Cionus mimeticus Caldara & Košťál 2023, sp. n.
Creators: name: Caldara, Roberto
name: Košťál, Michael
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Curculionidae
Cionus
Cionus mimeticus

description: 11. Cionus mimeticus sp. n. (Figs 11a–f)
Type locality. Mikes Pass (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa).
Type series. Holotype, male “SOUTH AFRICA, NATAL, Cathedral Peak, Mikes Pass, 1700 m, 28.48S 29.14E, 24.ii.1984, R. Oberprieler / collected off Buddleja salviifolia ” (SANC). Paratypes: same data as the holotype (27, SANC); “ Cathedral Peak Natal Jan.1964 A. L. Capener” (4, RCCM; 9, SANC); “SOUTH AFRICA, KZN, Drakensberg: Cathedral Peak Forestry Station, 28°56’S 29°12’E, 28.vi.1989, 1370 m, I. Pajor / Adults on leaves of Buddleja salviifolia (Loganiaceae) ” (3, SANC); “REP. SOUTH AFRICA: Natal 75 km WSW Estcourt Cathedral Peaks For. Sta. 7–31.XII.79, S. & J. Peck ” (1, SANC); “R. S. Africa 9.xi.1993, 29°03’S / 29°24’E, 1400m, Natal: Drakensberg: Monks Cowl, leg. F. Koch (8, ZMHB); “R. S. Africa 8.ii.1994, 29°03’S / 29°24’E, 1400m, Natal: Drakensberg: Monks Cowl, leg. U. Göllner ” (2, ZMHB); “ Mèpont-aux-Sources, Natal. 27.2.67 E. Bornman ” (1, SANC); “KZN Dragon Peaks Park, NE of Champagne Castle 29.01S 29.26E c. 1250m 21.viii.1999 W. Breytenbach / Collected by beating Buddleia [sic] sp. Bushes (1, SANC); “RSA: Natal, 9.–12.XI.1993, Dragon Peaks Park, 1150–1450 m ü. N, 29°02’S / 29°26’E, leg. J. DECKERT, lux” (2, ZMHB); “ R. S. Africa, 8.ii.1994, 29°00’S / 29°27’E, Natal: Berghaven-Hotel, 30 km SW Winterton, leg. U. Göllner ” (1, ZMHB); “E. Cape Prov., Katberg, 4,000 ft., 1– 15.1.1933 / S. Africa, R.E. Turner, Brit. Mus. 1933–79” (2, BMNH); “SOUTH AFRICA EASTERN CAPE c. Katberg Mts. Michael Košťál leg. / Katberg Pass env. 1500 m S 32°27.5’ E 26°39.4’ 1.xii.2018 ” (53, MKCS); “ SOUTH AFRICA, Ntl Royal Natal National Park, 28.41S 28.57E 1480m; 25–27.iv.1988 B. Grobbelaar” (4, RCCM; 24, SANC); “SOUTH AFRICA: Natal Royal Natal National Park 6–10.xii.1984 JGH Londt Riverine bush Montane slopes” (1, SANC); “SOUTH AFRICA EASTERN CAPE c. Katberg Mts. Michael Košťál leg. / Katberg Pass env. 1300 m S 32°28.1’ E 26°40.3’ 26.xi.2018 ” (1, MKCS); “SOUTH AFRICA EASTERN CAPE c. Katberg Mts. Michael Košťál leg. / Seymour env. 5 km N 1200 m S 32°29.5’ E 26°47.2’ 30.xi.2018 ” (3, MKCS); “ Cradock Gericke” (4, ZMUC); “South Africa, CP, Swartberg Pass, 1400 m, 33.19 S 22.04 E, 30.xi.1988, B. Grobbelaar” (1, SANC); “South Africa, CP, Swartberg Pass at Eersterivier, 900 m, 33.17 S 22.03 E, 30.xi.1988, R. Oberprieler / Collected on Buddleja sp. ” (1, SANC); “South Africa, CP, Seweweekspoort, 1100 m, Klein Swarberge, 33.24S 21.24E, B. Grobbelaar ” (3, SANC); “S. Afr., Cape-Swartbg, Meiringspoort, 33.25S – 22.34E / 23.9.1985; E-Y: 2261 from vegetation leg. Endrödy-Younga ” (1, SANC); “ Cape Province: Somerset East. 23–31.xii.1930 / S. Africa. R. E. Turner. Brit. Mus. 1931–61” (1, BMNH); “R. S. Africa, 13.xi.1993, 3219S/2230E, Cape Province: Karoo NP, leg. F. Koch (3, NMHB); “LERIBE. BASUTO-LAND 17-I-1932 C, Guilllarmod ” (1, SANC); “ Malealea, Basutoland. Mar.1944. H.K. Munro /SN 3155 / COMM. INST. COLL. NO. 10902 / Pres. by Comm Inst Ent B.m. 1981–315 / Cionus n. sp.? in my coll.” (1, BMNH); “ MAMATHES Basutoland 15.IV.1949 c. Jacot Guillarmod ” (1, SANC); “S. Afr. Basutoland Mamathes 5 miles ENE Teyateyaneng. 29.III.1951.” (1, ZMLU).
Diagnosis. Rostrum moderately long in male, distinctly longer in female. Pronotum distinctly conical, without protuberances, with two small black spots. Elytra with dense whitish vestiture, completely hiding interstriae and striae, with a few black maculae, some whitish scales very slightly raised but well distinguishable from completely recumbent ones. Ventrites with scales in male partly more elongated, hair-like on V1, V2 and V5, without forming tuft on V2. Claws distinctly asymmetrical in both sexes. Penis with flagellum distinctly longer than apodemes.
Description. Male (Figs 11a–b). Body: robust, globose. Head: rostrum stout, moderately long (Rl/Rw 4.80–4.88; Rl/Pl 1.58–1.64), black, in lateral view very weakly curved, of same width from base to apex, in dorsal view parallel-sided, slightly enlarged apically, with distinct carina along midline; in basal half densely, in apical half sparsely covered with recumbent, elliptical, moderately elongated (l/w 4–7), whitish scales. Head between eyes moderately narrow, half as wide as rostrum at base. Eyes flat. Antennae reddish brown, with dark brown club, inserted between middle and apical third; scape long (l/w 9); funicle slightly shorter than scape, S1 moderately robust, as robust and as long as S2, 2.0× as long as wide, S2 2.5 × as long as wide, S3–5 isodiametric; club moderately oblongly oval, distinctly shorter than funicle, uniformly pubescent. Pronotum: blackish, with dense, partially regularly arranged, shallow, small punctures completely hidden by dense, recumbent, moderately long (l/w 4–6), subelliptical, whitish scales, with two small irregular spots of dark brown scales situated between sides and midline; conical, transverse (Pw/Pl 1.58–1.65), widest at base, with sides weakly rounded, weakly convex, without protuberances but in lateral view slightly gibbous at its midlength. Prosternum: anterior margin deeply emarginated. Scutellar shield: poorly visible due to dense whitish scales also at its margins. Elytra: blackish, short (El/Ew 1.20–1.28), globose, widest at midlength, somewhat wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.61–1.67), humeri distinct, rounded, sides slightly rounded, moderately convex on disc; interstriae flat, without distinct punctures, very finely rugulose, opaque, completely hidden by moderately elongated (l/w 4–7), subelliptical, whitish scales, almost all recumbent except for a few slightly raised, arranged irregularly, with few small subquadrate dark brown spots on odd interstriae; striae with dense, moderately deep punctures, half as wide as interstriae, intervals between punctures situated at same level as interstriae, completely hidden by vestiture. Venter: mesosternal process moderately convex, not emarginated. Metasternum with scales in middle moderately longer than those at sides but not hair-like. Abdomen with dense, somewhat regularly arranged, shallow, small punctures completely hidden by recumbent, dense, elongated, whitish scales, partly more elongated, hair-like on V1, V2 and V5, not forming tuft on V2; V1 1.7× longer than V2, V1+2 5.5× longer than V3+4, latter ones as long as V5. Legs: densely covered with elongated whitish scales, femora black, with robust sharp teeth; tibiae black, without unci; tarsi black, onychium 2.0× as long as T3; claws distinctly asymmetrical, one claw 1/3 as long as other. Penis: Figs 11d–f, its body with subparallel sides, very slightly narrowed from base to apex, with acute small tip. Flagellum very long, slightly enlarged at base, subtle in apical half.
Female. Rostrum distinctly longer (Rl/Rw 5.78–5.84; Rl/Pl 1.90–1.97), in lateral view moderately curved (Fig. 11c), one claw 3/4 as long as other, abdomen with all scales similar in shape, without hair-like scales.
Variability. Length 3.2–3.7 mm. The spots of dark brown scales vary in number, being however always sparse.
Etymology. The Latin adjective means “mimetic” or “imitating” and intends to point out the close similarity with C. oculatus.
Remarks. This species is similar to C. oculatus, with which it shares two small dark spots on the pronotum. However, it differs from it by the longer rostrum especially in female, the complete lack of protuberances on the pronotum, the scarce number of dark spots on the elytra, the interstria 3 completely flat also in its apical part, the presence of sparse slightly raised scales.
Biological notes. Many specimens of the type series were collected in various localities from Buddleja salviifolia.
Distribution. South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Eastern Cape), Lesotho (formerly Basotholand).
description: Published as part of Caldara, Roberto & Košťál, Michael, 2023, A Taxonomic Revision Of The Afrotropical Species Of The Weevil Genus Cionus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), pp. 1-98 in Zootaxa 5288 (1) on pages 26-28, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5288.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7958875