Ctonoxylon pilosum, Jordal, 2024

Jordal, Bjarte H., 2024, An integrated taxonomic revision of Ctonoxylon (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) reveals new Malagasy species originating from multiple recent colonisations of the island, ZooKeys 1203, pp. 95-130 : 95-130

Ctonoxylon pilosum sp. nov.

Figs 49 , 52 , 55

Type material.

Holotype, female: Cameroon, Ekande near Limbe [GIS: 4.081, 9.172], 1100 m alt., 18. 11. 2007, ex thin liana, A. Breistøl, leg. [ ZMUB] . Allotype [ ZMUB] and one paratype [ NHMW]: same data as holotype .

Diagnosis.

Protibiae with shallow anterior groove of depth <1 / 3 the width of the tibia; anterior margin of prothorax from coxa to top with indented row of deep circular pits; elytral interstriae with dense, soft, golden ground vestiture in addition to longer, curved, bristle-like main setae.

Description.

Body length 1.4–1.8 mm, 2.2–2.4 × as long as broad; colour yellowish brown. Frons flattened from just below upper level of eyes to epistoma, surface finely punctured below, reticulate above, vestiture consisting of sparse, fine, short setae. Eyes divided, each part separated by 2 / 3 the size of upper half. Antennal funiculus 7 - segmented; club with two asymmetrically and strongly procurved sutures, suture one partly grooved with a dark partial septum along the front margin of the suture. Pronotum coarsely asperate on central two-thirds of anterior two-thirds, two front teeth at margin subcontiguous, not particularly larger than other asperities. Anterior lateral margin of prothorax with indented row of deep circular pits running from the anterior pronotal teeth to coxa; a round propleural pit located between coxa and lateral costa on pronotum. Scutellar shield flush with elytra, with fine golden dorsal setae. Elytral striae impressed, punctures round, irregularly sized and spaced; interstriae flat to slightly rounded, vestiture consisting of irregular rows of curved bristle-like setae, with ground vestiture consisting of more densely placed, soft, golden, hair-like setae; elytral suture straight, apex weakly emarginated. Metanepisternum and upper metaventrite with short plumose setae, simple and longer setae elsewhere. Protibiae on anterior face with shallow groove for reception of tarsus, ~ 1 / 3 as deep as width of tibia.

Male nearly identical to female, except frons more distinctly impressed below upper level of eyes, and the anterior pair of pronotal teeth is located just slightly behind the front margin.

Etymology.

The Latin adjective pilosus in its neuter form, meaning hairy, referring to the dense ground vestiture of fine, short, golden setae.

Distribution and biology.

Only known from the type locality in Cameroon where specimens were collected from a climbing plant, ~ 2 cm in diameter.

Figures

Figures 48–56. Dorsal, lateral, and front views of 48, 51, 54 Ctonoxylon auratum female holotype 49, 52, 55 Ctonoxylon pilosum sp. nov. female holotype, and 50, 53, 56 Ctonoxylon pygmaeum female syntype [ZMHB].