Xyloctonus pubifer Schedl, 1965

Jordal, Bjarte H., 2024, Integrated taxonomy, biology and biogeography of the Afrotropical genus Xyloctonus (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 71 (1), pp. 67-84 : 67

Xyloctonus pubifer Schedl, 1965

Figs 25 , 28 , 31

Xyloctonus pubifer Schedl, 1965a: 365.

Type material.

Holotype: South Africa, Port Elisabeth [-33.76, 25.45] [NHMW].

Diagnosis.

Length 2.8-2.9 mm, 1.8-1.9 × as long as wide, colour dark brown; frons finely pubescent; anterior margin of pronotum with two tiny, raised teeth; elytra with dense, fine micro-setae, interstrial and strial punctures dense and similarly sized; elytral interstriae 9 curves before apex and continues to elytral suture; scutellar shield impressed in middle, bilobed, with bifid, short setae; elytral suture straight.

Distribution,

South Africa, Zambia.

New records.

South Africa, Western Cape Province, Natures Valley [-33.965, 23.562], 8 Nov. 2007, ex. Sideroxylon inerme , B. Jordal, leg. [ZMUB]; Eastern Cape Province, Van Stadens Resort, beating 18.11.2013, M. Wanat leg. [UWCP].

Biology.

Collected multiple times in this study, from the bark layer of Sideroxylon inerme ( Sapotaceae ). Females were found alone with larvae, the male was not observed, but presumably left their progeny at an earlier stage as observed in other species of the genus. Brood production ranged from 20-27 (n = 3). Flight times were observed in July and August in Zambia ( Beaver and Löyttyniemi 1985) and estimated to be early October in South Africa, based on expected developing time for the larvae collected in this study.

Figures

Figures 25 - 33. Dorsal, lateral and front view of holotype of X. pubifer (25, 28, 31); paratype of X. subcostatus (26, 29, 32); paratype of X. striatus (synonym of X. subcostatus) (27, 30, 33).