Smicronyx namibicus Haran, 2018

Haran, Julien M., 2021, The Smicronychini of southern Africa (Coleoptera, Curculionidae): Review of the tribe and description of 12 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 735, pp. 34-73 : 67-68

Smicronyx namibicus Haran, 2018

Figs 2H , 5P ; Table 1

Smicronyx namibicus Haran, 2018: 282 .

Differential diagnosis

Of the African Smicronychini , Smicronyx namibicus can distinguished by the scales on elytra forming a contrasting black square on basal half of interstriae 1–4, surrounded with white scales ( Haran 2018).

Material examined

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂; Kwazulu-Natal Province, Escourt ; 4 Jan. 1899; G.A.K. Marshall leg.; BMNH .

Other material (holotype)

See Haran (2018).

Diagnosis

BODY LENGTH. 2.0–3.0 mm.

COLOUR. Body integument black, antennae, femora and tibiae dark reddish; vestiture of elytra generally consisting of recumbent, rounded or slightly longer than wide scales, forming a dark-brown square in basal half and between interstriae 5 of each elytron; rest of scales on elytra greyish to brown, paler near dark-brown square; vestiture of prothorax consisting of brownish scales, with 5 longitudinal whitish stripes.

HEAD. Rostrum slightly longer than head capsule + prothorax in lateral view, moderately downcurved, curvature stronger near base and near antennal insertion.

PROTHORAX. Slightly wider than long (w/l ratio: 1.06), widest before middle of length, sides greatly rounded in basal ¾.

ELYTRA. Distinctly rounded, widest before middle of length (w/l ratio: 0.79).

LEGS. Femora moderately clavate, armed with a distinct ventral tooth, tibiae straight. GENITALIA. Body of penis elongate (w/l ratio: 0.47), 0.8× as long as apodemes, sides straight, subparallel, apex truncate, moderately and regularly curved in lateral view ( Fig. 5P ).

Life history

Unknown. The adults were collected in December in the Republic of South Africa and in November in Tanzania.

Distribution

Tanzania (Island of Zanzibar, Haran 2018), Republic of South Africa (Kwazulu-Natal Province).

Remarks

Smicronyx namibicus was wrongly described from Namibia due to a misinterpretation of the handwritten label of the holotype. The locality of this specimen is ‘Zanzib’ (Island of Zanzibar, Tanzania) and not ‘Namib’ (Namib Desert) as reported in Haran (2018). I thank Helene Perrin (MNHN) for highlighting this misreading.

Figures

Fig. 2. Habitus of species of Smicronychini from southern Africa (Part 2). A. Smicronyx san sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC), bred from Chironia baccifera L. B. S. san sp. nov., ♂, paratype (CBGP), specimen bred from Orphium frutescens L. (E. Mey). C. S. san sp. nov., ♂, paratype (CBGP), specimen bred from Sebaea Sol. ex R.Br. sp. D. Smicronyx drakensbergensis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (TMSA). E. Smicronyx zonatus Haran, 2018, ♂, paratype (CBGP), specimen from the Western Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa.F. Smicronyx lutulentus Dietz, 1894, ♂ (CBGP). G. Smicronyx albosquamosus Wollaston, 1854, ♂ (CBGP), specimen from Israel. H. Smicronyx namibicus Haran, 2018, ♂ (MNHN), specimen from Tanzania. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Fig. 5 (opposite page). Penis of Smicronyx from southern Africa, in dorsal (left) and lateral (right) view. A. Sharpia madibai sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC). B. Afrosmicronyx cycnii sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC). C. Afrosmicronyx louwi sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC). D. Afrosmicronyx marshalli sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SANC). E. Afrosmicronyx nebulosipennis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (BMNH). F. Smicronyx similis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SANC). G. Smicronyx pseudocoecus sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC). H. Smicronyx paucisquamis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC). I. Smicronyx fallax (Gyllenhal, 1836), ♂, neotype (NHRS). J. Smicronyx australis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC). K. Smicronyx pauperculus Wollaston, 1864, ♂, specimen from Tanzania. L. Smicronyx san sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SAMC), bred from Chironia baccifera L. M. Smicronyx drakensbergensis sp. nov., ♂, holotype (TMSA). N. Smicronyx zonatus Haran, 2018, ♂, paratype (CBGP), specimen from the Western Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa. O. Smicronyx lutulentus Dietz, 1894, ♂ (CBGP). P. Smicronyx namibicus Haran, 2018, ♂, holotype (MNHN), specimen from Tanzania. Scale bars: 100 μm.