Apodytapion stepniewskii, Wanat, 2021

Wanat, Marek, 2021, New basal taxa of South African Apioninae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea: Brentidae), Zootaxa 5035 (1), pp. 1-60 : 25-29

Apodytapion stepniewskii sp. n.

( Figs. 112–150 , 292 )

Type material. Holotype ♂: a) RSA ( E) E Cape 20-80 m / - 31.6532S / 29.5068E /Silaka Nat. Res./nr Port St. Johns / trail up chalet 11, beating/ 13.11.2013 leg. M. Wanat ( ISAM) . Paratypes (28 ♂♂ 30 ♀♀): Mpumalanga: a) S . Afr. , E . Transvaal / Berlin; Karst plat ./ 25.31 S – 30.46 E, b) 8.12.1986, E-Y: 2363/fungous Pinus logs/leg. Endrödy-Younga [-25.5167 / 30.7667] (2 ♀, TMSA); Nelspruit Nat. Res. (gate) , - 25.4923S / 30.9845E, 740 m alt., 2.11.2013, beating, leg. MW (1 ♂, MWC) . KwaZulu-Natal: a) S . Africa. / R . E . Turner. / Brit. Mus. /1926–277, b) Zululand:/Gingindhlo- vu/ 9. VI .1926. (1 ♂, BMNH) . Eastern Cape: a) Malvern / Natal 6.97/8442., b) Captured /by G . A . K. Marshall, c) Brit. Mus. /1946–272 (1 ♂ 1 ♀, BMNH); same labels but date 7.97 (1 ♀, BMNH); a) S . Africa. / R . E . Turner. / Brit. Mus. /1923–332, b) Port St. John ,/ Pondoland / May 15-31.1923. [Eastern Cape] (1 ♀, BMNH); a) same data but 1923- 363, b) same data but June 12-30.1923 (2 ♂ 2 ♀, BMNH); a) ...1923-369, b) ... July 1-9.1923 (1 ♂ 1 ♀, BMNH); a) ...1923-398, b) ... July 10-31.1923 (1 ♂ 3 ♀, BMNH); a) ...1923-422, b) ... Aug. 7-13.1923 (1 ♂, BMNH); a) ...1923-463, b) ... Aug. 15-31.1923 (1 ♂ 1 ♀, BMNH); a) ...1924-6, b) ... Nov. 1923 (1 ♂, BMNH); Silaka Re- serve : - 31.6532S / 29.5068E, 20-80 m alt., trail up chalet 11, beating, 13.11.2013 (10 ♂ 9 ♀, MWC, SANC, TMSA, SMTD) ; -31.6527 / 29.5064, 5-10 m alt., main road & beach camp, 29.11.2019 (2 ♂ 1 ♀; MWC) ; -31.6557 / 29.5059, 5-10 m alt., beach & sea shore, 29.11.2019 (2 ♂ 3 ♀, MWC, CGC) ;, -31.6536 / 29.5057, 10 m, ex Apodytes di- midiata, 1.12.2019 (1 ♂ 1 ♀, MWC) ; -31.6549 / 29.5051, 20-35 m alt., main rd (lower, to chalet 15), 1.12.2019 (2 ♂ 1 ♀, MWC); (up to) -31.6531 / 29.502, 40- 140 m alt., main rd (mid & upper), 1.12.2019 (1 ♂ 1 ♀, MWC) ; - 31.6561 / 29.5049, 0-25 m, Jongelwandle trail, 1.12.2019 (1 ♀, MWC)—all beaten from Apodytes dimidiata , leg. M . Wanat . Western Cape: Wilderness Nat. Park, Serpentine river valley, - 33.9945S / 22.6180E; 5 m alt., riverine fynbos, 29.11.2013, 1 ♀, leg. MW ( MWC) .

Diagnosis. As in genus.

Description. Body length 1.7–2.5 mm. Red stripes on elytra, if present, variably broad, continuous from elytral base to apices of intervals 4–6 and partially entering also neighbouring intervals 3 and 7 ( Fig. 114 ), or variously broken in middle; in all degrees of their development red stripe or fleck encompasses humeral callus. In the specimens with broad red stripes on elytra occasionally pronotum and the most outer elytral intervals dark testaceous, not black. Antennae usually with distinctly darker club and distal half of funicle, rarely entire testaceous (possible even in the specimens with fully black elytra). Light setae on head, pronotum and underside of body short, semirecumbent, not longer than combined length of 3 ommatidia.

Morphological indices (n=12): rl/pl: ♂ 0.79–0.90 (M: 0.84), ♀ 0.86–1.03 (M: 0.95); rl/mxrw: ♂ 1.90–2.10 (M: 1.99), ♀ 2.18–2.58 (M: 2.38); scl/msrw: ♂ 0.59–0.72 (M: 0.67), ♀ 0.62–0.83 (M: 0.74); msrw/mtrw: 1.04–1.17; msrw/arw: ♂ 1.19–1.28 (M: 1.23), ♀ 1.03–1.21 (M: 1.11); msrw/minrw: ♂ 1.19–1.28 (M: 0.23), ♀ 1.08–1.21 (M: 1.13); msrw/eyl: 0.93–1.16; brl/eyl: 0.96–1.33; eyl/hl: 0.59–0.73; frw/mtrw: ♂ 0.87–1.03 (M: 0.95), ♀ 0.93–1.12 (M: 1.00); hl/hw: 0.67–0.79; mpw/hw: ♂ 1.06–1.20 (M: 1.12), ♀ 1.11–1.25 (M: 1.18); bpw/apw: 0.92–1.16; pl/ mpw: 1.05–1.20; mew/mpw: ♂ 1.67–1.83 (M: 1.78), ♀ 1.82–1.92 (M: 1.87); el/pl: 2.50–2.78; el/mew: 1.57–1.67; mew/bew: 1.23–1.35; bew/mpw: 1.33–1.48; pft/msrw: ♂ 0.77–0.94 (M: 0.86), ♀ 0.88–1.06 (M: 0.96); ptbl/pl: 0.96–1.20; ptbl/ptbmw: 5.62–7.36;

Rostrum shaped as in Figs. 116 & 117 , in male often nearly straight due to slight median expansion in profile ( Fig. 120 ), in females evidently curved ( Fig. 146 ); its basal half all-around with strong microreticulation, being dorsally often extended to prorostrum; septum of scrobes slightly widening posterad ( Fig. 132 ), not narrowing as usually in apionines.

Head distinctly transverse; eyes prominent, usually more roundly convex in males ( Fig. 116 ); epifrons between eyes variably sculptured, microreticulate, in middle punctate or not, with paired sulci broadly separated and running closer to eyes ( Fig. 135 ) or, occasionally, submedian and even joining to appear V-like; vertex anteriorly punctate and microreticulate on a distance of about one-third eye diameter, its posterior half depressed, bare and shiny; temples anteriorly with rugose sculpture for a distance of about one-fourth of eye diameter; subocular setae usually recumbent ( Fig. 120 ), rarely a few of them protruding; head venter punctate in between and shortly behind eyes, punctures with minute setae ( Fig. 132 ).

Antennal insertion from rostrum base ♂: 0.47–0.55 (M=0.50), ♀: 0.41–0.48 (M=0.43); setae sparse and weakly protruding on scape and funicle, dense and rather forward-directed on club; length/width ratio: scape 2.7–3.6, fun1 2.3–3.1, fun2 2.6–3.3, fun6 1.3–1.9, fun7 1.2–1.7, club 3.6–5.2; length of scape/fun1 1.3–1.5, fun1/fun2 1.0–1.1, fun3 0.6–0.8 × as long as fun1, fun4 as long as fun3, fun5–7 as long or slightly shorter than fun4, all three of similar length or each subsequent slightly shorter than previous one; club only exceptionally as long or longer than combined length of 5 distal funicular segments, usually about 4.0–4.5 × as long, with at least its median segment distinctly transverse ( Fig. 134 ).

Pronotum as in Figs. 115 & 135 ; punctures on disc sized as on head or slightly larger, the largest as large as 2 combined ommatidia, variably distant, from less than 1 to 3–4 puncture diameters apart, their interspaces flat, microreticulate; prosternum half as long as hypomeron; prosternellum reaching about mid-length of procoxal cavities; hypomeron flat, impunctate ( Fig.132 ).

Scutellar shield semicircular or button-like ( Fig. 135 ).

Elytra shaped as in Figs. 112–114 ; striae seemingly narrower on red elytral stripes than on black integument; intervals in middle of elytral disc 3–5 × broader than striae; apical portions of intervals 1 and 10 with more numerous short setae ( Fig. 136 ).

Wing as in Fig. 147 .

Mesoventrite with two groups of several punctures close to prothoracic margin; base of intercoxal process impunctate ( Fig. 137 ). Metaventrite as long as mesocoxal cavities, convex, with setiferous punctures on sides, in middle bare and nearly impunctate; base of short metaventral intermesocoxal process hollowed. Abdominal ventrites 1–2 sparsely punctate and setose; microsculpture consisting of transversely extended reticulation; ventrites 3–4 heavily microreticulate ( Figs. 144, 145 ).

Legs shorter than in Rhynchitapion . Procoxae lacking microreticulation on apices. Femora finely microreticulate in inflated middle part, with stronger microsculpture near articulations. Protibia without outer and/or inner edges, with inconspicuous apical comb of setae, these more numerous, whitish and covering whole tibial apex on meso- and metatibiae. Tarsi often bicolorous, specifically with lighter entire tarsomere 3 and bases of tarsomere 1 and onychium; protarsus 2.9–3.1 × as long as wide ( Fig. 118 ); two basal tarsomeres widening apicad; length/width ratio of tarsomeres: 1 st —2.0–2.4, 2 nd —1.0–1.2, 3 rd —0.75–0.85; onychium exceeding tarsomere 3 by 0.40–0.45 length; claws with low teeth ( Fig. 143 ).

Male. Rostrum more robust ( Figs. 116, 120 ). Metaventrite flattened. Mucro on mesotibia simply acute ( Fig. 142 ); mucro on metatibia truncate or falcate, obliquely protruding or parallel to the axis of tibia ( Figs. 119 , 143 ). Abdomen as in Fig. 144 ; ventrite 5 gently convex, 1.8–1.9 × as broad as long, entirely microreticulate, with dense shallow punctures. Pygidium transverse ( Fig. 148 ). Sternite VIII as in Fig. 125 . Spiculum gastrale with apodeme 3–4 × longer than straight-armed fork. Tegminal plate about twice as long as wide ( Fig. 123 ), joining arms of basal piece with a relatively thick sclerotized filament; suprafenestral sclerites regularly arched, with 5–7 long macrocheatae, without membranous extensions; ventral layer of fenestral sector with lateral sclerotized stripes, in side view visible as distinct bars ( Fig. 124 ); postfenestral plate in middle as long as suprafenestral sclerite; prostegium with broadly sclerotized, narrowing lateral “tails”, narrowly separated in middle. Penile apodemes slightly reinforced at connection with tectum; pedon 2.8–3.0 × as long as wide, in basal half parallel-sided, from middle narrowing and extended into a thin apical process, in profile nearly straight ( Figs. 121, 122 ); endophallus lacking typical sclerites, instead with pair of long, narrowly triangular, weakly sclerotized laminae having their inner margins indistinctly serrate; membrane of exposed part of endophallus entirely covered with dense microplates, similar to membrane near orifice; inflated endophallus shaped as in Fig. 126 , with prominent single ventral and dorsal lobes.

Female. Rostrum slightly longer, thinner and more strongly curved ( Figs. 117 , 146 ). Abdomen as in Fig. 145 ; ventrite 5 less convex, 2.4–2.5 × as broad as long, with a smooth median field at border with ventrite 4, with sparser and finer punctuation than in male. Gonocoxites about 3.5 × as long as wide, subparallel-sided, uniformly sclerotized; styli cylindrical, twice as long as wide ( Fig. 130 ). Vagina simply membranous. Bursa broad, without evident lobes, with major part of its membrane having moderately dense transverse microplates. Spermatheca as in Fig. 128 , spermathecal duct thin.

Biology. See the genus description.

Distribution. R.S.A. (Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape); from Nelspruit in the north to Wilderness in the south ( Fig. 292 ).

Etymology. Named to honour Dr. Marcin Stępniewski, hematologist, in gratitude for his successful efforts to keep the author able to write this paper.

Figures

FIGURES 112–131. Apodytapion stepniewskii sp. n. Dorsal habitus of male (112), female (113). Female elytra, dorsal view (114). Male pronotum, dorsal view (115). Rostrum and head in dorsal view, male (116), female (117). Female protarsus (118). Male: metatibial mucro and tarsus (119); rostrum and head, lateral view (120); penis in dorsal (121) and lateral (122) views; tegmen in dorsal (123) and lateral (124) views; sternites VIII and IX (125); inflated endophallus, lateral view (126). Female: tergite VIII (127); spermatheca (128); tergite VII (129); gonocoxites (130); spiculum ventrale (131).

FIGURES 132–143. Apodytapion stepniewskii sp. n., SEM micrographs. Male: rostrum and head, ventral view (132); mouthparts (133); antenna (134); rostrum and head, dorsal view (135); elytra, lateral view (136); mesoventrite, mesocoxae and part of metaventrite (137); left elytron inside, sutural slot and postscutellar lock (138); postscutellar lock of right elytron (139); apex of right elytron, inner side (140); unarmed protibial apex (141); mesotibial mucro (142); metatibial mucro and tarsus (143).

FIGURES 144–150. Apodytapion stepniewskii sp. n. Abdominal ventrites, male (144), female (145). Rostrum and head in lateral view, female (146). Wing (147). Male pygidium in dorsal (148), lateral (149), and ventral (150) views.

FIGURES 289–296. Distribution in Africa: Rhynchitapion variiforme sp. n. (289); Rh. pallidum sp. n. (290); Rh. usambarense sp. n. (291); Apodytapion stepniewskii sp. n. (292); Turnerapion pondoense sp. n. (293); Lepanomus crinalis crinalis Balf.-Br. (294, circles); L. crinalis zuluensis ssp. n. (294, triangles); Lepanomidius ruthmuellerae sp. n., males (295, circles); Lepano- midius sp. cf. ruthmuellerae, female (295, triangle); Lepanomidius magdaloides sp. n. (296).