Dendrochilus tener Jordal, 2021

Jordal, Bjarte H., 2021, Revision of Dendrochilus (Coleoptera, Scolytinae) - with description of two new species from Tanzania, Zootaxa 4969 (3), pp. 587-593 : 590

Dendrochilus tener Jordal , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:890CCBAD-01DB-4BA7-AD3B-C293583A0A62

( Figs 5, 8, 11 , 15, 17 )

Type material. Holotype female: Tanzania [Morogoro Province], Udzungwa, Mang’ula , ex liana, 1000m alt., 12.11.2009 (#3), B. Jordal leg. GIS: -7.84, 36.85 . Allotype male, and paratypes (6): same data as holotype. Holotype, allotype and four paratypes in ZMUB , two paratypes in NHMW .

Diagnosis. Very small species, length 0.9–1.1 mm; eyes separated above by <2.2 × their width; antennal scapus with dorsal tuft of setae longer than antennal club; vestiture on elytra consisting of rows of hair-like interstrial setae on disc, spatulate setae on declivity; apical extension of last abdominal ventrite in females broader than long.

Description female. Length 1.0– 1.1 mm, 2.8–2.9 × as long as wide; colour brown. Head. Frons convex, vestiture of scant long setae directed inwards. Eyes entire, separated above by 1.9–2.2 × their width; antennal scapus longer than wide, slightly triangular towards apex, broader than pedicel, with a broad tuft of dorsal setae which are slightly longer than length of club; funiculus 5-segmented; club flattened, smooth and shiny, about two times as long as broad, sides subparallel or broader on apical half, with fine setae along lateral and apical margin. Pronotum hunchbacked, summit at middle; anterior half with dense, small asperities, surface reticulate, punctures shallow, few. Vestiture consisting of coarse hair-like setae. Elytra parallel-sided for three-quarter of its length, narrowly rounded behind; striae not impressed, punctures shallow, in part obscure; vestiture consisting of erect spatulate setae on each interstriae from base to apex, with fine, short, recumbent strial setae. Scutellum flat, flush with elytra.

Ventrites. Last abdominal ventrite apically bottleneck-shaped, cylindrical, the cylindrical part shorter than broad. Vestiture on meso- and metaventrites consisting of scattered long, unifid setae. Legs. Procoxae contiguous. Protibiae narrow, twisted, with three socketed teeth just inside the apical margin, mucro much larger, curved posterolaterally. Metatibiae narrow, parallel-sided, apical margin transverse with three apical socketed teeth.

Male. Similar to female except shorter, 0.9‒1.0 mm long, 2.5–2.6 × as long as wide, frons with only few short setae, antennal scapus not inflated, with few dorsal setae, anterior margin of pronotum with two small and closely set tubercles, and the interstriae on posterolateral areas of elytra with sharp granules.

Etymology. The Latin name tener is a masculine nominative adjective meaning tender, referring to the small size of this species.

Biology and distribution. Only known from the type locality in the Udzungwa Mountains where it was dissected from a hanging dead liana. Females were mainly found alone with larvae.

Remarks. This species was included in a previous phylogenetic analysis of Micracidini as Dendrochilus sp E ( Jordal 2021) .

Figures

FIGURES 5–13. Dorsal, lateral and front view of Dendrochilus tener female (5, 8, 11); Dendrochilus udzungwae female (6, 9, 12), and male (7, 10, 13).

FIGURES 14–17. Proventriculus (left) and male genitalia (right) of Dendrochilus udzungwae (14, 16) and Dendrochilus tener (15, 17). The flagellum is released in D. udzungwae and coiled in D. tener.