Aphanarthrum maculatum Jordal

Jordal, Bjarte H., 2009, Two new species of Aphanarthrum Wollaston (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) associated with Euphorbia in South Africa, Zootaxa 1983, pp. 54-62 : 58-60

Aphanarthrum maculatum Jordal , sp. n.

( Figs. 1 C, D)

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from all other Aphanarthrum by the longitudinal, nearly triangular shape of the dark blot on the elytral disk and by the almost ring-shaped lamina of the aedeagus. It is furthermore distinguished from all North African and Macaronesian species by the finely asperate pronotum and from A. capense also by the much smaller size of the aedeagus and by having 5 socketed teeth on the protibia and 5-7 teeth on meso- and metatibiae. COI sequences: EU143703 – EU143704 . EF-1α sequences: EU143707 – EU143708 .

Description. Length 1.5–1.7 mm, 2.5–2.6 times longer than wide; colour mainly dark brown, sides and basal one-sixth of elytra yellow, legs and antennae yellow to light brown. Frons slightly convex, surface reticulate and sparsely punctured above upper level of eyes, flat, shiny and densely granulate below; scattered short setae present close to epistoma. Eyes deeply emarginated at level of antennal insertion, separated above by about 2.0–2.2 times their length (anterior to posterior margin). Antennal club 1.4–1.5 times longer than wide, laterally constricted at sutures 1 and 2, sutures incomplete in middle, suture 1 recurved and septate, a few setae present; funiculus 1-segmented; scapus as long as club and funiculus combined, with a few scattered setae. Pronotum 0.95–1.05 times longer than wide; sides curved, broadest at basal one-third, slightly constricted anteriorly, narrowly rounded in front; surface reticulate, punctures shallow, spaced by 1–2 times their diameter, replaced by granules and asperities on anterior half; vestiture consisting of scant hair-like setae. Elytra 1.5–1.6 times longer than wide, 1.4–1.6 times longer than pronotum, sides straight and parallel in basal two-thirds, broadly rounded apically. Scutellum small and round, flush with elytra. Base of elytra straight; striae not impressed, punctures small and shallow, spaced by their diameter; interstriae as wide as striae, punctures slightly smaller than those in striae. Declivity gradually rounded, interstriae 1-3 distinctly impressed in males, less so in females. Vestiture varying between paratypes, in holotype consisting of uniseriate rows of hair-like interstrial and strial setae, interstrial setae about twice as long as strial setae, spaced by less than length of a seta; all setae shorter and denser on declivity. Procoxae projecting well below prosternum, subcontiguous; prosternal process narrow, long and acute; mesocoxae separated by the width of scapus, mesoventral process descending; metacoxae separated by length of a coxae. Protibia on outer lateral edge with 5 socketed teeth, meso- and metatibiae usually with 5-7 socketed teeth; all tibiae with inner terminal mucro. Aedeagus about 2.5 times longer than wide, distinction between body and apodemes unclear, body subparallel for half its length, narrowly rounded and slightly elongated towards apex. Terminal plates weakly sclerotised, diverging anteriorly, less than one-third as long as aedeagus. Lamina about one-third as long as aedeagus, thick, strongly sclerotised, almost ring-like. Tegmen open dorsally, weakly sclerotised and slightly asymmetrical. Spiculum gastrale as long as aedeagus, strongly curved anteriorly, relatively strongly sclerotised, with small knob at anterior one-third.

Material examined. Holotype, male: " South Africa, Eastern Cape Province, Ecca Pass, N. Grahamstown. Ex Euphorbia triangularis , 16 Nov. 2006, B. Jordal leg." [ SAM]; Paratypes (n=7): same data as for holotype (3 in SAM, 4 in BHJ collection).

Etymology. The name refers to the bicolored condition of the elytra, with a distinct longitudinal dark brown blot on the elytral disk.

Biology. Similar to that of A. capense .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus and male genitalia of Aphanarthrum species. A – B: A. capense sp. n.; C – D: A. maculatum sp. n.