Cryptolarynx namaquanus Haran & Marvaldi & Benoit & Oberlander & Stals & Oberprieler 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Haran, Julien M.
name: Marvaldi, Adriana E.
name: Benoit, Laure
name: Oberlander, Kenneth
name: Stals, Riaan
name: Oberprieler, Rolf G.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Curculionidae
Cryptolarynx
Cryptolarynx namaquanus

description: 7. Cryptolarynx namaquanus Haran sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: F889226B-4182-43BB-A918-3DE821DEC07E
Figs 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, 8D
Differential diagnosis
Cryptolarynx namaquanus sp. nov. can be distinguished from other species of Cryptolarynx by its wide epifrons (subequal to length of scapes), its narrow forehead (narrower than width of eyes) and its proximally cylindrical metatibiae. Its broad parameroid lobes of the male genitalia, bearing only very short setae, and the shape of the spiculum are also unique among the species of the genus. Cryptolarynx namaquanus is most similar to C. variabilis sp. nov. and C. carinatus sp. nov., but in the male it can be easily distinguished from these by its proximally cylindrical metatibiae (bearing an inner carina in C. variabilis and C. carinatus) and the conformations of its male genitalia. Uncorrected p-distances between C. namaquanus and these two species were found to span 12.8–15.1% for COI and 3.7–4.2% for EF1 with C. variabilis and 9.3–10.4% for COI and 3.4% for EF1 with C. carinatus (Supp. file 1).
Etymology
The species name namaquanus refers to the area where this species was found, the Namaqualand region of the Northern Cape province and part of the traditional home of the Nama people (Namaqua). The specific epithet is an adjective in the masculine form.
Material examined
Holotype REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • ♂; “ REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA. Northern Cape Province, Kamieskroon [15 km NW, Namaqua National Park, Skilpad Flower Camp]. 29.viii.2019. J. Haran leg.” “ 30.170° S 17.793° E at base of Oxalis obtusa. JHAR02535_0101. Cirad-CBGP coll.” “Holotype. Cryptolarynx namaquanus. Haran 2023”; SAMC.
Paratypes REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA – Northern Cape • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; SAMC • 1 ♂, 9 specs (preserved in ethanol); same collection data as for holotype; CBGP.
Description (♂)
MEASUREMENTS. Body length 2–3 mm.
COLOUR AND VESTITURE. Body integument black, antennae and tarsi reddish. Dorsal vestiture (pronotum + elytra) consisting of overlapping, recumbent, parallel-sided clothing scales, 2 × as long as wide, truncate at apex; colour of scales varying from evenly greyish or creamy-white to brown or black; pale scales concentrated in two longitudinal stripes on pronotum and on elytral interstriae 4 as well as forming a pair of whitish spots surrounded by black scales at apical ⅔ of elytra; scales on interstriae recumbent, in lateral view not distinct from rest of vestiture.
HEAD. Forehead as wide as epifrons near antennal insertions, slightly narrower than width of an eye, scales recumbent. Eyes convex, in dorsal view exceeding outline of head, surrounded by a ring of short pale scales, on forehead directed towards occiput; distance between eye and scrobe as large as or slightly smaller than width of antennal club. Epifrons wide, distance between antennal insertions as large as length of scape, scales at most 2× as long as wide, recumbent, subcontiguous. Frons with pairs of erect lateral setae. Epistome without median seta. Antennal funicles with segments 1–2 elongate, subequal, about 3× as long as wide; 3–4 as long as wide, compressed, slightly angular on inside; 5–7 globular, isodiametric; 7 sometimes wider than long.
PRONOTUM. Transverse (W:L ratio 1.1–1.2), widest near midlength, sides arcuate; apex and base subequal in width.
ELYTRA. Broadly ovate, isodiametric (W:L ratio 1), sides convex, widest near midlength.
LEGS. Protibiae with outer margin straight, inner margin slightly bisinuate; metatibiae with apical mucro and inner setal fringe, setae shorter than segment 5 of metatarsus. Tarsi with segment 2 isodiametric.
ABDOMEN. Ventrites 1 and 5 slightly concave medially; ventrites 1–4 with creamy-white plumose scales, almost concealing integument, intermixed with long suberect setae, each apically bifid.
TERMINALIA. Body of penis moderately elongate (W:L ratio 0.5), 2× as short as temones, sides subparallel in basal half, converging in distal half; curvature in profile weak and regular, dorsoventrally slightly thickened at apex. Copulatory sclerite weakly sclerotised or not discerned in examined specimens. Parameroid lobes separate, divided by very deep median notch, each lobe broad, rounded at apex, bearing a series of very short setae. Spiculum gastrale with basal arms short and feebly curved.
Sexual dimorphism
Males can be distinguished from females by the shape of ventrites 1 and 5 (concave in male, flat or slightly convex in female).
Life history
Adults of C. namaquanus sp. nov. were found in monospecific stands of Oxalis obtusa, in the month of August.
Distribution
All specimens collected were found at the type locality, the only one thus far known for the species (Fig. 13).
description: Published as part of Haran, Julien M., Marvaldi, Adriana E., Benoit, Laure, Oberlander, Kenneth, Stals, Riaan & Oberprieler, Rolf G., 2023, Revision of the enigmatic South African Cryptolaryngini (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), with description of a new genus and twenty-two new species, pp. 1-89 in European Journal of Taxonomy 877 (1) on pages 28-30, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2023.877.2151, http://zenodo.org/record/8110586