Armifemur pusillus, 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 : 328-329

Armifemur pusillus sp. nov.

( Figs 32, 35 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( NMPC), ‘ Yemen, Socotra island // Kazazhan area // shrubland on limestone; sifting // 10.vi.2012 // 12°33.8′N, 54°19.8′E, 540 m’, ‘ Socotra expedition 2012 // J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, // P. Kment, I. Malenovský, // J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg. ’. PARATYPES: 2 JJ 5 ♀♀, same label data as holotype (5 NMPC, 2 ECRI).

Description. Male holotype. Body length 1.5 mm. Dark brown, antennae and tarsi ferruginous, tibiae dark ferruginous ( Fig. 32 ).

Head. Rostrum 1.14 times longer than wide at its widest point and 0.45 times as long as pronotum, moderately curved and just a little tapering towards apex in lateral view, dorsum very finely irregularly strigose and slightly convex. Scrobes only visible from underside of rostrum, deep and slightly sinuous, reaching base of lower margin of eyes. Antennae inserted subapically.

Pronotum 1.06 times longer than wide, quite strongly constricted towards apex, less so towards base, widest at middle; disc moderately convex, microreticulate and with large dense round punctures, sides quite strongly curved.

Elytra 1.24 times longer than wide and 1.23 times as wide as pronotum, sides moderately curved, maximum width at middle. Striae formed by large deep roundish punctures. Intervals microreticulate, slightly convex and narrower than striae.

Legs. Femora, tibiae and tarsi as described above.

Ventral side. Ventral side, except for prosternum, mesoventrite and abdominal ventrites III and IV, with large moderately dense roundish punctures; ventrites I and II with large shallow common impression.

Variability. Males are almost identical to the holotype, whereas females have rostrum slightly thinner and slightly more elongate, and metaventrite and first ventrites almost flat.

Male genitalia. Aedeagus as depicted in Fig. 35 .

Body length 1.5–1.7 mm.

Etymology. The species name, Latin adjective pusillus (- a, - um), meaning tiny, very small, points to the tiny size of the species.

Collection circumstances. Sifted from litter under Ficus vasta Forssk. (Moraceae) in limestone ravine (J. Hájek pers. comm.).

Distribution. Endemic to Socotra Island.

Figures

Figs 29–35. 29 – Hajekia hispidirostris sp. nov., habitus of the holotype. 30, 33 – Bezdekiellus lucidulus sp. nov.: 30 – habitus of the holotype; 33 – aedeagus of a paratype in dorsal view. 31, 34 – Elwoodius barbatus sp. nov.: 31 – habitus of the holotype; 34 – aedeagus of a paratype in dorsal view. 32, 35 – Armifemur pusillus sp. nov.: 32 – habitus of the holotype; 35 – aedeagus of a paratype in dorsal view.