1.5 (elytra slenderer, ratio l/w 1.7 in M. newarorum), basal part of even elytral intervals with a larger number of humps and tubercles, and striae with punctures merged in rows. The penis of the two species is very similar, although in M. sherpa it has a slightly angularly broadened lamella and a slightly shorter apex. Origin of the name. The name derives from the Newar people, who were the first settlers, about one thousand years ago, in the region where the species was found. Distribution. Central Nepal. Phulchowki mountain is 2750 m in elevation, approximately 20 km SE of Kathmandu (Fig. 28)., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, 2020, Revision of the Nepalese genus Microplinthus Zherichin, 1987 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), with description of 25 new species, pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 4794 (1) on pages 9-11, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4794.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3896225

Microplinthus brevipennis Meregalli n. sp. http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 6C0C319F-B94A-4912-859C-5335AB7AEEEF Fig. 11 Material examined. Holotype ♂: “ Nepal Manaslu Himal / Bara Pokhari [= Bhara Pokhari, 28°18’N, 84°28’E] 3000 m / 4.4.99 / leg. Lau & Schmidt // Ankauf A. Dobbertin / Rostok, 2001 / Museum Dresden” (MTD). Diagnostic description. Length 3.07 mm. Body oval, integument glossy, dark ferruginous. Vestiture very scarce, limited to few short setae, on elytra appressed to integument. Rostrum robust, relatively short, sides almost linearly slightly narrowed to antennal insertion, interantennal width 2/3 as width at base; in lateral view irregularly and moderately curved, mainly at midlength, less curved basad and apicad; dorsum with rows of longitudinally aligned punctures, quite regularly impressed and evenly spaced, delimiting very narrow and irregular longitudinal lines, apex glossy from before antennal insertion. Antennal scape thick, strongly thickened from midlength; funicle antennomere 1 and 2 subequal in length, about 1.5 longer than wide, thick, scarcely narrowed basad, 3–5 globose, 3 slightly smaller, 6 larger, 7 bigger, transverse; club shortly oval. Eye oblong, with about 30 ommatidia. Pronotum subcylindrical, sides weakly and evenly curved from base to apex, only slightly more convergent apicad, maximum width slightly beyond midlength, median keel raised on disc, lowered anteriad and basad; sculpture very dense and irregular, with deep punctures partly merged in groups, interspaces linear, raised, generally more raised and angular towards the external side, here with a small pit bearing a centripetal seta. Elytra oval, convex, intervals convex and with oblong low, obtusely raised humps; striae deep and irregular, narrower in correspondence of intervals humps, with small punctures deeply and irregularly impressed, not evenly spaced. Femur thickened medially, robust, lacking a differentiated inner tooth, strongly narrowed at articulation with tibia, tibia strongly expanded internally in basal half, outer part with spaced erect setae, apex with round margin, not obliquely extended to outer part of tibia. Tarsomere 3 with lobes scarcely developed, claws with very short triangular inner teeth. Penis strongly curved in apical half, sides slightly and evenly narrowed forwards, lamella long triangular, very acutely pointed. Origin of the name. This species is named for its shortly oval elytra. Differential remarks. This species is sympatric with M. longipennis, which differs in the slender elytra, with almost parallel sides. Distribution. Western Nepal, mountains on the east of the Marsyangdi river valley (Fig. 28)., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, 2020, Revision of the Nepalese genus Microplinthus Zherichin, 1987 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), with description of 25 new species, pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 4794 (1) on page 25, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4794.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3896225

Microplinthus helambuensis Meregalli n. sp. http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: A862FC6D-740D-49AB-8028-AFF5B946A3A0 Fig. 18 Material examined. Holotype ♂: “ Zw. Mulkharka u. / Tare-Pati [Mulkharka: 28°08’N 85°22’E; Thare Pati, 28°02’N 85°29’E] / [back] Pa 153 // Zentral-Nepal / Sept.–Okt. 1971 / lg. H. Franz ” (NHMW). Paratype: same data as the holotype, 1 ♂ (MER). Diagnostic description. Length 3.13 mm. Body slender, integument rather glossy, dark brownish. Vestiture composed of few setae, shorter than one interval width, moderately broadened, scattered on elytral surface. Rostrum short, stout, dorsal sides linear, subparallel, dorsum at antennal insertion almost as wide as at base, in lateral view moderately curved, main curvature at midlength; sculpture on dorsum formed by large punctures, aligned in 4 rows composed of about 8 punctures from base to smooth apical plate, longitudinal lines irregular, partly interrupted by punctures, apical plate smooth, glossy, in median part extended behind antennal insertion. Antennal scape thickened from apical quarter, with a few thick setae prominent forwards; funicle antennomere 1 short and thick, 2 subconical, short, barely as long as wide, 3–7 transverse, club oval. Eye oval, with at most 30 ommatidia. Pronotum slightly longer than wide, sides weakly curvilinear, barely more convergent anteriad, maximum width at midlength; apex almost straight in lateral view, ocular lobes barely differentiated; dorsum densely punctured, punctures large, isolated, deeply and regularly impressed, with 8–10 punctures aligned from base to apex, interspaces between punctures linear, partly reticulate near base, weakly convex; median line distinct from basal third and extended almost to apex. Elytra slender, long oblong, barely larger than pronotum, sides very feebly curvilinear, maximum width at midlength, odd intervals linear, moderately convex, lacking raised humps or tubercles, striae deeply impressed, wider than intervals, with deeply impressed large punctures. Femur slender, scarcely swelled, with a small sharp inner tooth; tibia strongly rugose, with dense suberect setae, inner margin slightly sinuate, denticulate, apex long obliquely cut. Tarsomere 3 short, slightly asymmetrical, lobes not prominent; claws simple. Ventrites 1 and 2 moderately narrowed, 3–5 at base of same width, 5 regularly rounded, 1 and 2 very sparsely punctured, 5 rough near apex. Penis weakly and regularly curved, flattened in anterior part, maximum width in basal part, sides slightly sinuate anteriad, lamella moderately prominent, apex rounded. Variation. The paratype is 3.26 mm long and has the elytral intervals less raised. Differential remarks. The species that live in the same area are M. ganesha and M. gupta. The former has matt integument, elytra with distinctly curved sides and numerous raised setae and pronotum densely and irregularly punctured; the latter has elytra with oblong humps. Microplinthus helambuensis is morphologically quite similar to M. jaegeri. This species differs in the pronotum lacking a clearly differentiated median line, the striae deeply impressed, the penis with sinuate, narrow apex. Microplinthus helambuensis appears to be closely related to M. godawaricus. This species mainly differs in the elytra with shortly oval spatulate setae, not longer than wide, and the pronotum with smaller punctures, with about 12–13 irregularly impressed punctures from apex to base in the central part near the poorly developed, irregular median line (about 8 regularly impressed punctures in M. helambuensis). Origin of the name. This species name derives from the type locality in Helambu Himal. Distribution. Central Nepal, north of Kathmandu (Fig. 29)., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, 2020, Revision of the Nepalese genus Microplinthus Zherichin, 1987 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), with description of 25 new species, pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 4794 (1) on pages 36-38, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4794.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3896225

Microplinthus yeti Meregalli n. sp. http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: E3347310-91D3-49D7-8FBD-47248788CEFD Fig. 9 Material examined. Holotype ♂: “525 NEPAL Solukhumbu / Distr. Hinku Drangka Khola / bridge [27°35’N 86°47’E] 2000 m 18–19.V.1997 / leg. M. Hauser ” (SMNS) Diagnostic description. Length 4.18 mm. Body oval, dark brownish, almost matt. Vestiture composed of sparse setae, on elytra spatulate, recumbent and mainly condensed on the tubercles. Rostrum strong, dorsal margins slightly broadened basad, distinctly narrowed towards apex, in lateral view strongly curved, main curvature in basal part, thick, slightly narrowed towards apical part; dorsal sculpture dense, composed of groups of punctures obliquely aligned, separated by oblique raised lines joining irregular medial longitudinal line to dorso-lateral longitudinal lines; sculpture extended up to antennal insertion. Antennal scape regularly thickened towards apex; funicle antennomeres 1 and 2 conical, 1 more globose at apex, 2 narrower, less than twice as long as wide; 3–6 globose, 7 distinctly larger; club oval. Eye oval, with about 40 ommatidia. Pronotum as long as wide, sides distinctly curvilinear, maximum width in anterior half, apical margin in lateral view curved, strongly prominent above head, median line sharp, raised, extended from basal quarter to almost apex; surface with relatively small punctures, shallowly and individually impressed, interspaces as wide as punctures, slightly convex, bearing centripetal yellowish, slender lanceolate setae, adherent to integument. Elytra oval, intervals with numerous oblong tubercles distinctly raised, striae very narrow, irregular, with punctures poorly delimited. Femur very robust, thickened medially, with a small triangular tooth; tibia short, slender, scarcely thickened in median part, apex narrowed, round. Tarsomere 3 asymmetrical, inner lobe smaller; claws with strong inner teeth. Ventrites narrowed from 2 to 5, 1 and 2 deeply and densely punctured, 3 and 4 with shallow notes of punctures, 5 semicircular, rather densely punctured. Penis slender, side in dorsal view long narrowed towards apex, in lateral view curved in apical half, apex narrowed, pointed. Differential remarks. No other species of the genus are known from the valley of the Hinku Drangka river. In the valley to the west, M. rugosus and M. leptus are present. The former has a broad pronotum, densely and regularly punctured and lacking a median keel, whereas M. leptus has slender elytra, lacking high tubercles. In the valleys to the east, M. koshianus has almost flat penis, with rounded apex, glossy elytra, tibiae with erect, prominent setae; M. khandbariensis is larger, with reddish integument, and has pronotum with dense deep punctures, whereas the penis, although similarly curved downwards, has a much more elongate apex. Microplinthus arunensis has the pronotum densely punctured and the elytra elongate towards the apex. Microplinthus yeti bears some resemblance to M. franzi, from the Kaligandakhi valley. This species differs by the penis with short apical lamella, the claws with minute inner teeth, the rostrum scarcely curved at base. Origin of the name. This name derives from the Yeti, the folkloric ape-like creature that is said to inhabit the Himalayan mountains. Distribution. Eastern Nepal, in the north-western part of the region (Fig. 28)., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, 2020, Revision of the Nepalese genus Microplinthus Zherichin, 1987 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), with description of 25 new species, pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 4794 (1) on pages 20-23, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4794.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3896225

Microplinthus longipennis Meregalli n. sp. http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 20C4002C-0B5B-47E8-89ED-C6AB35FC7998 Fig. 20 Material examined. Holotype ♂: “ NEPAL Manaslu Himal, Bhara / Pokhari lekh, 3000–3100 m / N 28°18’24; E 84°28’06. / Rhododendron forest / 3–4.IV.1999, leg. O. Jäger ” (MTD). Diagnostic description. Length 4.42 mm. Body elongate, very slender, integument dark ferruginous, slightly glossy. Vestiture almost absent, composed of few small setae appressed to integument, more distinct on elytral declivity. Rostrum robust, sides linearly convergent, interantennal dorsal width half as width at base; in lateral view strongly curved, more so in basal part, evenly thick from base to apex, junction to head slightly concave, dorsum with dense large punctures, irregularly and shallowly impressed, oblong, longitudinally aligned but not forming clearly delimited longitudinal rows, longitudinal lines not clearly delimited, not continuous on the entire length of rostrum, sculpture of rostrum extended to head. Antennal scape regularly thickened at apex; antennomeres 1 and 2 elongate, 1 conical, less than twice as long as wide, 2 slightly broadened in apical part, twice as long as wide; 3–7 globose, 7 barely larger than 6; club oblong. Eye oblong, with about 45 ommatidia. Pronotum subcylindrical, reddish in apical part, longer than wide, sides very feebly broadened from base to apical quarter, sharply constricted to apex; median line undifferentiated, a very short longitudinal obtuse line present in apical third; surface covered with large punctures irregularly impressed, of variable size and form, on disc shallow and merged in groups, separated by irregular glossy lines, towards apex, on the part with reddish integument, punctures very small, reciprocally isolate, interspaces between them broader than punctures; punctures towards base denser, with narrower interspaces, but always reciprocally isolate. Elytra elongate-elliptical, barely broader than pronotum, intervals convex, linear, with low oblong humps, more frequent on odd intervals; striae narrower than intervals, well distinct, slightly impressed, with seriate punctures. Femur robust, scarcely thickened at midlength, weakly restricted before articulation with tibia, provided with a small triangular tooth; tibia slender, with sparse setae, inner part scarcely sinuate, towards apex with three strong spine-like setae, apex rounded, not extended along outer margin. Tarsomere 3 with scarcely developed lobes; claws with minute internal teeth. Ventrites with sides subparallel from 2 to 5, only in 2 sides more curved, 5 broad, subtrapezoidal, sides almost parallel, 1 and 2 sparsely punctured, 5 with traces of very shallow punctures. Penis subangularly curved at midlength, lamella flat, very elongate, sides rectilinearly narrowed, apex sub-acutely rounded. Differential remarks. This species is sympatric with M. brevipennis, a species that has shortly oval elytra. Origin of the name. This species name derives from the main distinctive character of the species, the narrow and slender elytra. Distribution. Western Nepal, mountains on the east side of the Marsyangdi river valley (Fig. 29)., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, 2020, Revision of the Nepalese genus Microplinthus Zherichin, 1987 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), with description of 25 new species, pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 4794 (1) on pages 40-42, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4794.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3896225

Microplinthus godawaricus Meregalli n. sp. http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: D3A96218-E7D6-428C-8242-DCFFC8024B2E Fig. 19 Material examined: Holotype ♀: “ Phulchoki b. Kath- / mandu [= Phulchowki, 27°34’N 85°24’E], Nepal, lg. Franz / [back] Pa 15” (NHMW) Diagnostic description. Length 3.63 mm. Body elongate, dark ferruginous, moderately glossy. Vestiture composed of sparse spatulate setae, setae on elytra of two types, small very short, oval appressed to integument and larger, spatulate, recumbent, suberect, aligned on odd intervals, denser on declivity. Rostrum short and thick, dorsal sides almost parallel, interantennal width barely larger than at base, in lateral view strongly and regularly curved, thick, apex narrower, junction with head slightly concave, dorsal sculpture composed of 6 series of longitudinally aligned deep punctures, partly fused in rows, partly reciprocally isolate, but reciprocally adjacent, longitudinal lines clearly delimited, slightly curved, merged on head, apex glossy smooth, posterior margin of the apical smooth part semicircular, extended a bit before antennal insertion medially. Antennal scape short, sharply thickened apicad, with some thick erect setae; funicle antennomere 1 shortly globose, 2 conical, shorter than wide, 3–7 transverse, 7 slightly larger; club shortly oval. Eye oval, slightly convex, with about 30 ommatidia. Pronotum longer than wide, subcylindrical, sides weakly and regularly curved, maximum width at midlength, median line scarcely developed, narrow and irregular, more distinct in median part; sculpture composed of dense and deep round punctures more or less regularly impressed, interspaces almost as large as punctures, almost reticulate, slightly convex, here and there on disc higher. Elytra elliptical, with linear convex intervals, with low oblong humps relatively well differentiated, particularly on odd intervals, striae as wide as intervals, particularly at base, with regularly impressed punctures. Femur thick, strongly constricted at articulation with tibia, with a distinct median tooth; tibia regularly thickened apicad, with dense suberect setae on outer part, apex obliquely cut; tarsomere 3 small, lobes scarcely developed, claws simple. Ventrites matt, sides slightly sinuate from 2 to 4, 1 and 2 sparsely punctured, interspaces much wider than punctures, 3–4 with a few punctures on sides, 5 semicircular, rough. Female sternum VIII with arms joined for a short tract, divergent at around 50°, almost reaching apex of lamina, lamina triangular, scarcely sclerotized at margin, branches short. Differential remarks. This is a species very similar to M. jaegeri, from which it differs in the rostrum with clearly delimited longitudinal rows of punctures (punctures irregularly impressed in M. jaegeri), sides of pronotum slightly curvilinear, with maximum width at midlength (sides of pronotum subparallel), punctures on pronotum densely impressed, interspaces narrow, with a visible median line (punctures large, spaced, interspaces between them near as wide as punctures, lacking a median line), elytral striae as wide as intervals until declivity (elytral striae narrower that intervals, excepting at base), humps on intervals clearly distinct (humps very low, distinct only on declivity). Microplinthus godawaricus is sympatric with, and relatively similar to, M. phulchowkianus, from which it differs in the extremely short funicle antennomeres 1 and 2, the punctures on the rostrum forming deep longitudinal rows, the pronotum longer than wide and with weakly rounded sides, with dense punctures and a median line (pronotum as long as wide, sides curved, dorsum with regularly impressed and distributed round punctures, lacking any trace of a median line), elytral setae large, spatulate, suberect (elytral setae narrow, scarcely raised), arms of female sternum VIII joined and distinctly extended to almost apex of lamina (arms not joined at base, not sharply delimited on lamina), lamina triangular (lamina subrectangular), branches short (branches slender, curved upwards). Microplinthus newarorum, also sympatric with M. godawaricus, belongs to a completely different species group and cannot be confused (see illustrations and description). Origin of the name. This species name derives from Godawari, a municipality in the Latipur district, south-east of the type locality in Kathmandu, and includes the Godawari Forest. Distribution. Central Nepal, south-east of Kathmandu, Godawari forest, in the Phulchowki mountain (Fig. 29)., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, 2020, Revision of the Nepalese genus Microplinthus Zherichin, 1987 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), with description of 25 new species, pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 4794 (1) on pages 38-40, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4794.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3896225

Microplinthus sherpa Meregalli n. sp. http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 3FAEAD9A-CDA0-47CF-9EE1-331C38F2BDA8 Fig. 3 Material examined: Holotype ♂: “ NEPAL Khand- / bari District // “ Bakan ” W of Ta- / shigaon [=Tashi Gaon, 27°38’N 87°12’E] 3200 m / 3.IV.1982 / A. & Z. Smetana // H. & A. Howden / Collection” (CMNC). Paratypes: “ NEPAL Khandbari / Distr. Forest S Man- / singma [27°30’N 87°18’E] 2200 m 12.iv. / 84 Smetana & Löbl // H. & A. Howden / Collection” 1♂ (MER) 1♀ (CMNC); “ NEPAL Khandbari / Distr. Ridge NE Mang- / maya [27°30’N 87°25’E] 2800 m 7.iv.84 / Smetana & Löbl // H. & A. Howden / Collection” 1♀ (CMNC). Diagnostic description. Length 5.84 mm. Body elongate, integument matt, dark brown, distinctly reticulate. Vestiture composed of very sparse, small setae appressed to integument. Rostrum short, stout, moderately broadened apicad, dorsal margins subparallel at base and more strongly convergent apicad, in lateral view strongly curved, slightly thicker at midlength, junction with head distinctly sinuate; dorsum with dense punctures, generally merged in longitudinal impressions, delimited by narrow longitudinal lines, the median line more regularly raised from base to almost antennal insertion; apex smooth from antennal insertion. Head densely and regularly punctured. Antennal scape abruptly thickened apicad, with some slender setae directed forwards; funicle antennomeres 1 and 2 conical, at least twice as long as wide, 1 thicker than 2, 3–6 subquadrate, 7 larger, transverse; club oblong. Eye oval-oblong, with about 40 ommatidia. Pronotum 1.10x longer than wide, sides irregularly curvilinear, more strongly convergent in apical quarter; dorsum lacking a median keel, surface very irregularly sculptured, with dense punctures in part merged in short curved rows, interspaces not broader than punctures, in part raised to form obtuse humps. Elytra oblong, odd intervals with low, oblong tubercles, even intervals with irregular low humps or oblong tubercles in basal part; striae almost as wide as intervals, with poorly delimited punctures, in part not clearly differentiated. Femur slender, at midlength weakly thickened, with a small and sharp inner tooth; tibia short, with erect setae; apex curved, slightly prominent, with short oblique margin; tarsomere 3 with broad lobes, twice as wide and long as 2, outer lobe slightly smaller than inner; claws with strong inner teeth, as long as half the length of the claw. Ventrites 2–5 scarcely restricted, 1 and 2 with small deep punctures, rather evenly impressed and spaced, interspaces often broader than punctures, 3–4 short, only slightly narrower than previous ones, with a row of punctures, 5 regularly and shallowly punctured, subrectangular. Penis strongly sclerotized, sides broadened medially, less narrowed before apical lamella than the width at midlength, lateral sclerification very broad, membranous part as wide as sclerotized part; lamella very large, angularly broadened and narrowed, apex rounded; in lateral view strongly curved in median part, slightly bent horizontally at apex. Female ventrite VIII with arms curved, X-shaped with branches, joined, branches continuing curvature of arms, very long, directed downwards, plate very short, scarcely sclerotized. Variation. The body length varies between 4.90 and 5.84 mm. The paratypes have slightly shallower sculpture, with punctures on the pronotum better differentiated and elytral humps less raised. Differential remarks. See the description of M. newarorum for the differences from its sister species, and the descriptions of M. arunensis and M. khandbariensis for differences from those sympatric species. Microplinthus koshianus is smaller (3.9 mm), has shorter elytra and glossy integument and rostrum strongly thickened basad in lateral view. Origin of the name. This name derives from the Sherpa people. Distribution. Eastern Nepal. Found in the mountains to the east of the Arun valley, in Khandbari district (Fig. 28)., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, 2020, Revision of the Nepalese genus Microplinthus Zherichin, 1987 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), with description of 25 new species, pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 4794 (1) on pages 11-13, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4794.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3896225

Microplinthus kaumarya Meregalli n. sp. http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: B6B3721A-CEF5-4676-AA7F-5AE6F1B3C452 Fig. 16 Material examined. Holotype ♀: “ Nepal, District Karnali, Tal / von Gotichaur, 2800 m NN / 12/ 13.06.1997 / Trockenhang, leg. Grill, HF / 29°12’10”N 82°18’56”E ” (NMEG) Diagnostic description. Length 4.12 mm. Body oblong, dark brownish, integument matt, reticulate. Vestiture composed of short and sparse setae, on elytra also larger, spatulate setae, sparsely aligned on intervals, more frequent on declivity, moderately erect and weakly recumbent at apex. Rostrum stout, in dorsal view sides sharply broadened basally, then linearly convergent to apex; in lateral view strongly curved, more basally than in apical half, sculpture composed of 5 raised irregular longitudinal lines, separated by relatively deepened rows formed by punctures merged in oblong and obliquely impressed foveas and pits. Antennal scape slender, moderately thickened in apical third, funicle antennomeres 1 and 2 slender, conical, subequal in length, almost twice as long as wide, 3–5 globose, 6 and 7 transverse, 7 wider; club oval. Eye oblong, with about 45 ommatidia. Pronotum slightly longer than wide, sides irregularly and scarcely curvilinear, very feebly broadened between base and apical third, more strongly constricted apicad; median keel present in apical half, scarcely raised and barely differentiated, matt, surface irregularly and shallowly punctured, punctures smaller in anterior part, interspaces of punctures in part as wide as punctures, in part smaller, weakly convex. Elytra oblong, intervals linear, moderately convex, with low humps, higher towards declivity; striae as wide as intervals, clearly delimited, with spaced punctures regularly impressed, interspaces between punctures as wide as half the puncture or as the length of the puncture, and as high as intervals. Femur robust, thickened medially, with a small obtuse inner tooth, scarcely narrowed towards articulation with tibia; tibia slender, inner margin almost straight, apex long obliquely indented externally. Tarsomere 3 with weakly developed lobes; claws with distinct inner tooth. Ventrites with sides distinctly narrowed from 2 to 5, 1–2 relatively densely and broadly punctured, ventrite 5 densely punctured. Female sternum VIII with short apodeme, arms very short, weakly divergent, curved outwards, bifurcate at apex, branches of ventrite thick, horizontal, lamina slightly transverse, lateral sclerification triangular, thicker basad. Differential remarks. See description of M. karnalicus for the differences from its sister species. Origin of the name. This species name derives from kaumarya, a Sanskrit word meaning “princess”. In Nepal the derived name Kumari indicates is the tradition of worshiping young prepubescent girls as manifestations of the divine female energy. Distribution. Mid-western Nepal, Karnali Province (Fig. 29)., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, 2020, Revision of the Nepalese genus Microplinthus Zherichin, 1987 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), with description of 25 new species, pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 4794 (1) on pages 33-36, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4794.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3896225

Microplinthus arunensis Meregalli n. sp. http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 59A10A76-8380-4E87-A2BF-E78C1982BAE8 Fig. 10 Material examined: Holotype ♀: “ NEPAL Khandbari / Distr. Forest S Man- / singma [27°30’N 87°20’E] 2200 m 11.iv. / 84 Smetana & Löbl // H. & A. Howden / Collection” (CMNC). Paratypes: “ NEPAL. Khand- / bari District // For, above Ahale [27°27’N 87°11’E] / 2400 m 25.III.82 / A. & Z. Smetana // H. & A. Howden / Collection” 2♀ (1♀ CMNC, 1♀ MER). Diagnostic description. Length 4.0 mm; body ovate, dark reddish-brownish, integument glossy on rostrum, almost matt on pronotum and elytra, shallowly reticulate. Vestiture composed of sparse setae, on rostrum and pronotum small, short, on elytra more broadly spatulate, curved onto tegument. Rostrum relatively slender, moderately broadened apicad, in lateral view dorsum curved, more in basal part, very slightly more thickened basad, junction with head slightly sinuate, on dorsal view sides very slightly and linearly convergent, dorsum lacking distinctly delimited longitudinal lines, with dense elongate punctures irregularly aligned longitudinally. Antennal scape moderately thickened from basal half; funicle antennomeres 1 and 2 short, 1 subglobose, 2 conical, slightly longer than wide, 3–7 short, transverse, club oval. Eye oval, with about 30 ommatidia. Pronotum as long as wide, sides slightly and regularly curved, apical margin in lateral view almost straight, not prominent above head; dorsum with median keel sharp from basal third to apex, surface very densely punctured, margins of punctures distinctly more raised externally, generally with a seta inserted on a microscopic pit at the most external point. Elytra ovate, convex, odd intervals 3 to 7 with raised elongate tubercles, suture and interval 2 with raised granules, striae as wide as intervals, with round punctures, intervals between punctures almost as long as punctures. Femur slender, scarcely thickened medially, inner tooth almost indistinct, sharply narrowed at articulation with tibia, surface densely punctured and with narrow setae; tibia slender, deeply rugose, external apical margin long oblique. Claws with small inner teeth. Ventrites strongly curvilinear narrowed from ventrite 2, surface of ventrites 1 and 2 densely punctured, ventrite 5 transverse, punctured. Female sternum VIII subrectangular, apodeme absent, arms not joined, branches slender, arms slender, moderately divergent, plate longer than wide, with sclerotization stronger towards apical part. Variation. The specimens examined are very similar, the paratypes differ in the smaller tubercles on interval 3 and the rostrum slightly less curved. Body length varies between 4.0 and 4.5 mm. Differential remarks. The species that live in the proximity are M. khandbariensis, M. koshianus and M. sherpa. The first species lacks the raised tubercles on the elytral intervals and has the female sternum VIII with short arms; M. koshianus has the rostrum thick, strongly curved and the pronotum strongly prominent above head; M. sherpa has the pronotum very deeply and irregularly sculptured, with the anterior margin distinctly curved above the head, female sternum VIII with very long and arcuate arms forming a continuous, X-shaped curve with branches. Origin of the name. This name derives from the type locality in the Arun river valley. Distribution. Eastern Nepal. Found in the mountains on the east of the Arun river valley, in Khandbari district (Fig. 29)., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, 2020, Revision of the Nepalese genus Microplinthus Zherichin, 1987 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), with description of 25 new species, pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 4794 (1) on pages 23-25, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4794.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3896225

Meregalli, Massimo (2020): Revision of the Nepalese genus Microplinthus Zherichin, 1987 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), with description of 25 new species. Zootaxa 4794 (1): 1-63, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4794.1.1

Microplinthus durga Meregalli n. sp. http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 5432B71D-DFF4-4D7C-AF8A-DCFAC5002A3A Fig. 8 Material examined: Holotype ♀: “Umg. Goropani [=Ghorepani, 28°24’N 83°42’E] / w. Pokhara / [back] Pa 112 // Zentral-Nepal / Sept.–Okt. 1971 / lg. H. Franz ” (NHMW) Diagnostic description. Length 3.53 mm. Body oblong, integument dark ferruginous, moderately glossy. Vestiture composed of few sparse relatively thick slender setae, not spatulate, on elytra appressed to integument. Rostrum robust, dorsal margins weakly broadened basad, slightly curvilinear and very feebly narrowed towards antennal insertion, in lateral view curved in basal part, then almost rectilinear, dorsal surface in basal part with large seriate punctures longitudinally aligned, with poorly delimited longitudinal lines, apical half in median part glossy, smooth, punctures on dorso-lateral part reaching antennal insertion, apical part glossy, smooth, with very shallow minute punctures. Antennal scape thickened at apex, with some narrow setae; funicle antennomeres 1 and 2 conical, 1 broader than 2, 3–7 globose, 7 barely larger than 6; club oblong. Eye oblong, with more than 40 ommatidia. Pronotum as long as wide, sides sublinearly broadened to apical third, then sharply convergent apicad; dorsum with high glossy median keel, almost extended along the entire length, sculpture very irregular, dense, with punctures generally merged in pits, interspaces raised, narrow, irregularly curved, generally higher and angular on external sides. Elytra oblong, convex, odd intervals with dense high oblong tubercles, even intervals with sparse, smaller tubercles; striae irregular, with poorly differentiated punctures. Femur thick, enlarged medially, with a sharp inner tooth; tibia distinctly sinuate internally, apex narrowed and rounded, tarsomere 3 with broad lobes, claws with tiny inner teeth. Ventrites strongly cuvilinear narrowed from 1 to 5, 1 with dense punctures rather regularly impressed, 2 with punctures more spaced, 3–4 smooth, 5 long, with shallow punctures. Female sternum VIII with arms joined basally, straight, lamina subquadrate, with narrow straight lateral sclerification, branches slender, distinctly curved upwards. Differential remarks. There are several other species of the genus in the valleys south of the Annapurna range. Mcroplinthus annapurnae, the easternmost species in this area, has elytra with raised setae and lacking isolated tubercles; M. kaskianus is relatively similar, but has untoothed claws, sides of pronotum feebly and regularly converging apicad, rostrum with sharp longitudinal lines and ventrite 1 with two large submedian punctures; M. parbatensis has reddish integument, and elytra lacking tubercles and with erect setae; M. kaligandaki has elongate elytra, lacking tubercles and with large, regular punctures. Origin of the name. This name derives from Durga, a principal and popular form of the Hindu Goddess. She is the warrior form of Parvati, and combats evils and demonic forces that threaten peace and prosperity. Durga is also a fierce form of the protective mother goddess, who unleashes her divine wrath against the wicked for the liberation of the oppressed. Distribution. Western Nepal, southern slopes of the Annapurna Himal (Fig. 28)., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, 2020, Revision of the Nepalese genus Microplinthus Zherichin, 1987 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), with description of 25 new species, pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 4794 (1) on page 20, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4794.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3896225

Microplinthus rugosus Meregalli n. sp. http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: CE3F7D49-3A9C-4A4D-8F09-DA741608F5C8 Fig. 12 Material examined. Holotype ♂: “ Nepal: Solu Khumbu / Lamiura Danda 3500– / 3800m, 27°34’N 86° 30’E / 28.V–29.V.2013 / leg. Hagge & Schmidt” (NMEG) Diagnostic description. Length 4.0 mm. Body oval, dark ferruginous, integument moderately glossy, rough, reticulation indistinct. Vestiture with sparse slender setae. Rostrum very short, robust, moderately broadened apicad, in lateral view weakly and evenly curved, junction with head subsinuate, in dorsal view margins rectilinearly convergent apicad, interantennal width 1/2 than width at base; sculpture deep, composed of rows of large and dense punctures, separated by irregular glossy longitudinal lines, median line broadened at rostrum midlength, rows of punctures convergent anteriad, apical part glossy, smooth. Antennal scape, strongly thickened from midlength; funicle antennomere 1 shortly conical, broadly enlarged, 2 conical, less than twice as long as wide and narrower than 1, 3–6 globose, 7 transverse; club oblong. Eye large, oblong, with about 40 ommatidia. Pronotum slightly transverse, sides subrectilinear from base to midlength, then progressively curvilinear to apex; median keel narrow, scarcely raised, more or less continuous from almost base to almost apex, clearly delimited only on disc; surface with very dense and deeply impressed round punctures, often convergent in oblique rows, interspaces narrowly linear, convex. Elytra broadly oval, intervals narrowly convex, with low humps, their surface irregular, rough; striae broader than intervals, more or less continuously deepened, lacking differentiated punctures and with pits separated by a small glossy granule. Femur strongly thickened medially, lacking a clearly differentiated inner tooth; tibia short, weakly broadened medially, inner side with a row of spiniform setae, apex with setae obliquely extended along outer margin; tarsomere 3 as long as wide, lobes not prominent laterally, tarsomere 2 very short; claws distinctly toothed. Ventrites short, sides distinctly converging from 2 to 5, 1 and 2 with dense punctures, interspaces smaller than punctures, particularly on 1, 3–4 smooth, glossy, 5 shortly transverse, irregularly punctured. Penis curved downwards, stronger curvature in median part, less curved in apical part, in dorsal view lateral sides almost rectilinear to almost apical lamella, lateral sclerification broad, apex slightly prominent, rounded. Differential remarks. This species, with its rough elytral intervals, lacking high tubercles, and the broadly oval elytra differs from all the other known species of the genus. It is sympatric with M. leptus, which is a narrow and smooth species. Microplinthus yeti, which lives not very far away, has the elytra matt, with highly raised tubercles. Origin of the name. This name derives from the rough surface of integument, particularly on the elytral intervals. Distribution. Eastern Nepal, at the north-western border of the region (Fig. 28)., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, 2020, Revision of the Nepalese genus Microplinthus Zherichin, 1987 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), with description of 25 new species, pp. 1-63 in Zootaxa 4794 (1) on pages 25-28, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4794.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3896225

Aclees saipanensis K��no, 1942: 19 Holotype. 1. VII-25, 1939 / Nanyou [=South Sea Islands] Saipan (in Japanese) / S. Kawata (hw); 2. Aclees / saipanensis / K��no (hw) / Type (pr); 3. (pr) (white label with red border on right) HOLOTYPE / Appended label by / OHARA, HI- NARI, KANBE / SUZUKI and HIRONAGA / 2007; 4. (red label, pr) Aclees saipanensis / K��no, 1942 / HOLOTYPUS / 2020 Meregalli vidit. Distribution. Northern Mariana Islands, Saipan, type locality (K��no 1942)., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, Boriani, Marco, Bollino, Maurizio & Hsu, Chen-Fu, 2020, Review of the species of Aclees described by K��no (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), pp. 146-150 in Zootaxa 4768 (1) on page 150, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4768.1.10, http://zenodo.org/record/3777766, {"references":["Kono, H. (1942) Die Russelkafer auf den Micronesien. Insecta Matsumurana, 16 (1 - 2), 13 - 21."]}

Neocleonus maculipes (Gyllenhal, 1834) resurrected as valid species from synonymy with N. sannio (Herbst, 1795) stat. res. (ST examined); N. coquereli Chevrolat, 1873, N. frater Chevrolat, 1873, N. sannio modestus Faust, 1904, N. sordidus Chevrolat, 1873, N. subsignatus (Walker, 1871) transferred from synonymy with N. sannio to synonymy with Neocleonus maculipes syn. n. (based on types or type locality, photographs in WCC)., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, 2017, Taxonomic and nomenclatural acts formalizing the classification provided in the world catalogue of the Cleonini (Curculionidae: Lixinae), pp. 445-450 in Zootaxa 4323 (3) on page 448, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4323.3.13, http://zenodo.org/record/920990, {"references":["Faust, J. (1904) Revision der Gruppe Cleonides vrais. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, 1904 (1), 177 - 284. https: // doi. org / 10.1002 / mmnd. 48019040120"]}

Curculio nebulosus Linnaeus, 1758 . As illustrated by The Linnean Society (http://linnean-online.org/insects.html), seven specimens are labeled with this name. Four of them (LINN 7737, LINN 7738, LINN 7740 and LINN 7741) belong to the species currently named Coniocleonus nebulosus Linnaeus, 1758. The others are C. excoriatus (Gyllenhal, 1834) (LINN 7739), Pseudocleonus cinereus (Schrank, 1781) (LINN 7742) and Bothynoderes affinis (Schrank, 1781) (LINN 7743). The specimen labelled LINN 7737 is here designated as the Lectotype of Curculio nebulosus Linnaeus, 1758., Published as part of Meregalli, Massimo, 2017, Taxonomic and nomenclatural acts formalizing the classification provided in the world catalogue of the Cleonini (Curculionidae: Lixinae), pp. 445-450 in Zootaxa 4323 (3) on page 446, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4323.3.13, http://zenodo.org/record/920990