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

description: Smicronyx zonatus Haran sp. n.
Figs 1K, 4C, 5K
Material examined. Holotype ♂. Republic of South Africa, Stellenbosch, 33°56.610’S 18°52.481’E, 164 m, 29.iii.2018, J. Haran leg. (SAMC). Paratypes. Data as for Holotype (1♂, 1♀, BMNH; 1♂, 1♀, CBGP; 1♂, 1♀, MNHN; 1♂, 1♀, NMNH; 1♂, 1♀, RMCA; 1♀, SAMC; 1♂, 1♀, SANC). Other material. Liberia, Suakoko, 2–5.v.1952, Blickenstaff leg. (1♀, MNHN). Democratic Republic of Congo, between Mukana and Lusinga, 15–19.i.1948, 1.810 m, mission G. F. de Witte (1♂, RMCA).
Description. Body length 2.0– 2.5 mm. Colour. Body integument reddish, antennae, rostrum, head, prothorax, suture of elytra and tarsi dark red. Elytral vestiture consisting of overlapping scales, almost concealing integument, integument mainly visible through scales along striae; scales recumbent, elliptical, rounded or slightly longer than wide; scales providing background of pale brown with patches of white and sometimes a few black spots along basal half of interstriae 1–3, large transverse white band between middle of elytra length and apical quarter, its basal margin expanding a little toward base of elytra on interstriae 2–4 and apical margin generally expanding a little toward apex of elytra near interstriae 3–5; each interstria bears a series of black of white semi-erect elongate scales; vestiture of prothorax consisting of whitish and pale brown recumbent and elongate scales oriented toward the median line. Head. Rostrum as long as head capsule + prothorax, greatly downcurved (Fig. 4A), basal half punctate, granulate and covered by erect white or brown scales, apical half (♂) or apical ¾ (♀) with shiny integument with small punctures and no scales; antennae inserted near apical 1/3 (♀) or near apical ¼ (♂); transverse furrow at base of rostrum shiny, concealed by two tufts of erect whitish scales at edges; head capsule with a slight cover of recumbent brown scales near transversal furrow; eyes flat, contiguous ventrally; antennae dark red, scape straight, slightly bisinuate at base, regularly widened toward apex, segment 1 elongate, slightly longer than 2+3, 4–7 wider than long. Prothorax. Wider than long (w/l ratio: 1.08), widest slightly before middle, narrowed at apex, sides rounded; integument greatly punctuate and granulate, shiny; white scales usually concentered on sides and near scutellum. Elytra. Sides subparallel in basal half, rounded in apical half, widest near middle (w/l ratio: 0.73); humeri raised; striae much narrower that interstriae, interstriae flat, wide, integument shiny and slightly reticulate, apex of interstria 5 with moderate declivital callosity followed by depression; scutellum small but visible, glabrous. Abdomen. Underside mostly covered with overlapping whitish scales. Legs. Reddish, covered with whitish and pale brown semi-erect elongate scales; femora greatly clavate, bearing a tiny ventral tooth usually concealed by scales; tibiae straight on external side, slightly bisinuate ventrally in basal third.
Genitalia. Penis elongate (w/l ratio: 0.37), sides sub-parallel, rounded at apex, curvature in lateral view moderate, regularly narrowing from basal 1/3 to apex (Fig. 5K).
Life history. All specimens from South Africa were collected on a small unidentified Campanulaceae (near Lobelia) found at low elevation in wet areas near ponds or streams. Adults were collected in January, February, March and May.
Distribution. Democratic Republic of Congo Liberia, Republic of South Africa.
Discussion. Smicronyx zonatus can be easily distinguished from other species by its white transverse band on the elytra. A specimen from the type series was barcoded (genbank accession number: MH898571). The closest species of Smicronyx with a barcode available is S. albosquamosus Wollaston (specimen from the Near East, genbank accession number: KU942331). Both species show a genetic divergence of 14%.
Name derivation. Smicronyx zonatus is named in reference to the contrasting transversal white band on the elytra 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 280-281, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4508.2.9, http://zenodo.org/record/2607088