Afrosmicronyx cycnii, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Haran, Julien M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Curculionidae
Afrosmicronyx
Afrosmicronyx cycnii

description: Afrosmicronyx cycnii sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 13BC63BD-16FB-4F63-A4C1-183285E1BAA9
Figs 1B, 3B, 5B; Table 1
Differential diagnosis
This species is mostly similar to Afrosmicronyx angolanus (Hustache, 1935), a species distributed in Angola (Haran & Perrin 2017). The two species can be distinguished by the protibial tooth (well developed in A. angolanus, absent or very small in A. cycnii sp. nov.), the scales on the elytra (dense, rounded, with a copper shine in A. angolanus, scattered, elliptic and greyish in A. cycnii sp. nov.), and the shape of the penis (sides rounded in A. angolanus, sides straight and regularly converging from base to apex in A. cycnii sp. nov.).
Etymology
This species is named in reference to the genus of the host plant Cycnium adonense E. Mey. ex Benth., on which the type series was collected.
Material examined
Holotype REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂; “ South Africa Tvl. [Mpumalanga Province]; Schoemanskloof valley; m 1200 - 25.19′S 30.40′E; 14.XI.1988 - Colonnelli” / “On; Cycnium; adonense E. Mey. Ex. Benth. ” / “HOLOTYPE; Afrosmicronyx cycnii; Haran 2021”; SAMC.
Paratypes REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; SANC • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; SAMC • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; CBGP • 3 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; MCZ.
Description
BODY LENGTH. 2.9–3.7 mm.
COLOUR. Body integument black; vestiture consisting of short rounded recumbent scales, longer than wide, black, not concealing the integument.
HEAD. Rostrum longer than head + prothorax in lateral view, moderately downcurved, thicker than protibia in middle in dorsal view, densely punctuate and striate, punctures and striae smoother near apex, basal ¼ of upper side bearing small suberect black setae, upper side of scrobes forming a carina with a small tooth basally near eyes; transverse furrow at base of rostrum shiny, bare of scales; head capsule short, bare of scales; antennae with segment 1 as long as 2 + 3, 4–6 isodiametric, segment 7 wider than long.
PROTHORAX. Isodiametric (ratio w/l: 1), widest at basal ⅓, greatly narrowed at apex, densely and coarsely punctuate, median line smooth and slightly raised.
ELYTRA. Sides subparallel in basal ¾, slightly expanding toward middle of length, widest after middle (ratio w/l: 0.65), humeri raised; declivital callosities on interval 5 present but weak, followed by a depression, striae narrow, ¼ width of interstriae; interstriae flat, shiny, bearing 2–3 ill-defined series of scales; scutellum small, shiny, bare of scales.
ABDOMEN. Underside covered with greyish scattered scales, 3 × as long as wide, with a metallic-copper shine; ventrite 1 shorter than 2.
LEGS. Femora clavate, armed with one ventral tooth; tibiae straight, bearing a moderate thickening ventrally, sometimes almost forming a tooth on protibiae, facing femoral tooth when legs are folded; claws equal in length.
GENITALIA. Body of penis short (ratio w/l: 0.42), as long as apodemes, sides straight, regularly converging from base to apex, apex rounded, curvature in lateral view regular (Fig. 5B).
Sexual dimorphism
Females are distinguished from males by their rostrum, which is slightly longer, and more downcurved in lateral view.
Life history
All the specimens of this species were collected on Cycnium adonense E. Mey. Ex. Benth., 1835 (Orobanchaceae) a hemiparasitic plant parasite of grass. Adults were collected in November in the Republic of South Africa.
Distribution
Republic of South Africa (Mpumalanga Province).
description: Published as part of Haran, Julien M., 2021, The Smicronychini of southern Africa (Coleoptera, Curculionidae): Review of the tribe and description of 12 new species, pp. 34-73 in European Journal of Taxonomy 735 on pages 39-42, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2021.735.1239, http://zenodo.org/record/5707947