Afrosmicronyx louwi, 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 : 42-43

Afrosmicronyx louwi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:90CD8ADD-9841-4742-B4BF-61E6F709EDA0

Figs 1C , 3C , 5C ; Table 1

Differential diagnosis

Afrosmicronyx louwi sp. nov. is mostly similar to A. madagascariensis Haran, 2018 . The two species can be distinguished by their size (body length 3.4–3.6 mm in A. madagascariensis , 2.5 mm in A. louwi sp. nov.), the protibial tooth (moderately thickened in A. louwi sp. nov., strongly thickened tooth in A. madagascariensis ) and the shape of the penis (sides subparallel, thickened in middle in lateral view in A. louwi sp. nov., sides convex, thickness regular in lateral view in A. madagascariensis ).

Etymology

This species is dedicated to the late Dr. Schalk Louw, for his contribution to the knowledge of southern African weevils.

Material examined

Holotype REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂; “Natal [Kwazulu-Natal Province]; Malvern” / “ N. Barkers; 190” “SAM-COL-;A073094” / “HOLOTYPE; Afrosmicronyx louwi ; Haran 2021”; SAMC.

Description

Male

BODY LENGTH. 2.5 mm.

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

HEAD. Rostrum as long as head + prothorax in lateral view, moderately and regularly downcurved, slightly wider than protibiae in dorsal view, punctate and striate, smooth at apex, covered with scales in basal ¾, less densely in apical ⅓, upper side of scrobes forming a carina with a small tooth basally near eyes, transverse furrow at base of rostrum shiny, bare of scales; antennae black, inserted before apical ⅓, segment 1 slightly longer than 2 + 3, 4 isodiametric, 5–7 wider than long.

PROTHORAX. Wider than long (ratio w/l: 1.14), widest slightly before middle of length, greatly narrowed at apex, sides rounded; integument shiny, densely granulate; scales brownish and greyish, longer than wide, generally concealing granules, forming two paler bands laterally to the median line.

ELYTRA. Sides moderately convex, straight and expanding apicad in basal ½, rounded in apical ½, widest near middle (ratio w/l: 0.70); humeri raised; striae narrow, interstriae flat, wide and shiny, covered with 2–3 series of aligned scales, apex of interstria 5 with slight declivital callosity, followed by depression; scutellum small but visible.

ABDOMEN. Underside covered with rounded brownish-grey scales, not concealing the integument.

LEGS. Dark brownish, femora clavate, armed with one ventral tooth; tibiae bearing a moderate thickening ventrally, facing femoral tooth when legs are folded; claws equal in length.

GENITALIA. Body of penis elongate (ratio w/l: 0.36), sides parallel, converging near apex, apex rounded, curvature regular in lateral view, thicker in apical half. ( Fig. 5C ). Female not known.

Life history

Unknown.

Distribution

Republic of South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal 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.