Cionus natalensis, Caldara & Košťál, 2023

Caldara, Roberto & Košťál, Michael, 2023, A Taxonomic Revision Of The Afrotropical Species Of The Weevil Genus Cionus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Zootaxa 5288 (1), pp. 1-98 : 71

38. Cionus natalensis sp. n. ( Figs 38a–f )

Type locality. Lotheni Nature Reserve (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) .

Type series. Holotype, male “1./ 2.12.2000 RSA KwaZulu/Natal Lotheni NR P. Schüle leg.” ( NHMB) . Paratypes: same data as holotype (8, FBCV; 4, MKCS; 4, RCCM); “ SOUTH AFRICA Giant’s Castle Nat. Park . 29.16S 29.32E 23.i.1991 S Neser /Adults on Buddleja salviifolia ” (5, SANC) ; “ S. Afr.; Nat-Crakensbg. Giant’s Castle 11.X.1983, Bellamy” (4, TMSA) ; “ SOUTH AFRICA, NATAL Mdedelelo Forestry Area , 29.07S 29.26E 13–14.xi.1981. S.J. van Tonder & C. Kok ” (1, SANC) ; “ BOTSWANA Chobe Nat. Park , Savutl Channel 18.32S 23.55E 02.I.1981 P. Reavell ” (1, SANC) .

Diagnosis. Rostrum with few white scales larger on sides. Pronotum with four moderately prominent protuberances. Elytra covered with grayish and black scales arranged in numerous spots on odd elytral interstriae, with interstria 3 more convex at base, striae slightly visible. Claws distinctly asymmetrical in male.

Description. Male ( Figs 38a–b ). Body: short, globose. Head: rostrum stout, short (Rl/Rw 3.92–3.96, Rl/Pl 1.39–1.43), black; in lateral view moderately curved, slightly tapered from antennal insertion to apex, in dorsal view slightly widened from base to apex, distinctly striate-punctate, covered with moderately dense, subrecumbent to recumbent, dark grey scales (l/w 4–7), with few larger white scales on sides. Head between eyes moderately narrow, half as wide as rostrum at base, with dense, elliptical grayish scales forming a comb around apex of eyes. Eyes flat. Antennae dark brown, inserted just behind middle; scape long (l/w 10); funicle moderately shorter than scape, S1 slightly more robust than and as long as S2, 2.5× as long as wide, S2 2.7 × as long as wide, S3–5 as long as wide; club oblongly oval, shorter than funicle, pubescent. Pronotum: black, with moderately irregular, dense, small, moderately deep punctures almost completely hidden by recumbent to suberect, dense, elongated (l/ w 5–8), intermixed dark grey and black scales; conical, moderately transverse (Pw/Pl 1.50–1.54), widest at base, sides rectilinear, slightly convex on disc, with four transversely arranged protuberances emphasized by tufts of erect black scales. Prosternum: anterior margin distinctly emarginated. Scutellar shield: subtriangular, densely covered with dark grey scales. Elytra: black, very short (El/Ew 1.02–1.04), globose, widest at middle, distinctly wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.70–1.75), humeri strongly prominent, sides slightly rounded, moderately convex on disc; interstriae slightly convex, almost straight except interstria 3 sinuate and more convex at base, with slightly irregular, small, moderately deep punctures almost completely hidden by dense, recumbent to subrecumbent, dark grey scales, with numerous spots formed by black scales which are at base of interstria 3 suberect, with three rectangular spots of ochraceous scales in apical half of interstria 1; striae slightly visible, with punctures moderately deep, as wide as interstriae, with intervals between punctures situated at same level as interstriae. Venter: mesosternal process moderately convex, moderately emarginated. Metasternum with dense, elongated, thin brown and grayish scales, latter ones hair-like in middle. Abdomen with moderately irregular, very small, indistinct, very shallow punctures feebly visible between elongated grayish scales, more elongated, hair-like in middle; V1 1.75× longer than V2, V1+2 5.5× longer than V3+4, latter ones 0.8× as long as V5. Legs: densely covered with intermixed grayish brown and light brown scales; femora black, with robust sharp teeth; tibiae brown, without unci; tarsi brown, with onychium as long as T1–3 combined; claws asymmetrical, one claw half as long as other. Penis: Figs 38d–f , its body slightly wider in basal half, sides slightly narrowed in apical half, tip blunted. Flagellum thin, elongated, bifurcated at base.

Female. Rostrum longer (Rl/Rw 4.53–4.57; Rl/Pl 1.70–1.75) ( Fig. 38c ), claws symmetrical.

Variability. Length 3.1–3.6 mm. Light scales on interstria 1 may vary from whitish to light brown.

Remarks. Cionus natalensis seems to be closely related to C. oberprieleri and C. nhlosanicus . It differs from C. oberprieleri by the longer and in lateral view less tapered rostrum in the male and the more convex elytral interstriae. From C. nhlosanicus it differs by the rostrum in lateral view curved and by the lack of white suberect scales on elytra.

Etymology. The Latin adjective refers to the province of South Africa where the type locality is located.

Biological notes. Collected in the type locality by Neser from Buddleja salviifolia .

Distribution. South Africa (KwaZulu–Natal), Botswana.

Figures

FIGURES 37–38. FIGURE 37. Cionus stalsi sp. n. a: body in dorsal view (male), b: body in lateral view (male), c: rostrum in lateral view (female), d: penis in ventral view, e: penis in lateral view, f: apex of penis in dorsal view. FIGURE 38. Cionus natalensis sp. n. a: body in dorsal view (male), b: body in lateral view (male), c: rostrum in lateral view (female), d: penis in ventral view, e: penis in lateral view, f: apex of penis in dorsal view. Not to scale.