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

description: Smicronyx pseudocoecus sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: FC3639AF-2419-4EBD-A3AF-2F6480677DE8
Figs 1H, 3H, 5G, 6C; Table 1
Differential diagnosis
Smicronyx pseudocoecus sp. nov. is closest to the Palaearctic species S. coecus (Reich, 1797). These species can be distinguished by their claws, which are very slightly unequal in length in S. pseudocoecus sp. nov. while they are very distinctly unequal in S. coecus. The two species also show a p-distance of 8.7% on COI (GB accession: MT370315 / KC784156). In the Republic of South Africa, S. pseudocoecus sp. nov. is closest to S. paucisquamis sp. nov., a species found in Limpopo Province. S. pseudocoecus sp. nov. shows a denser elytral vestiture (Fig. 1 H–I) and a more sclerified body of the penis (Fig. 5 G–H) than S. paucisquamis sp. nov ..
Etymology
Named in reference to the similar appearance of this species and S. coecus (Reich, 1797).
Material examined
Holotype REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂; “ Rep. of South Africa; Paarl Mt. [Mountain] Nat. [Nature] Res. [Reserve] [Western Cape Province]; 33°44.056′S 18°56.773′E; 410 m, 4.iii.2018; J. Haran leg.” / “on Cuscuta sp.; JHAR00783” / “HOLOTYPE; Smicronyx pseudocoecus; Haran 2021”; SAMC.
Paratypes REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; SANC • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; BMNH • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; MNHN • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; CBGP • 1 ♂; Franschhoek; Sep.1988; M. Wright leg.; on Cuscuta sp.; SAMC • 1 ♀; Kleinmond Nature Reserve; 34.20.00 S, 18.58.92 E; 22 Nov. 2007; E. Colonnelli leg.; MCZ • 1 ♂; Cape Town; 1886; J.C. Purcell leg.; SAMC SAM-COL-A073096 • 1 ♂; Tulbagh; 27 Jan. 2019; J. Haran leg.; beating dry Cuscuta sp.; JHAR02116; CBGP • 5 specs; Malmesbury; 33°29′15.9″ S 18°40′09.3″ E; 10 Sept. 2019; J. Haran leg.; beating Cuscuta nitida; JHAR00782_02; ethanol coll. CBGP • 1 ♂, 14 specs; Geko Creek Lodge; 32°23′41.03″ S 18°59′12.12″ E; 2 Nov. 2019; J. Haran leg.; beating Cuscuta sp.; JHAR03018; ethanol coll. CBGP.
Description
BODY LENGTH. 1.8–2.0 mm.
COLOUR. Body integument entirely black, shiny, mostly bare of scales; vestiture of elytra consisting of white recumbent, elliptical, scales twice as long as wide, grouped in ill-defined transverse bands, a spot on humeri and a longitudinal strip at base of interstria 3; each interstria with series of recumbent, white setae.
HEAD. Rostrum slightly longer than head + prothorax in lateral view, strongly downcurved in basal half, less downcurved in apical half (Fig. 3H), dorsal face punctate, covered with suberect whitish setae forming four distinct series in basal ¾ and two spots near eyes, apical ⅓ glabrous; transverse furrow at base of rostrum shiny, bare of scales; head capsule glabrous; eyes flat, contiguous on ventral side; scape of antennae straight, slightly and regularly widening toward apex, clavate at apical ⅓, segment 1 of funicle elongate, as long as 2 + 3, 4–7 × wider than long.
PROTHORAX. As long as wide (ratio w/l: 1), widest near middle of length, narrowed at apex, sides rounded; integument punctuate and granulous, punctures forming concentric circles at basal half; scales white, elongate, rare, mostly present along apical margin, and forming a small spot near scutellum.
ELYTRA. Sides rounded, widest near middle of length (ratio w/l: 0.65); humeri raised; striae narrow, interstriae flat, wide, integument slightly reticulate, apex of interstria 5 lacking declivital callosity; scutellum small, bare of scales.
ABDOMEN. Underside mostly covered with overlapping white scales, more condensed on metanepisterna.
LEGS. Covered with whitish semi-erect elongate scales; femora clavate, unarmed; tibiae straight on external side, slightly bisinuate ventrally at basal ⅓; claws slightly unequal in length.
GENITALIA. Body of penis elongate (ratio w/l: 0.28), 3× as long as apodemes, sides sub-parallel, slightly expanding from middle of length to apical 1/5, converging apicad, acuminate at apex, curvature in lateral view moderate and regular, tapering at apex (Fig. 5G).
Sexual dimorphism
Females are distinguished from males by their rostrum, which is more downcurved in apical half in lateral view, and by the antennal insertion which is near middle of length (near apical ⅓ in males).
Life history
Adults of S. pseudocoecus sp. nov. were collected on Cuscuta nitida E. Mey ex Choisy, 1842 (Fig. 6 C– D) and other unidentified species of Cuscuta. Most Cuscuta sp. are red-listed endangered species in the Republic of South Africa. Adults were collected in January, March, September and November.
Distribution
Republic of South Africa (Western Cape 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 50-54, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2021.735.1239, http://zenodo.org/record/5707947