Cryphalus himalayensis, Buhroo, 2024

Buhroo, Abdul Ahad, 2024, A taxonomic monograph of subfamily Scolytinae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the Western Himalaya, Zootaxa 5533 (1), pp. 1-82 : 12-13

5. Cryphalus himalayensis sp. nov.

( Figure 8 )

Diagnosis: This species can be distinguished from other Cryphalus species that are similar to it by its size (1.38– 1.43 mm), proportions (2.15× as long as wide), the male frons with a transverse carina, the female frons with somewhat triangular elevation medially, many scale-like (feather-like) setae on the pronotal disc extending to the lateral margins, and darker elytra with barely apparent striae.

C. himalayensis sp. nov. is very similar to C. morivorus Johnson, 2020 and can be distinguished by the number of pronotal marginal asperities (four in C. himalayensis sp. nov. versus six in C. morivorus ), the sculpture of female frons (rugose and with triangular, broad, medial elevation in C. himalayensis sp. nov. versus shining, smooth in C. morivorus ), and the elytral bristles (rounded at apices in C. himalayensis sp. nov. versus pointed at apices in C. morivorus ).

Description: The species description is based on the following morphological characters: ♀ frons broadly plano-convex; surface somewhat reticulate with minute granules; a black, shining tubercle-like elevation on medial area; vertex somewhat convex, finely reticulate punctate; epistomal margin with a fringe of long, pale hairs; sparse pale, hairs on entire frontal surface; eyes oval, slightly emarginate anteriorly; antennal scape long, funicle four-segmented, club oval with three straight to weakly procurved sutures; pronotum light brown, 1.14× wider than long; sides widest slightly above base, arcuately converging and rounded in front, lateral margins marked by a distinct carina, anterior margin armed by four distinctly spaced serrations, median pair large and longer; pronotum steeply arched, summit slightly behind middle; pronotal anterior two-third with more than fifty asperities, asperities distinctly sharp and longer, moderately spaced, areas between asperities glossy with obscure minute punctures and a mixture of pale, short, fine and moderately longer hair-like setae; posterior one-third with minute, rugose punctures, with dense pale, minute feathery scales (nearly 1.5× as long as wide) and sparse, longer hair-like setae with rounded apices; suture between pronotum and elytra almost straight; scutellum small, broadly triangular; elytra 1.18× as long as wide,1.47× as long as pronotum, usually darker than pronotum; sides parallel on more than basal two-thirds, rounded towards apex with no clear transition to the declivity; elytral texture rugose, striae weakly visible as rows of slightly larger punctures and fine, white, hair-like setae; interstriae irregularly rugose marked by somewhat smaller punctures; interstrial vestiture with rows of moderately longer, sparse whitish erect bristles, widened and rounded at tips, pointing posteriorly and ground cover of two to three rows of minute, tridentate scales, with a weak iridescence; procoxae with sparse, somewhat longer hair-like setae; protibiae and protarsi with short, hair-like setae; mesocoxae moderately separated, more than distance between metacoxae; abdominal ventrites with pale, dense, moderately long hair-like setae; body length: 1.43 mm, 2.15× as long as wide.

Male similar to female except: body length: 1.38 mm, 2.10× as long as wide; frons with a distinct, shining transverse carina above the level of eyes; pronotal asperities slightly less numerous; elytra slightly less rugose than female; protibiae and protarsi with only hair-like setae, almost same as in female; last abdominal ventrite clearly emarginated; pronotal profile rounded triangular, somewhat more protruding apically than in female.

Material examined: India: Holotype: ♀ Kashmir, Srinagar, Hazratbal (University Campus), (34° 07′51.10 ′′ N, 074° 50′ 01.09′′ E, 5220 ft.), A.A. Buhroo, 10.08.2019 ( KUIC) . Allotype, ♂: the same site and date as HT; HT and AT deposited at KUIC; 2 PTs NHMW.

Type locality: India: Kashmir : Hazratbal Srinagar (University Campus)

Hosts: Ficus palmata ( Moraceae )

Etymology: The species epithet is in reference to the Himalayan distribution.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Cryphalus himalayensis sp. nov. Holotype female: dorsal view A, lateral view B, frons C; Allotype male: dorsal view D, ventral view E, frons F.