Hapalogenius africanus (Eggers)

Beaver, Roger A, 2010, Taxonomic notes on the afrotropical genera Hapalogenius Hagedorn, Hylesinopsis Eggers, and Rhopalopselion Hagedorn (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae), ZooKeys 56, pp. 157-170 : 160

Hapalogenius africanus (Eggers)

Pseudophloeotribus africanus Eggers 1933: 19.

Rhopalopselion africanus (Eggers): Schedl 1951: 1104.

Metahylesinus africanus (Eggers): Schedl 1960: 76.

Hylesinopsis africanus (Eggers): Wood 1986: 39.

Hapalogenius africanus (Eggers): Alonso-Zarazaga and Lyal 2009: 69.

Hapalogenius lesnei Eggers 1943: 73, syn. n.

Rhopalopselion lesnei (Eggers): Wood and Bright 1992: 97.

Metahylesinus brincki Schedl 1957b: 323, syn. n.

Glochicopterus brincki (Schedl): Schedl 1963b: 262.

Hapalophloeus brincki (Schedl): Schedl 1966: 363.

Hylesinopsis brincki (Schedl): Wood 1984: 225; Wood and Bright 1992: 93.

I have examined the female holotype of Pseudophloeotribus africanus (NHML) from Zambia, and other specimens from Zimbabwe (NHML), and compared them with syntypes of Hapalogenius lesnei (NMW), and with specimens of Metahylesinus brincki from Namibia which had earlier been compared with syntypes of this species in ZMLU. I have also examined specimens from Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa (NICP, TMP, RAB). Only a single species is represented, which varies in length from 1.5-2.2 mm, and in size-related characters, such as the number of teeth (6 or 8) on the anterior margin of the pronotum, and the detailed arrangement of the setae on the elytra.

It may be noted that Eggers (1933) described the genus Pseudophloeotribus as having seven funicular segments. The genus Hapalophloeus was separated from Metahylesinus because its type species ( Metahylesinus brincki ) had only six funicular segments ( Schedl 1966). I can confirm that the latter figure is correct. A seventh segment appears to have become fused to the base of the antennal club. The number of funicular segments is normally constant within a species in the Hylesinini .

Hapalogenius africanus is quite widely distributed in southern Africa. In addition to the distribution given by Wood and Bright (1992), it is known from Angola, Botswana and Mozambique. However, no host plants have been recorded. Specimen labels indicate that the species has been collected mostly at light.