Afrosmicronyx marshalli, 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 : 43-44

Afrosmicronyx marshalli sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E0C45446-219B-4B9D-8714-3C94C28D3DDF

Figs 1D , 3D , 5D ; Table 1

Differential diagnosis

Afrosmicronyx marshalli sp. nov. is mostly similar to A. angolanus , a species distributed in Angola and Kenya ( Haran & Perrin 2017). The two species can be distinguished from each other by the shape of their prothorax (wider than long in A. marshalli sp. nov., isodiametric in A. angolanus ) and their protibiae (with a thickening at middle in A. marshalli sp. nov., armed with an acute tooth in A. angolanus ).

Etymology

Afrosmicronyx marshalli sp. nov. is dedicated to Sir Guy A. K. Marshall for his outstanding contribution to the knowledge on African weevils and particularly on the southern African fauna.

Material examined

Holotype REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂; “ Nr. Belfast ; Tvl. [Mpumalanga Province]; 14 Jan. 1963; A L Capener” / “National Coll.; of Insects; Pretoria, S. Afr” / “HOLOTYPE; Afrosmicronyx marshalli ; Haran 2021”; SANC.

Paratype REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; SAMC .

Description

BODY LENGTH. 3.0– 3.2 mm.

COLOUR. Body integument black; vestiture consisting of rounded recumbent scales, as long as wide or elliptical, greyish on elytra.

HEAD. Rostrum equal (♂) or slightly longer than head capsule plus prothorax (♀) in lateral view, moderately downcurved, in dorsal view covered with scales only in basal ⅓, shiny and slightly punctate in apical ¾; antennae inserted slightly after middle of length; transverse furrow at base of rostrum shiny, with two spots of whitish semi-erect scales on sides near eyes; head capsule glabrous; eyes flat, subcontiguous ventrally, distance between eyes equal to the width of 1–2 ommatidia; antennal scape slightly bisinuate at base, moderately clavate at apex, segment 1 of funicle elongate, as long as 2 + 3, 3–7 wider than long.

PROTHORAX. Slightly wider than long (ratio w/l: 1.08), widest near middle of length, greatly narrowed at apex, sides strongly rounded; integument shiny, densely granulate; scales greyish, longer than wide.

ELYTRA. Sides convex, widest near middle (ratio w/l: 0.7); humeri raised; striae narrow, interstriae flat, wide and shiny, striae ⅓ width of interstriae, covered with two or three series of aligned scales, apex of interstria 5 with slight declivital callosity, followed by a depression; scutellum small but visible.

ABDOMEN. Underside covered with elliptical greyish scales, not concealing the integument.

LEGS. Integument black, femora clavate, armed with one ventral tooth; tibiae bearing a thickening (♂) or a tooth (♀) ventrally, facing femoral tooth when legs are folded; claws equal in length.

GENITALIA. Body of penis short (ratio w/l: 0.56), about 0.7 × as long as apodemes, sides convex, converging near apex, apex truncate, curvature in lateral view stronger near apex ( Fig. 5D ).

Life history

Unknown.

Distribution

Republic of South Africa (Mpumalanga Province).

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. 3. Head and prothorax in lateral view of species of Smicronyx 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). 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.