Lanurgus spathulatus Schedl, 1948

Jordal, Bjarte H., 2021, The mainly South African genus Lanurgus revised (Coleoptera, Scolytinae), Zootaxa 5027 (1), pp. 87-106 : 103-104

Lanurgus spathulatus Schedl, 1948

( Figs 57, 58, 60, 61, 63, 64 )

Type material. Female lectotype and male allotype: South Africa, C.P., Grahamstown, June 1937, J. Hewitt [ NHMW] .

Diagnosis, female. Length 2.1–2.3 mm, 2.5 × as long as wide, colour black. Frons broadly, deeply concave from epistoma to vertex well above upper level of eyes, with longer setae near margins and shorter towards the centre; scapus with long dorsal spike with a long tuft of setae along the entire scapus, setae as long as the spike; antennal club setose with two strongly procurved sutures; scutellum with plumose scales; declivital interstriae 1 and 2 with few and small setae; interstrial setae on and near declivity short and broadly spatulate, confused, on disc with additional very long and narrowly spatulate setae; protibiae with three apical denticles. Male similar to female but declivity bears three pairs of sharp, curved spines on interstriae 2, 3 and 5, and antennal scapus rounded with short setae.

Distribution: South Africa.

New records. South Africa, East Cape, Grahamstown [GIS: -33.31, 26.57], June 1937 , J. Hewitt [ NHMUK]. Western Cape: Nature’s Valley [GIS: -33.965, 23.562], B. Jordal, leg., 9.xi.2006 # 8, ex Cassine peragua ; Wilderness, Ebbe Flow [GIS: -33.980, 22.613], B. Jordal, leg., 31.x.2006 , #2.

Biology. This species were previously reported from a variety of host plants, including Cape saffron, Cassine peragua (Celastraceae) and Cordia caffra (Boraginaceae) ( Schedl 1965). New collections were made from Cape saffron. Thin branches of 2–5 cm diameter were colonized by a male which was joined by either one or two females. Two broods of individual females contained 30 and 38 larvae, respectively.

Figures

FIGURES 57–65. Dorsal, lateral and frontal view of Lanurgus spathulatus male allotype (57, 60, 63) female lectotype (58, 61) and female compared to lectotype (64), Lanurgus longipilis female without status, from holotype series (59, 62, 65).