Smicronyx rufus Haran 2018, sp. n.
Creators: name: Haran, Julien
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Curculionidae
Smicronyx
Smicronyx rufus

description: Smicronyx rufus Haran sp. n.
Figs 1J, 4B, 5J
Material examined. Holotype Ƌ: ‘ Holotype [Red label]’ ‘ Ethiopia. Bahir Dar, near lake, N 11°35’47’’ E 37°23’30’’ 4.xii.2013. P. Weill leg. (MNHN). Paratypes. Data as for holotype, (2♀, CBGP; 5♂, 4♀, PW.coll).
Description. Body length 1.75–2.00 mm. Colour. Body integument of fully sclerotized specimens entirely reddish; vestiture of elytra consisting of recumbent, elongate, more than twice as long as wide, whitish and pale brown scales, not concealing integument, forming more or less distinct transverse patches of more condensed whitish scales, and series of brown or whitish semi-erect elongate scales on each interstria; vestiture of prothorax similar to that on elytra, consisting of pale brown recumbent elongate scales oriented toward the median line, whitish scales condensed along the median line and on the sides. Head. Rostrum as long as head capsule plus prothorax, moderately downcurved (♂) or downcurved and narrowed in apical ½ (♀), with sparse scales between base and antennal insertion and very short scales and setae more apically, punctate over entire length; antennae inserted near middle of length (♀) or near apical 1/3 (♂); transverse furrow at base of rostrum shiny and glabrous, with 2 spots of pale brown erect scales near eyes; head capsule glabrous dorsally, with slight cover of scales near transverse furrow; eyes flat, sub-contiguous on ventral side, distance between eyes equal to width of one ommatidium; antennal scape slightly bisinuate at base, clavate in apical half, segment 1 elongate, longer than 2+3, 4–5 subquadrate, 6–7 wider than long. Prothorax. Wider than long (ratio w/l: 1.13), widest near base, sides subparallel in basal 2/3, narrowing toward apex; integument finely punctuate and reticulate, shiny. Elytra. Sides slightly rounded, subparallel in basal 2/3, converging toward apex in apical 1/3, widest near middle (w/l ratio: 0.68); humeri raised; striae narrow, as wide as 1/5 of interstria width, interstriae flat, wide and shiny, interstria 5 with moderate declivital callosity near apex, followed by slight depression; scutellum small but visible, lacking scales. Abdomen. Underside mostly covered with non-overlapping greyish scales. Legs. Covered with whitish, elongate, recumbent scales; femora clavate, bearing small ventral tooth in middle; tibiae straight, slightly bisinuate near middle of ventral face. Genitalia. Penis moderately elongate (w/l ratio: 0.57), sides sub-parallel, converging only at apex, curvature and thickness regular in lateral view (Fig. 5J).
Life history. All specimens were collected on an unidentified Cuscuta, in December.
Distribution. Ethiopia.
Discussion. Smicronyx rufus is distinguished from all other Smicronyx in tropical Africa by its entirely red integument. This species is close to S. pauperculus in external morphology and penis structure. A specimen from the holotype series was barcoded (genbank accession number: MH898573). The sequence showed 12.9 % of divergence from a specimen of S. pauperculus (genbank accession number: KU942318) from the Near East.
Name derivation. Named in reference to the uniform reddish colour of the integument of this species.
description: Published as part of Haran, Julien, 2018, A review of the genus Smicronyx Schoenherr (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Curculioninae) in tropical Africa, pp. 267-287 in Zootaxa 4508 (2) on pages 279-280, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4508.2.9, http://zenodo.org/record/2607088