Cryptolarynx spinicornis 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 spinicornis

description: 16. Cryptolarynx spinicornis Haran sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 73337A01-7C56-441F-8DDF-E100910E5B7A
Figs 1P, 2P, 3P, 4P, 5P, 7D–F, 8A, H
Differential diagnosis
Cryptolarynx spinicornis sp. nov. differs from all other species of the genus by its enlarged funicle segments 2 and 4, bearing an inner tooth (Fig. 8H). A mitochondrial barcode fragment could not be obtained for it, probably due to mismatch in the primers sequences. Uncorrected p-distances of EF1 show that this species is closest to C. san sp. nov. but distant from it by 1.1% (Supp. file 1).
Etymology
The species name spinicornis is derived from the Latin nouns ‘ spina ’ (‘spine’) and ‘ cornu ’ (‘horn’, ‘antenna’) and refers to the teeth on funicle segments 2 and 4 in this species. The specific epithet is an adjective in the masculine form.
Material examined
Holotype REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • ♂; “REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape Province, Klawer [13 km S]. 26.vii.2019. J. Haran leg.” “ 31.902° S 18.630° E, at base of Oxalis cf. luteola. JHAR02465_0101. Cirad-CBGP coll.” “Holotype. Cryptolarynx spinicornis. Haran 2023”; SAMC.
Paratypes REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA – Western Cape • 1 ♂, 2 specs (preserved in ethanol); same collection data as for holotype; CBGP. – Northern Cape • 2 ♂♂, 18 specs (preserved in ethanol); Sutherland 21 km SW, Blesfontein Farm; 32.462° S, 20.436° E; 18 Aug. 2019; J. Haran leg.; at base of Oxalis cf. odorata; JHAR02512; CBGP.
Description (♂)
MEASUREMENTS. Body length 1.7–3.0 mm.
COLOUR AND VESTITURE. Body integument black, antennae, tarsi and sometimes tibiae reddish. Dorsal vestiture (pronotum + elytra) consisting of overlapping, recumbent, parallel-sided clothing scales, 3× as long as wide, truncate at apex; colour of scales pale to dark brown; pale scales generally concentrated in two lateral bands on pronotum and on elytral interstriae 4 as well as forming a pair of white spots surrounded by darker scales at apical ⅔ of interstriae 2–3; dark scales concentrated in a pair of spots at base of pronotum near scutellar shield; scales of striae recumbent, in lateral view not distinct from rest of vestiture.
HEAD. Forehead slightly wider than epifrons near antennal insertions, slightly wider than width of an eye, scales recumbent. Eyes convex, in dorsal view slightly exceeding outline of head, surrounded by a ring of short pale scales, on forehead directed towards occiput; distance between eye and scrobe smaller than width of antennal club. Epifrons with distance between antennal insertions as large as length of scape, scales in middle of epifrons at least 3× as long as wide, recumbent, not contiguous. Frons with 3 pairs of erect lateral setae. Epistome without median seta. Antennal funicles with segment 1 very elongate, 2× as long as 2; 2 and 4 compressed, strongly angular, toothed on inside; 3 isodiametric or slightly longer than wide; 5–7 globular, isodiametric.
PRONOTUM. Transverse (W:L ratio 1.4), widest anteriorly of midlength, sides arcuate; apex slightly narrower than base.
ELYTRA. Bullet-shaped, longer than wide (W:L ratio 0.9), sides convex, widest anteriorly of midlength.
LEGS. All tibiae with small apical mucro; protibiae with outer margin straight, inner margin slightly bisinuate; metatibiae with inner setal fringe, setae shorter than segment 5 of metatarsus. Tarsi with segment 2 wider than long on forelegs and longer than wide on hindlegs.
ABDOMEN. Ventrites with creamy-white plumose scales partly concealing integument, with long suberect setae not or only slightly bifid at apex, concentrated medially; ventrite 1 slightly concave medially, impression devoid of scales; ventrite 5 with scales concentrated laterally, medially bare.
TERMINALIA. Body of penis moderately elongate (W:L ratio 0.4), slightly shorter than temones, sides subparallel in basal ⅔, converging in apical third; curvature in profile moderate and regular, more strongly downcurved near apex, dorsoventrally narrowed before apex. Copulatory sclerite shaped like a pair of sickles. Parameroid lobes separate, divided by deep median notch, each lobe slightly bilobate, with median sublobes bearing several long setae apically. Spiculum gastrale with basal arms long, right arm angulate at its midlength.
Sexual dimorphism
The sexes can be distinguished by the shape of the elytra (shorter in male than in female) and the forehead (narrower in male than in female).
Life history
Specimens of Cryptolarynx spinicornis sp. nov. were found at the bases of plants of Oxalis cf. luteola Jacq. and O. cf. odorata J.C. Manning & Goldblatt at sites where O. obtusa was also present.
Distribution
The species occurs in the Vanrhynsdorp area and up to 1500 m above sea level on the Great Escarpment near Sutherland (Fig. 13).
Remarks
Mitochondrial barcode sequences could not be obtained for this species, probably due to a mismatch in the primer sequences.
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 50-51, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2023.877.2151, http://zenodo.org/record/8110586