Ebenacobius xhosa Haran, 2022

Haran, Julien, Benoit, Laure, Procheş, Şerban & Kergoat, Gael J., 2022, Ebenacobius Haran, a new southern African genus of flower weevils (Coleoptera: Curculioninae: Derelomini) associated with dicotyledonous plants, European Journal of Taxonomy 818 (1), pp. 1-54 : 27-29

Ebenacobius xhosa Haran gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3BF246BA-CB1D-4434-971E-D20CBBF78D3F

Figs 2G , 4D , 6G

Differential diagnosis

Ebenacobius xhosa gen. et sp. nov. can be distinguished by the combination of uniformly reddish dorsum, lacking dark pattern made of strips or dots, the convexity of eyes distinctly exceeding the lateral curve of the head in dorsal view and the profemora angled internally (only males available).

Etymology

This species is dedicated to the Xhosa people, inhabitants of the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa, where the few known specimens of this taxa were collected.

Type material

Holotype REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂; “ SOUTH AFRICA, CP. [Eastern Cape Province]; Thomas Bains Nat. Res. nr. Grahamstown ; 33.24S. 26.30E; 500m 3.xii1992; R. Oberprieler ” “NATIONAL COLL. OF INSECTS; Pretoria, S. Afr.” “Holotype; Ebenacobius xhosa ; Haran 2022”; SANC.

Paratype REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; SANC.

Description

Male

BODY LENGTH. 3.0– 3.2 mm.

COLOUR. Body integument uniformly reddish-brown, head and prothorax slightly darker; dorsum (prothorax + elytra) with small recumbent setae, contiguous, forming 2 rows on interstriae.

HEAD. Rostrum as long as prothorax in lateral view, downcurved near base, moderately downcurved in apical ⅔; underside with a row of setae, as long as 2 nd segment of funicle, integument forming angle before apex; in dorsal view covered with recumbent subcontiguous setae; antennae inserted at apical ⅓ of length; head capsule coarsely punctate in dorsal view, with minute setae, glabrous in appearance, setae longer and more visible near dorsal margin of eyes; eyes convex, exceeding the lateral curve of head capsule in dorsal view; antennal funicle with segment 1 elongate, 2× longer than wide, as long as 2–4, 3–7 wider than long.

PROTHORAX. Wider than long (W:L ratio: 1.4), widest near middle of length, slightly narrower there than elytra at humeral angles; sides slightly rounded; apical constriction short, lateral curve oblique, as long as width of funicle at apex; integument densely punctate, space between punctures smooth and shiny, wider than diameter of punctures, with smaller punctures 3× smaller than larger punctures, setae in each larger puncture as long as diameter of these punctures; prosternal absent, integument between procoxae without elevation.

ELYTRA. Sides slightly convex, widest near middle of length (W:L ratio: 0.76); humeri raised; apex jointly rounded; striae with punctures well aligned, narrower than interstriae; interstriae slightly convex, 1–3–5 more convex apically, 9 entirely convex; scutellar shield rounded, glabrous.

ABDOMEN. Underside covered with small non-contiguous whitish setae.

LEGS. Profemora strongly thickened near middle of length, forming internal tooth-like angle; protibiae with external margin straight, meso- and metatibiae curved outward in apical half; tibiae armed with a small apical mucro; claws simple.

TERMINALIA. Body of penis moderately elongate (W:L ratio: 0.44), 1/5 shorter than apodemes, sides subparallel in dorsal view, apex truncate; in lateral view curvature moderate and regular, width slightly narrowing from basal ¼ to apex ( Fig. 6G ).

Sexual dimorphism

Females are unknown.

Life history

Unknown, adults were collected in December.

Distribution

Ebenacobius xhosa gen. et sp. nov. is only known from the type locality in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa.

Figures

Fig. 2. A–I. Habitus of males of Ebenacobius Haran gen. nov. in dorsal view (part 1). A. E. curvisetis Haran gen. et sp. nov. B. E. rectirostris Haran gen. et sp. nov. C. E. duplicatus Haran gen. et sp. nov. D. E. grobbelaarae Haran gen. et sp. nov. E. E. costalis (Fåhraeus, 1844) gen. et comb. nov. F. E. thoracicus Haran gen. et sp. nov. G. E. xhosa Haran gen. et sp. nov. H. E. san Haran gen. et sp. nov. I. E. kuscheli Haran gen. et sp. nov. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 4. A–J. Habitus of males of Ebenacobius Haran gen. nov. in lateral view (part 1). A. E. curvisetis Haran gen. et sp. nov. B. E. thoracicus Haran gen. et sp. nov. C. E. rectirostris Haran gen. et sp. nov. D. E. xhosa Haran gen. et sp. nov. E. E. duplicatus Haran gen. et sp. nov. F. E. san Haran gen. et sp. nov. G. E. grobbelaarae Haran gen. et sp. nov. H. E. kuscheli Haran gen. et sp. nov. I. E. costalis (Fåhraeus, 1844) gen. et comb. nov. J. E. mulanjensis Haran gen. et sp. nov. A–J = not to scale.

Fig. 6 (part 1). A–I. Male genitalia of Ebenacobius Haran gen. nov., penis in dorsal (left) and lateral (right) view.A. E. curvisetis Haran gen. et sp. nov.B. E. rectirostrisHaran gen. et sp. nov.C. E. duplicatus Haran gen. et sp. nov. D. E. grobbelaarae Haran gen. et sp. nov. E. E. costalis (Fåhraeus, 1844) gen. et comb. nov. F. E. thoracicus Haran gen. et sp. nov. G. E. xhosa Haran gen. et sp. nov. H. E. san Haran gen. et sp. nov. I. E. kuscheli Haran gen. et sp. nov. A–I = not to scale.