Nematocerus spinifemur, 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 : 356-357

Nematocerus spinifemur sp. nov.

( Figs 62–64 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( IRSB), ‘ Coll. I.R.Sc.N.B // Sokotra isld. // Ayft valley / 22-XI-2008 // Leg. Saldaitis /I.G.31.268 // Achat A. Saldaitis’ . PARATYPES: 4 JJ 3 ♀♀, same label data as holotype (4 IRSB, 2 ECRI) ; 1 ♀, ‘ Yemen, Socotra Isl. NW // Di Hamri, 20 m // N 12°37′59″, E 54°15′40″ // 2.ii.2010, L. Purchart lgt.’ ( NMPC); 1 ♀, ‘ Yemen, Socotra Isl. E // Kesa env., 220-300 m // N 12°39′37″, E 53°26′42″ // 28-29.i.2010, L. Purchart lgt.’ ( NMPC); 1 ♀, ‘ Yemen; Soqotra Is. , 23.xi.2003 // Gubbah vill. env. // N 12°36′35″N, E 53°46′56″ // 7 m [GPS] ; Jan Farkač leg.’, ‘ Yemen - Soqotra // 2003 // Expedition ; Jan Farkač, // Petr Kabátek & David Král’ ( NMPC) .

Description. Male holotype. Body length 8.1 mm. Piceous, shining, antennae and tarsi dark brown, apical comb of setae of tibiae and claws dark brown ( Figs 62–63 ).

Head. Rostrum 1.23 times longer than wide.

Pronotum 1.19 times wider than long.

Elytra elongate-oval, 1.72 times longer than wide, about twice as wide as pronotum.

Legs. Femora sparsely clothed by recumbent whitish setae, basal half of profemora with semierect long white setae, extreme base of profemora with acute small tooth, apical half of mesofemora with long setae; tibiae similar to those of preceding species, subapical tooth of metatibiae stronger and more acute, erect long whitish thin setae on internal margin of mesotibiae very long and soft, those on metatibiae also very long, like are hair-like setae and stiff semirerect setae of tarsi. Posterior right claw segment missing.

Variability. Males are smaller but almost identical to the holotype, the basal tooth on profemora of one of them is a little smaller than that of the holotype. Elytra of females are broadly oval and strongly convex on disc, and their legs do not have apical incision.All the specimens are somewhat abraded, but some females have more evident trace of vestiture formed on pronotum by recumbent pearly-white oval elongate and of golden comma-like scales more condensed on sides of head and pronotum, whereas on elytra these scales are moderately dense and give rise to a somewhat spotted golden and whitish faint pattern, particularly visible on elytral declivity and on sides.

Male genitalia. Aedeagus as depicted in Fig. 64 .

Body length 6.6–8.8 mm.

Differential diagnosis. This species is so similar to N. barbitibia sp. nov. that it appears better just to note their small differences. Apart from their on average larger size, males of N. spinifemur sp. nov. differ from those of N. barbitibia sp. nov. by their small rather acute spine at base of femora (obsolete in N. barbitibia sp. nov.), erect setae of pro- and mesofemora, much stronger incision of apical quarter of internal margin of metatibiae, longer setae of all tibiae, and brown instead of ferruginous apical comb of setae of metatibiae. This character is the only one by which the females of both the above new species can be surely recognised.

Etymology. The species name, the composite Latin noun spinifemur (meaning ‘with spiny femur’) in apposition, is given in reference to the spine at base of the male profemora.

Distribution. Endemic to Socotra Island.

Figures

Figs 62–66.62–64 – Nematocerus spinifemur sp.nov.: 62 – habitus of the holotype;63 – head, pronotum and front legs of the same to show the spine at the base of femora; 64 – aedeagus of a paratype in dorsal view. 65–66 – Nesotocerus rectus sp. nov. 65 – habitus of the holotype; 66– the same in side view