Socotracerus, Colonnelli, 2014

Colonnelli, Enzo, 2014, Apionidae, Nanophyidae, Brachyceridae and Curculionidae except Scolytinae (Coleoptera) from Socotra Island, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54, pp. 295-422 : 366-367

Socotracerus gen. nov.

Type species. Socotracerus delumbis sp. nov., by present designation.

Description. Medium sized, from 4.3 to 5.5 mm. Vestiture from sparse to moderately dense hair-like to narrowly capitate scales, scales recumbent or erect on all elytral intervals. Rostrum clearly wider than long, hardly widening apically, pterygia moderately developed. Epifrons almost at level with head, sides hardly converging forward and obliquely sloping on sides, dorsum flat and with barely visible longitudinal middle carina, at base with shallow transverse sulcus. Epistome separated from epifrons by thin carina. Mentum bisetose, not pedunculate. Head short and convex, scrobes moderately large, pit-like and entirely visible from above, space between eyes with central short sulcus or pit, vertex punctured or striolate at extreme base. Eyes not very large, slightly elliptical and convex. Pronotum narrower than elytra, transverse, with flattened granules on disc, anterior and posterior margins truncate, sides rounded, disc slightly convex without anterior depression. Scutellum barely visible. Elytra elliptical, moderately convex on disc, 10-striate, base not carinate, apical declivity almost perpendicular at apex. Legs quite robust, femora clubbed, edentate, female tibiae rather strongly curved inwards at apical third, male tibiae much more so and with special features, internal apical angle of tibiae with stout mucro. Antennae of males with basal two funicular antennomeres only slightly differing in length and with special characters. Anterior coxae contiguous, intermediate ones separate by triangular process much narrower that diameter of coxa, hind coxae separated by space about length of metaventrite. Metatibial corbels open.

Differential diagnosis. In the bisetose mentum and general shape, the new genus approaches Nematocerus Reiche, 1849 , from which it is readily differentiated by the tibiae bent inwards at apical third and with small mucro in both sexes, and by the bizarre features of antennae and legs of males. Socotracerus gen. nov. is close to Nesotocerus gen. nov. from which it differs by its shorter rostrum, lack of specialized setae at base of lateral intervals of elytra, disc of elytra convex also in males, rounded sides of pronotum, and special characters of male antennae and tibiae. No other periteline can be confused with the new genus. See below the key to Socotran genera of Peritelini .

Etymology. The name of the new genus alludes to its affinity with Nematocerus , and to the island of Socotra. Gender is masculine.