Sphrigodellus griseus Yunakov, 2022

Yunakov, Nikolai, 2022, Afrotropical weevils of the Cadoderus Marshall generic complex (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae: Embrithini). Part 2. Two new species of the genus Sphrigodellus Marshall, 1942 from Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania, Zootaxa 5200 (2), pp. 479-488 : 480-484

Sphrigodellus griseus Yunakov , sp. n.

( Figs 1A, B , 2 , 3 , 6 )

www/zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6511FDD9-6CC6-4B05-92C4-FEC9B1731062

Diagnosis. Differs from all known species of the genus Sphrigodellus by uniformly distributed scales forming irregular pattern of grey and brown scales covering the body; prementum with four setae; constricted and truncate apex of median lobe, C-shaped lobes of endophallic sclerite; collum of spermatheca slender, 9x longer than ramus; lamina of female tergite 8 with strongly sclerotized fields. From S. lineatus Yunakov, 2012 (yet another species from Udzungwa Scarp) S. griseus also differs by pterygia not projecting from outline of rostrum; anterior portion of epifrons with deep groove; 7th funicular antennomere 2x longer than wide; medial margin of metatibia serrate; parameres fused at base.

Description.

Measurements: BL mf: 2.92–3.24 (3.05) mm; BW mf: 1.26–1.56 (1.37) mm; BH mf: 1.08–1.60 (1.30) mm; RL/RW mf: 1.20–1.33 (1.24); VW/ELD mf: 1–1.42 (1.19); PL/PW mf: 0.88–0.95 (0.91); EL/BH mf: 1.46–1.73 (1.59); EL/EW mf: 1.29–1.56 (1.43); EL/PL mf: 2.31–2.82 (2.58); BL/PL mf: 3.82–4.33 (4.11); BL/EL mf: 1.54– 1.66 (1.59).

Vestiture: Body densely covered with overlapping round striate scales, setose. Setae of head spatulate, forming rows along lateral margins of epifrons (recumbent or subrecumbent) and medial to eyes (erect). Subocular row consists of 3–4 setae. Anterior setal fringe on pronoum consists of 6 (3+3) erect setae; weakly differing from those on pronotal disc. Posterior setal fringe consists of spatulate setae, partly hidden by posterior margin of pronotum. Elytral intervals 1–6 each with distinct row of setae. Anterior half of elytra with rather short erect setae (as long as 0.5 of interval width), declivity with long, strongly erect, thick, truncated setae (as long as width of an interval). Ventral side rather sparsely squamose. Abdominal sternites with scattered scales; male anal ventrite with long hairs in apical portion. Metapleura densely squamose; basisternum and mesobasisternum bare. Antennal scape setose and squamose; setae very long, slender, acute, erect. External surface of femora and tibiae covered with overlapping scales and suberect setae, internal surface with sparse hairs; outer surface of distal portion of tibiae without scales; setae on legs slender, acute. Male metatibiae with sparse very small grooming brush; hairs short. Tarsi setose. Funicle setose, without scales; setae suberect as long as antennomere 8. Club densely tomentose.

Coloration: Integument of body dark-brown to black; legs and antennae dark-brown. Background scaling consists of greyish-brown, and grey scales; spotty pattern obsolete, formed by grey and brown scales. Dark and light scales both with slightly pronounced pearly shine. Head brown, indistinctly greyish maculate. Pronotum with darkbrown background scaling and five longitudinal grey stripes: 1 discal (thin, obsolete) and 4 lateral (broad, rather distinct). Double lateral stripes occasionally merged in common broad stripe separated from ventral light scaling by very narrow brown striae. Green scales absent. Elytra with brown background scaling, alternate striped pattern indistinct. Interrupted grey stripes present at intervals 1, 3, 5, and 7. Some specimens with scattered indistinct grey marmorate pattern on elytral disc. Ventral side including meso- and metapleura with sparse grey scales. Sides of metasternum grey. Femora brown with grey bands in middle and proximal portion, and scattered grey scales occasionally merged in small spots. Tibiae with external surface brown with distal grey band.

Head: Rostrum weakly elongate [RL/RWA: 1.2–1.32 (1.24)], parallel-sided. Pterygia not extended from outline of rostrum. Antennal sockets dorsal. Antennifer completely visible. Lateral carina convex. Epifrons parallel-sided, distinctly sinuate in middle, at level of antennal articulation 0.7x as wide as width of vertex, distinctly sloping at sides, very steeply sloping anteriorly, significantly concave and deeply sulcate in anterior portion. Transverse sulcus deep, concealed by dense scaling on dorsal surface and partly open at sides. Anterior portion of epifrons with median sulcus, almost vertical. Frons vertical, glabrous, bare, with six frontal setae. Epistome vestigial, very narrow, transverse, surrounded by narrow carina, bearing two epistomal setae ( Fig. 2B ). Prementum with four setae ( Fig. 2C ). Eyes: orbicular, sublateral, strongly convex, highest posteriorly [VW/ELD: 1–1.42 (1,19)]. Vertex: broad, flat. Parietal socket deep, elongate. Antennae: Scape extending beyond anterior margin of pronotum, weakly, evenly curved, apically widened. Funicular antennomere 1 longer or as long as and wider than 2nd, funicular antennomeres 3–7 oblong. Club spindle-shaped, 2.28x longer than wide ( Figs. 2D, E ).

Thorax: Prothorax transverse [PL/PW: 0.87–0.95 (0.91)], evenly slightly convex at sides, not constricted, widest at middle. Disc strongly convex longitudinally and transversally. Posterior margin of pronotum slightly sinuate in middle part. Tergosternal and metepisternal sutures complete. Elytra: Elytra shape in male oblong-oval, in female oval [EL/EW: 1.29–1.56 (1.43)], anterior margin vertical, narrowly rounded apically; disc in both sexes strongly convex [EL/BH: 1.46–1.73 (1.59)]. Subscutellar callosity reaching 3 rd elytral interval, without tiny tubercles. Elytral intervals flat; interval 7 with distinct convex tubercle at base. Femora: edentate, swollen in middle part. Tibiae: Protibiae and mesotibiae almost straight, not widened at apex, medial margin C-shaped, serrate in distal portion ( Fig. 2G ). Meso- and metatibiae with teeth on medial margin. Mucro well developed, thorn-shaped, acute ( Fig. 2H ). Setal comb of protibia of sparse 10–14 brown setae weakly extending beyond outline of tibia. Bevel of metatibia narrowly enclosed, bare. Tarsi: Tarsomere 2 elongate, 1.5x longer than wide; tarsomere 3 with two wide lobes; metatarsomere 5 extending beyond lobes of tarsomere 3 by length of last tarsomere. Claws connate in basal half.

Abdomen: 1st and 2nd ventrites fused with distinct immovable suture. Posterior margin of 1st ventrite straight, 2nd ventrite 2x longer than 3rd, posterior margin of 2nd ventrite straight. Male 5th ventrite flat, without depression near apex, posterior margin broadly rounded. Female 5th ventrite convex, posterior margin acute.

Male genitalia: Aedeagus strongly sclerotized. Median lobe parallel-sided, as long as apodemes; apex constricted, truncate, dorso-ventrally swollen. Lateral margins of median lobe not fused dorsally. Internal sac without spiculate fields; endophallic sclerite large, consisting of two curved, rod-shaped lobes, connected by transverse bridge in proximal portion. Ostium triangular strongly sclerotized, protruded. Ventral membranes (ligulae) transparent ( Fig. 3A ). Parameres fused in basal 2/3, basal piece of tegmen narrow, tegminal apodeme 0.5x as long as apodeme of median lobe ( Fig. 3B ). Sternite 8 small, rod-shaped. Apodeme of sternite 9 thick, 7.3x longer than lamella ( Fig. 3C ).

Female genitalia: Coxites strongly sclerotized, with strongly sclerotized median baculi, evenly covered with pores, sensilla absent. Styli well developed, rod-shaped, bearing two setae ( Fig. 3E ). Spermatheca moderately sclerotized, with short ramus; collum slender, 9x longer than ramus. Corpus small, not swollen. Cornu slender, extended beyond corpus ( Fig. 3D ). Tergite 8 subtrapezoid, fringe transformed to group of multiple, tenuous, short setae on posterior margin; lamina with numerous sclerotized fields ( Fig. 3G ). Sternite 8 thick; lamella strongly sclerotized, knife-shaped, sharply narrowed and acute apically, posterior margin without setae; apodeme thick; caput strongly developed, club-shaped ( Fig. 3F ).

Distribution. Tanzania: Udzungwa Mountains (Udzungwa Scarp) ( Fig. 6 ).

Ecology. The series of Sphrigodellus griseus was collected by Nikolai Scharf, Line Sørensen and colleagues during fieldwork by the ZMUC team in an undisturbed primary montane forest at 1800–1900 m southeast of Masisiwe village, above Kihanga stream, Udzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve, Iringa District, Tanzania (coordinates of the plots -8.368250, 35.978222). The canopy fogging method using K-10 Standard Thermal fogger was implemented ( Sørensen 2004). The dominant trees of the canopy were: Parinari excelsa Sabine , Aphloia theiformis (Vahl) Bennett , Agauria salicifolia (Lam.) Hook. , Allanblackia spp. , and Albizia gummifera (Gmelin) Smith with a mixture of a few Tabernaemontana spp. ( Sørensen 2004) .

Material examined. Holotype, male ( ZMUC) Tanzania, Iringa distr., Uzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve , 11 km SE Masisiwe village, 1800 m, S8° 22′ E 35° 58′, 17–27.v.1997 ZMUC /SI exp. / Zool. Mus. Copenhagen, Canopy Fogging, 27 May 1997, Fog. MA:11FB . Paratypes (13 specimens): 4m, 8f ( ZMUC), same data as holotype; 1f ( ZMUC) Tanzania, Iringa distr., U[d]zungwa Scarp Forest Reserve , 11 km SE Masisiwe village, 1800 m, S8 22 E 35 58, 17 –27.v.1997 ZMUC /SI exp. /Zool. Mus. Copenhagen, Canopy Fogging, 26 May 1997, Fog. MA: 10DD .

Etymology. The name is a Latin adjective describing the coloration of the body: “griseus”—grey.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal and lateral habitus of Sphrigodellus species. A, B: Sphrigodellus griseus sp. n., paratype, female, dorsal and lateral view. C, D: Sphrigodellus marshalli sp. n., holotype, female, dorsal and lateral view. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Sphrigodellus griseus sp. n., structural details. A: head dorsal and lateral view. B: head capsule, anterior view. C: labium D: antennal scape. E: antennal funicle. F: body shape. G: protibia of male. H: metatibia of male.

FIGURE 3. Sphrigodellus griseus sp. n. male and female genital structures. A: aedeagus dorsal and lateral view. B: tegmen. C: male sternite 9, sternite and tergite 8 D: spermatheca. E: ovipositor. F: female sternite 8. G: female tergite 8. Abbreviations: ba—baculi, co—collum, cp—corpus, cr—cornus, cxt—coxite, du—spermathecal duct, es—endophallic sclerite, gl—spermathecal gland, ra—ramus, sty—stylus, st8—8th sternite, st8ap—apodeme of 8th sternite, st8ca—caput of apodeme of 8th sternite, st9—9th sternite, st9ap—apodeme of 9th sternite, st9ca—caput of apodeme of 9th sternite.

FIGURE 6. Occurrence map of Sphrigodellus species in southern part of Eastern Arc Mountains.