Cryptolarynx armatus 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 armatus

description: 13. Cryptolarynx armatus Haran sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 0694E5BE-EBA9-4DDE-8647-ECBE6A5A47F7
Figs 1M, 2M, 3M, 4M, 5M, 6O–P, 8I
Differential diagnosis
Cryptolarynx armatus sp. nov. is most similar to C. falciformis sp. nov. and C. oberprieleri sp. nov., in possessing apically thickened protibiae in the male. In addition to their distinct copulatory sclerites of the endophallus, these species can also be distinguished by the setae on the ventrites (simple in C. armatus, bifid at least apically in C. falciformis and C. oberprieleri). Genetically, C. armatus is closest to C. spinicornis sp. nov., the distance between their EF1 sequences found to be 1.6%.
Etymology
The species name armatus refers to the apical cuticular expansion of the protibiae of the males, forming together with the mucro two strong teeth. The specific epithet is an adjective in the masculine form.
Material examined
Holotype REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • ♂; “ REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA. Northern Cape Province, Nieuwoudtville. 20.viii.2019. J. Haran leg.” “ 31.384° S 19.140° E at base of Oxalis obtusa. JHAR02519_0101. Cirad-CBGP coll.” “Holotype. Cryptolarynx armatus. Haran 2023”; SAMC.
Paratypes REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA – Northern Cape • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; SAMC • 1 ♂, 15 specs (preserved in ethanol); same collection data as for holotype; CBGP.
Description (♂)
MEASUREMENTS. Body length 1.5–3.5 mm.
COLOUR AND VESTITURE. Body integument black, scapes, tibiae and tarsi reddish in fully sclerotised specimens. Dorsal vestiture (pronotum + elytra) consisting of overlapping, recumbent, parallel-sided clothing scales, 2–2.5 × as long as wide, truncate at apex; colour of scales varying from pale brown to dark brown; pale scales concentrated in two longitudinal bands laterally on pronotum as well as broadly on elytral interstriae 4, creating a broad, dark medial stripe on pronotum and basal ⅔ of elytra; pale scales forming a pair of spots surrounded by black scales on interstriae 3 at apical ⅔ of elytral length; scales of striae recumbent, in lateral view not distinct from rest of vestiture.
HEAD. Forehead wide, slightly wider than epifrons near antennal insertions, almost 2× as wide as 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 as large as width of antennal club. Epifrons with distance between antennal insertions as large as length of scape, scales in middle of epifrons at most 2× as long as wide, recumbent, not contiguous. Frons with a pair of long erect lateral setae. Epistome without median seta. Antennal funicles with segment 1 elongate, 2× as long as wide; 2 shorter, at most 1.5× as long as wide; 3–5 isodiametric, compressed, 4 slightly angular on inside; 6–7 wider than long.
PRONOTUM. Transverse (W:L ratio 1.3–1.4), widest near midlength, sides arcuate; apex slightly narrower than base.
ELYTRA. Globular, slightly wider than long (W:L ratio 1.1), sides convex, widest near midlength.
LEGS. Protibiae with outer margin straight and inner margin bisinuate, expanded proximally of apical mucro; meso- and metatibiae with small apical mucro, metatibiae with inner setal fringe, setae shorter than segment 5 of metatarsus. Tarsi with segment 2 isodiametric or wider than long.
ABDOMEN. Ventrites with creamy-white plumose scales partly concealing integument, with long, suberect, undivided setae concentrated medially; ventrite 1 slightly concave medially, ventrite 5 devoid of scales in apical ¾, there bearing only erect setae.
TERMINALIA. Body of penis moderately elongate (W:L ratio 0.4), almost 2× as short as temones, sides subparallel, converging in apical quarter; in profile almost straight, dorsoventrally narrowed close to apex. Copulatory sclerite small, comma-shaped. Parameroid lobes separate, divided by modest median notch, each lobe broad, bearing a series of setae directed apicad, the longest setae located closer to middle. Spiculum gastrale with basal arms long, regularly curved.
Sexual dimorphism
The sexes can be distinguished by the shape of the elytra (wider than long in male, longer than wide, more broadly ovate in female) and by the inner expansion of the apex of the protibiae (present in male, absent in female).
Life history
Adult specimens of C. armatus were collected in August, in stands of Oxalis obtusa and O. cf. suteroides T.M. Salter.
Distribution
All specimens were collected at the type locality near Nieuwoudtville (Fig. 13).
Remarks
Mitochondrial barcode sequences could not be obtained for this species, probably due to a mismatch in 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 43-45, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2023.877.2151, http://zenodo.org/record/8110586