Smicronyx gracilipes, 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 : 46-48

Smicronyx gracilipes sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BE18ED2E-7D6F-42C7-8550-59B004B62C95

Figs 1F , 3F ; Table 1

Differential diagnosis

Smicronyx gracilipes sp. nov. is closest to S. guineanus Voss, 1956 , but S. gracilipes sp. nov. is lacking or has a very small femoral tooth (well developed in S. guineanus ), a less dense coating of scales on the elytra (almost concealing the integument in S. guineanus ). The sequences of the COI show that S. gracilipes sp. nov. is distinct by 8.7% [GB accession: MT370314 ] with specimens of S. guineanus from Niger.

Etymology

The species epithet refers to the remarkable long and thin legs encountered in this species.

Material examined

Holotype REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; “ Rep. of South Africa; Underberg , [KwaZulu-Natal Province]; 29°346′37.42″S 29°30′00.44″E; 1579 m, 30.xii.2018; J. Haran leg.” / “Beating flowers of; Anacardiacaeae; JHAR02024_0101” / “HOLOTYPE; Smicronyx gracilipes ; Haran 2021”; SAMC.

Description

Female

BODY LENGTH. 2.5 mm.

COLOUR. Body integument black, antennae dark brown; vestiture of elytra made of recumbent scales, elliptic, not overlapping, twice as long as wide, grey, aligned in 2–3 ill-defined series on each interstria;

HEAD. Rostrum slightly longer than head capsule + prothorax in lateral view, moderately downcurved, in dorsal view covered with scarce scales in basal ⅓ and very short white setae in apical ¾, punctate over entire length, smooth at apex; antennae inserted near middle of length; transverse furrow at base of rostrum shiny, with two spots of whitish erect scales on sides near eyes; head capsule glabrous, with slight cover of scales near transverse furrow; eyes flat, subcontiguous ventrally, distance between eyes equal to the width of two ommatidia; antennal scape slightly bisinuate at base, moderately clavate at apex, segment 1 elongate, as long as 2 + 3, 4–5 isodiametric, 6–7 wider than long.

PROTHORAX. Slightly wider than long (ratio w/l: 1.05), widest near middle, sides rounded, narrowed in apical ¼; integument smooth, shiny, with small punctures; scales brown, elongate, not concealing the integument, with grey scales forming a pale band along the median line and two on the sides of prothorax.

ELYTRA. Sides slightly convex, widest near middle (w/l ratio: 0.74); humeri raised; striae ⅓ width of interstriae, interstriae flat, shiny, interstria 5 with a moderate declivital callosity near apex, followed by a slight depression; scutellum small but visible.

ABDOMEN. Underside mostly covered with non-overlapping greyish scales, twice as long as wide.

LEGS. Femora clavate, unarmed or bearing a very small ventral tooth in middle; tibiae straight, unarmed, claws equal in length. Males unknown.

Life history

Host plant unknown. The holotype specimen was collected on flowers of an unidentified Anacardiaceous shrub surrounded by a large grassland. This specimen was collected in December.

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.