Cionus albidus Rosenschoeld, 1838

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 : 22-23

8. Cionus albidus Rosenschoeld ( Figs 8a–f )

Cionus albidus Rosenschoeld, 1838: 736 .

Type locality. Southern Africa.

Type series. This species was described based on specimens from “Africa australis” (= southern Africa) received by Mannerheim, without the designation of a holotype. At NHRS, we examined one female syntype labelled “Typus / Afr: australis, Mannerh.” which we designated as the lectotype by adding the following label: “ LECTOTYPE Cionus albidus Rosenschoeld des. Caldara & Košťál 2014”.

Diagnosis. Rostrum short, stout. Head between eyes very narrow. Pronotum conical, with two very small protuberances. Elytra short, distinctly convex, with dense whitish vestiture, and a few black maculae, completely hiding interstriae and striae. Ventrites with scales partly more elongated, hair-like, especially at midline on V1, V2 and V5, on V2 forming a tuft. Claws slightly asymmetrical in both sexes.

Redescription. Male ( Figs 8a–b ). Body: robust, globose. Head: rostrum stout, short (Rl/Rw 2.74–2.78; Rl/Pl 1.25–1.28), black, in lateral view moderately, regularly curved, slightly tapered from base to antennal insertion then distinctly tapered to apex, in dorsal view parallel-sided, slightly enlarged apically, striate-punctate with three distinct longitudinal carinae, from base to near apex with recumbent, dense, whitish, moderately elongated (l/w 4–7), elliptical scales. Head between eyes narrow, 0.25× as wide as rostrum at base. Eyes flat. Antennae dark brown, inserted between middle and apical third; scape long (l/w 8); funicle slightly shorter than scape, S1 moderately robust, as wide and as long as S2, 2.5× as long as wide, S2 2.5 × as long as wide, S3–5 transverse; club oblongly oval, as long as funicle, uniformly pubescent, Pronotum: dark brown, with dense, partially regularly arranged, shallow, small punctures completely hidden by recumbent, dense, moderately long (l/w 4–6), rectangular, whitish scales; conical, distinctly transverse (Pw/Pl 1.90–2.00), widest at base, with rectilinear sides (very weakly concave), weakly convex, with two indistinct lateral “false” protuberances. Prosternum: anterior margin distinctly emarginated. Scutellar shield: heart-shaped, densely covered with white scales similar to those covering elytra. Elytra: dark brown; short (El/Ew 1.09–1.12), globose, widest in basal half, somewhat wider than pronotum (Ew/ Pw 1.54–1.56), humeri distinct, rounded, sides slightly rounded in basal half, distinctly convex on disc; interstriae flat, without distinct punctures, very slightly rugulose, opaque, completely hidden by recumbent, rectangular, whitish scales, with a few small blackish spots on odd interstriae at base and additional ones irregularly arranged on remaining part; striae completely hidden by dense scales, moderately deep, half as wide as interstriae, interval between punctures situated at same level as interstriae. Venter: mesosternal process weakly convex, moderately emarginated. Metasternum in middle with scales moderately longer than those at sides, but only hardly hair-like. Abdomen with dense, somewhat regularly arranged, shallow, small punctures completely hidden by recumbent, dense, elongated whitish scales, partly more elongated, hair-like on V1, V2 and V5, forming tuft on V2; V1 1.9× longer than V2; V1+2 4.8× longer than V3+4, which are 0.7× as long as V5. Legs: densely covered with elongated whitish scales; femora black, with robust sharp teeth; tibiae black, unci absent; tarsi black, onychium 2.0× as long as T3; claws slightly asymmetrical, one claw 3/4 as long as other. Penis: Figs 8d–f , its body broader, with convex sides in basal half, narrower with parallel sides in apical half, tip truncated. Flagellum short, bifurcated at base.

Female. Rostrum very slightly longer (Rl/Rw 2.90–2.95; Rl/Pl 1.31–1.35) ( Fig. 8c ), claws very slightly asymmetrical, abdomen with all scales similar in shape.

Variability. Length 3.4–3.6 mm. This species shows no noteworthy variability.

Remarks. Among species with elytra almost completely covered with whitish scales and with very few dark spots, and additionally with very narrow head between eyes ( C. transvaalicus , C. schuelei , C. fimbriatus ) it easily differs by the stout and short rostrum, which is in lateral view almost of the same width from base to apex (in C. transvaalicus and C. schuelei moderately tapered), by the pronotum with small protuberances (more distinct in C. schuelei and C. fimbriatus ).

Biological notes. No data are available.

Distribution. South Africa (Western Cape).

Non-type material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Cape of Good Hope (1, BMNH; 2, MNHN; 1, SANC); “Caffraria” (2, ZMUC).

Figures

FIGURES 7–8. FIGURE 7. Cionus tristis 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 8. Cionus albidus. 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.