Cryptolarynx squamulatus 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 squamulatus

description: 3. Cryptolarynx squamulatus Haran sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: F4FDD330-3922-4480-A93C-D830B3696A88
Figs 1C, 2C, 3C, 4C, 5C
Differential diagnosis
Cryptolarynx squamulatus sp. nov. belongs to the C. vitis group and in this group is most closely related to C. hirtulus sp. nov. These two species can be distinguished by their body shape, being globular in C. squamulatus and elongate in C. hirtulus, and their interspecific genetic distance was found to be 18.6% for COI and of 3.7% for EF1.
Etymology
This species is named in reference to the dense cover of suberect scales (squamae) on its elytra. The specific epithet is an adjective in the masculine form.
Material examined
Holotype REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • ♂; “ REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape Province, West-coast NP [National Park], [Postberg Section,] 31.viii.2019, J. Haran leg.” “ 33.105° S 18.004° E, at base of Oxalis obtusa, JHAR 02555” “Holotype. Cryptolarynx squamulatus Haran 2023 ”; SAMC.
Paratypes REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA – Western Cape • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; CBGP • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; SAMC.
Description (♂)
MEASUREMENTS. Body length 1.9 mm.
COLOUR AND VESTITURE. Colour as in females (single known male teneral). Body integument black, antennae and tarsi reddish. Dorsal vestiture (pronotum + elytra) consisting of short, recumbent, subtriangular clothing scales, pearly grey, slightly longer than wide, subcontiguous on interstriae, and longer, suberect scales, at least 4× as long as wide, brown or white, in each strial puncture; pale scales usually concentrated at base of interstriae 4 and corresponding area at pronotal base as well as forming an ill-defined transverse band at apical ⅔ of elytra.
HEAD. Forehead slightly wider than epifrons near antennal insertions, narrower than width of an eye, scales not concealing integument. Eyes flat, in dorsal view only slightly exceeding outline of head, surrounded by a ring of short pale scales directed towards centre of eye; distance between eye and scrobe larger than width of antennal club. Epifrons narrow, distance between antennal insertions 0.5 × length of scape, scales at least 3× as long as wide, suberect, overlapping. Frons with single pair of long lateral setae. Epistome with single median seta. Antennal funicles with segment 1 elongate, 2 × as long as wide; 2–4 slightly longer than wide, compressed, slightly angular on inside; 5–7 globular, slightly compressed.
PRONOTUM. Strongly transverse (W:L ratio 1.6), almost semicircular in dorsal view, widest at base, sides arcuate in basal ⅓, almost straight and converging in apical ⅔; apex 1.5 × narrower than base.
ELYTRA. Globular, slightly wider than long (W:L ratio 1.1), sides convex, widest before midlength.
LEGS. Tibiae with black apical mucro; protibiae with outer margin straight; metatibiae with inner margin bisinuate, distal margin of mucro perpendicular to external margin of metatibia. Tarsi short, segment 2 much wider than long (W:L ratio 1.7).
ABDOMEN. Ventrite 1 slightly concave; ventrites 1–4 with overlapping white scales, partly concealing integument.
TERMINALIA. Body of penis elongate (W:L ratio 0.3), twice as long as temones, sides straight, diverging from base to apical ¾, converging in apical quarter; curvature in profile weak and regular, dorsoventrally narrowed before apex. Copulatory sclerite weakly sclerotised (or not discerned in single examined specimen). Parameroid lobes separate, divided by deep median notch, each lobe narrowed before apex, spatulate, bearing long marginal setae and shorter setae discally, all setae orientated centrifugally. Spiculum gastrale with basal arms regularly curved, right arm with lateral tooth.
Sexual dimorphism
The sexes can be distinguished by their body shape (more globular in male, broadly ovate in female).
Life history
Specimens of Cryptolarynx squamulatus sp. nov. were collected in a patch of Oxalis obtusa Jacq., but the exact host association of the species was not verified. Freshly emerged adults were found in October.
Distribution
The species occurs in the West Coast National Park, Postberg Section (elevation 170 m; 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 16-18, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2023.877.2151, http://zenodo.org/record/8110586