Ellimenistes humeralis Marshall, 1947

Borovec, Roman & Nakládal, Oto, 2019, Ellimenistes humeralis Marshall, 1947 and its allies (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae: Embrithini), Zootaxa 4563 (1), pp. 175-184 : 177-178

Ellimenistes humeralis Marshall, 1947

( Figs 1 , 4, 7, 16 , 20, 26 )

Ellimenistes humeralis Marshall, 1947: 198 .

Type locality. South Africa, Eastern Cape, Alexandria .

Type material examined. Lectotype (here designated), 1 spec. ( BMNH): ‘ Type [p, rounded, red margin] / [ South Africa, Eastern Cape] Alexandria May 1946 Acc. PE. 232 [hw, green margin] / Destroying seadling chicory [hw] / Ellimenistes humeralis, Mshl. TYPE ♂ [hw, Marshall´s handwritting] / Pres by Imp. Inst. Ent. B. M. 1947- 354 [p] / LECTOTYPUS Ellimenistes humeralis Marshall, R. Borovec desig. 2018’ [red, printed]. Paralectotypes: 1 ♀ ( BMNH), ‘ Cotype [p, rounded, yellow margin] / [ South Africa, Eastern Cape] Alexandria May 1946 Acc. PE. 232 [hw, green margin] / Ellimenistes humeralis, Mshl. COTYPE ♀ [hw, Marshall´s handwritting] / Pres by Imp. Inst. Ent. B. M. 1947-354 [p] / PARALECTOTYPUS Ellimenistes humeralis Marshall, R. Borovec desig. 2018’ [red, printed]; 1 ♀ ( BMNH), ‘[ South Africa, Eastern Cape] Alexandria May 1946 Acc. PE. 232 [hw, green margin] / G. A. K. Marshall Coll. B. M. 1950-255 [p] / Ellimenistes humeralis, Mshl. COTYPE ♂ [hw, Marshall´s handwritting] / PARALECTOTYPUS Ellimenistes humeralis Marshall, R. Borovec desig. 2018’ [red, printed].

Redescription. Body length 3.56–3.74 mm, lectotype 3.72 mm. Elytra with small dense appressed scales, 6–7 across width of one interval, scales rounded, indistinctly striolate, isolated. Each elytral interval with one regular, inconspicuous row of semiappressed, subspatulate setae, apically rounded, distinctly striolate, at base only slightly longer than diameter of one appressed scale, at apical declivity as long as a third to quarter the width of interval and weakly wider than diameter of one appressed scale, distance of two setae 2–3× longer their length. Pronotum and head with rostrum with dense, short, irregularly scattered spatulate appressed setae. The whole antennae and legs densely covered by rounded appressed setae and semiappressed slender setae. Elytra light brownish or dark brownish, with several small spots from greyish scales.

Rostrum ( Figs 4, 7 ) 1.13–1.18× wider than long, narrowest at base, weakly enlarged apicad with slightly rounded sides; laterally distinctly convex, angularly separated from head by transverse sulcus. Epifrons at apical half subtriangular, conspicuously tapered posteriad with slightly convex sides, at middle as wide as quarter to fifth of rostral width, at basal part weakly enlarged posteriad, distinctly narrower than space between eyes; dorsally with longitudinal median furrow. Epistome V-shaped, small, posteriorly narrowly carinated. Frons very narrow, create narrow stripe along the epistome. Scrobes dorsally open, pit-shaped; laterally furrow-shaped, narrow, weakly curved, directed to middle of eyes, separated from them by wide squamose space. Eyes moderately large, distinctly vaulted and distinctly prominent from outline of head. Vertex tapered anteriad with convergent striae, hidden by scales.

Antennal scape 1.2× longer than funicle, curved at basal half, at short apical part evenly enlarged, at apex equally wide as club. Funicle with segments 1 and 2 equally long and wide, conical, 2.3–2.4× longer than wide; segments 3 and 4 1.3–1.4× longer than wide; segments 5 and 6 isodiametric; segment 7 1.2× wider than long; club 2.0–2.2× longer than wide.

Pronotum ( Fig. 1 ) 1.73–1.81× wider than long, subtrapezoidal, widest at base, evenly tapered anteriad with anterior border distinctly narrower than posterior one, behind anterior border constricted. Disc pulvinate and acinose, with slender longitudinal furrow at basal half and slender keels at basal third before elytral interval 5 and 7. Base V-shaped, posteriorly elongate. Pronotum laterally flat, lowered at anterior third.

Elytra ( Fig. 1 ) oval, 1.19–1.22× longer than wide, with slightly rounded sides and broadly rounded apex, sinuate at base; striae narrow, intervals wide and flat, intervals 3, 5, 7 and 8 behind base elevated, dorsally with angular projection on interval 7, prominent laterally and another behind it on interval 8. Elytra laterally weakly regularly vaulted.

Protibia short and robust, externally straight, internally at apex distinctly enlarged inside, fringed with dense row of very short, brownish spines. Metatibia with apical surface squamose and with wide and significant, densely squamose corbel, fringed externally and internally by row of very short spines. Tarsal segment 2 1.2–1.3× wider than long; segment 3 1.4–1.5× wider than long and 1.4–1.5× wider than segment 2; onychium 1.6–1.7× longer than segment 3; claws solidly fused at basal half.

Male terminalia unknown.

Spermatheca ( Fig. 16 ) with slender and irregularly curved cornu; corpus large, rounded, elongate; ramus small and short, rounded, curved downwards; nodulus slender and very long, about 6× longer than wide, U-shaped curved with apical half curved downwards, tightly pressed along the body. Sternite VIII ( Fig. 20 ) with long and slender apodeme lacking transverse anterior bar and small, regularly triangular plate with slender but developed anterior and posterior margins and slender longitudinal median sclerite, fringed at apex with fine setae. Gonocoxites ( Fig. 26 ) flat, slender, evenly tapered apicad with slender apical styli with setae.

Biology. The type specimens were collected destroying seedling chicory ( Marshall 1947).

Differential diagnosis. Among Ellimenistes species with funicle segments 1 and 2 equally long this species is easily recognized by rostrum narrowest at base, eyes distinctly prominent and setae at posterior elytral declivity appressed, short as a third of width of elytral interval.

Remarks. The species was described based on six specimens. It has never been collected again since the time of the description. The lectotype is pinned by a thin and short pin with a rectangular label, not remounted, lacking right antenna, right anterior tarsus and complete left middle leg. Both paralectotypes were remounted and dissected by the first author. Deposition of other three paralectotypes is unclear. They were not found in Marshall´s collection in The Natural History Museum. Marshall in his original description stated “Received from the Division of Entomology, Pretoria”. They could be deposited either in the South African National Collection of Insects or in the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History.

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. Dorsal habitus of Ellimenistes Boheman. 1. E. humeralis Marshall; 2. E. janaki sp. n.; 3. E. marshalli sp. n.

FIGURES 4–19. Structural details of Ellimenistes Boheman. Figs 4–6, head with rostrum, dorsal view: 4. E. humeralis Marshall; 5. E. janaki sp. n.; 6. E. raucus sp. n. Figs 7–9, head with rostrum, lateral view: 7. E. humeralis Marshall; 8. E. janaki sp. n.; 9. E. raucus sp. n. Figs 10–12, penis, ventral and lateral view: 10. E. janaki sp. n.; 11. E. marshalli sp. n.; 12. E. raucus sp. n. Figs 13–15, tegmen, dorsal view: 13. E. janaki sp. n.; 14. E. marshalli sp. n.; 15. E. raucus sp. n. Figs 16–19, spermatheca: 16. E. humeralis Marshall; 17. E. janaki sp. n.; 18. E. marshalli sp. n.; 19. E. raucus sp. n.

FIGURES 20–29. Structural details of Ellimenistes Boheman, Cycliscus Schoenherr and Cosmorhinus Schoenherr. Figs 20– 25, sternite VIII of female, dorsal view: 20. Ellimenistes humeralis Marshall; 21. E. janaki sp. n.; 22. E. marshalli sp. n.; 23. E. raucus sp. n.; 24. Cycliscus caecicollis Boheman; 25. Cosmorhinus cervinus Boheman. Figs 26–29, ovipositor, dorsal view: 26. Ellimenistes humeralis Marshall; 27. E. janaki sp. n.; 28. E. marshalli sp. n.; 29. E. raucus sp. n.