Smicronyx pauperculus Wollaston, 1864

Haran, Julien, 2018, A review of the genus Smicronyx Schoenherr (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Curculioninae) in tropical Africa, Zootaxa 4508 (2), pp. 267-287 : 278-279

Smicronyx pauperculus Wollaston, 1864

Figs 1I , 4A , 5I

Smicronyx pauperculus Wollaston, 1864: 317 Material examined. Lectotype ♀ [here designated]: ‘Type’ ‘ Smicronyx pauperculus Woll’ ‘ Canary Islands. Teneriffe. T.V. Wollaston Coll. B. M. 1864-80 ’ ‘Standing in Wollaston coll. as Smicronyx pauperculus ’ (fitted with a red lectotype label: “ LECTOTYPE / Smicronyx pauperculus / Wollaston, 1864 / Haran J. des. 2018”, BMNH). Paralectotypes [here designated]. Data as for Lectotype (1♂, 1♀, fitted with a red Paralectotype label: “ PARALECTOTYPE / Smicronyx pauperculus / Wollaston, 1864 / Haran J. des. 2018”, BMNH); Grand Canary Island (1♀, fitted with a red Paralectotype label: “ PARALECTOTYPE / Smicronyx pauperculus / Wollaston, 1864 / Haran J. des. 2018”, BMNH). Other material. Burkina Faso, Nahouri, Nazinga forest, Barka, 265 m, 11°08’30’’N 01°36’35’’O, 24.vii.2006, Sudanian savanna with trees, light trap, F. & S. Génier, 2006-62 (2♀, CMNC); Nahouri, Nazinga forest, Boulieselo , 310 m, 11°11’50’’N 001°35’09’’O, 27.vii.2006, Sudanian savanna with trees, light trap, F. & S. Génier, 2006-82 (1♀, CMNC) ; Nahouri, Nazinga forest, Naguio , 270 m, 11°07’52’’N 001°34’38’’O, 24.vii.2006, Sudanian savanna with trees, light trap, F. & S. Génier, 2006-66 (1♀, CMNC) ; Nahouri, Nazinga forest, Akwazena , 275 m, 11°09’24’’N 001°36’44’’O, 21.vii.2006, Sudanian savanna with trees, light trap, F. & S. Génier, 2006-53 (1♀, CMNC) ; Loroum, Toulfé, 300 m, 13°53’43’’N 001°52’25’O, 16.vii.2006, Sudanian savanna with trees, light trap, F. & S. Génier , 2006-40 (2♂, CMNC) ; Kenya, Nairobi , 1660 m, xi.1911, Alluaud & Jeannel leg. (2♂, MNHN; 1♂, 1♀, MNHN; 3♂, MNHN) ; Nairobi , 1903, Alluand leg. (1♂, MNHN) . Mali, Dogo , 18.vii.1950, light trap (1♀, MNHN) ; Kemleton , 12.xi.1956, PB. de Miré leg. (1♂, MNHN) ; Chizeh ( Country ?), ix. (Year?), (1♂, MNHN) . Senegal, Saint-Louis, Richard-Toll , 16°26’25’’N 015°39’29’’O, 9m, 28.viii.2009, Sahelian zone tigred bush, light trap, F. Génier, 2009-36 (1♂, 1♀, CMNC) . Tanzania, Mkonga Forest Reserve South Pare Mountains , S04°07’48’’; E37°45’49’’, 1.xii.2011, light trap, R. Smith & H. Takano leg. (1♀, BMNH) ; Ndarakwai , W Kilimanjaro, S03°00’49’’; E36°59’23’’, 5–7.iv.2012, 1310 m, light trap, R. Smith & H. Takano leg. (7♂, 3♀, BMNH) ; Orekeryan, Mt. Longido , S02°43’47’’; E36°43’26’’, 8.xi.2011, light trap, R. Smith & H. Takano leg. (1♂, BMNH) . Zambia, 2.5 km E Namushakende , 1100 m, 15°26’40’’S 23°14’57’’E, 30.xi.2010, Zambezian Cryptosepalum dry forest, light trap, F. Génier, 2010-04 (1♂, CMNC) .

Diagnosis. Body length 1.9–2.0 mm. Colour. Body integument reddish, except rostrum, antennae, prothorax, suture of elytra and tarsi, which are usually black, some rare specimens entirely black with whitish vestiture; vestiture of elytra generally consisting of elongate brownish scales, recumbent, not concealing integument, and whitish scales, thicker, forming transverse patches. Head. Rostrum moderately and regularly downcurved in lateral view, longer than head capsule + prothorax. Prothorax. Quadrate (w/l ratio: 1), sides rounded in basal half, constricted apically, widest slightly behind middle, with median line of whitish scales, mostly visible near scutellum. Elytra. Subparallel in basal two thirds (w/l ratio: 0.65), rounded toward apex in apical third. Legs. Femora moderately clavate, armed with a distinct ventral tooth, tibiae straight. Genitalia. Penis moderately elongate (w/l ratio: 0.60), sides straight, subparallel, apex truncate, moderately and regularly curved in lateral view ( Fig. 5I ).

Life history. This species is known to develop on flowers of Cuscuta campestris Yunck ( Anderson 1974, Haran et al. 2017) developing on plants of open and disturbed agricultural areas. It is often recorded by light trapping. In sub-Saharan Africa, adults were collected in April, July, August, September, November and December.

Distribution. Smicronyx pauperculus is widely distributed around the Mediterranean basin ( Caldara 2013, Haran et al. 2017). In sub-Saharan Africa, it has been recorded in West ( Mali) and East ( Kenya, Tanzania) Africa.

Discussion. This species is close to S. gossypii ; see discussion on that species for diagnostic characters. It is also close to S. rufus , but the integument of the latter species is entirely red (head and prothorax dark in fullysclerotized specimens of S. pauperculus ). See discussion on S. rufus for the genetic divergence between the two species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of species of Smicronyx from tropical Africa (Part 1). A. Smicronyx bisignatus Hoffmann, holotype ♂. B. S. remaudierei Hoffmann, holotype ♂. C. S. adjamati, sp. n., holotype ♂. D. S. crassithorax sp. n., paratype ♀. E. S. zambianus sp. n. holotype ♂. F. S. syriacus Faust, specimen from Israel (♂). G. S. gossypii Marshall, holotype ♂. H. S. albosquamosus Wollaston, specimen from Israel (♂). I. S. pauperculus Wollaston, specimen from Tanzania (♂). J. S. rufus sp. n., holotype ♂. K. S. zonatus sp. n., holotype ♂. L. S. kenyanus sp. n., holotype ♂. Scale bars (A to L): 1 mm.

FIGURE 4. Head and prothorax in lateral view of species of Smicronyx from tropical Africa (Part 2). A. Smicronyx pauperculus Wollaston, specimen from Tanzania (♂). B. S. rufus sp. n., holotype ♂. C. S. zonatus sp. n., holotype ♂. D. S. kenyanus sp. n., holotype ♂. E. S. namibicus sp. n., holotype ♂. F. S. kiboanus Voss, paratype ♂. G. S. guineanus Voss, specimen from Senegal (♂). H. S. buchnerae sp. n., holotype ♂.

FIGURE 5. Penis of Smicronyx from tropical Africa, in dorsal (left) and lateral (right) view. A. Smicronyx bisignatus Hoffmann, holotype ♂. B. S. remaudierei Hoffmann, holotype ♂. C. S. adjamati, sp. n., holotype ♂. D. S. crassithorax sp. n., paratype ♀. E. S. zambianus sp. n. holotype ♂. F. S. syriacus Faust, specimen from Israel (♂). G. S. gossypii Marshall, holotype ♂. H. S. albosquamosus Wollaston, specimen from Israel (♂). I. S. pauperculus Wollaston, specimen from Tanzania (♂). J. S. rufus sp. n., holotype ♂. K. S. zonatus sp. n., holotype ♂. L. S. kenyanus sp. n., holotype ♂. M. S. namibicus sp. n., holotype ♂. N. S. kiboanus Voss, paratype ♂. O. S. guineanus Voss, specimen from Senegal (♂). P. S. buchnerae sp. n., holotype ♂. Scale bars (A to N): 100 µm.