Cionus zimbabwicus, Caldara & Košťál, 2023

Caldara, Roberto & Košťál, Michael, 2023, A Taxonomic Revision Of The Afrotropical Species Of The Weevil Genus Cionus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Zootaxa 5288 (1), pp. 1-98 : 68

36. Cionus zimbabwicus sp. n. ( Figs 36a–f )

Type locality. Vumba Natural Reserve ( Zimbabwe) .

Type specimens. Holotype, male “ ZIMBABWE Vumba Nat. Res. 19.08S 32.45E 16.xii.1988, S. Neser / collected off Buddleja salviifolia ” ( SANC) . Paratypes: same data as holotype (2, MKCS; 3, SANC); “ ZIMBABWE 10 km (air) SE Juliasdale 1600–1630 m, S18.26 E32.44, 25/ 29.I.1986 Bellamy & d’Hotman” (2, SANC) ; idem except different collector “ R.L. Westcott ” (2, RCCM; 3, SANC) .

Diagnosis. Rostrum with few large white scales on sides.Pronotum with four transversely arranged protuberances emphasized by tuft of erect white scales. Odd interstriae with rugulose sculpture, flat with short slightly convex sections. Ventrites with scales more elongated, hair-like at midline, without tuft on V 2 in male. Claws asymmetrical in male.

Description. Male ( Figs 36a–b ). Body: short, globose. Head: rostrum moderately stout, medium long (Rl/Rw 4.60–4.66, Rl/Pl 1.46–1.52), black; in lateral view slightly curved, of same width from base to apex, in dorsal view slightly widened from base to apex, distinctly striate-punctate from base to apex, with distinct longitudinal carina in midline, covered with dense, subrecumbent to recumbent, elongated (l/w 4–7), grayish and light brown scales, and few larger white scales on sides. Head between eyes moderately narrow, half as wide as rostrum at base, with dense, elliptical, grayish scales forming comb around apex of eyes. Eyes flat. Antennae reddish with dark brown club, inserted between middle and apical third; scape long (l/w 12); funicle moderately shorter than scape, S1 slightly more robust and longer than S2, 3.5× as long as wide, S2 2.5 × as long as wide, S3–5 as long as wide; club oblongly oval, shorter than funicle, pubescent. Pronotum: black, with slightly irregular, very small, indistinct, very shallow punctures, completely hidden by recumbent, dense, elongated (l/w 5–8), mostly grayish scales, with some intermixed light brown scales; conical, moderately transverse (Pw/Pl 1.47–1.52), widest at base, sides rectilinear, weakly convex on disc, with four transversely arranged protuberances emphasized by tufts of erect white scales. Prosternum: anterior margin distinctly emarginated. Scutellar shield: heart-shaped, densely covered with elongated grayish scales similar to those on elytra. Elytra: black, short (El/Ew 1.06–1.10), globose, widest at middle, distinctly wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.78–1.83), humeri almost rectangular, strikingly prominent, sides weakly rounded, slightly convex on disc; odd interstriae with rugulose sculpture, flat with slightly convex short sections, almost straight except interstria 3 sinuate and more convex at base, with moderately irregular, very small, indistinct, very shallow punctures, completely hidden by variously arranged, dense, recumbent, grayish scales, with numerous spots formed by brown scales on odd interstriae; striae not visible, with punctures moderately deep, as wide as interstriae, intervals between punctures situated at same level as interstriae. Venter: mesosternal process slightly convex, moderately emarginated. Metasternum densely covered with elongated grayish scales being hair-like in middle. Abdomen with somewhat irregular, very small, indistinct, very shallow punctures, feebly visible between elongated, whitish scales, more elongated, hair-like at midline on all ventrites, without tuft on V2; V1 1.6× longer than V2, V1+2 6.1× longer than V3+4, latter ones as long as V5. Legs: densely covered with elongated grayish scales; femora black, with robust sharp teeth; tibiae brown, without unci; tarsi brown, onychium as long as T1–3 combined; claws asymmetrical, one claw half as long as other. Penis: Figs 36d–f , its body in basal half slightly wider, in apical half with subparallel sides, tip acute. Flagellum robust, short, bifurcated at base.

Female. Rostrum longer (Rl/Rw 5.64–5.71; Rl/Pl 1.86–1.91) ( Fig. 36c ), claws symmetrical.

Variability. Length 3.1–3.5 mm. There are no noteworthy differences among specimens of the type series.

Etymology. The Latin adjective refers to the country where the type locality is situated.

Remarks. Cionus zimbabwicus is similar to C. stalsi in the pattern of the dorsal vestiture, but all elytral interstriae including lateral ones are only feebly convex, the rostrum and elytra are shorter, the vestiture of the metasternum is denser. It is also noteworthy that in both species the scales covering ventrites have the same shape in both sexes,

Biological notes. Collected in the Vumba Natural Reserve by S. Neser from Buddleja salviifolia .

Distribution. Eastern Zimbabwe.

Figures

FIGURES 35–36. FIGURE 35. Cionus geometricus sp. n. a: body in dorsal view (male), b: body in lateral view (male), c: rostrum in lateral view (female), d: penis in ventral view, e: penis in lateral view, f: apex of penis in dorsal view. FIGURE 36. Cionus zimbabwicus sp. n. a: body in dorsal view (male), b: body in lateral view (male), c: rostrum in lateral view (female), d: penis in ventral view, e: penis in lateral view, f: apex of penis in dorsal view. Not to scale.