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

description: Afrosmicronyx marshalli sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: E0C45446-219B-4B9D-8714-3C94C28D3DDF
Figs 1D, 3D, 5D; Table 1
Differential diagnosis
Afrosmicronyx marshalli sp. nov. is mostly similar to A. angolanus, a species distributed in Angola and Kenya (Haran & Perrin 2017). The two species can be distinguished from each other by the shape of their prothorax (wider than long in A. marshalli sp. nov., isodiametric in A. angolanus) and their protibiae (with a thickening at middle in A. marshalli sp. nov., armed with an acute tooth in A. angolanus).
Etymology
Afrosmicronyx marshalli sp. nov. is dedicated to Sir Guy A. K. Marshall for his outstanding contribution to the knowledge on African weevils and particularly on the southern African fauna.
Material examined
Holotype REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂; “ Nr. Belfast; Tvl. [Mpumalanga Province]; 14 Jan. 1963; A L Capener” / “National Coll.; of Insects; Pretoria, S. Afr” / “HOLOTYPE; Afrosmicronyx marshalli; Haran 2021”; SANC.
Paratype REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; SAMC.
Description
BODY LENGTH. 3.0– 3.2 mm.
COLOUR. Body integument black; vestiture consisting of rounded recumbent scales, as long as wide or elliptical, greyish on elytra.
HEAD. Rostrum equal (♂) or slightly longer than head capsule plus prothorax (♀) in lateral view, moderately downcurved, in dorsal view covered with scales only in basal ⅓, shiny and slightly punctate in apical ¾; antennae inserted slightly after middle of length; transverse furrow at base of rostrum shiny, with two spots of whitish semi-erect scales on sides near eyes; head capsule glabrous; eyes flat, subcontiguous ventrally, distance between eyes equal to the width of 1–2 ommatidia; antennal scape slightly bisinuate at base, moderately clavate at apex, segment 1 of funicle elongate, as long as 2 + 3, 3–7 wider than long.
PROTHORAX. Slightly wider than long (ratio w/l: 1.08), widest near middle of length, greatly narrowed at apex, sides strongly rounded; integument shiny, densely granulate; scales greyish, longer than wide.
ELYTRA. Sides convex, widest near middle (ratio w/l: 0.7); humeri raised; striae narrow, interstriae flat, wide and shiny, striae ⅓ width of interstriae, covered with two or three series of aligned scales, apex of interstria 5 with slight declivital callosity, followed by a depression; scutellum small but visible.
ABDOMEN. Underside covered with elliptical greyish scales, not concealing the integument.
LEGS. Integument black, femora clavate, armed with one ventral tooth; tibiae bearing a thickening (♂) or a tooth (♀) ventrally, facing femoral tooth when legs are folded; claws equal in length.
GENITALIA. Body of penis short (ratio w/l: 0.56), about 0.7 × as long as apodemes, sides convex, converging near apex, apex truncate, curvature in lateral view stronger near apex (Fig. 5D).
Life history
Unknown.
Distribution
Republic of South Africa (Mpumalanga 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 43-44, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2021.735.1239, http://zenodo.org/record/5707947