Smicronyx paucisquamis, Haran, Julien M., 2021

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 : 54-55

Smicronyx paucisquamis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:445D4B93-E3FD-4A72-A0E0-81C75252CC47

Figs 1I , 4A , 5H ; Table 1

Differential diagnosis

Smicronyx paucisquamis sp. nov. is closest to S. pseudocoecus sp. nov.. See differential diagnosis under that species for diagnostic traits.

Etymology

Smicronyx paucisquamis sp. nov. is named in reference to the very limited number of scales found on its elytra compared to other species in the genus.

Material examined

Holotype REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂; “ Rep. of South Africa; Haenertsburg [Limpopo Province]; 23°56.361′S 29°57.037′E; 1380 m, 7.ii.2019; J. Haran leg.” / “On Cuscuta sp.; JHAR02167” / “HOLOTYPE; Smicronyx paucisquamis ; Haran 2021”; SAMC.

Paratypes REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; ethanol coll. CBGP • 1 ♀; Mpumalanga Province, God’s window ; 24°54.396′ S, 30°51.650′ E; 6 Feb. 2019; J. Haran leg.; beating Cuscuta sp.; JHAR02168 ; ethanol coll. CBGP .

Description

BODY LENGTH. 2.0– 2.2 mm.

COLOUR. Body integument entirely black, shiny, mostly bare of scales; vestiture of elytra consisting of white recumbent, elliptical, scales more than twice as long as wide, grouped into spots at base of interstria 3, basal ⅓ of interstriae 4–5 and middle of length of interstriae 3–5; each interstria with a series of short, recumbent, white setae.

HEAD. Rostrum as long as head + prothorax in lateral view, downcurved near base, less downcurved in apical half ( Fig. 4A ); dorsal face punctate, covered with suberect whitish setae forming four distinct series in basal ¾ and two spots near eyes, apical ⅓ glabrous; transverse furrow at base of rostrum shiny, bare of scales; head capsule glabrous; eyes flat, sub-contiguous on ventral side, space between them wider than the diameter of two ommatidia; scape of antennae slightly bisinuate, regularly widening toward apex, clavate in apical ⅓, segment 1 of funicle elongate, as long as 2 + 3, 4–7 wider than long.

PROTHORAX. Isodiametric (ratio w/l: 1), widest near middle of length, narrowed at apex, sides rounded; integument with large punctures, diameter of punctures wider than distance between punctures; scales

whitish, elongate, semi-erect, not concealing the integument, mostly present at base of median line near scutellum and on sides of prothorax.

ELYTRA. Sides moderately rounded, widest near middle of length (ratio w/l: 0.66); humeri raised; striae narrow, interstriae flat, wide, 4–5 × as wide as striae, integument shiny, slightly reticulate, apex of interstria 5 with a very moderate declivital callosity; scutellum small, covered with short whitish scales.

ABDOMEN. Underside mostly covered with overlapping white scales, more condensed on metanepisterna.

LEGS. Covered with whitish, recumbent, elongate scales; femora clavate, armed with a very small ventral tooth usually concealed by scales; tibiae straight on external side, slightly bisinuate ventrally; claws equal in length.

GENITALIA. Body of penis elongate (ratio w/l: 0.44), as long as apodemes, sides sub-parallel, slightly expanding from base to apex, converging near apex, truncate at apex, curvature in lateral view moderate and regular, tapering near apex ( Fig. 5H ).

Sexual dimorphism

Females are distinguished from males by their rostrum, which is slightly longer, and covered with scales only in basal ⅓ (in basal ½ in males).

Life history

Adults were found in February on an unidentified Cuscuta sp.

Distribution

Republic of South Africa (Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces).

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus of species of Smicronychini from southern Africa (Part 1). 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 gracilipes sp. nov., ♀, holotype (SAMC). G. Smicronyx similis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SANC). H. Smicronyx pseudocoecus sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC). I. Smicronyx paucisquamis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC). J. Smicronyx fallax (Gyllenhal, 1836), ♂, neotype (NHRS). K. Smicronyx australis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC). L. Smicronyx pauperculus Wollaston, 1864, ♂, specimen from Tanzania. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Fig. 4. Head and prothorax in lateral view of species of Smicronyx from southern Africa (Part 2). A. Smicronyx paucisquamis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC). B. Smicronyx fallax (Gyllenhal, 1836), ♂, neotype (NHRS). C. Smicronyx australis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC). D. Smicronyx san sp. nov., ♂, bred from Chironia baccifera L., holotype (SAMC). E. Smicronyx drakensbergensis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (TMSA). F. Smicronyx lutulentus Dietz, 1894, ♂ (CBGP). Scale bars: 0.5 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.