Smicronyx albosquamosus Wollaston, 1854

Haran, Julien M., 2021, The Smicronychini of southern Africa (Coleoptera, Curculionidae): Review of the tribe and description of 12 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 735, pp. 34-73 : 66-67

Smicronyx albosquamosus Wollaston, 1854

Fig. 2G ; Table 1

Smicronyx albosquamosus Wollaston, 1854: 345 .

Differential diagnosis

In southern Africa, S. albosquamosus is closest to S. fallax . See differential diagnosis section under this species for distinguishing traits.

Material examined

NAMIBIA • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Epupa falls ; 17°00′ S, 13°14′ E; alt. 660 m; 12 Apr. 2005; Ruth Müller leg.; at light; TMSA .

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Gauteng Province, Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve; 25.41 S, 28.18 E; 22 Feb. 1988; I.M. Millar leg.; SAMC • 7 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; 26.08 S, 27.50 E; 8 Jan. 1990; S. Neser leg.; with pods and flowers of Cuscuta probably campestris ; SANC • 4 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; Gauteng Province, Pretoria ; 25.45 S, 28.10 E; 21 Mar. 1989; S. Neser leg.; ex. fruits of Cuscuta sp.; SANC • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; Britstown CP; 30.35 S, 23.30 E; 9 Mar. 1989; S. Neser leg.; ex. flowers of Cuscuta campestris ; SANC • 21 ♂♂, 14 ♀♀; Pretoria , Reitondale ; 25°54′ S, 28°12′ E; 13 Feb. 2006; S. Neser leg.; from flowering and fruiting shoots of Cuscuta sp. Convolvulaceae ; SANC • 1 ♂; Limpopo Province, Soutpans; 22.57 S, 29.17 E; alt. 1100 m; 27–30 Mar. 2008; Martin Krüker leg.; TMSA • 1 ♀; Limpopo Province, Meletse Reserve, Mamba Dam ; 24.36 S, 39.13 E; Dec. 2015; E. Seamark leg.; TMSA • 1 ♂, 5 ♀♀; Kruger National Park , Skukuza rest camp ; 24.59 S, 31.38 E; 23 Jan. 1995 – 7 Mar. 1996; Endrödy-Younga and C.L. Bellamy leg.; UV light collection; TMSA • 1 ♀; Kwazulu-Natal Province, Ntinini Nature Reserve ; 28°17″ S, 30°56′ E; alt. 1025 m; 17 Nov. 2010; R. Stals leg.; rocky outcrop with trees; SANC • 2 ♀♀; Mpumalanga Province, Lake Chrissie Farm, 5 km SE Chrissiesmeer; 26°18′ S, 30°15′ E; alt. 1700 m; 25 Nov. 2002; E. Grobbelaar leg.; SANC.

Diagnosis

BODY LENGTH. 2.0– 2.1 mm.

COLOUR. Body integument black; vestiture of elytra consisting of recumbent, slightly overlapping brown scales, slightly longer than wide, concealing integument, and white scales usually forming a pale oblique band between humeri and apical third of elytral suture.

HEAD. Rostrum moderately downcurved in lateral view, as long as head capsule + prothorax.

PROTHORAX. Slightly wider than long (w/l ratio: 1.15), sides moderately rounded in basal ¾, constricted in apical ⅓, with spots of whitish scales near humeri and at base near scutellum.

ELYTRA. Subparallel in basal two-thirds (w/l ratio: 0.65), rounded toward apex in apical third.

LEGS. Covered with white and brown scales; femora moderately clavate, armed with small but distinct ventral tooth, tibiae straight; claws unequal in length, at least for fore tarsi.

GENITALIA. Body of penis elongate (w/l ratio: 0.30), 1.2× as long as apodemes, sides straight, subparallel, converging near apex; curvature moderate in lateral view ( Fig. 5H ).

Life history

Smicronyx albosquamosus is found across its distribution range on pods and flowers of Cuscuta spp. Adults were collected in southern Africa from November to April.

Distribution

This species is widely distributed across Africa and the Mediterranean region. In the Republic of South Africa, this species is only found in subtropical areas (Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces)

Remark

The identity of this species was established by comparisons of specimens with reference material from the Mediterranean region reported by Haran et al. (2017).

Figures

Fig. 2. Habitus of species of Smicronychini from southern Africa (Part 2). A. Smicronyx san sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC), bred from Chironia baccifera L. B. S. san sp. nov., ♂, paratype (CBGP), specimen bred from Orphium frutescens L. (E. Mey). C. S. san sp. nov., ♂, paratype (CBGP), specimen bred from Sebaea Sol. ex R.Br. sp. D. Smicronyx drakensbergensis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (TMSA). E. Smicronyx zonatus Haran, 2018, ♂, paratype (CBGP), specimen from the Western Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa.F. Smicronyx lutulentus Dietz, 1894, ♂ (CBGP). G. Smicronyx albosquamosus Wollaston, 1854, ♂ (CBGP), specimen from Israel. H. Smicronyx namibicus Haran, 2018, ♂ (MNHN), specimen from Tanzania. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Fig. 5 (opposite page). Penis of Smicronyx from southern Africa, in dorsal (left) and lateral (right) view. A. Sharpia madibai sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC). B. Afrosmicronyx cycnii sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC). C. Afrosmicronyx louwi sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC). D. Afrosmicronyx marshalli sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SANC). E. Afrosmicronyx nebulosipennis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (BMNH). F. Smicronyx similis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SANC). G. Smicronyx pseudocoecus sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC). H. Smicronyx paucisquamis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC). I. Smicronyx fallax (Gyllenhal, 1836), ♂, neotype (NHRS). J. Smicronyx australis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC). K. Smicronyx pauperculus Wollaston, 1864, ♂, specimen from Tanzania. L. Smicronyx san sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC), bred from Chironia baccifera L. M. Smicronyx drakensbergensis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (TMSA). N. Smicronyx zonatus Haran, 2018, ♂, paratype (CBGP), specimen from the Western Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa. O. Smicronyx lutulentus Dietz, 1894, ♂ (CBGP). P. Smicronyx namibicus Haran, 2018, ♂, holotype (MNHN), specimen from Tanzania. Scale bars: 100 μm.