Cionus ingratus Fåhraeus

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 : 62-64

33. Cionus ingratus Fåhraeus ( Figs 33a–f )

Cionus ingratus Fåhraeus, 1871: 251 .

Type locality. “Caffraria” ( South Africa).

Type series. This species was described from specimens collected in “Caffraria” ( South Africa) without more precise data. In NHRS we examined one female labelled “Caffra–, ria [sic] / J. Sahlb. / Typus / ingratus Boh. / ingratus Bohem. n. sp. 21–22 [big rectangular white card]”, which we designated as the lectotype by adding the following label “ LECTOTYPE Cionus ingratus Fåhraeus des. Caldara & Košťál 2014”.

Diagnosis. Rostrum stout, short. Pronotum with four moderately pronounced protuberances. Elytra short, with prominent humeri, covered with grayish to light brown scales, with more or less numerous dark brown scales at base and in middle of first four interstriae, with a few suberect scales on odd interstriae, interstria 3 at base carinate, striae not visible. Claws distinctly asymmetrical in male, one claw very short, almost completely connate with other.

Redescription. Male ( Figs 33a–b ). Body: short, globose. Head: rostrum stout, short (Rl/Rw 3.22–3.27, Rl/ Pl 1.28–1.34), blackish; in lateral view weakly curved, in dorsal view parallel-sided to antennal insertion, then widened to apex, distinctly striate-punctate from base to apex, with moderately dense, subrecumbent to recumbent, elongated (l/w 4–7), grayish scales. Head between eyes concave, moderately narrow, 0.7× as wide as rostrum at base, with dense, elliptical, grayish scales forming a distinct comb around apex of eyes. Eyes flat. Antennae reddish with dark brown club, inserted between middle and apical third; scape long (l/w 9); funicle half as long as scape, S1 slightly more robust than and as long as S2, 2.5× as long as wide, S2 2.7 × as long as wide, S3–4 as long as wide, S5 transverse; club oblongly oval, shorter than funicle, pubescent. Pronotum: black, with moderately irregular, very small, indistinct, very shallow punctures completely hidden by recumbent, dense, imbricate, variously oriented, elongated (l/w 5–8), elliptical scales being mostly grayish, but brown in mediobasal area; conical, distinctly transverse (Pw/Pl 1.68–1.74), widest at base, with rectilinear sides, weakly convex on disc, with four transversely arranged distinct protuberances with tufts of erect white scales. Prosternum: anterior margin distinctly emarginated. Scutellar shield: heart-shaped, densely covered with brown scales. Elytra: black, globose, short (El/Ew 1.07–1.10), widest at middle, distinctly wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.75–1.80), humeri prominent, sides weakly rounded, moderately convex on disc; interstriae flat, almost straight except interstria 3 at base sinuate and more convex, with moderately irregular, very small, indistinct, very shallow punctures, completely hidden by recumbent, dense, imbricate, variously oriented, grayish to light brown scales, at base and in middle of first four interstriae with more or less numerous dark brown scales, odd interstriae with few suberect scales; striae not visible, slightly narrower than interstriae, with punctures moderately deep, intervals between punctures situated at same level as interstriae. Venter: mesosternal process slightly convex, moderately emarginated. Metasternum 0.6× as long as V1. Abdomen with moderately irregular, very small, indistinct, very shallow punctures feebly visible between elongated whitish scales being elliptical at sides and longer, hair-like in middle; V1 1.8× as long as V2; V1+2 4.4× as long as V3+4, latter ones as long as V5. Legs: integument feebly visible between moderately dense, elongated, grayish scales; femora black, with robust sharp teeth; tibiae brown; tarsi brown, with onychium as long as T1–3 combined; claws distinctly asymmetrical, partially connate, one claw 1/3 as long as other. Penis: Figs 33d–f , its body slightly narrowed from base to apex, tip short, subacute. Flagellum robust, short, bifurcated at base.

Female. Rostrum longer (Rl/Rw 3.70–3.76; Rl/Pl 1.22–1.27) ( Fig. 33c ), claws symmetrical.

Variability. Length 2.9–3.2 mm. The above reported description of the dorsal pattern matches the lectotype. Dark brown scales sometimes more numerous at the base of pronotum and especially on elytral interstriae 1–4, where they form a filled semicircle divided from the basal macula by a transverse band of pale scales.

Remarks. This species is usually easy to identify especially thanks to the characteristic pattern on the elytral disc. Similarly as in C. friedmani , which is another species with a distinctive drawing on the elytra, also here are specimens with elytral vestiture almost uniformly light brown. In this case, C. ingratus differs from C. friedmani by shorter and less arcuate rostrum and shorter elytra.

Biological notes. No data are available.

Distribution. South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape).

Non-type material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Deepdale env. pr. Underberg 1200 m S 29°45’5” E 29°56’2”, 1.xii.2015, leg. Košťál ” (1, MKCS). Eastern Cape: Grahamstown, 33°19’S 26°32’E, 29.XI.1983, Oberprieler leg. (1, RCCM; 2, SANC); Hogsback Mount , 32°35’S 27°05’E, 3.XII.1983, Oberprieler leg. (1, SANC); Kologha Forest , 940–1050 m, 32°53’S 27°36’E, 17.XI.2013, leg. Wanat (1, MHNW); Winterberge Mts. , 5 km N of g, 1200 m, 32°29’S 26°47’E, 27.XI.2017, leg. Košťál (2, MKCS) .

Figures

FIGURES 33–34. FIGURE 33. Cionus ingratus. 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 34. Cionus friedmani 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.